Black Eee PCs arriving soon

We're pretty fond of the Eee PC's current design, but for those of you looking for something a little more pro, Expansys and Directron are both listing the black version we saw a while back for a $20 markup. Expansys is listing ship time at 8 days, so if you're already used to waiting for a white one, it shouldn't be too bad.

Read -- Expansys listing
Read -- Directron listing
[Via Coolest Gadgets]

[Isaac @ Nov 6th 2007 8:47PM]

I wish I had 400$. I spend all my money on games this month.

[mushrooshi @ Nov 6th 2007 8:52PM]

I don't like the bars at he edge of the screen.

[Seth Brundle @ Nov 7th 2007 8:59AM]

Yeah I dont know how people are going back to 800x600 resolution - seriously, ouch.

Especially since for exactly the same price you can get a fully equipped desktop replacement notebook from Walmart.

I mean, you *really* have to *need* a very small notebook and be willing to give up a lot of other features.

[Invisiblemoose @ Nov 6th 2007 9:03PM]

Wow! You're right! I never noticed!

[kevin rummelhart @ Nov 6th 2007 9:05PM]

Those are speakers...
As for Black vs White - I prefer the white... wish more people would think outside the box more often...

[linuxamp @ Nov 6th 2007 10:58PM]

True, those are the speakers but this is probably how it worked out that way.

1) Laptop lid should be the same size as the body so that it's flat when closed.
2) Filling the lid with a larger screen would have added to the cost and taken away from the cost advantage of this device a bit.
3) Leaving the sides blank and placing the speakers elsewhere would make it easy to later produce a model with a larger screen but people would initially wonder why there's blank spaces.
4) Putting the speakers there is a good compromise of the above.

[rudeboy @ Nov 7th 2007 5:45AM]

its a budget model and what the hell has thinking outside the box have to do with the color or where the speakers are .. its not sexy its just usefull

[John @ Nov 6th 2007 8:57PM]

oh, sure, the black one comes AFTER the white one.

[kevin rummelhart @ Nov 6th 2007 9:08PM]

Soon pink, green and baby blue...
http://mikecane.wordpress.com/2007/09/18/asus-eee-to-do-color-covers/

[kevink @ Nov 6th 2007 10:58PM]

comment of the millennium

[Ian @ Nov 6th 2007 9:03PM]

Hey, just like a mini-Lenovo!

[reader101 @ Nov 6th 2007 9:08PM]

Do people really think $400 is a good price for this machine? Don't get me wrong. I like the device but for those money I can get a regular laptop

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3329305&Sku=E80-NC1502R

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5493353

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5946677

I really think this device should be at least $100 less. Yes it is portable but to use it as a main computer (as suggested in some comments I've seen for the last 3 weeks) it is not the brightest idea.

[kureshii @ Nov 7th 2007 7:21PM]

The regular laptop you are talking about is a 15" VIA C7 that weighs 5.7lbs. For $400 I'll rather get an Eee with approximately half the screen dimensions, 1/3rd the weight and 2/3rds the processing power (theoretically, but the SSD should make up for any "deficit" in performance).

How did we even get to comparing 2 different products aimed at 2 different markets, anyway?

While I concur that the price should have stayed at $250-300 as announced, I think $400 isn't too bad a price either; performance from the reviews doesn't seem as bad as I initially expected, and I've seen more overpriced and overhyped products - the only thing I have against the Eee now is the price increase.

[Eyuras @ Nov 7th 2007 8:55AM]

Agreed I wish itd been cheaper, and to the guy above me. Because you totaly missed out the 3rd market, people who want the cheapest laptop possible for email and note taking
for $200 - $250, I would have gotten it in a heartbeat to take note in class with but for $400 I could get a regular sized laptop to take notes with...

[Chad @ Nov 7th 2007 10:41AM]

You CANNOT get any other laptop or desktop currently with a solid state (Flash) hard drive for $400. Granted it's an extremely small drive by todays standards (4GB) but the benefit of not worrying about moving parts being damaged by bumps, jars, & drops is MAJOR! Not to mention how fast your programs will load from launch even with such a slow processor. If you need a slow but fully functional laptop get it. If you want a super light weight zippy laptop that does almost everything the fully functional one does then get that. If you want the super light weight flash drive based laptop to be fully functional and cost next to nothing move to fantasy land cause here in realityville pappa's gotta pay the bills!

