ASUS Eee PC models announced

They're here, the Eee PC from ASUS, just announced in four ultra-portable flavors. Models offer between 8GB and 2GB of solid state disk capacity, 1GB to 256MB of DDR2 memory, and 3.5-hour or 2.8-hour batteries. Each sports an Intel CPU and chipset supporting Linux or XP, a 7-inch display, and Ethernet and WiFi. A video camera is only available in the 8GB and 4GB models. What's missing? The fracking price that's what. No worries, we expect the information to arrive courtesy of NewEgg and Best Buy over the next few hours if not minutes. In the meantime, see the model breakdown after the break.

[Via I4U]

[toronado455 @ Oct 16th 2007 5:06AM]

Either make the screen bigger so it takes up the whole lid instead of having that big border around it, or make the whole computer smaller. And give it a touch screen.

[turn_self_off @ Oct 16th 2007 6:31AM]

there be speakers on each side of the screen...

[L @ Oct 16th 2007 5:14AM]

Aren't number ranges usually specified from smaller to bigger? What's up with "1GB to 256MB"?

[GJP303 @ Oct 16th 2007 7:14AM]

Since it was posted at 4:50 in the morning, I think he was tired and he forgot which way to order them.
But, I, for one, think its hilarious that he continued to do it 2 more times in the post.

[JD @ Oct 16th 2007 3:33PM]

Well, that's the table from the asus eee minisite, so I'm not sure it's his fault. I'd say it's Asus's fault more than his, but whatever. Just follow the link and you'll see it right there.

[Tabajara Labs @ Oct 16th 2007 5:15AM]

It could be cheap enough that every citzen could buy one. Seems to me more useable than a sony book reader at $300.

[L @ Oct 16th 2007 5:52AM]

While we all wish the Reader to be available for 100$ - that comparison doesn't really make sense imho...

[AtoZ @ Oct 16th 2007 5:17AM]

Hmmm, don't ask too much at these prices. There is a rumored 10,1" screen coming in 2008.

However, this is a great machine and you can always add an external monitor at home.

I'm sold.

[caramelzappa @ Oct 16th 2007 5:34AM]

Looks like I'll be picking up the 4G Surf.

[Bob @ Oct 16th 2007 2:07PM]

2 GB = 172 Euro (245 US$)

4 GB SR (Surf) = 215 Euro (304 US$)

4 GB Dock = 237 Euro (335 US$)

8 GB Premium = 297 Euro (420 US$)

The prices are confirmed in an official Asus Press Release.

[jan @ Oct 16th 2007 5:38AM]

we have the prices on our website via a twitter stream from a taiwanese blogger that attended the press conference.

http://www.tonsai-media.de/2007/taiwan-preise-fr-den-asus-eee/

it starting at around 204 Euro Retail!

[pb @ Oct 16th 2007 5:43AM]

Hmm, strange, how can you put a windows xp on a 2gb disk or even 4gb, you'll just run out of space.

It looks like the 8gb model is the only one that is "xp compatible".

[caramelzappa @ Oct 16th 2007 5:45AM]

XP fits fine on a 4gb disk. 2gb, not so much, but you'd be able to install Windows 2000

[CapnVan @ Oct 16th 2007 6:10AM]

And yet they list the 2G as compatible with XP (on 256MB of RAM, no less). After adding Office, et al. I wouldn't care to use the 4G all that much, either. I might like to actually save a document.

[Dan @ Oct 16th 2007 6:00AM]

Since the RM rebadged ones are available for £169/£199 from:

http://www.rm.com/Primary/Products/product.asp?cref=PD1030046

I would imagine the un-rebadged(?)ones will be fairly similarly priced...

[Jack @ Oct 16th 2007 6:05AM]

I want one! just to play Doom on the train!

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 16th 2007 9:21AM]

Quit slumming and free your crosshairs.

This thing could handle Quake 2.

[Landin @ Oct 16th 2007 6:31AM]

Until the screen fills the complete lid and a larger storage is offer I think my cash will stay in my pocket. I do like the smaller size and could even see handing these out to all of our drivers to keep track of their trip information.

That is if they can be locked down so drivers don't watch porn while they drive.....

[Kelmon @ Oct 16th 2007 6:47AM]

Here's what I don't understand. Solid state hard drive, small screen, limited RAM (no idea about the processor) and the battery life tops out at 3.5 hours? I get better than this on my 17" laptop with moving parts in it. I would have expected the battery life on such a small device to be much better than what is projected.

[perfectionist @ Oct 16th 2007 1:42PM]

Exactly, it's a small device with limited room to fit in a large battery.

