The
Asus Eee PC is a
subnotebookA subnotebook is a class of laptop computers that are smaller and lighter than a typical laptop....
/
netbookNetbooks are a category of small, lightweight, legacy-free, and inexpensive laptop computers.At their inception in late 2007 as smaller notebooks optimized for low weight and low cost — netbooks omitted certain features , featured smaller screens and keyboards, and offered reduced computing...
computer line from
ASUSTeK Computer IncorporatedASUSTeK Computer Incorporated is a multinational computer technology and consumer electronics product manufacturer headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. Its product range includes motherboards, desktops, laptops, monitors, tablet PCs, servers and mobile phones...
, and a part of the
Asus EeeASUS Eee is a family of products by Asustek. The product family began with the release of the Eee PC subnotebook in 2007; since then, the product family has diversified into a number of PC form factors...
product family. At the time of its introduction in late 2007, it was noted for its combination of a light weight,
LinuxLinux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
operating systemAn operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
,
solid-state driveA solid-state drive , sometimes called a solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data with the intention of providing access in the same manner of a traditional block i/o hard disk drive...
(SSD), and relatively low cost. Newer models have added the options of
WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
operating systems, rotary hard disk drives (HDD) and initially retailed for up to 500 euros.
The first Eee PC was a milestone in the personal computer business, launching the netbook category of small, low cost laptops. According to Asus, the name Eee derives from "the three Es," an abbreviation of its advertising
sloganA slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
for the device: "Easy to learn, Easy to work, Easy to play".
Eee 700 series
Asus announced two Eee PC models at
Computex TaipeiCOMPUTEX Taipei, or Taipei International Information Technology Show , is a computer expo held annually in Taipei, Taiwan. Since the early 2000s, it has become one of the largest computer and technology fairs in the world.-Development:...
2007; the Eee PC 701 and the Eee PC 1001. The 701 base model
Eee PC 4G was released on October 16, 2007 in
TaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. Three additional models followed.
Both the price and the size of the device are small in comparison with similar
Ultra-Mobile PCAn ultra-mobile PC is a small form factor version of a pen computer, a class of laptop whose specifications were launched by Microsoft and Intel in spring 2006. Sony had already made a first attempt in this direction in 2004 with its Vaio U series, which was however only sold in Asia...
s. The Eee series is one response to the
XO-1The XO-1, previously known as the $100 Laptop, Children's Machine, and 2B1, is an inexpensive subnotebook computer intended to be distributed to children in developing countries around the world, to provide them with access to knowledge, and opportunities to "explore, experiment and express...
notebook from the
One Laptop per Child initiative. At the
Intel Developer ForumIntel Developer Forum , is a gathering of technologists to discuss Intel products and products based around Intel products. The first IDF was in 1997...
2007, Asus demonstrated the
Classmate PCThe Classmate PC, formerly known as Eduwise, is Intel's entry into the market for low-cost personal computers for children in the developing world. It is in some respects similar to the One Laptop Per Child trade association's Children's Machine , which has a similar target market...
and the Eee PC, and listed specifications for four models of the Eee PC.
In some countries, the products have the marketing names EeePC 8G, 4G, 4G Surf, and 2G Surf, though in other countries the machines are still designated by the model numbers 700 and 701. The 4G Surf uses socketed RAM but some revisions do not have a door to access the slot.
Asus released a version of the Eee PC with Microsoft
Windows XPWindows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
pre-installed in January 2008. In Japan, the version is known as the 4G-X.
Eee 900 series
The Eee 900 series was officially launched in
Hong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
on April 16, 2008, and in the UK on May 1, 2008 for £329 (approximately 410 € or 650 US$ including
VATA value added tax or value-added tax is a form of consumption tax. From the perspective of the buyer, it is a tax on the purchase price. From that of the seller, it is a tax only on the "value added" to a product, material or service, from an accounting point of view, by this stage of its...
). The system was launched in the US on May 12, 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). The machine has a
multi-touchIn computing, multi-touch refers to a touch sensing surface's ability to recognize the presence of two or more points of contact with the surface...
trackpad that allow two-finger scrolling and zooming via a "pinch" gesture and is available with Linux (in some markets) and/or Windows XP (in some markets) configurations.
The Linux version is named the EeePC 900 and comes with a 16 GB
SSDA solid-state drive , sometimes called a solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data with the intention of providing access in the same manner of a traditional block i/o hard disk drive...
. Some of these Eee PCs also have a 4 GB SSD installed similarly to that in the 701 for a total storage space of 20 GB. Those that do not are named the Asus EEE 900 16G. The Windows XP version is named the EeePC 900 Win and also comes in two versions: one with a total storage of 12 GB (one 4 GB SSD and one 8 GB SSD) and one with 16 GB (on a single SSD). The Linux 20G version is sold for the same price as the Windows 12G version. In the case for the 16G EEEs, the Windows version costs more than the Linux version.
The Windows version comes with Microsoft Works and
Windows LiveWindows Live is the collective brand name for a set of services and software products from Microsoft, part of their software plus services platform. A majority of these services are Web applications, accessible from a browser, but there are also client-side binary applications that require...
Suite preinstalled. It also includes
StarSuite 8StarOffice, known briefly as Oracle Open Office before its discontinuation in 2010, is a proprietary office suite. It was originally developed by StarDivision which was acquired by Sun Microsystems in 1999...
. 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).
Other Eee 90x models
On June 3, 2008, Asus unveiled the Eee 901 at Computex Taipei, the 901 was a revision of the 900 series with a different chassis. The 901 features an
Intel AtomIntel Atom is the brand name for a line of ultra-low-voltage x86 and x86-64 CPUs from Intel, designed in 45 nm CMOS and used mainly in netbooks, nettops, embedded application ranging from health care to advanced robotics and Mobile Internet devices...
Diamondville CPU clocked at 1.6 GHz, an "expanded" battery (listed as 6-cell), and "Super Hybrid Engine" software for power management which will provide a battery life of 4.2-7.8 hours.
BluetoothBluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
and 802.11n Wi-Fi are also included. The 901 uses the Intel 945GME chipset, meeting the requirements for
Windows AeroWindows Aero is the graphical user interface and the default theme in most editions of Windows Vista and Windows 7, operating systems released by Microsoft. It is also available in Windows Server 2008, but is not enabled by default. Its name is a backronym for Authentic, Energetic, Reflective and...
for Vista or 7. The 901 is otherwise similar to the 900, shipping in Linux or Windows XP configurations which have different sizes of SSD storage. It was also discovered that the Eee 901 has capacity for a "3GCard" upgrade.
The Eee PC 901 "Linux" model featuring an advertised "20 GB SSD" storage actually contains two SSD drives; one 4 GB and one 16 GB. The 4 GB drive has been reported as faster than the 16 GB drive.
The Eee PC 904HD was one of the first Eee PC models which features an HDD (80 GB) instead of an SSD. This model features 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 nearly the same as used in the Eee PC 900 model.
On June 17, 2009, Asus released the Disney Netpal (Eee PC MK90), which is similar to the Eee 90x models.
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
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
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, in some cases as much as 90 minutes. As a result of the objections to this, Asus provided a free battery replacement program in Hong Kong and Singapore, and ran a paid-for battery exchange program in the UK.
Asus has stated 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." Asus provided a battery exchange to all UK Eee PC 900 customers for £10, and released a firmware update which claimed to extend battery life by 30 minutes ("BIOS 0601: Updated all battery discharge tables to extend battery life").
In
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the situation was reversed: Reviewers received EeePC 900 systems fitted with the 4400 mAh battery but the retail models were equipped with the 5800 mAh battery. Customers of
Media MarktMedia Markt is a German chain of stores selling consumer electronics with numerous branches throughout Europe. It is Europe's largest retailer of consumer electronics.-History:...
in
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
received the EeePC 900 at the beginning of sales (May/June) with a 5800 mAh battery and later (June/July) with a 4400 mAh battery.