[Gregory Kimball @ Nov 6th 2007 9:08PM]

Why is it that black plastic carries a price premium? You pay $125 more for a black MacBook (comparably equipped to the white model), and now an extra $20 for a black Eee. And don't get me started on the Xbox 360 Elite. This is obviously an effort by the consumer electronics industry to discourage the purchase of black products.



Damn racists.

[derek @ Nov 6th 2007 9:35PM]

Before people go crazy, and you get Lowest Ranked, you should say that you were joking.

[Ethan Fahy @ Nov 6th 2007 10:30PM]

i know for real everytime i see somebody with a black macbook i wanna slap em upside the head and call em a chump.

[Darkman08 @ Nov 7th 2007 1:11AM]

I use to do temp-work ant a plastic bucket plant called Plastican I can tell you why. The "real" reason why they charge more for black then white/blue/red/etc, cause black is cheaper to make and made mostly out of damage colored plastic parts. By charging more, they make more money from making less plastic.

[Reid Conti @ Nov 7th 2007 1:16AM]

Yeah, but the black MacBook has that sweet rubbery texture like my Thinkpad T60, not the glossy finish like my old iBook.

At least you get something extra with the XBox 360 Elite -- HDMI, HDMI cable, bigger hard disk (120gb versus 20gb) for just $100 more. To me, it was a no-brainer. Plus it matches my black DVD player, black TV, black entertainment stand...

(damn silver Comcast POS DVR).

[qldonkey @ Nov 7th 2007 1:47AM]

I'd prefer the black EEE PC - the white model is probably more prone to stains, grease marks, etc and overtime wear and tear is more prominent on white. At least that's the reasoning I have in mind.

The green color looks good too, but I bet it has a white keyboard as well.

[Will @ Nov 6th 2007 9:09PM]

That's racist!
/sarcasm

[pvanderh @ Nov 6th 2007 9:09PM]

i dont see the hype behind this thing. yeah its $400 but the specs suck. just throwing away money on a subpar machine.

[anthony.lam @ Nov 6th 2007 9:30PM]

the black bars aren't that obvious in the black version. On the white on, it sticks out like crazy.

[hn333 @ Nov 6th 2007 9:44PM]

Black is beautiful, but I still wouldn't buy this cheap piece of crap.

[steve @ Nov 6th 2007 10:10PM]

Of course it's going to look like a waste to anyone who doesn't need what this has to offer, but to those that do need something like this, its a godsend. Compared to other umpc's, its got a fair bit less power, but for what one would expect to use it for, I can't imagine that being a hindrance. You won't be playing Crysis on it anytime soon, but you couldn't do that on most any laptop, let alone one as small as this. And for someone who wants a smaller alternative to the 10 pound monstrosities when they don't need a full size computer, this is the perfect alternative. Just because you don't need such a thing, doesn't mean it is worthless.

[ukickmydog (NDF - Earth) @ Nov 6th 2007 10:11PM]

10 pound monstrosities?

it's 2007 bro

[steve @ Nov 6th 2007 10:20PM]

If I ever buy a laptop to replace my desktop, it'll be a 10 pound monstrosity. There are two types of travellers, those that need a laptop to use while moving, and those that travel to places, and need a computer once they're there. Once I'm there, I want to do everything I'd be able to do at home. While im in the air, I'd want something small and light that will fit in any bag I care to put it in. A full size laptop with limited processing capabilities fits neither of those roles, so this is it for me.

[Jkswiss @ Nov 7th 2007 2:37AM]

Try to make it across O'Hare Airport with a 7lb laptop strung across your shoulder while simultaneously dragging your carry on luggage. I'm not a fat man but by the time I made it to my connecting gate in the obscenely short amount of time they gave me, I was perspire profusely. 6lbs magically gets heavier and heavier. I wish I would have had a eeepc then instead of my 17" notebook. I don't do real work anyways...watching DVD's, surfing the web, and checking email.

