The Eee PC 903, 904, and 905 make their unofficial debut

The non-stop barrage of Eee-branded gear from ASUS continues on today, with the first appearance of the Eee PC 903, 904 (above), and 905. It's not clear exactly what the differences between the three models are, but as we've heard, they're all basically the Eee PC 901's Atom-based guts shoved into the Eee PC 1000's case -- which means you're getting a larger keyboard, but the 8.9-inch display will have a pretty significant bezel around it. As before, final specs and pricing aren't available, but since these are destined to replace the 900 and 901, we'd expect pricing to remain in the $600 range.

[Thanks, Sascha]

Read - Eee 903
Read - Eee 904 and 905

[cub3 @ Jun 30th 2008 7:49PM]

Im sick and tired of hearing about this crappy laptops. Is 2008 already and we all have standards. Is there a way to filter this EEc PC crap out of engadget

[Brian @ Jun 30th 2008 8:25PM]

If you get your news via RSS then you can use a filtered feed...

http://labs.skyspine.com/sieve/Engadget_without_eee_pc

[put4558350 @ Jun 30th 2008 11:04PM]

I think it's asus respon to dell e ....

[Blaine Oliver @ Jul 1st 2008 5:28AM]

Theres only one word to sum up this laptop:

BEZEL

[Ignatius @ Jun 30th 2008 7:55PM]

This is almost as bad as Activision coming out with like, ten different Guitar Heroes in a few months.

Just stick with a model and go, Asus... people want cheap, functional laptops, not giant beasts of burden that cost $600 and up...

[Mike Cerm @ Jun 30th 2008 8:04PM]

Seriously! The original EeePC seemed so promising. Now, Asus is branching the line to include regular sized laptops with tiny screens that cost more than regular laptops. What the hell is Asus thinking?!?

[patsy @ Jun 30th 2008 8:26PM]

I'm hoping the 901 won't be discontinued before it ever even makes it onto the US market. I love the small form factor with the large(ish) screen, if they make it any larger, I might as well get a no-compromise notebook.

[Podaman @ Jun 30th 2008 7:56PM]

Eeew.

[digitallysick @ Jun 30th 2008 8:00PM]

Its taking far to long for the msi wind to ship with a 6 cell battery, by the time they are out, i bet these will be ready and available. I wonder what the benchmarks compared are like between the 2

[TokyoJerry @ Jun 30th 2008 9:49PM]

MSI Wind...
http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news-16313-MSI+Wind+U100%2C+OS+X+Friendly!.html

Can do OS-X too, on top of that!
59,800 yen (in Japan that is. (about $566 USD current exchange)

Japanese website:
http://www.mouse-jp.co.jp/company/news/2008/news_20080627_01.html

July release (this month) in Japan

Enjoy! :-)

[neoddr089 @ Jun 30th 2008 8:10PM]

Wheres the Eee desktop replacement?

[Haikibutsu @ Jun 30th 2008 8:11PM]

This is cool.

[thedesolate1 @ Jun 30th 2008 8:14PM]

Damn they really are milking this brand for all it's worth.... lets just hope they aren't putting all their eggs in one basket. Just because the notebook was a hit doesnt mean that everything else will be.

[Ricardo @ Jun 30th 2008 8:18PM]

Sure, what's next, "replacing" the 8.9" model with a 17" one? This just can't be real, I'm not convinced Asus would be stupid enough to make it bigger but not better.

[Kakabonae @ Jun 30th 2008 8:19PM]

I really wish Asus would just go back to the basics on the EEE...The original plan was just to get out a $300 subnote that would be functional for basic tasks and people could buy on an impulse. Now they're getting upwards of $600, and big enough that people may as well just be buying a full-sized, fully functional laptop....I myself have a 2G surf, and I love it for the size and price. If they could improve that side of their product range (a re-release of the 2G Surf with improvements), I would be glad to re-purchase and I'm sure others would too as well as new customers.

[THJ @ Jun 30th 2008 11:13PM]

Dammit, I thought I read 2G Smurf. That would be much cooler, and I would buy it, but I'm waiting for the 3G.

[Richard Lai @ Jun 30th 2008 8:21PM]

Dear Asus,

Easy on the netbooks; just give us more battery juice.

Sincerely,
A Bored Customer

[Ninjakamster (PS360 FTW!) @ Jun 30th 2008 8:29PM]

What the ****? These 10" sized models are replacing the 9" ones?