[superaktieboy @ Oct 16th 2007 7:48AM]

i read somewhere that one of these would be US$199 so around GBP130
hmm thats is quite good for simple tasks as word etc, but i don't think it will play games like crysis, but it might as nobody knows the CPU and GPU yet.. but would be cool if it even crysis.. but then if it does i don't think it will be around $199 soo

i think im gonna get a 8G for myself mainly because at home we don't have enough computer (6 people on a desktop and a laptop, laptop rarely used by 5, always used by 1) :P

[Japanesegorilla @ Oct 16th 2007 8:21AM]

Dude, you're kidding right? First of all, these have been cracked open for a while by at least one russian and one chinese site that I know of. I seem to remember something about a 700mhz processor and no graphics worth speaking of. This thing is not going to play games other than solitaire and your standard online flash games. Check out www.eeeuser.com I think they said that the $199 priced one will only be available with a contract order or something like that.

[superaktieboy @ Oct 16th 2007 8:35AM]

WOW :|
that just isnt correct.. WHY THE F*** would they add 1GB of ram on a laptop with just 700mhz cpu ??? i don't know, that just isn't correct i think its at least 2GHz cpu!!

and bout gpu yh then w/e enough for normal stuff :P

but still i don't think it's just a 700Mhz cpu and you don't have to rip a laptop or pc apart just to know what the speed is

[arthur barnhouse @ Oct 16th 2007 8:35AM]

Yes, large volume orders only for $199.

Every time new specs come out, this thing gets worse. First it was a laptop with 4 gigs flash and 1 gig memory for $199. Then it went down to two gigs flash and 512 memory for $249. That's almost still purchasable. But now? 2 gigs, 256 memory, AND a shorter battery life than was origionally talked about. I prefer they didn't announce anything to just being lied to for six months with dissapointment around every corner.

[Arthur Barnhouse @ Oct 16th 2007 8:39AM]

"that just isnt correct.. WHY THE F*** would they add 1GB of ram on a laptop with just 700mhz cpu ??? i don't know, that just isn't correct i think its at least 2GHz cpu!!"

You. . . don't know how computer's work, do you?

"but still i don't think it's just a 700Mhz cpu and you don't have to rip a laptop or pc apart just to know what the speed is"

Well, you're wrong, it's been announced to be a 700 mhz Celeron M ULV. And you don't have to rip apart a laptop to know the speed but when they DID take the laptop apart, there was a slow processor in there.

[superaktieboy @ Oct 18th 2007 1:21PM]

"You. . . don't know how computer's work, do you?"

yes i do.. its just i wouldn't add 1gb ram to a 700mhz processor :P but owell

"Well, you're wrong, it's been announced to be a 700 mhz Celeron M ULV. And you don't have to rip apart a laptop to know the speed but when they DID take the laptop apart, there was a slow processor in there."

hmm i though it would be quite a bit faster but if its only 700mhz then its a no for me :P

[Bruno @ Oct 16th 2007 8:16AM]

Now that their release is very close to the OLPC selling Nov 12th, I'll be heading for the OLPC which not only benefits a child but also features a much better screen, WiFi range and most likely battery life.

[Arthur Barnhouse @ Oct 16th 2007 8:38AM]

"that just isnt correct.. WHY THE F*** would they add 1GB of ram on a laptop with just 700mhz cpu ??? i don't know, that just isn't correct i think its at least 2GHz cpu!!"

You. . . don't know how computer's work, do you?

"but still i don't think it's just a 700Mhz cpu and you don't have to rip a laptop or pc apart just to know what the speed is"

Well, you're wrong, it's been announced to be a 700 mhz Celeron M ULV. And you don't have to rip apart a laptop to know the speed but when they DID take the laptop apart, there was a slow processor in there.

[orca654 @ Oct 16th 2007 9:57AM]

From this website:
http://chinese.engadget.com/2007/10/16/eee-pcs-official-prices-announced/

..... Eee PCs will hit the market in four different specs, the cheapest being the Eee PC 2G Surf ( 256MB DDR2 / 2GB SSD / 4400mAh battery), at approximately $245USD, while the Eee PC 4G Surf ( 512MB DDR2 / 4GB SSD / 4400mAh battery) goes for around $305USD. The two higher end models have increased battery capacity, with the Eee PC 4G ( 512MB DDR2 / 4GB SSD / 5200mAh battery) going for $340USD, and the top end Eee PC 8G ( 1GB DDR2 / 8GB SSD / 5200mAh ) coming in with a $424USD price tag. According to ASUS' own estimates, the 4400mAh battery will give you about 2.8 hrs of usage, while the 5200mAh one should last around 3.5 hrs. We'll post our hands on gallery in a moment!

[Scott Culp @ Oct 16th 2007 10:39AM]

Okay, I can see that most people here don't actually "get" this laptop. The main feature here is it's portability. It's not for heavy processing and definitely NOT games, at least not anything from the last 3-4 years.

This is a system designed for travelers/businessmen who want web access, email, and maybe a VNC connection to the office desktop. People who don't want to carry around 5+ lbs. or 15" inches of screen if they don't need to.

Try finding anything this portable for even triple the price.

[ChrisC @ Oct 16th 2007 11:01AM]

Agreed-we were looking at it this morning 'round the office, and there were a few of us that really took a shine to a nice little presentation + email machine. Five pounds never sounds heavy...until you have to lug it around all day.

