ASUS Eee PC

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ASUS Eee PC
Image:ASUS Eee White Alt-small.png
Developer ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
Type Subnotebook/Netbook
Operating system Xandros Linux
Microsoft Windows XP
Web site http://eeepc.asus.com

The ASUS Eee PC ("Eee" is pronounced as "ee" in "see", IPA: /iː/) is a subnotebook / netbook computer designed by ASUS. At the time of its introduction, it was noted for its combination of a light weight, Linux-based operating system, solid-state drive and relatively low cost. Newer models have added the option of Windows XP operating system and traditional hard disk drives. Newer models have also increased in price, though they remain relatively inexpensive as laptops, and notably inexpensive for ultra-small laptops.

According to ASUS, the name Eee derives from "the three Es," an abbreviation of its advertising slogan for the device: "Easy to learn, Easy to work, Easy to play".[1] It is manufactured by Pegatron Technology.[2]

In the UK, the ASUS Eee PC is also distributed as the RM Asus Minibook by RM.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Eee 700 series

Black 700 series unit side view showing the SD card reader, two USB ports, the VGA output and the Kensington Security Slot.

Asus announced two Eee PC models at COMPUTEX Taipei 2007; the Eee PC 701 and the Eee PC 1001.[3] The 701 based model Eee PC 4G was released on October 16, 2007 in Taiwan. Three additional models followed. The originally-announced second model (1001) was also expected, but later ASUS renounced any plans to release it to the market. ASUS sold over 300,000 units in 2007,[4] and plans to sell several million in 2008. Intel has described the Eee PC as in line with its “World Ahead” marketing drive—which aims to provide anyone around the world a chance to own a PC.[5]

Both the price and the size of the device are small in comparison with similar Ultra-Mobile PCs. The Eee series is one response to the XO-1 notebook from the One Laptop per Child initiative. At the Intel Developer Forum 2007, Asus demonstrated the Classmate PC and the Eee PC, and listed specifications for four models of the Eee PC. ASUS at the time claimed that models may start at US$199, and range up in price and features to US$399.[6]

The final price and specifications for the Eee PC, officially announced in September 2007, differed from ASUS’s initial plans. The price rose to US$245, from US$199, while the size of the included solid-state drive was reduced from 4GB to 2GB, the VGA camera was dropped, and the included RAM was halved to 256 MB. As of October 25, 2007, the price range was expected to be US$299–399.[7] The 2G Surf has since gone on sale with 512 MB of RAM included.[8]

Since October 13, 2007 the ASUS website shows revised specifications. The products now have the marketing names EeePC 8G, 4G, 4G Surf, and 2G Surf instead of the model numbers 700 and 701 shown in pre-release information and on the Eee PC label and on the packaging.[9] ASUS no longer uses the model numbers in marketing materials for the systems. The 4G Surf uses socketed RAM but some revisions do not have a door to access the slot.[10]

ASUS announced a desktop version of the Eee PC, without an integrated display, to be released in 2008.[11] ASUS announced that a version of the Eee PC with Microsoft Windows XP pre-installed would be released by the end of the year 2007. It was, however, not released until January 2008. In Japan the version is known as the 4G-X.[12]

On January 29, 2008, it was announced that 4G Eee PC would become available in India.[13] It was released on February 2, 2008 in the city of Mumbai and is being shipped with the customized Xandros OS and not the Windows XP Starter Edition.[14] From April 5, 2008[15] ASUS plans to sell two versions of the ASUS Eee PC with Windows XP. One of them will come with 4GB solid state and a 4GB SDHC card. The second version will be sold without the SDHC card and will sell for US$399. The Windows XP and Linux Xandros versions of the Eee PC will sell for the same price. ASUS will include Microsoft Works 9.0 to provide similar facilities to OpenOffice that is included with the Linux version.[16]

[edit] Eee 900 Series

White 900 series

The Eee 900 Series was officially launched in Hong Kong on April 16, 2008 for HK$3998[17] and in the UK on May 1, 2008 for £329 (approximately €410, USD 650 including VAT). The system was launched in the US for USD 549 on May 12, 2008.[18][19] The Eee 900 series with WindowsXP-OS is scheduled for launch in Germany and Austria on June 26, 2008. The Eee 900 series dimensions are a little larger than the 70x models–measuring 225 × 165 × 35 mm (WxDxH) (8.8" × 6.5" × 1.4") and weighing around 1 kg (2.2 lb).[20] The machine has a multi-touch trackpad that allow two-finger scrolling and zooming via a "pinch" gesture[21] and is available in Linux (in some markets) and/or Windows XP (in some markets) configurations. The Linux version is called the EeePC 900 and comes with a 20 GB SSD, while the Windows XP version is called the EeePC 900 Win and has a 12 GB SSD and is sold for the same price as the 20GB linux version.