I find the 9" models personally the best in my opinion, with the 7" models having too small a screen and too low resolution, the 900/901 are the perfect models to me.

And now we'll get 10" models with thicker bezels around the screen ala the 7"!?

Asus, you used to be cool.

[Phil @ Jul 1st 2008 1:42AM]

I agree. They're moving further and further away from their initial appeal. Ultra portability, low price and low power consumption.

[LondonConsultant @ Jul 1st 2008 5:21AM]

And I agree. The 901 looked like being the sweet spot and I was thinking of buying one (they're supposedly being released in the UK today). But they're are also apparently being discontinued soon and replaced with something bigger - but with the same size screen. WTF! Eee RIP...

[Biomech @ Jun 30th 2008 8:37PM]

I really wanted to get an Eee someday... but now with the zillions of models I don't know what to get.

One model with a fair price and good features please?

[Luke @ Jun 30th 2008 8:38PM]

Actually, I would love if they came out with 13" "netbooks." An even more underpowered version of the macbook air could be a great buy, as long as they don't keep increasing the price beyond reasonable levels.

[dannie @ Jun 30th 2008 8:54PM]

like the white

[dagamer34 @ Jun 30th 2008 9:10PM]

We're gonna have more variations of this thing than there are months in a year!

The problem I see with this approach is resale value. There isn't going to be quite as much with new models coming out all the time. And it wouldn't be that bad either were it as cheap as ASUS wanted it to be but at $600, it's gonna break the bank for what it's designed to do for a lot of people.

[Franko @ Jun 30th 2008 9:20PM]

I want to buy a 901 because of its size comparing it to the Wind and Acer One.... I dont get the point of this idea....

[nobody @ Jun 30th 2008 9:25PM]

Damnn you, asus ! Instead of decreasing the power consumption so your stuff is actually useful you start adding useless features while increasing the price and size. I want a small, cheap, and portable device !

[bebop @ Jun 30th 2008 9:59PM]

The 904, 905 are 9" screens in 10" chassis, for people who want a bigger keyboard. I suppose there are some internal difference between the two, memory, CPU or whatnot.

What's the 903? It seems to be a 9" screen in a 9" chassis, so how does it compare to the 901?

And what about a 902? Can't ASUS count?

(Lose the tacky chrome accents on the 903 and it's starting to look half decent.)

[ShadowKain @ Jun 30th 2008 10:08PM]

Asus,Oh Asus... When is enough enough? Will ye run out of numbers to name thy computers? Will ye make your computers bigger and bigger until they become NORMAL computers? Or will you keep the same generic motherboard in every Eee PC you have made so far, and just make the screen bigger? Im all for the Eee PC, I really want one, but when they make so many models of it, its hard to hold my interest much more. I feel more and more like just getting a normal 600 dollar PC that outperforms the 400 and 500 dollar range Eee PC and throwing the SAME OS (linus or XP) on it for free (I have XP from college). Only time will tell how this plays out...

[QUOW @ Jun 30th 2008 10:41PM]

I thought the EEE PC was supposed to be a sub-300 cheap notebook to compete with the likes of the OLPC, then I miss all EEE news for a month, and they're selling them for more than my 15" e1505, that STILL has TONS more power. WTF?

[phanbouy @ Jun 30th 2008 10:44PM]

while the netbooks get big, the bezels get bigger.

[deucea729 @ Jun 30th 2008 10:57PM]

If I'm going to buy a laptop that has this footprint, you better darn well know that I'm going to expect as much screen real estate as the footprint itself will allow.

Netbooks cannot afford wasted space in any portion of their design. Any bezel that is more than the necessary amount to hold the panel in place is wasted space. Terrible design decision.

901 and 1000 are the sweet spot from a functionality perspective in my opinion.

[ulle53 @ Jun 30th 2008 11:39PM]

What ever happened to the $199 laptop?

[FRiC @ Jul 1st 2008 4:33AM]

I don't know about other places in the world, but the original EEE PC with 4 GB and webcam is now selling for less than $199 here in Asia.

I don't mind having a larger body and better keyboard with smaller screen. The HP 2133's keyboard is much more useful than the EEE's.

[David @ Jul 1st 2008 1:44AM]

damn, i wanted to 901 because of it's small size/larger screen, but don't have enough money yet. will the 901's become harder to find after those get released?

[wilcoholic @ Jul 1st 2008 2:15AM]

Like I said before I just dont get it. If its pushing the $700 mark then you might as well throw in a couple of hundred bucks more for a Sony Vaio TZ.