I also think the (reported) price is great for a traveler too-if you drop it or spill a beer on it it's cheap enough to just replace outright.

[Technodragon @ Oct 16th 2007 11:42AM]

I'd argue it's not just for business travelers. Consumers of various niches can benefit from this too, especially commuters who use the bus and/or train to get to work. I'd much rather take this on transit or to the local coffee shop than my monster 17" Dell XPS M1710 laptop.

The Eee looks like a very nice ultra portable which is great for the average user who, let's face it, spends most of their time on the web.

Web browsing and document handling is an obvious reason for the 256MB - 1GB of ram. Anyone else remember trying to run flash or open a large spreadsheet with 128MB (or less) of ram? (sloooooooooow)

[Tony @ Oct 16th 2007 11:31AM]

Im very interested just for surfing and email.I will wait til the first reviews, want to hear what the scene quality will be like.

[OddManOut @ Oct 16th 2007 12:04PM]

Used Fujitsu Lifebook P1120

- 800mhz Crusoe CPU
- 256MB RAM
- 20 - 30 GB HDD
- Integrated 802.11b + 10/100 Ethernet
- 8MB ATI Video Chipset
- Touchscreen
- 3 - 4 hour standard battery runtime (6 - 8 hour battery available ~$50)

It shipped (in the US anyway) originally with WinXP and was a DAWG. But after a little hunting on yon interwebs all the necessary drivers can be located and anyone with a modicum of technical savy one can slap Win2k on it, whereupon it becomes quite peppy and usable. Great for all the things mentioned by "Scott Culp" and more. It'll play standard Divx rips pretty well perfectly, works ok with Skype, and can be had from $250 - $400.

The only things I really don't like about mine are the lack of IR and the fac that it only has USB 1.1...

At $200 the eeepc sounded like a great toy that might qualify as a workhorse via the metric of bang per buck. But if it loses it's price edge, I'll stick with refurbishing / repurposing the $1500 - $2000 ultraportables of yester year that we mere mortals only dreamed of owning.

[perfectionist @ Oct 16th 2007 1:59PM]

It's been reported that the $200 model is for contract purchases only.

If the US prices are similar to the Taiwanese prices, it will probably be:
2G Surf @ ~$250
4G Surf @ ~$300
4G @ ~$350
8G @ ~$450

[Doug @ Oct 16th 2007 12:32PM]

I think I'll stick with a HTC Advantage X7501 as my next ultraportable+phone. Slightly smaller screen, but that allows you to keep it on you all the time. Better battery life (8+hours), EDGE/3G so you don't need to be near a Wifi hotspot, instant on...

http://www.mobiletechreview.com/HTC-Advantage.htm

[caramelzappa @ Oct 16th 2007 9:55PM]

Nevermind that it's three times the price...

[gilo @ Oct 16th 2007 2:20PM]

Only 3.5 hrs is not what we all had in mind when we heard about the new 2 pound tiny screen low spec EEE .

For 400$ you can have much better used ultra portables at 3 pounds , 10-12" screen with higher specs and 5+ hrs of battery time .

What a joke .

[caramelzappa @ Oct 16th 2007 9:51PM]

Please, point me in the direction of any ultraportable under $400 aside from the eee.

[gilo @ Oct 17th 2007 2:38AM]

umm , maybe any old Fujitsu B or T ?

you might wanna read my comment again as it stated "used ultra portables" ,
oh and they also come with touch (B) or tablet (T) screen .

[brian @ Oct 17th 2007 9:59PM]

the $300-$400 used laptops you speak of are larger, heavier, and are p3 processors with 256mb of ram. asus eee is a better deal than those.

[ColonelKernel @ Oct 17th 2007 12:36AM]

The Foleo doesn't sound so ridiculous now that we have some real numbers on the Eee. The Foleo likely would still have come up short against even next year's 10 inch version, but now that Palm's going back to retool it I expect it will be far superior, but that's just me, and, well, who the hell am I?

[Andrew @ Oct 18th 2007 4:03PM]

I keep seeing the same specs repeated everywhere, but can't find the screen resolution. Does anyone know what resolution these guys run?

[Alan @ Oct 20th 2007 12:30AM]

7" 800 X 480

"I keep seeing the same specs repeated everywhere, but can't find the screen resolution. Does anyone know what resolution these guys run?"

[battery @ Oct 27th 2007 10:28PM]

If you need a new laptop battery, I suggest you could puechase one from http://www.batteryfast.com , which would shipping to yu fast and the quality is satisfy satisfied.:)
http://www.batteryfast.com/asus/

[JBrown @ Oct 31st 2007 12:36AM]

HEY everyone, I've been hanging out at eeeuser.com following this little beauty.

A couple users uploaded pictures of the interface on the Eee and I built a little Online Test Drive for the Eee.

Check it out at: http://www.honeypothack.com/eee/internet.htm

-Josh

[Oli @ Nov 5th 2007 10:51AM]

I'm afraid that I don't want to get it because it runs on Linux, but if it's XP compatible, then I should get it.
Hope to hear more about this...because Linux is tough to use.