Best BuyBest Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
's custom variants of the 1000HD and 900A also both include a 4400 mAh battery.
Part of the above problem extends from the fact that the entire range were substantially more successful than Asus had originally anticipated. Currently, Asus has several large complexes scattered throughout Taiwan and China, with the largest in the city of Suzhou (China), being the size of eight football fields. Upon the unexpected success of the range, Asus factories worked around the clock to keep up supply and further development. Consequently, even within Asus testing labs in Taipei, many variations were found within test models. Generally, however, Asus does inform reviewers that the final retail model may contain different features from those offered in the review model.
Eee 1000 series
The
1000 series launched at
Computex TaipeiCOMPUTEX Taipei, or Taipei International Information Technology Show , is a computer expo held annually in Taipei, Taiwan. Since the early 2000s, it has become one of the largest computer and technology fairs in the world.-Development:...
on June 3, 2008. It featured a new 10-inch (254 mm) screen and a 1.6 GHz
Intel AtomIntel Atom is the brand name for a line of ultra-low-voltage x86 and x86-64 CPUs from Intel, designed in 45 nm CMOS and used mainly in netbooks, nettops, embedded application ranging from health care to advanced robotics and Mobile Internet devices...
CPU, although built in power management software can increase the speed to 1.7 GHz. The 1000 model ships with Linux, an 8
GBThe gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
SSDA solid-state drive , sometimes called a solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data with the intention of providing access in the same manner of a traditional block i/o hard disk drive...
and a 32 GB SSD (totalling 40 GB); the 1000H model ships with Windows XP Home or Linux and an 80 or 160 GB
SATASerial ATA is a computer bus interface for connecting host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives and optical drives...
HDD. Both the 1000 and the 1000H support up to 2 GB of DDR2 RAM of 667 MHz clock speed. 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.
WiMAXWiMAX is a communication technology for wirelessly delivering high-speed Internet service to large geographical areas. The 2005 WiMAX revision provided bit rates up to 40 Mbit/s with the 2011 update up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations...
is not currently supported.
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 900 MHz Celeron CPU chip.
The
1000HA (released in October 2008) also costs less than the 1000H, but has the same Intel Atom 1.6 GHz CPU, a 160 GB HDD, and 1 GB of RAM. It also has wireless and some models present Bluetooth.
The
1000XPH has the same Intel Atom 1.6 GHz CPU, an only 80 GB HDD, and 1 GB of RAM. Other amenities include a 10/100 LAN and 802.11 b/g Wireless LAN adapters, an integrated webcam, but no Bluetooth.
In February 2009, Asus unveiled the
1000HE, using the new Intel Atom 280 processor with a 10-inch LED-lit display, 6-cell battery, 160 GB HDD, Bluetooth, 802.11n wireless networking, 1.3 megapixel camera, and a revised keyboard.
At
CeBITCeBIT is the world's largest and most international computer expo. CeBIT is held each year on the world's largest fairground in Hanover, Germany, and is a barometer of the state of the art in information technology...
2009, Asus unveiled the 10-inch
EEE 1008HA, introducing the new design concept "Seashell".
The
1005HA comes in three models, from least-to-most expensive, they are the 1005HA
-B, the 1005HA
-V and the 1005HA
-P. The 1005HA-B has a removable 3-cell battery with a rated 4-hour life per charge, a 1.3 megapixel camera, and uses the N270 processor. At the higher end, the 1005HA-P has a removable 6-cell, 5600 mAh, 63 W/h battery with rated 10.5 hour battery life, a 1.3 megapixel camera and uses the N280 processor. There is also a 1005HA-H model, sold in Poland, equipped with a 6-cell battery, an N270 processor and a 0.3 megapixel camera.
Asus officially announced the first Eee with
Nvidia IONNvidia Ion is a product line of Nvidia corporation intended for motherboards of low-cost portable computers. It uses graphics processing units and chipsets intended for small products.-Description:...
graphics, the
1201N, on November 19, 2009, later replaced by the 1201
PN and then
1215N, with a more powerful Atom D525 dual-core processor and ION2 graphics.
The 1215 series then saw the release of the 1215
B, which came with the AMD E-350 processor, a "Zacate"
APUAn accelerated processing unit is a processing system that includes additional processing capability designed to accelerate one or more types of computations outside of a CPU. This may include a graphics processing unit used for general-purpose computing , a field-programmable gate array , or...
. As the 1215b has usb3 and a cpu and bios that supports full hardware virtualization in linux via (
kvmKernel-based Virtual Machine is a virtualization infrastructure for the Linux kernel. KVM supports native virtualization on processors with hardware virtualization extensions....
or
xenXen is a virtual-machine monitor providing services that allow multiple computer operating systems to execute on the same computer hardware concurrently....
) or Windows via (XP mode, Virtual Box,
VmwareVMware, Inc. is a company providing virtualization software founded in 1998 and based in Palo Alto, California, USA. The company was acquired by EMC Corporation in 2004, and operates as a separate software subsidiary ....
). The 1215b was the 1st eee pc able to do 64 bit and virtualization.
Technical overview
Processor
Eee PC models have typically used netbook specific processors or ultra-low voltage versions of mainstream processors. The earliest Eee PC models used a 900 MHz
Intel Celeron MCeleron is a brand name given by Intel Corp. to a number of different x86 computer microprocessor models targeted at budget personal computers....
processor underclocked to 630 MHz. Later models shipped with
Intel AtomIntel Atom is the brand name for a line of ultra-low-voltage x86 and x86-64 CPUs from Intel, designed in 45 nm CMOS and used mainly in netbooks, nettops, embedded application ranging from health care to advanced robotics and Mobile Internet devices...
and
AMD FusionAMD Fusion is the marketing name for a series of APUs by AMD. There are two flavors of Fusion currently available, one with its CPU logic based on the Bobcat core and the other its CPU logic based on the 10h core. In both cases the GPU logic is HD6xxx, which itself is based on the mobile variant of...
processors.
Display
The Eee PC 700 has a 800×480
pixelIn digital imaging, a pixel, or pel, is a single point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable screen element in a display device; it is the smallest unit of picture that can be represented or controlled....
s 7 inch (178 mm) display, measured diagonally. 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 pixels 8.9-inch (226 mm) display, almost filling the lid.
Later models came with 10 inch to 12.1 inch displays and up to 1366x768 resolution.
With all models, an external display can be supported through a standard VGA connector. The manufacturer does not give any specifications on maximum resolution and display configuration (mirroring, extended desktop), but most models can handle an external display at native resolution of 1440 x 1050, and even 1600 x 900 although performance starts to slow down. Models that ship with Xandros do not have access to the full capacity of the external VGA output by default, allowing only 'mirroring'. Users must reconfigure their xorg.conf file, or install a more feature-rich OS such as
EeebuntuAurora is an operating system for netbooks. The current version is based on Ubuntu, though newer versions will be based on Debian Unstable...
to allow the higher resolution output.
Keyboard
On a normal, "full size" computer keyboard, the 10 keys Q–P measure 190 mm (7.48 in). The 700 and 900 series are equipped with similar keyboards, 82 % size of a generic one, meaning that the Q–P keys measure 155 mm (6.10 in). The 1000 series, as it fits in a more spacious case, has 92 % of a full size keyboard, where the Q–P keys measure 175 mm (6.89 in).