A much better bang for buck.

[John @ Jul 1st 2008 3:23AM]

The Sony Vaio TZ is $1600 USD and in Europe it is 1400 Euro (2200 USD),

That is way more than the EeepC!


I really don't understand why they keep on introducing new and more expensive models, while the old ones are still not for sale! In most parts of the world people are still waiting for the 900.


Why make a 9 inch that is as big as a 10 inch. Just make a 7 inchm 9 inch and a 10 inch and let people choose! Stop making 30 different models of the same thing!

[wilcoholic @ Jul 1st 2008 5:23AM]

I'm telling you you can get the TZ for as low as $1000. Especially this time of the year when sony are introducing their new notebook lineup.

They will offer rebates on their old models like the TZ. Just buy the TZ from a cheap place and ask for a rebate on top of it. You'll get huge amounts of discount this way.

[k2001 @ Jul 1st 2008 2:51AM]

Asus is spamming the market with the same product with different exterior.

[CosterMonger @ Jul 1st 2008 3:30AM]

what's next a 10" screen on a 13.3" laptop body?

[DaftFunk @ Jul 1st 2008 4:02AM]

Hey, I've got a great idea, lets steadily ruin anything that ever made an EEE pc an EEE. I know, lets get bigger screens, more price, bigger keyboards, Eh, lets keep the same crappy innards, no ones gonna no the difference, ah 200 dollar pricetag? Did i say that? I dont think so, come on people lets make these as big and crappily designed as possible.

[Stu @ Jul 1st 2008 4:12AM]

In the UK i saw the 900 for the first time last week, its really nice and I almost brought it, except for two tiny issues.

-XP Home, I need XP PRO
-the 901 is around the corner and its supossed to have better battery and better power

If they release stuff at this rate I'll never buy becuase there will always be something better around the corner...

That said the HP 2133 still have my undivided attention.

[Greg Duckworth @ Jul 1st 2008 6:26AM]

I will lay down my money on one soon as they incorporate a convertible swivel touchscreen and have some sort of eee pc tablet edition.

[Fusion Fuzo @ Jul 1st 2008 8:04AM]

FUGLY, needs a bigger bezel and a smaller screen

[Fusion Fuzo @ Jul 1st 2008 8:15AM]

900 and 901 better

[Kradlum @ Jul 1st 2008 8:54AM]

I was planning to buy a 901, but since ASUS have failed to sort out the farce with the UK 900 batteries (I went to try to get the promised replacement today but, as neither PC World nor Micro Anvika knew anything about this deal that has been much touted by ASUS, it seems that they have just resorted to lying to their customers) I won't be buying another ASUS, ever, and I would not recommend them to anyone else.

[Kiteless @ Jul 1st 2008 10:17AM]

Asus, I don't even know you any more!!! I love my Eee 900, but this... This is just another laptop. The Eee was so special. Now it is nothing. To many the 7012 or even Surf, was the perfect tiiiiiny cheap notebook. Now you are making laptops that are too big and expensive to be what the Eee PC was all about. Asus you have lost your way.

- Kiteless

[tiuk @ Jul 1st 2008 12:15PM]

The Eee is dead to me. MSI Wind, Dell Latitude E-series, even that cheapo $300 convertible model that was featured on here yesterday are all leaps and bounds better than the Eee. Asus has lost their way.

[DavidSweden @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:54AM]

"but since these are destined to replace the 900 and 901"
Wtf they mean? Who wants anything but the 901????

[matttaylor2005 @ Jul 6th 2008 6:43PM]

THE EEE PC 900 16G IS HERE! $400 BUCKS! They got the message people. Our bitching payed off. lol.

[George Patton @ Jul 13th 2008 1:20AM]

I have a white Eee PC 701, I feel ASUS have just totally lost the plot now. The additional cost of the models following the 701 are not justified and makes the Eee PC just another Laptop competing with all the other brands. The continual size increase also indicated it will end up as just another Laptop.

The 701 has it's faults which you can generally overlook due to the price, the 900 should never have been released, it's such a waste of money for little real inprovement, other than the screen size. I guess the only consolation ASUS has is most of the recently released competing models from other manufacturers have the same poor value for money. The MSI Wind looks Ok on review, until the poor battery life is revealed.

Come on ASUS if you don't remember what made the 701 a success quickly, you will be dead in the water.