The storage is split between two SSD devices–a 4GB SSD installed similarly to that in the 701, and the remainder in a second SSD in the expansion bay.[22] The Windows version comes with Microsoft Works and Windows Live Suite preinstalled. It also includes StarSuite 8. The machines are otherwise identical to each other with 1 GB of RAM, an 8.9-inch (226 mm) 1024×600 LCD and a 1.3 megapixel webcam. This model has the same Celeron CPU as the Eee PC 700, running at its full 900 MHz clock speed (rather than the 630 MHz speed seen in the Eee PC 700).[23]

There is also a third version of the original Asus EEE 900, referred to as the Asus EEE 900 16G. This version comes without the faster built-in SSD cards but only a 16 GB SSD in expansion bay. In some areas this appears to be the only available Asus EEE 900 model, for example in Norway (price guide at hardware.no and price guide at kelkoo.no). The Asus EEE 900 16G comes with MS Windows XP or Linux and in white or black flavors.

On June 3, 2008 Asus unveiled the Eee 901 at COMPUTEX Taipei, the 901 was a revision of the 900 series with a similar chassis. The 901 features an Intel Atom Diamondville CPU clocked at 1.6GHz, an "expanded" battery (listed as 6-cell), and "Super Hybrid Engine" software for power management which will provide a battery life of 4.2 to 7.8 hours. Bluetooth and 802.11n Wi-Fi are also included. The 901 uses the Intel 945GSE chipset.[24], meeting the Suggested requirements for Windows Vista Aero. The Eee PC 901 costs TWD 16,988 (approximately USD 559). The 901 is otherwise similar to the 900, shipping in Linux or Windows XP configurations which have different sizes of SSD storage.[25][26] Informal reports state that the machine in future will feature an "enhanced case" and additional installed software, and that in the future a version with WiMAX will be available. Reports also indicate that the launch of the Eee 901 will also be accompanied by a price drop for the 700 series and Eee 900.[27] It was also discovered that the Eee 901 has capacity for a "3GCard" upgrade which may hint at a version of the 901 being released with inbuilt mobile connectivity.[28]

The Eee PC 904HD [29] is one of the first Eee PC models which features an HDD (80GB) instead of an SSD. This model will feature an Intel Celeron M running at 900 MHz and gets its power from a 6-cell battery. Like other Eee PC 90x models this Eee PC also features 802.11 b/g WLAN and a 1.3M pixel webcam. Windows XP comes pre-installed.

The Eee PC 900A features almost the same specs as the Eee PC 901 (except the primary SSD, Bluetooth, 1.3M pixel webcam and the 6-cell battery, that has been replaced by a 4-cell battery) but in a case nearby the same as used at the Eee PC 900 model.

A store specific model has appeared in Target department stores and is identified only as an Asus 8.9" Eee 4GB PC (and as Eee PC 900 on the packaging) and is listed as using a "Intel Mobile Processor". This version contains only the 4GB SDD soldered on the board and 512MB RAM while some versions do have only the ssd card in the expansion slot it is 4gb. At retail locations, only the Linux version is available, with a Windows XP version available by mail order. This unit has the 4-cell battery, no webcam and no bluetooth. This may be the 900A, but is not identified as such on the packaging. It is retailing for only $299 in this configuration.