Some Eee PC lines such as the 1000HE and 1215s uses the island-style keyboard, similar to keyboards used in Apple computers and
Sony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's
VAIOVAIO is a sub-brand used for many of Sony's computer products. Originally an acronym of Video Audio Integrated Operation, this was amended to Visual Audio Intelligent Organizer in 2008 to celebrate the brand's 10th anniversary...
series, where the keys are reminiscent of
ScrabbleScrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. Official reference works provide a list...
tiles, being spaced apart and raised from the surface below.
Storage
The early model Eee PCs use a
solid-state driveA solid-state drive , sometimes called a solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data with the intention of providing access in the same manner of a traditional block i/o hard disk drive...
for storage (instead of a hard drive), which consumes less power when in use, allows the device to boot faster, generates no noise, and is less susceptible to mechanical shock damage than hard drives. A down side of SSD storage (
flash memoryFlash memory is a non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It was developed from EEPROM and must be erased in fairly large blocks before these can be rewritten with new data...
) is that an individual sector can be written only about 100,000 times. This problem can be partially mitigated by intelligent
wear levelingWear leveling is a technique for prolonging the service life of some kinds of erasable computer storage media, such as Flash memory used in solid-state drives and USB Flash drives...
, resulting in a MTBF similar to conventional platter-based hard drives.
The SSDs used in early Eee PCs also had extremely poor random write performance (the S101 does not have this problem).
In the 2 GB and 4 GB models of the 700 series of the Eee PC, the SSD is permanently soldered to the board. 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.
The Eee PC 900 comes with a removable PCI Express Mini SSD module, with or without four additional 1 GB memory chips soldered on the main board. Different models come with different-sized SSDs. One Linux version has 4 GB, a Windows XP version has 8 GB, and all remaining ones (Windows XP or Linux) have 16 GB.
The Eee PC 1000 contains a fast 8 GB internal SSD and a slower 32 GB internal flash drive.
Some models, such as the 1000H and 904HD do not have a SSD, and instead have a SATA internal hard drive of either 80- or 160 GB, which can be upgraded by the user.
All Eee PC models also include a memory card reader, supporting
SD, SDHCSecure Digital is a non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association for use in portable devices. The SD technology is used by more than 400 brands across dozens of product categories and more than 8,000 models, and is considered the de-facto industry standard.Secure Digital...
and
MMCThe MultiMediaCard is a flash memory memory card standard. Unveiled in 1997 by Siemens AG and SanDisk, it is based on Toshiba's NAND-based flash memory, and is therefore much smaller than earlier systems based on Intel NOR-based memory such as CompactFlash. MMC is about the size of a postage...
cards for additional storage while the Eee PC S101 also has support for Memorystick and MS-PRO.
Eee PC 1004DN is the first model with a Super-Multi optical disc drive (ODD) that reads and writes data to DVD or Compact Disc.
Memory
Most early EEE PCs use 533/667 MHz
DDR2 SDRAMDDR2 SDRAM is a double data rate synchronous dynamic random-access memory interface. It supersedes the original DDR SDRAM specification and has itself been superseded by DDR3 SDRAM...
via a standard SO-DIMM module, which can be swapped out. The 700 and 701SDX have RAM soldered to the motherboard. Other models (like the white 4GS-W010) had lacked memory access panels and required disassembly to upgrade memory.
Later models, such as the black model EEEPC 4G SURF (4GS-PK008), and newer white models (4GS-W010) have a removable panel on their underside that allows the user to change the RAM without fully disassembling the system.
Cooling
In an EE380 talk (
video archive), an Asus engineer mentioned that the Eee PC uses the keyboard shielding as a
heat sinkA heat sink is a term for a component or assembly that transfers heat generated within a solid material to a fluid medium, such as air or a liquid. Examples of heat sinks are the heat exchangers used in refrigeration and air conditioning systems and the radiator in a car...
to absorb the heat generated by the processor. The Eee PC has a fan, and some vents to also cool off the system.
Compatible operating systems
As the Eee PC uses a standard x86 processor, most
operating systemAn operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
s can be installed with little effort, though full hardware support varies, especially for the latest models.
The following operating systems are known to work on certain models:
- Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
- GNU/Linux, BSD, Solaris,MeeGo
MeeGo is a Linux-based open source mobile operating system project. Primarily targeted at mobile devices and information appliances in the consumer electronics market, MeeGo is designed to act as an operating system for hardware platforms such as netbooks, entry-level desktops, nettops, tablet...
, Android, and other UnixUnix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
-likeA Unix-like operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, while not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification....
systems
- Mac OS X v10.4
- Mac OS X v10.5
- Mac OS X v10.6
- Syllable
Syllable Desktop is a free and open source operating system for Pentium and compatible processors. Its purpose is to create an easy-to-use desktop operating system for the home and small office user...
- Haiku
Haiku is a free and open source operating system compatible with BeOS. Its development began in 2001, and the operating system became self-hosting in 2008, with the first alpha release in September 2009, the second in May 2010 and the third in June 2011....
, development releases
Xandros
XandrosXandros is the name of both a line of operating systems and Xandros Corporation, the company which creates them. Xandros Desktop was a Linux distribution. The name Xandros is derived from the X Window System and the Greek island of Andros....
, a Linux distribution, boots in 20–22 seconds on the Eee PC, substantially faster than the boot time for an installation of Windows XP on the same hardware. Xandros on the Eee PC runs a custom
tab-basedIn the area of graphical user interfaces , a tabbed document interface is one that allows multiple documents to be contained within a single window, using tabs as a navigational widget for switching between sets of documents...
interface, uses
IceWMIceWM is a stacking window manager for the X Window System graphical infrastructure, written by Marko Maček. It was coded from scratch in C++ and is released under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License...
as the default window manager, and comes with forty bundled software applications including
OpenOffice.orgOpenOffice.org, commonly known as OOo or OpenOffice, is an open-source application suite whose main components are for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, and databases. OpenOffice is available for a number of different computer operating systems, is distributed as free software...
,
Mozilla FirefoxMozilla Firefox is a free and open source web browser descended from the Mozilla Application Suite and managed by Mozilla Corporation. , Firefox is the second most widely used browser, with approximately 25% of worldwide usage share of web browsers...
,
SkypeSkype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chat over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based user account system...
,
Tux PaintTux Paint is a free and open source bitmap graphics editor geared towards young children. The project was started in 2002 by Bill Kendrick who continues to maintain and improve it, with help from numerous volunteers...
and other educational entertainment software, e-mail and Internet radio applications, and look-up tools for Google Docs and
WikipediaWikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
.
The operating system drivers for the
ACPIIn computing, the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface specification provides an open standard for device configuration and power management by the operating system....
and wireless devices supplied with the pre-installed
XandrosXandros is the name of both a line of operating systems and Xandros Corporation, the company which creates them. Xandros Desktop was a Linux distribution. The name Xandros is derived from the X Window System and the Greek island of Andros....
operating system are versions of software licensed under the
GNU General Public LicenseThe GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
. The company released the source code as a
ZIPZip is a file format used for data compression and archiving. A zip file contains one or more files that have been compressed, to reduce file size, or stored as is...
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
obfuscatedObfuscated code is source or machine code that has been made difficult to understand for humans. Programmers may deliberately obfuscate code to conceal its purpose or its logic to prevent tampering, deter reverse engineering, or as a puzzle or recreational challenge for someone reading the source...
. 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 since released the source code for the ACPI module. They have also released the patched Linux kernel sources and their
BusyboxBusyBox provides several stripped-down Unix tools in a single executable. It runs in a variety of POSIX environments such as Linux, Android, FreeBSD and others, such as proprietary kernels, although many of the tools it provides are designed to work with interfaces provided by the Linux kernel. It...
sources.
