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Frequently asked questions on the Asus Eee 901

We answer some of the most commonly asked questions on the Asus Eee PC 901, the latest UMPC or netbook from the Eee range.

Is it bigger than the old Eee?
Yes, it's bigger than the 701 and the 900. It weighs just over a kilogram and is a fraction longer, wider and deeper.

The Eee 900 is not long out. How does it differ?
It's a bit bigger and heavier, with a better battery, but the main difference is the better processor. The Eee 900 shipped with the same Celeron processor used in the Eee 701, albeit clocked at 900MHz rather than 630MHz. The 901 includes the new Intel Atom Diamondville processor and runs at 1.6GHz, so it's a bit nippier. WiMax (which is largely non-existant in the UK) and a 3G card may be future upgrades, but aren't available yet.

What's the screen like?
Unlike the Eee 701 (2G, 4G and 8G models), which came with a tiny 7" screen with a 800 x 480 resolution, the 901 packs in a much better 8.9" screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600.

That's big enough for a standard web page, which means no horizontal scrolling, and tall enough to allow application dialog boxes to fit on the screen. It's much more usable than the Eee 701 and its rivals of the time.

Is it still Linux based?
You can choose between either Xandros Linux or Windows XP, but the machines do differ in both price and specification. The Linux one is called the 901, and the Windows XP one is called the 901 XP.

What memory and storage does it come with?
This depends on which model you choose. We think the most attractive machine is the Linux model, as this comes with 20GB of storage - 4GB built-in and a 16GB SSD card, as well as 1GB of DDR2 memory. The Windows XP-based 901 XP includes 4GB of storage and an 8GB SSD card, and it costs slightly more, too.

Is there still a web cam?
Yes, the camera is still there. With the launch of the Eee 900 the camera was upgraded from a 0.3 megapixel one to a 1.3 megapixel one. Not a huge resolution, but decent enough for Skype and IM. It works out-of-the-box, too.

Does it have Bluetooth support yet?
Yep, unlike the 701, the 901 has Bluetooth support. Among other things, you can use this to connect to your 3G phone to allow the Eee to get online while you're on the move.

Is the keyboard any bigger?
The first-generation Eee had a really dinky keyboard, which was quite hard to type on if you had large hands, or were a touch typist. The keyboard on the 901 is much the same.

What about the trackpad?
There's a big improvement here on the Eee 701 range. Not only is the trackpad much bigger, but there's also multi-touch, a bit like the Apple laptops have. This supports scrolling using two fingers (just as the Apple laptops do), and also zooming using a "pinch" gesture.

Any other goodies?
Yes, cleverly, the 901 comes with 20GB of secure online storage. You can drag and drop files out of this remote storage just like you would with files in a local directory. Obviously it's not as quick as local storage, but it's handy nonetheless.

What's the battery life like?
Awesome. The Eee 901 battery is probably the best you'll find in the UMPC market at the moment. The 901 ships with a 6600 mAh battery which can run the machine for at least five hours with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled, and an hour or two more if you turn them off. If only the other netbooks could match this...

How does it shape up alongside its competitors?
Well, that bigger battery obviously makes the Eee 901 a tad heavier than the 900, but that's a small price to pay for such lengthy battery life.

The other snag is the cost. It's gone up a bit to around the £320 mark, which is quite a bit when you consider you can get an Acer Aspire One with a spec nearly as good for just £200.