[edit] Battery controversy

There has been some controversy regarding the battery supplied with the EeePC 900. Versions pre-released to many non UK journalists and reviewers were equipped with a 5800 mAh battery, but the first retail versions in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Singapore were shipped with a smaller, 4400 mAh (76% of that capacity) battery, which commentators note has led to a great variation in the machine's battery life in reviews,[30] in some cases as low as 90 minutes.[31] As a result of the objections to this, Asus provided a free battery replacement program in Hong Kong[32] and Singapore,[33] and ran a paid-for battery exchange program in the UK.[34] The UK battery exchange program ran from June 23, 2008 until July 31, 2008.[35]

Asus has stated that the smaller battery is the standard battery for the Eee 900 in Europe, and a longer warranty is provided in exchange,[36] Commentators have noted that the US version launched with the 5800 mAh battery, and a warranty of equal length.[37] Asus have revised their original statement, indicating that the smaller battery is "[p]resently the standard battery supplied in the UK" and "the default standard battery pack for ASUS Eee PC 900 worldwide", however ASUS will (from June 10, 2008) be providing a battery exchange to all UK Eee PC 900 customers for £10, and are offering a firmware update internationally which extends battery life by 30 minutes ("BIOS 0601: Updated all battery discharge tables to extend battery life").[38]

In Australia and Italy, the situation was reversed: journalists[39] and reviewers received EeePC 900 systems fitted with the 4400 mAh battery but the retail models are equipped with the 5800 mAh battery (in Italy at least at the beginning of sales).

Customers of Media World in Italy received the Eee at the beginning (May/June) with a 5800 mAh battery and later (June/July) with a 4400 mAh battery.

Best Buy's custom variants of the 1000HD and 900A also both include a 4400 mAh battery.

[edit] Battery Drain

In addition to the above confusion over battery capacity, users of the EeePC 900 (and 701 [40]) have noticed [41] that the battery is drained at a rate of about 10% per day even when the unit is completely powered off. This situation causes the EeePC 900 to drain completely from a full charge within 9 days even if unused, which severely limits its usefulness as a portable computer. The only workaround so far is to physically remove the battery when it's not in use. Even in suspend to RAM sleep, a Celeron Eee (700, 900) can drain up to 5% an hour, making even intermittent usage last under a day. The Atom (Eee 901, 1000) models are reported to take negligible power in suspend, in addition to having better efficiency while running.[citation needed]

[edit] Eee 1000 Series

The 1000 series launched at COMPUTEX Taipei on June 3, 2008.[42] It features a new 10 inch (254 mm) screen and a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom CPU, although built in power management software can increase the speed to 1.7 GHz. The 1000 model ships with Linux, 8GB SSD and a 32GB SDHC card (total: 40GB); the 1000H model ships with Windows XP Home or Linux and an 80 or 160 GB SATA HD. Both the 1000 and the 1000H support up to 2 GB of DDR2 RAM. The 1000 has a rated battery life of 4.2-7.5 hours, while the 1000H is rated for 3.2–7 hours. It also offers a keyboard that is 92% the size of generic notebooks, aiming to make it more comfortable to type. Like the Eee PC 901, the new machines feature 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. WiMAX is not currently supported. The prices are NT$ 15,600 (approx. USD 465.99) for the 1000H and NT$ 20,855 (approx. USD 620) for the 1000.[43][25][26]
The 1000HD released in September 2008 is a slightly cheaper version of the 1000 series. It features the same specifications as the 1000H except it uses a 900Mhz Celeron CPU chip.
The 1000HA released in October 2008 also costs less than the 1000H but has the same Intel Atom 1.6Ghz CPU, 160GB HDD, and 1GB of RAM. It does not however have Bluetooth or wireless N.

[edit] Future models

Microsoft is reportedly in talks with Asus regarding a version of Windows 7 optimized for platforms such as the Eee.[44] Future models will ship with WiMax in the latter part of the year.[45]
Asus announced on September 25, 2008, that they will be including built in 3.75G HSUPA on the 901 starting in October, 2008. They will be including 3.75G in the higher models such as the 1000 series after this time.[46]
Asustek executive Samson Hu confirmed on October 9, 2008, that they plan to release a touchscreen Eee PC variant for sale by Q1 of 2009.[47]

[edit] Technical overview

Asus Eee PC 700 (black model), compared with tissues and Kensington lock

The Eee PC is notable for its relatively small display, solid-state permanent storage and Linux-based operating system.

[edit] Processor

Early Eee PC models used a heavily underclocked 900mhz Intel Celeron M processor, while newer models use a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor. The Atom is a basic in-order execution CPU and far slower per-clock than the Celeron M due to high latency, the fact that Intel stripped away the superscalar architecture, superior out-of-order execution, and other important features. Still 1.6ghz Atom-equipped Eee PCs tend to perform similarly to their Celeron-equipped counterparts due to the higher clock speeds.