The
Synaptic Package ManagerSynaptic is a computer program which is a GTK+ graphical user interface front-end to the Advanced Packaging Tool for the Debian package management system. Synaptic is usually used on systems based on deb packages but can also be used on systems based on RPM packages...
and apt-get can be used to install additional software through the
repositoriesA software repository is a storage location from which software packages may be retrieved and installed on a computer.- Discussion :Many software publishers and other organizations maintain servers on the Internet for this purpose, either free of charge or for a subscription fee...
.
Forks and other distributions
Current Asus Linux development policy generates
forksIn software engineering, a project fork happens when developers take a legal copy of source code from one software package and start independent development on it, creating a distinct piece of software...
of code as 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
diffIn computing, diff is a file comparison utility that outputs the differences between two files. It is typically used to show the changes between one version of a file and a former version of the same file. Diff displays the changes made per line for text files. Modern implementations also...
utility) and port into a newer version or other distribution. For example, the Eee PC 900 model has a sound card that needed some modifications to the Linux kernel driver to work. Asus' modifications were against version 2.6.21.4 from June 2007. This problem was removed with the kernel 2.6.28 and above.
Specifications
Eee PC models
| Component |
700 (2G Surf) |
701 (4G Surf) |
|
{{Update|date=July 2010}}
The Asus Eee PC is a subnotebookA subnotebook is a class of laptop computers that are smaller and lighter than a typical laptop....
/netbookNetbooks are a category of small, lightweight, legacy-free, and inexpensive laptop computers.At their inception in late 2007 as smaller notebooks optimized for low weight and low cost — netbooks omitted certain features , featured smaller screens and keyboards, and offered reduced computing...
computer line from ASUSTeK Computer IncorporatedASUSTeK Computer Incorporated is a multinational computer technology and consumer electronics product manufacturer headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. Its product range includes motherboards, desktops, laptops, monitors, tablet PCs, servers and mobile phones...
, and a part of the Asus EeeASUS Eee is a family of products by Asustek. The product family began with the release of the Eee PC subnotebook in 2007; since then, the product family has diversified into a number of PC form factors...
product family. At the time of its introduction in late 2007, it was noted for its combination of a light weight, LinuxLinux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
operating systemAn operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
, solid-state driveA solid-state drive , sometimes called a solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data with the intention of providing access in the same manner of a traditional block i/o hard disk drive...
(SSD), and relatively low cost. Newer models have added the options of WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
operating systems, rotary hard disk drives (HDD) and initially retailed for up to 500 euros.
The first Eee PC was a milestone in the personal computer business, launching the netbook category of small, low cost laptops. According to Asus, the name Eee derives from "the three Es," an abbreviation of its advertising sloganA slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
for the device: "Easy to learn, Easy to work, Easy to play".
Eee 700 series
Asus announced two Eee PC models at Computex TaipeiCOMPUTEX Taipei, or Taipei International Information Technology Show , is a computer expo held annually in Taipei, Taiwan. Since the early 2000s, it has become one of the largest computer and technology fairs in the world.-Development:...
2007; the Eee PC 701 and the Eee PC 1001. The 701 base model Eee PC 4G was released on October 16, 2007 in TaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. Three additional models followed.
Both the price and the size of the device are small in comparison with similar Ultra-Mobile PCAn ultra-mobile PC is a small form factor version of a pen computer, a class of laptop whose specifications were launched by Microsoft and Intel in spring 2006. Sony had already made a first attempt in this direction in 2004 with its Vaio U series, which was however only sold in Asia...
s. The Eee series is one response to the XO-1The XO-1, previously known as the $100 Laptop, Children's Machine, and 2B1, is an inexpensive subnotebook computer intended to be distributed to children in developing countries around the world, to provide them with access to knowledge, and opportunities to "explore, experiment and express...
notebook from the One Laptop per Child initiative. At the Intel Developer ForumIntel Developer Forum , is a gathering of technologists to discuss Intel products and products based around Intel products. The first IDF was in 1997...
2007, Asus demonstrated the Classmate PCThe Classmate PC, formerly known as Eduwise, is Intel's entry into the market for low-cost personal computers for children in the developing world. It is in some respects similar to the One Laptop Per Child trade association's Children's Machine , which has a similar target market...
and the Eee PC, and listed specifications for four models of the Eee PC.
In some countries, the products have the marketing names EeePC 8G, 4G, 4G Surf, and 2G Surf, though in other countries the machines are still designated by the model numbers 700 and 701. The 4G Surf uses socketed RAM but some revisions do not have a door to access the slot.
Asus released a version of the Eee PC with Microsoft Windows XPWindows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
pre-installed in January 2008. In Japan, the version is known as the 4G-X.
Eee 900 series
The Eee 900 series was officially launched in Hong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
on April 16, 2008, and in the UK on May 1, 2008 for £329 (approximately 410 € or 650 US$ including VATA value added tax or value-added tax is a form of consumption tax. From the perspective of the buyer, it is a tax on the purchase price. From that of the seller, it is a tax only on the "value added" to a product, material or service, from an accounting point of view, by this stage of its...
). The system was launched in the US on May 12, 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). The machine has a multi-touchIn computing, multi-touch refers to a touch sensing surface's ability to recognize the presence of two or more points of contact with the surface...
trackpad that allow two-finger scrolling and zooming via a "pinch" gesture and is available with Linux (in some markets) and/or Windows XP (in some markets) configurations.
The Linux version is named the EeePC 900 and comes with a 16 GB SSDA solid-state drive , sometimes called a solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data with the intention of providing access in the same manner of a traditional block i/o hard disk drive...
. Some of these Eee PCs also have a 4 GB SSD installed similarly to that in the 701 for a total storage space of 20 GB. Those that do not are named the Asus EEE 900 16G. The Windows XP version is named the EeePC 900 Win and also comes in two versions: one with a total storage of 12 GB (one 4 GB SSD and one 8 GB SSD) and one with 16 GB (on a single SSD). The Linux 20G version is sold for the same price as the Windows 12G version. In the case for the 16G EEEs, the Windows version costs more than the Linux version.
The Windows version comes with Microsoft Works and Windows LiveWindows Live is the collective brand name for a set of services and software products from Microsoft, part of their software plus services platform. A majority of these services are Web applications, accessible from a browser, but there are also client-side binary applications that require...
Suite preinstalled. It also includes StarSuite 8StarOffice, known briefly as Oracle Open Office before its discontinuation in 2010, is a proprietary office suite. It was originally developed by StarDivision which was acquired by Sun Microsystems in 1999...
. 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).
Other Eee 90x models
On June 3, 2008, Asus unveiled the Eee 901 at Computex Taipei, the 901 was a revision of the 900 series with a different chassis. The 901 features an Intel AtomIntel Atom is the brand name for a line of ultra-low-voltage x86 and x86-64 CPUs from Intel, designed in 45 nm CMOS and used mainly in netbooks, nettops, embedded application ranging from health care to advanced robotics and Mobile Internet devices...
Diamondville CPU clocked at 1.6 GHz, an "expanded" battery (listed as 6-cell), and "Super Hybrid Engine" software for power management which will provide a battery life of 4.2-7.8 hours. BluetoothBluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
and 802.11n Wi-Fi are also included. The 901 uses the Intel 945GME chipset, meeting the requirements for Windows AeroWindows Aero is the graphical user interface and the default theme in most editions of Windows Vista and Windows 7, operating systems released by Microsoft. It is also available in Windows Server 2008, but is not enabled by default. Its name is a backronym for Authentic, Energetic, Reflective and...
for Vista or 7. The 901 is otherwise similar to the 900, shipping in Linux or Windows XP configurations which have different sizes of SSD storage. It was also discovered that the Eee 901 has capacity for a "3GCard" upgrade.
