Eee PC 900 sticks with Intel Mobile Celeron CPU
ASUS has today unveiled all the details on its forthcoming Eee PC iteration, the Eee PC 900, which lands in the UK on May 1st, priced at £329.
Here at HEXUS, ever since spotting the Eee PC 900 at CeBIT in Germany, we've been secretly hoping that the Eee PC 900 would pack an Intel Atom processor. Unfortunately, that isn't the case. The new-and-improved Eee PC 900 seems to have improved in most areas, but the CPU remains an Intel Celeron M running at 900MHz.
It should be noted however that Intel's Atom processor isn't yet readily available. When it is, will we be seeing an 'Eee PC 900A'? We'd be willing to bet on it.
Missing Atoms aside, there's plenty of good news. The Eee PC 900 will land in the UK in a little over two weeks - though, we're not sure how stock levels will hold up. When you do manage to track one down, you'll be paying a reasonable £329 for the system.
This time around, you'll have one big choice to make when handing over your hard-earned, do you opt for a Windows-based Eee or a Linux-based Eee? Both will be available at launch. The Windows Eee, cleverly titled the Eee PC 900 Win, will come with Windows XP preloaded and will cost the same as the Linux-based alternative.
Herein lies a little catch. We'd expected the Windows-based Eee to cost a little extra, for licensing reasons. How has ASUS managed to match the price of the Windows and Linux models? Well, it has chosen to slim the capacity of the Windows Eee - it'll feature a 12GiB of storage space, smaller than the Linux Eee's 20GiB.
SSD capacity aside, both machines provide all the same upgrades; an 8.9in screen complete with 1024 x 600 resolution, 1GiB of memory, a 1.3 megapixel camera and a weight of just 0.99kg.
In an effort to make the Eee more user friendly, both Windows and Linux Eee 900's feature FingerGlide technology. "With just two simple finger movements on the touchpad, users will be able to zoom in and out of pictures (great for looking at image details), or scroll up and down for easier document viewing – making the Eee PC 900 more convenient to use," says ASUS.
The complete specification, as provided by ASUS, is as follows:
| Display | 8.9" Display, 1024 x 600 resolution |
Colour |
Pearl White, Black |
CPU |
Intel® Mobile CPU |
Processor |
Intel Mobile Chipset |
Memory |
DDR II 1GB |
Display Card |
Intel UMA |
Storage |
12GB (4GB built-in + 8GB flash) SSD (Microsoft Windows OS Version) |
Audio |
HD audio / built-in speakers |
Wireless |
Built-in 802.11b/g |
Camera |
1.3M Pixel webcam |
Storage Cards |
SD / MMC (SDHC) |
Input / Output |
3xUSB / VGA-out (D-Sub, 15pin) / earphone jack / mic / RJ45 10/100 Mbps |
Power |
Output: 12V, 36W; |
Tracking Control |
Utilises FingerGlide |
Operating System |
Windows XP Home / Linux |
Dimensions |
22.5cm(W) x 17.0cm(D) x 2cm~3.38cm(H) |
Weight |
0.99 kg |
ASUS has sold an impressive one million Eee PCs since the product launched some five months ago. Now, with Windows XP in its arsenal, expect millions more to be added to that tally. Will you be picking one up come May 1st, and if so, will you be opting for Windows or Linux? Or, will you be waiting for an Atom-powered Eee PC? Share your thoughts in the HEXUS forums.
Official product page: eeepc.asus.com