Budget models, and versions of current models, also feature Celeron processors. For instance:

  • 1000HD (distinct from 1000, 1000H and 1000HA)
  • 904HD

[edit] Display

The Eee PC 700 has a 7 inch (178 mm) screen, measured diagonally, has a resolution of 800×480 pixels.[48] The screen does not cover the entire space within the lid; instead it is flanked on the sides by stereo speakers and, above, by the (optional) camera in the trim at the top.

The Eee PC 900 and 901 come with a 1024x600 8.9-inch (226 mm) screen, almost filling the lid, and became available in early 2008.[49] External display is supported through a standard VGA connector. Maximum resolution and display configuration (mirroring, extended desktop) are dependent upon the operating system and display settings.

The Eee PC 1000 comes with a 10 inch (254 mm) or 10.2 (259 mm) inch screen.

[edit] Keyboard

The 700 and 900 series are equipped with similar keyboards, 83% size of a generic one. The 1000 series, as it fits in a spacier case, offers an almost full-sized (92%) keyboard.

[edit] Storage

Removable 8GB SSD in Eee PC

The early model Eee PCs use a solid-state drive for storage (instead of a hard drive), which consumes less power when in use, allows the device to boot more quickly, generates no noise, and is less susceptible to mechanical shock damage than hard drives. A downside of SSD storage (flash memory) is that an individual sector can only be written 100 000 times. This problem can be partially mitigated by intelligent wear levelling, resulting in a MTBF comparable to conventional platter-based hard drives.

In the 2 GB and 4 GB models of the 700 series of the Eee PC, the SSD is permanently soldered to the board, to reduce manufacturing costs[citation needed]. In the 8 GB model, the SSD is a card connected via the internal PCI Express Mini Card connector, leaving the original SSD area on the motherboard empty.[50]

The Eee PC 900 comes with a removable 8GB or 16GB PCI Express Mini SSD module, with additional four 1GB memory chips soldered on the mainboard. The size of the SSD is dependent upon which OS is shipped, with the XP version coming with the 8GB and the Linux one with 16GB.

The Eee PC 1000 uses a 8GB internal SSD, with a 32GB PCI Express Mini SSD module for a total of 40GB. The 1000h does not have a SSD, and instead uses an internal hard drive of either 80GB or 160GB. [51]

All Eee PC models also include a SD card socket, supporting MMC, SD and SDHC cards for additional storage.

[52]

[edit] RAM

The 4 GB SSD and 8 GB SSD Eee PC models use 533/667 MHz DDR2 RAM via a standard SO-DIMM module, which can be swapped out. The hardware supports up to 4GB (2GB for the 1000 series, and some of the 900 series),[citation needed] but the preinstalled Xandros kernel of the 700 series only supports up to 1GB

[edit] Cooling

In an EE380 talk[53] (video archive), an ASUS engineer mentioned that the Eee PC does not use a conventional heat sink to absorb the heat generated by the processor, but instead uses the keyboard shielding to spread the heat.

[edit] Software

OpenOffice.org Writer running on the Eee PC

The base Linux system boots in 20–22 seconds,[54] substantially faster than the boot time for an installation of Windows XP on the same hardware[55] On top of this, the Eee PC runs a custom tab-based interface and uses IceWM as the default window manager.

Forty bundled software applications include OpenOffice.org, Mozilla Firefox, Skype,[56] Tux Paint and other educational entertainment software, E-mail, and Internet radio applications, Google Docs and Wikipedia look-up tool.[57]

The operating system drivers for the ACPI and Wireless devices supplied with the pre-installed Xandros operating system are versions of software licensed under the GNU General Public License. The company released the source code as a ZIP file along with the product; however, it has been reported that a small percentage of the source may be missing, and some device driver software appears obfuscated.[58] In the absence of necessary source code, other Linux kernel versions and distributions on the device are less easy to use with some of the hardware. ASUS has requested people help by identifying specific source code which is still missing[59] and has since released the source code for the ACPI module.[60] They have also released the patched Linux kernel sources and their Busybox sources.[61]

The Synaptic Package Manager and apt-get can be used to install additional software through the repositories, although due to compatibility issues between the ASUS modified Xandros operating system and traditional Debian and Xandros repositories caution has been urged with some users reporting system abnormalities ranging from unexpected software behavior to booting inabilities.[62]

The new standard operating systems for the Eee PC are now either Windows XP or Linux Xandros. The consumer can choose between either and the two operating systems have different specifications on each Eee PC.