The Eee PC 901 "Linux" model featuring an advertised "20 GB SSD" storage actually contains two SSD drives; one 4 GB and one 16 GB. The 4 GB drive has been reported as faster than the 16 GB drive.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}}
The Eee PC 904HD was one of the first Eee PC models which features an HDD (80 GB) instead of an SSD. This model features 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 nearly the same as used in the Eee PC 900 model.
On June 17, 2009, Asus released the Disney Netpal (Eee PC MK90), which is similar to the Eee 90x models.
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 SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
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, in some cases as much as 90 minutes. As a result of the objections to this, Asus provided a free battery replacement program in Hong Kong and Singapore, and ran a paid-for battery exchange program in the UK.
Asus has stated 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." Asus provided a battery exchange to all UK Eee PC 900 customers for £10, and released a firmware update which claimed to extend battery life by 30 minutes ("BIOS 0601: Updated all battery discharge tables to extend battery life").
In AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the situation was reversed: Reviewers received EeePC 900 systems fitted with the 4400 mAh battery but the retail models were equipped with the 5800 mAh battery. Customers of Media MarktMedia Markt is a German chain of stores selling consumer electronics with numerous branches throughout Europe. It is Europe's largest retailer of consumer electronics.-History:...
in ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
received the EeePC 900 at the beginning of sales (May/June) with a 5800 mAh battery and later (June/July) with a 4400 mAh battery.
Best BuyBest Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
's custom variants of the 1000HD and 900A also both include a 4400 mAh battery.
Part of the above problem extends from the fact that the entire range were substantially more successful than Asus had originally anticipated. Currently, Asus has several large complexes scattered throughout Taiwan and China, with the largest in the city of Suzhou (China), being the size of eight football fields. Upon the unexpected success of the range, Asus factories worked around the clock to keep up supply and further development. Consequently, even within Asus testing labs in Taipei, many variations were found within test models. Generally, however, Asus does inform reviewers that the final retail model may contain different features from those offered in the review model.
Eee 1000 series
The 1000 series launched at Computex TaipeiCOMPUTEX Taipei, or Taipei International Information Technology Show , is a computer expo held annually in Taipei, Taiwan. Since the early 2000s, it has become one of the largest computer and technology fairs in the world.-Development:...
on June 3, 2008. It featured a new 10-inch (254 mm) screen and a 1.6 GHz Intel AtomIntel Atom is the brand name for a line of ultra-low-voltage x86 and x86-64 CPUs from Intel, designed in 45 nm CMOS and used mainly in netbooks, nettops, embedded application ranging from health care to advanced robotics and Mobile Internet devices...
CPU, although built in power management software can increase the speed to 1.7 GHz. The 1000 model ships with Linux, an 8 GBThe gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
SSDA solid-state drive , sometimes called a solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data with the intention of providing access in the same manner of a traditional block i/o hard disk drive...
and a 32 GB SSD (totalling 40 GB); the 1000H model ships with Windows XP Home or Linux and an 80 or 160 GB SATASerial ATA is a computer bus interface for connecting host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives and optical drives...
HDD. Both the 1000 and the 1000H support up to 2 GB of DDR2 RAM of 667 MHz clock speed. 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. WiMAXWiMAX is a communication technology for wirelessly delivering high-speed Internet service to large geographical areas. The 2005 WiMAX revision provided bit rates up to 40 Mbit/s with the 2011 update up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations...
is not currently supported.
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 900 MHz Celeron CPU chip.
The 1000HA (released in October 2008) also costs less than the 1000H, but has the same Intel Atom 1.6 GHz CPU, a 160 GB HDD, and 1 GB of RAM. It also has wireless and some models present Bluetooth.
The 1000XPH has the same Intel Atom 1.6 GHz CPU, an only 80 GB HDD, and 1 GB of RAM. Other amenities include a 10/100 LAN and 802.11 b/g Wireless LAN adapters, an integrated webcam, but no Bluetooth.
In February 2009, Asus unveiled the 1000HE, using the new Intel Atom 280 processor with a 10-inch LED-lit display, 6-cell battery, 160 GB HDD, Bluetooth, 802.11n wireless networking, 1.3 megapixel camera, and a revised keyboard.
At CeBITCeBIT is the world's largest and most international computer expo. CeBIT is held each year on the world's largest fairground in Hanover, Germany, and is a barometer of the state of the art in information technology...
2009, Asus unveiled the 10-inch EEE 1008HA, introducing the new design concept "Seashell".
The 1005HA comes in three models, from least-to-most expensive, they are the 1005HA-B, the 1005HA-V and the 1005HA-P. The 1005HA-B has a removable 3-cell battery with a rated 4-hour life per charge, a 1.3 megapixel camera, and uses the N270 processor. At the higher end, the 1005HA-P has a removable 6-cell, 5600 mAh, 63 W/h battery with rated 10.5 hour battery life, a 1.3 megapixel camera and uses the N280 processor. There is also a 1005HA-H model, sold in Poland, equipped with a 6-cell battery, an N270 processor and a 0.3 megapixel camera.
Asus officially announced the first Eee with Nvidia IONNvidia Ion is a product line of Nvidia corporation intended for motherboards of low-cost portable computers. It uses graphics processing units and chipsets intended for small products.-Description:...
graphics, the 1201N, on November 19, 2009, later replaced by the 1201PN and then 1215N, with a more powerful Atom D525 dual-core processor and ION2 graphics.
The 1215 series then saw the release of the 1215B, which came with the AMD E-350 processor, a "Zacate" APUAn accelerated processing unit is a processing system that includes additional processing capability designed to accelerate one or more types of computations outside of a CPU. This may include a graphics processing unit used for general-purpose computing , a field-programmable gate array , or...
. As the 1215b has usb3 and a cpu and bios that supports full hardware virtualization in linux via (kvmKernel-based Virtual Machine is a virtualization infrastructure for the Linux kernel. KVM supports native virtualization on processors with hardware virtualization extensions....
or xenXen is a virtual-machine monitor providing services that allow multiple computer operating systems to execute on the same computer hardware concurrently....
) or Windows via (XP mode, Virtual Box, VmwareVMware, Inc. is a company providing virtualization software founded in 1998 and based in Palo Alto, California, USA. The company was acquired by EMC Corporation in 2004, and operates as a separate software subsidiary ....
). The 1215b was the 1st eee pc able to do 64 bit and virtualization.
{{clear|left}}
Technical overview
Processor
Eee PC models have typically used netbook specific processors or ultra-low voltage versions of mainstream processors. The earliest Eee PC models used a 900 MHz Intel Celeron MCeleron is a brand name given by Intel Corp. to a number of different x86 computer microprocessor models targeted at budget personal computers....
processor underclocked to 630 MHz. Later models shipped with Intel AtomIntel Atom is the brand name for a line of ultra-low-voltage x86 and x86-64 CPUs from Intel, designed in 45 nm CMOS and used mainly in netbooks, nettops, embedded application ranging from health care to advanced robotics and Mobile Internet devices...
and AMD FusionAMD Fusion is the marketing name for a series of APUs by AMD. There are two flavors of Fusion currently available, one with its CPU logic based on the Bobcat core and the other its CPU logic based on the 10h core. In both cases the GPU logic is HD6xxx, which itself is based on the mobile variant of...
processors.
Display
The Eee PC 700 has a 800×480 pixelIn digital imaging, a pixel, or pel, is a single point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable screen element in a display device; it is the smallest unit of picture that can be represented or controlled....
s 7 inch (178 mm) display, measured diagonally. 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 pixels 8.9-inch (226 mm) display, almost filling the lid.
Later models came with 10 inch to 12.1 inch displays and up to 1366x768 resolution.