[jwtrooper @ Nov 7th 2007 3:29AM]

Hmm, if I recall this doesn't have a DVD player so no playing dvd's on trips and since it has limited storage you'll probably end up lugging around an external dvd drive and/or an external hard drive... so much for the weight/space savings and then your stuck pulling out two/three items connecting them on the plane or in the airport just to watch a dvd or listen to music and at the same time draining the short lived battery life of this thing. Sure flash is cheap but still limited and I'm not much for taking the time to transfer movies I may only watch a couple times. Don't get me wring though.. I woulda ordered one if they stayed in the $199-250 range as it might be a nice toy.

[hn333 @ Nov 6th 2007 9:46PM]

It's because we all know black is better.

[steve @ Nov 6th 2007 10:12PM]

Now all it needs is some racing stripes, and I'll be running Crysis in all its glory!

[Mile @ Nov 6th 2007 10:30PM]

Troof! Black laptops run faster and more solid. I think it's because the peeps putting them together have more respect for the black units while the white units remind them of toys or macs.

[James @ Nov 7th 2007 11:46AM]

...not to mention faster:
http://www.dansdata.com/black.htm

[ukickmydog (NDF - Earth) @ Nov 6th 2007 10:06PM]

why is this subpar machine getting so much attention? it really isn't anything THAT special

[steve @ Nov 6th 2007 10:11PM]

Because it is small. Given that that is exactly what the progression of gadgets is supposed to be, I think it fits perfectly that this be news here.

[Chester @ Nov 6th 2007 10:10PM]

I thought this laptop was worth $200 only?

[M @ Nov 6th 2007 10:35PM]

I would buy one as a media player (PMP) but the reviews of the screen are pretty bad for that sue. I would rather keep my archos around a bit longer. Also, I do not want those soeakers, give a wider screen and I am sold even at the current price!
M

[ThePreserver @ Nov 6th 2007 10:48PM]

That's grand and all....but can it play Doom? =P
Seriously though, it looks pretty nice (I'm sure it plays Doom)

[Chad @ Nov 7th 2007 11:03AM]

The spec has always called for a 10" screen version. It should be available "soon".

[Kasi Viswanath @ Nov 6th 2007 11:06PM]

Many people are complaining about the $400 price instead of the screen size. I am pretty sure, people would have got satisfied with the price, if it was a 10" screen. Please don't tell me they needed to fit the speakers on sides. they could have done it on top of the screen(sideways to the webcam).

Other than this, I think, the thing is Ok after going through some of its review. And, I have a strong feeling that, this Eee PC is going to get a price cut in the coming weeks.

Asus, is aiming to come in the top 5 slots. It's currently 7th in Computer manufacturing.

[mypetridish @ Nov 6th 2007 11:08PM]

what about the foleo then? it is small, and could do everything an eee pc could, with better aesthetics, longer battery life (8 hours vs 3.5 hours), and has instant on/off feature.

why were you guys being so critical of palm's Foleo while worshiping the eee pc as your traveler's savior?

Why?

[RikF @ Nov 7th 2007 12:13AM]

Because this is a fully functioning PC rather than a glorified docking station for your phone?

[morcheeba @ Nov 7th 2007 1:26AM]

The Foleo would have had a bigger screen (10", 1024x768), but it had a weaker non-x86-compatible ARM processor that wouldn't run XP, 1/16th the flash memory (only 256 MB), and half the ram. At about 10.5x6.6x1", the foleo is 1.5 inches wider and 24% more volume than the Eee (8.9x6.3x~1). And, the introductory price was $100 more than the Eee. So, basically, nicer screen, worse everything else.

[qldonkey @ Nov 7th 2007 1:47AM]

@RifK .... BINGO! Foleo was not intended to be a standalone device, it was meant to be paired to a Palm smartphone. #$%@ that noise!

[Skorpius @ Nov 6th 2007 11:21PM]

Now that's more like it. Electronics always look better in black.

[Jeff @ Nov 6th 2007 11:42PM]

Im gettin one, triple boot xp, ubuntu and OSX for sure. I wonder if I can stuff a 16gb SSD in it?

[RikF @ Nov 7th 2007 12:12AM]

No, you can't. It's soldered to the main board. Next.

[Aaron S @ Nov 7th 2007 3:41AM]

There is space for a flash memory upgrade. Think it's proprietary though, so you'll have to wait for asus to offer the part.

[Jeff @ Nov 6th 2007 11:42PM]

anyone know when best buy will start carrying the eee pc? i hear that they are the first retail vendor...