[edit] Forks and other distributions

Current Asus Linux development policy generates forks of code they change. This means that their changes do not go directly into upstream versions and remain available only through Asus source code releases. If one wants to change to another distribution or update the software, it is necessary to determine what has been changed (using, for example, the diff utility) and port into a newer version or other distribution.

For example, the EEE PC 900 model has a sound card that required some modifications to the Linux kernel driver in order to work. Asus modifications were against version 2.6.21.4 from June 2007. At current version 2.6.26 as of July 2008, such modifications were not yet merged to the official Linux kernel. Thus other distributions will not have such modifications and will not work properly on EEE PC 900 devices (specifically, the microphone won't work). Latest ALSA drivers 1.0.17 (as of July 2008) finally incorporated the changes necessary to work with EEE PC 900.

[edit] Compatible operating systems

As the Eee PC uses a standard x86 processor, most PC operating systems can be installed with little effort. However, full hardware support varies, especially for the latest models. The following operating systems are known to work:

Keyboard / Console Mouse X11 Graphics Audio Ethernet Wireless 802.11b/g Wireless 802.11n SDHC Cardreader UVC Webcam
FreeBSD Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
OpenBSD Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
NetBSD Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes with patch Yes Yes
Debian Yes Yes, as PS/2 or ImPS/2[80]; no fine tuning of Elantech touchpads without a kernel patch Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows XP Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Mac OS X Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