With all models, an external display can be supported through a standard VGA connector. The manufacturer does not give any specifications on maximum resolution and display configuration (mirroring, extended desktop), but most models can handle an external display at native resolution of 1440 x 1050, and even 1600 x 900 although performance starts to slow down. Models that ship with Xandros do not have access to the full capacity of the external VGA output by default, allowing only 'mirroring'. Users must reconfigure their xorg.conf file, or install a more feature-rich OS such as EeebuntuAurora is an operating system for netbooks. The current version is based on Ubuntu, though newer versions will be based on Debian Unstable...
to allow the higher resolution output.
Keyboard
On a normal, "full size" computer keyboard, the 10 keys Q–P measure 190 mm (7.48 in). The 700 and 900 series are equipped with similar keyboards, 82 % size of a generic one, meaning that the Q–P keys measure 155 mm (6.10 in). The 1000 series, as it fits in a more spacious case, has 92 % of a full size keyboard, where the Q–P keys measure 175 mm (6.89 in).
Some Eee PC lines such as the 1000HE and 1215s uses the island-style keyboard, similar to keyboards used in Apple computers and Sony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's VAIOVAIO is a sub-brand used for many of Sony's computer products. Originally an acronym of Video Audio Integrated Operation, this was amended to Visual Audio Intelligent Organizer in 2008 to celebrate the brand's 10th anniversary...
series, where the keys are reminiscent of ScrabbleScrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. Official reference works provide a list...
tiles, being spaced apart and raised from the surface below.
Storage
The early model Eee PCs use a solid-state driveA solid-state drive , sometimes called a solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data with the intention of providing access in the same manner of a traditional block i/o hard disk drive...
for storage (instead of a hard drive), which consumes less power when in use, allows the device to boot faster, generates no noise, and is less susceptible to mechanical shock damage than hard drives. A down side of SSD storage (flash memoryFlash memory is a non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It was developed from EEPROM and must be erased in fairly large blocks before these can be rewritten with new data...
) is that an individual sector can be written only about 100,000 times. This problem can be partially mitigated by intelligent wear levelingWear leveling is a technique for prolonging the service life of some kinds of erasable computer storage media, such as Flash memory used in solid-state drives and USB Flash drives...
, resulting in a MTBF similar to conventional platter-based hard drives.
The SSDs used in early Eee PCs also had extremely poor random write performance (the S101 does not have this problem).
In the 2 GB and 4 GB models of the 700 series of the Eee PC, the SSD is permanently soldered to the board. 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.
The Eee PC 900 comes with a removable PCI Express Mini SSD module, with or without four additional 1 GB memory chips soldered on the main board. Different models come with different-sized SSDs. One Linux version has 4 GB, a Windows XP version has 8 GB, and all remaining ones (Windows XP or Linux) have 16 GB.
The Eee PC 1000 contains a fast 8 GB internal SSD and a slower 32 GB internal flash drive.{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}}
Some models, such as the 1000H and 904HD do not have a SSD, and instead have a SATA internal hard drive of either 80- or 160 GB, which can be upgraded by the user.
All Eee PC models also include a memory card reader, supporting SD, SDHCSecure Digital is a non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association for use in portable devices. The SD technology is used by more than 400 brands across dozens of product categories and more than 8,000 models, and is considered the de-facto industry standard.Secure Digital...
and MMCThe MultiMediaCard is a flash memory memory card standard. Unveiled in 1997 by Siemens AG and SanDisk, it is based on Toshiba's NAND-based flash memory, and is therefore much smaller than earlier systems based on Intel NOR-based memory such as CompactFlash. MMC is about the size of a postage...
cards for additional storage while the Eee PC S101 also has support for Memorystick and MS-PRO.
Eee PC 1004DN is the first model with a Super-Multi optical disc drive (ODD) that reads and writes data to DVD or Compact Disc.
Memory
Most early EEE PCs use 533/667 MHz DDR2 SDRAMDDR2 SDRAM is a double data rate synchronous dynamic random-access memory interface. It supersedes the original DDR SDRAM specification and has itself been superseded by DDR3 SDRAM...
via a standard SO-DIMM module, which can be swapped out. The 700 and 701SDX have RAM soldered to the motherboard. Other models (like the white 4GS-W010) had lacked memory access panels and required disassembly to upgrade memory.
Later models, such as the black model EEEPC 4G SURF (4GS-PK008), and newer white models (4GS-W010) have a removable panel on their underside that allows the user to change the RAM without fully disassembling the system.
Cooling
In an EE380 talk (video archive), an Asus engineer mentioned that the Eee PC uses the keyboard shielding as a heat sinkA heat sink is a term for a component or assembly that transfers heat generated within a solid material to a fluid medium, such as air or a liquid. Examples of heat sinks are the heat exchangers used in refrigeration and air conditioning systems and the radiator in a car...
to absorb the heat generated by the processor. The Eee PC has a fan, and some vents to also cool off the system.
Compatible operating systems
As the Eee PC uses a standard x86 processor, most operating systemAn operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
s can be installed with little effort, though full hardware support varies, especially for the latest models.
The following operating systems are known to work on certain models:
- Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
- GNU/Linux, BSD, Solaris,MeeGo
MeeGo is a Linux-based open source mobile operating system project. Primarily targeted at mobile devices and information appliances in the consumer electronics market, MeeGo is designed to act as an operating system for hardware platforms such as netbooks, entry-level desktops, nettops, tablet...
, Android, and other UnixUnix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
-likeA Unix-like operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, while not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification....
systems
- Mac OS X v10.4
- Mac OS X v10.5
- Mac OS X v10.6
- Syllable
Syllable Desktop is a free and open source operating system for Pentium and compatible processors. Its purpose is to create an easy-to-use desktop operating system for the home and small office user...
- Haiku
Haiku is a free and open source operating system compatible with BeOS. Its development began in 2001, and the operating system became self-hosting in 2008, with the first alpha release in September 2009, the second in May 2010 and the third in June 2011....
, development releases
Xandros
XandrosXandros is the name of both a line of operating systems and Xandros Corporation, the company which creates them. Xandros Desktop was a Linux distribution. The name Xandros is derived from the X Window System and the Greek island of Andros....
, a Linux distribution, boots in 20–22 seconds on the Eee PC, substantially faster than the boot time for an installation of Windows XP on the same hardware. Xandros on the Eee PC runs a custom tab-basedIn the area of graphical user interfaces , a tabbed document interface is one that allows multiple documents to be contained within a single window, using tabs as a navigational widget for switching between sets of documents...
interface, uses IceWMIceWM is a stacking window manager for the X Window System graphical infrastructure, written by Marko Maček. It was coded from scratch in C++ and is released under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License...
as the default window manager, and comes with forty bundled software applications including OpenOffice.orgOpenOffice.org, commonly known as OOo or OpenOffice, is an open-source application suite whose main components are for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, and databases. OpenOffice is available for a number of different computer operating systems, is distributed as free software...
, Mozilla FirefoxMozilla Firefox is a free and open source web browser descended from the Mozilla Application Suite and managed by Mozilla Corporation. , Firefox is the second most widely used browser, with approximately 25% of worldwide usage share of web browsers...
, SkypeSkype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chat over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based user account system...
, Tux PaintTux Paint is a free and open source bitmap graphics editor geared towards young children. The project was started in 2002 by Bill Kendrick who continues to maintain and improve it, with help from numerous volunteers...
and other educational entertainment software, e-mail and Internet radio applications, and look-up tools for Google Docs and WikipediaWikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
.
The operating system drivers for the ACPIIn computing, the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface specification provides an open standard for device configuration and power management by the operating system....
and wireless devices supplied with the pre-installed XandrosXandros is the name of both a line of operating systems and Xandros Corporation, the company which creates them. Xandros Desktop was a Linux distribution. The name Xandros is derived from the X Window System and the Greek island of Andros....
operating system are versions of software licensed under the GNU General Public LicenseThe GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
. The company released the source code as a ZIPZip is a file format used for data compression and archiving. A zip file contains one or more files that have been compressed, to reduce file size, or stored as is...
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 obfuscatedObfuscated code is source or machine code that has been made difficult to understand for humans. Programmers may deliberately obfuscate code to conceal its purpose or its logic to prevent tampering, deter reverse engineering, or as a puzzle or recreational challenge for someone reading the source...
. 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 since released the source code for the ACPI module. They have also released the patched Linux kernel sources and their BusyboxBusyBox provides several stripped-down Unix tools in a single executable. It runs in a variety of POSIX environments such as Linux, Android, FreeBSD and others, such as proprietary kernels, although many of the tools it provides are designed to work with interfaces provided by the Linux kernel. It...
sources.
The Synaptic Package ManagerSynaptic is a computer program which is a GTK+ graphical user interface front-end to the Advanced Packaging Tool for the Debian package management system. Synaptic is usually used on systems based on deb packages but can also be used on systems based on RPM packages...
and apt-get can be used to install additional software through the repositoriesA software repository is a storage location from which software packages may be retrieved and installed on a computer.- Discussion :Many software publishers and other organizations maintain servers on the Internet for this purpose, either free of charge or for a subscription fee...
.
Forks and other distributions
Current Asus Linux development policy generates forksIn software engineering, a project fork happens when developers take a legal copy of source code from one software package and start independent development on it, creating a distinct piece of software...
of code as 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 diffIn computing, diff is a file comparison utility that outputs the differences between two files. It is typically used to show the changes between one version of a file and a former version of the same file. Diff displays the changes made per line for text files. Modern implementations also...
utility) and port into a newer version or other distribution. For example, the Eee PC 900 model has a sound card that needed some modifications to the Linux kernel driver to work. Asus' modifications were against version 2.6.21.4 from June 2007. This problem was removed with the kernel 2.6.28 and above.{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}
{{-}}
Specifications
Eee PC models
| Component |
700 (2G Surf) |
701 (4G Surf) |
|
{{Update|date=July 2010}}
The Asus Eee PC is a subnotebookA subnotebook is a class of laptop computers that are smaller and lighter than a typical laptop....
/netbookNetbooks are a category of small, lightweight, legacy-free, and inexpensive laptop computers.At their inception in late 2007 as smaller notebooks optimized for low weight and low cost — netbooks omitted certain features , featured smaller screens and keyboards, and offered reduced computing...
computer line from ASUSTeK Computer IncorporatedASUSTeK Computer Incorporated is a multinational computer technology and consumer electronics product manufacturer headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. Its product range includes motherboards, desktops, laptops, monitors, tablet PCs, servers and mobile phones...
, and a part of the Asus EeeASUS Eee is a family of products by Asustek. The product family began with the release of the Eee PC subnotebook in 2007; since then, the product family has diversified into a number of PC form factors...
product family. At the time of its introduction in late 2007, it was noted for its combination of a light weight, LinuxLinux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
operating systemAn operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
, solid-state driveA solid-state drive , sometimes called a solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data with the intention of providing access in the same manner of a traditional block i/o hard disk drive...
(SSD), and relatively low cost. Newer models have added the options of WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
operating systems, rotary hard disk drives (HDD) and initially retailed for up to 500 euros.
The first Eee PC was a milestone in the personal computer business, launching the netbook category of small, low cost laptops. According to Asus, the name Eee derives from "the three Es," an abbreviation of its advertising sloganA slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
for the device: "Easy to learn, Easy to work, Easy to play".
Eee 700 series
Asus announced two Eee PC models at Computex TaipeiCOMPUTEX Taipei, or Taipei International Information Technology Show , is a computer expo held annually in Taipei, Taiwan. Since the early 2000s, it has become one of the largest computer and technology fairs in the world.-Development:...
2007; the Eee PC 701 and the Eee PC 1001. The 701 base model Eee PC 4G was released on October 16, 2007 in TaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. Three additional models followed.
Both the price and the size of the device are small in comparison with similar Ultra-Mobile PCAn ultra-mobile PC is a small form factor version of a pen computer, a class of laptop whose specifications were launched by Microsoft and Intel in spring 2006. Sony had already made a first attempt in this direction in 2004 with its Vaio U series, which was however only sold in Asia...
s. The Eee series is one response to the XO-1The XO-1, previously known as the $100 Laptop, Children's Machine, and 2B1, is an inexpensive subnotebook computer intended to be distributed to children in developing countries around the world, to provide them with access to knowledge, and opportunities to "explore, experiment and express...
notebook from the One Laptop per Child initiative. At the Intel Developer ForumIntel Developer Forum , is a gathering of technologists to discuss Intel products and products based around Intel products. The first IDF was in 1997...
2007, Asus demonstrated the Classmate PCThe Classmate PC, formerly known as Eduwise, is Intel's entry into the market for low-cost personal computers for children in the developing world. It is in some respects similar to the One Laptop Per Child trade association's Children's Machine , which has a similar target market...
and the Eee PC, and listed specifications for four models of the Eee PC.
In some countries, the products have the marketing names EeePC 8G, 4G, 4G Surf, and 2G Surf, though in other countries the machines are still designated by the model numbers 700 and 701. The 4G Surf uses socketed RAM but some revisions do not have a door to access the slot.
Asus released a version of the Eee PC with Microsoft Windows XPWindows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
pre-installed in January 2008. In Japan, the version is known as the 4G-X.
Eee 900 series
The Eee 900 series was officially launched in Hong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
on April 16, 2008, and in the UK on May 1, 2008 for £329 (approximately 410 € or 650 US$ including VATA value added tax or value-added tax is a form of consumption tax. From the perspective of the buyer, it is a tax on the purchase price. From that of the seller, it is a tax only on the "value added" to a product, material or service, from an accounting point of view, by this stage of its...
). The system was launched in the US on May 12, 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). The machine has a multi-touchIn computing, multi-touch refers to a touch sensing surface's ability to recognize the presence of two or more points of contact with the surface...
trackpad that allow two-finger scrolling and zooming via a "pinch" gesture and is available with Linux (in some markets) and/or Windows XP (in some markets) configurations.
The Linux version is named the EeePC 900 and comes with a 16 GB SSDA solid-state drive , sometimes called a solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data with the intention of providing access in the same manner of a traditional block i/o hard disk drive...
. Some of these Eee PCs also have a 4 GB SSD installed similarly to that in the 701 for a total storage space of 20 GB. Those that do not are named the Asus EEE 900 16G. The Windows XP version is named the EeePC 900 Win and also comes in two versions: one with a total storage of 12 GB (one 4 GB SSD and one 8 GB SSD) and one with 16 GB (on a single SSD). The Linux 20G version is sold for the same price as the Windows 12G version. In the case for the 16G EEEs, the Windows version costs more than the Linux version.
The Windows version comes with Microsoft Works and Windows LiveWindows Live is the collective brand name for a set of services and software products from Microsoft, part of their software plus services platform. A majority of these services are Web applications, accessible from a browser, but there are also client-side binary applications that require...
Suite preinstalled. It also includes StarSuite 8StarOffice, known briefly as Oracle Open Office before its discontinuation in 2010, is a proprietary office suite. It was originally developed by StarDivision which was acquired by Sun Microsystems in 1999...
. 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).
Other Eee 90x models
On June 3, 2008, Asus unveiled the Eee 901 at Computex Taipei, the 901 was a revision of the 900 series with a different chassis. The 901 features an Intel AtomIntel Atom is the brand name for a line of ultra-low-voltage x86 and x86-64 CPUs from Intel, designed in 45 nm CMOS and used mainly in netbooks, nettops, embedded application ranging from health care to advanced robotics and Mobile Internet devices...