[edit] Specifications

Component Eee PC 2G Surf (700) Eee PC 4G Surf (701) Eee PC 4G (701)1 Eee PC 701SD Eee PC 8G (702) Eee PC 900 Eee PC 900 16G Eee PC 900A Eee PC 901 Eee PC 904HD Eee PC 1000HD Eee PC 1000H Eee PC 1000HA Eee PC 1000
Display 7 in (17.8 cm) 800×480 TFT LCD with LED backlight[81] 8.9 in (22.6 cm), 1024 x 600 TFT LCD 10.2 in (25.9 cm), 1024 x 600 TFT LCD[42][82]
Storage primary SSD (soldered) 2GB 4GB 4GB 8GB or 4GB(USA) or None (Germany) 4GB 8GB (not soldered, so removable)
secondary SSD (removable) 8GB 8GB (WinXP) or 16GB (Linux) 16GB 16GB or 8GB (Germany) or None (USA) 8GB (WinXP) or 16GB (Linux) 32GB
hard drive 30GB external in some markets 80GB[42] 80GB[42] or 160GB 160GB
Processor 900 MHz Intel Celeron-M ULV 353,[83] clocked at 571 MHz; 32kB L1 cache.[84] 900 MHz Intel Celeron-M ULV 353,[83] clocked at 630 MHz (70 MHz x 9) 900 MHz Intel Celeron-M ULV 353 1.6 GHz Intel Atom, 45nm Diamondville N270, Socket 437 FCBG8A[42] 900 MHz Intel Celeron-M ULV 353,[83] clocked at 630 MHz (70 MHz x 9) 1.6 GHz Intel Atom, 45nm Diamondville N270, Socket 437 FCBG8A[42]
512 kB L2 cache RAM,[85][57] fan-cooled 512 kB L2 cache, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size 512 kB L2 cache RAM, fan-cooled 512 kB L2 cache, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size 512 kB L2 cache RAM, fan-cooled
Component Eee PC 2G Surf (700) Eee PC 4G Surf (701) Eee PC 4G (701)1 Eee PC 701SD Eee PC 8G (702) Eee PC 900 Eee PC 900 16G Eee PC 900A Eee PC 901 Eee PC 904HD Eee PC 1000HD Eee PC 1000H Eee PC 1000HA Eee PC 1000
Memory 512 MB[8] DDR2-400 RAM[citation needed] 512 MB DDR2-533/667[86] 1 GB RAM DDR2-400 (Supports 533/667) 1 GB (XP), 2 GB (Linux) RAM DDR2-533/667 1 GB RAM DDR2-533/667
Soldered RAM[87] 1 (one) socketed RAM, upgradeable to 2 GB[42]
Graphics Integrated Intel GMA 900 graphics processor (Shared Memory Architecture), additional VGA port (up to 1600×1280 pixels)[48] Intel 915GM/GMS, 910GML Express Integrated GMA 950 Integrated GMA 950
Chipset Intel 910GML series[48] Intel 945GSE[24]
Battery 4-cell, Li-Ion, 4400 mAh, 7.4 volts: 2 h 45 min battery life 4-cell, Li-Ion, 4400mAh (unknown duration)[88] or 4-cell, Li-Ion, 5200 mAh, 7.4 volts: 3 h 30 min battery life 4-cell, Li-Ion, 4400 mAh 7.4V (unknown duration) or 5800 mAh, 7.2V: 3 h 30 min battery life[89] 6-cell[42] Li-Ion, 6600 mAh 7.4V (4.2h - 7.8h) [90]
Camera No 0.3 megapixel; up to 640×480, up to 30 fps[48] 1.3 megapixel 0.3 megapixel or None(USA) 1.3 megapixel 0.3 megapixel 1.3 megapixel
Component Eee PC 2G Surf (700) Eee PC 4G Surf (701) Eee PC 4G (701)1 Eee PC 701SD Eee PC 8G (702) Eee PC 900 Eee PC 900 16G Eee PC 900A Eee PC 901 Eee PC 904HD Eee PC 1000HD Eee PC 1000H Eee PC 1000HA Eee PC 1000
Dimensions 225 × 165 × 21~35 mm (8.9 × 6.5 × 0.9~1.4 in)[91] 225 x 170 x 20~38 mm 226 × 175.3 × 22.9 mm (8.9 × 6.9 × 0.9 in)[92] 265.9 × 191.3 × 38.1 mm (10.5 × 7.5 × 1.5 in)[93]
Weight 922 g (2 lb ½ oz) 990 g (2 lb 3 oz) 1140 g (2 lb 8 oz) [42] 1400 g (3.09 lb) 1450 g (3 lb 3 oz)[90] 1330 g (2 lb 15 oz)[90]
Communication 10/100 Mbit Ethernet (Attansic L2), 802.11b/802.11g wireless LAN mini PCI-E card (Atheros- or Ralink-based).
Bluetooth No Yes No Yes No Yes
Wireless N
Operating System XP Yes [94] No
Linux Yes, Custom Xandros2[91] (Linux based distribution) running KDE and IceWM No Yes
Other
  • Audio: Realtek ALC6628 Hi-Definition Audio 5.1 CODEC;[48] built-in stereo speakers; built-in microphone
  • Connectors: 3 USB 2.0 ports, MMC/SD (HC) card reader, Ethernet port, Modem port (non-functional, empty), Microphone input, Headphone jack, AC power jack, VGA out, Kensington lock slot
  • Colors: Pearl white (Non-Surf only), Pure white (Surf models only) or Galaxy black; Lush Green, Sky Blue, Blush Pink[95] (spring 2008)
  • Expansion: two PCI Express Mini Card connectors: one occupied by the wireless network card; another empty, accessible on some models from opening on back of unit, which supports only Asus-approved SSD expansion units. The second PCIE connection is unavailable on many current-generation EeePCs.[96]
1 In the UK the Eee is also promoted as the RM Asus Minibook,[97] which is targeted at students; however, the unit itself is no different.
2701 4G (non-Surf) late releases have Windows XP pre-installed without Microsoft Works and Windows Live Suite, excluding the disc, or either Xandros OS pre-installed.[citation needed]

Asus Source:[98]

[edit] Configurations

The 700 series units are shipped in 3 colors besides black and white.

Naming of the 700 series of models of the device appears to relate to the size of installed SSD, camera, and battery size.[99] The Eee PC Surf models include the 4400 mAh battery pack and no webcam, while the non-Surf models have the 5200 mAh battery pack and a webcam installed. The model numbers (700, 701) may still be the same as has been seen on pre-production samples. ASUS may offer upgrades for the SSD storage via the empty Mini PCIe slot, which has been shown to be labeled FLASH_CON in take apart photos of the 4G.[96] When a Mini PCIe card is inserted into the spare empty slot, the internal SSD gets disabled, making the device unable to boot from the original SSD.[100] There are also signal lines for a USB port on the Mini PCIe pins which have been used to connect various USB devices internally. Some 701 models with serial numbers starting at 7B do not have a second mini PCIe slot soldered onto the motherboard, though the circuit traces and solder pads remain.[101]

The final Eee PC 700 series specifications and pricing differ substantially from Asus' original announcement. A 2 GB SSD model was in the initial announcement for USD 199,[5] although many news stories carried the information incorrectly much later and indicated that a 4 GB model would be offered at USD 199. It was reported that the price of the low-end model rose from USD 199 to USD 245 (reportedly at least partly due to rise in prices of 7 inch (178 mm) LCD displays[102]), while the solid-state drive went from 4 GB to 2 GB, and the VGA camera was dropped when ASUS published the Eee PC models with the Surf/non-Surf model names.

A controversy over a "warranty void if removed" sticker on the RAM access cover panel has prompted ASUS to release a statement clarifying the matter, stating that "merely breaking or removing this kind of seal will not void the ASUS Limited Warranty" (emphasis is original). Since then, ASUS has offered to replace the labels with ones specifying merely that ASUS will not be held "responsible for the damage caused by improper hardware change." Furthermore, ASUS altered their Limited Warranty to "eliminate any provision stating that the ASUS Limited Warranty will be voided simply because the product is serviced by a non-ASUS-approved service facility, or if non-ASUS-approved components or software are installed or used."[103]

EeePC in its case.

In the 70x series, the pre-installed Xandros operating system has a Linux kernel with a kernel option set limiting the detected RAM size to a maximum of 1 GB, even if a larger RAM module is installed. The actual capacity is shown in full in the BIOS setup and under other OSes.[104] However it is possible to recompile the kernel with support for more RAM. The 900 and later laptops had the kernel pre-configured to support up to 4GB of memory address space.

[edit] Educational use

On November 8, 2007, Fresno Unified School District, in Fresno, California announced a digital portfolio and laptop pilot program, in which 16 schools will use the mini-laptops in the classroom at a ratio of one laptop for every two students. Eventually the district expects that all 78,000 students will create and manage their own web-based portfolios from kindergarten through 12th grade.[105]

In the UK, RM Education, a large supplier to the educational field has contracted as a distributor of the Eee PC and is distributing their re-branded version to schools and colleges in the UK, and showed two models at the 2008 Education Show at the NEC, Birmingham.[citation needed]

In May 2008, South West Teacher Training distributed an Eee PC for each trainee teacher as part of their on-going commitment to promoting e-learning. In late 2008, Arnold Lodge School's new year 9 will be the first in Europe to be receiving a Eee Pc each for use in school and with the virtual lab.[citation needed]

[edit] Sales

Asus shipped 700,000 Eee PCs in September 2008 and total shipments reached 1.7 million in the third quarter of 2008. [106]

[edit] See also

Sister project Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Eee PC

[edit] References

  1. ^ "ASUS Eee PC". ASUS (2008). Retrieved on 2008-04-10.
  2. ^ http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20080710PD222.html
  3. ^ "Asus unveils ultra-low-cost Linux laptop", LinuxDevices.com (2007-06-06). Retrieved on 11 July 2007. 
  4. ^ Chen, Shu-Ching Jean (2007-06-07). "$199 Laptop Is No Child's Play", Forbes. Retrieved on 28 June 2007. 
  5. ^ a b ASUS (2007-06-08). "Enter the ‘E’ Era with ASUS Eee PC". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
  6. ^ "Asustek's EEE now expected in October", The Inquirer (2007-09-23). Retrieved on 23 September 2007. 
  7. ^ Jackson, Jerry; O'Brien, Kevin; Baxter, Andrew (2007-10-25). "Asus Eee PC Initial Hands On and Video Review", NotebookReview. Retrieved on 28 October 2007. 
  8. ^ a b "Pictures of the Asus EEE Surf 2G" (2007-12-16).
  9. ^ "ASUS EeePC" (in Chinese), PCDVD (2007-10-16). Retrieved on 16 November 2007. 
  10. ^ "Asus Eee Surf memory upgrade".
  11. ^ Smith, Tony (2007-11-09). "Asus to launch desktop Eee PC next year", The Register. Retrieved on 16 November 2007. 
  12. ^ Asus EEE with Windows XP formally launched in Japan at Eee-PC blog
  13. ^ Asus India press release
  14. ^ ASUS launches the much awaited Eee PC in India
  15. ^ Asus Press Release
  16. ^ PC Perspective Review
  17. ^ Official release at eeepc.net
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