Diamondville CPU clocked at 1.6 GHz, an "expanded" battery (listed as 6-cell), and "Super Hybrid Engine" software for power management which will provide a battery life of 4.2-7.8 hours. BluetoothBluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
and 802.11n Wi-Fi are also included. The 901 uses the Intel 945GME chipset, meeting the requirements for Windows AeroWindows Aero is the graphical user interface and the default theme in most editions of Windows Vista and Windows 7, operating systems released by Microsoft. It is also available in Windows Server 2008, but is not enabled by default. Its name is a backronym for Authentic, Energetic, Reflective and...
for Vista or 7. The 901 is otherwise similar to the 900, shipping in Linux or Windows XP configurations which have different sizes of SSD storage. It was also discovered that the Eee 901 has capacity for a "3GCard" upgrade.
The Eee PC 901 "Linux" model featuring an advertised "20 GB SSD" storage actually contains two SSD drives; one 4 GB and one 16 GB. The 4 GB drive has been reported as faster than the 16 GB drive.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}}
The Eee PC 904HD was one of the first Eee PC models which features an HDD (80 GB) instead of an SSD. This model features 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 nearly the same as used in the Eee PC 900 model.
On June 17, 2009, Asus released the Disney Netpal (Eee PC MK90), which is similar to the Eee 90x models.
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 SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
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, in some cases as much as 90 minutes. As a result of the objections to this, Asus provided a free battery replacement program in Hong Kong and Singapore, and ran a paid-for battery exchange program in the UK.
Asus has stated 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." Asus provided a battery exchange to all UK Eee PC 900 customers for £10, and released a firmware update which claimed to extend battery life by 30 minutes ("BIOS 0601: Updated all battery discharge tables to extend battery life").
In AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the situation was reversed: Reviewers received EeePC 900 systems fitted with the 4400 mAh battery but the retail models were equipped with the 5800 mAh battery. Customers of Media MarktMedia Markt is a German chain of stores selling consumer electronics with numerous branches throughout Europe. It is Europe's largest retailer of consumer electronics.-History:...
in ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
received the EeePC 900 at the beginning of sales (May/June) with a 5800 mAh battery and later (June/July) with a 4400 mAh battery.
Best BuyBest Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
's custom variants of the 1000HD and 900A also both include a 4400 mAh battery.
Part of the above problem extends from the fact that the entire range were substantially more successful than Asus had originally anticipated. Currently, Asus has several large complexes scattered throughout Taiwan and China, with the largest in the city of Suzhou (China), being the size of eight football fields. Upon the unexpected success of the range, Asus factories worked around the clock to keep up supply and further development. Consequently, even within Asus testing labs in Taipei, many variations were found within test models. Generally, however, Asus does inform reviewers that the final retail model may contain different features from those offered in the review model.
Eee 1000 series
The 1000 series launched at Computex TaipeiCOMPUTEX Taipei, or Taipei International Information Technology Show , is a computer expo held annually in Taipei, Taiwan. Since the early 2000s, it has become one of the largest computer and technology fairs in the world.-Development:...
on June 3, 2008. It featured a new 10-inch (254 mm) screen and a 1.6 GHz Intel AtomIntel Atom is the brand name for a line of ultra-low-voltage x86 and x86-64 CPUs from Intel, designed in 45 nm CMOS and used mainly in netbooks, nettops, embedded application ranging from health care to advanced robotics and Mobile Internet devices...
CPU, although built in power management software can increase the speed to 1.7 GHz. The 1000 model ships with Linux, an 8 GBThe gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
SSDA solid-state drive , sometimes called a solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data with the intention of providing access in the same manner of a traditional block i/o hard disk drive...
and a 32 GB SSD (totalling 40 GB); the 1000H model ships with Windows XP Home or Linux and an 80 or 160 GB SATASerial ATA is a computer bus interface for connecting host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives and optical drives...
HDD. Both the 1000 and the 1000H support up to 2 GB of DDR2 RAM of 667 MHz clock speed. 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. WiMAXWiMAX is a communication technology for wirelessly delivering high-speed Internet service to large geographical areas. The 2005 WiMAX revision provided bit rates up to 40 Mbit/s with the 2011 update up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations...
is not currently supported.
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 900 MHz Celeron CPU chip.
The 1000HA (released in October 2008) also costs less than the 1000H, but has the same Intel Atom 1.6 GHz CPU, a 160 GB HDD, and 1 GB of RAM. It also has wireless and some models present Bluetooth.
The 1000XPH has the same Intel Atom 1.6 GHz CPU, an only 80 GB HDD, and 1 GB of RAM. Other amenities include a 10/100 LAN and 802.11 b/g Wireless LAN adapters, an integrated webcam, but no Bluetooth.
In February 2009, Asus unveiled the 1000HE, using the new Intel Atom 280 processor with a 10-inch LED-lit display, 6-cell battery, 160 GB HDD, Bluetooth, 802.11n wireless networking, 1.3 megapixel camera, and a revised keyboard.
At CeBITCeBIT is the world's largest and most international computer expo. CeBIT is held each year on the world's largest fairground in Hanover, Germany, and is a barometer of the state of the art in information technology...
2009, Asus unveiled the 10-inch EEE 1008HA, introducing the new design concept "Seashell".
The 1005HA comes in three models, from least-to-most expensive, they are the 1005HA-B, the 1005HA-V and the 1005HA-P. The 1005HA-B has a removable 3-cell battery with a rated 4-hour life per charge, a 1.3 megapixel camera, and uses the N270 processor. At the higher end, the 1005HA-P has a removable 6-cell, 5600 mAh, 63 W/h battery with rated 10.5 hour battery life, a 1.3 megapixel camera and uses the N280 processor. There is also a 1005HA-H model, sold in Poland, equipped with a 6-cell battery, an N270 processor and a 0.3 megapixel camera.
Asus officially announced the first Eee with Nvidia IONNvidia Ion is a product line of Nvidia corporation intended for motherboards of low-cost portable computers. It uses graphics processing units and chipsets intended for small products.-Description:...
graphics, the 1201N, on November 19, 2009, later replaced by the 1201PN and then 1215N, with a more powerful Atom D525 dual-core processor and ION2 graphics.
The 1215 series then saw the release of the 1215B, which came with the AMD E-350 processor, a "Zacate" APUAn accelerated processing unit is a processing system that includes additional processing capability designed to accelerate one or more types of computations outside of a CPU. This may include a graphics processing unit used for general-purpose computing , a field-programmable gate array , or...
. As the 1215b has usb3 and a cpu and bios that supports full hardware virtualization in linux via (kvmKernel-based Virtual Machine is a virtualization infrastructure for the Linux kernel. KVM supports native virtualization on processors with hardware virtualization extensions....
or xenXen is a virtual-machine monitor providing services that allow multiple computer operating systems to execute on the same computer hardware concurrently....
) or Windows via (XP mode, Virtual Box, VmwareVMware, Inc. is a company providing virtualization software founded in 1998 and based in Palo Alto, California, USA. The company was acquired by EMC Corporation in 2004, and operates as a separate software subsidiary ....
). The 1215b was the 1st eee pc able to do 64 bit and virtualization.
{{clear|left}}
Technical overview
Processor
Eee PC models have typically used netbook specific processors or ultra-low voltage versions of mainstream processors. The earliest Eee PC models used a 900 MHz Intel Celeron MCeleron is a brand name given by Intel Corp. to a number of different x86 computer microprocessor models targeted at budget personal computers....
processor underclocked to 630 MHz. Later models shipped with Intel AtomIntel Atom is the brand name for a line of ultra-low-voltage x86 and x86-64 CPUs from Intel, designed in 45 nm CMOS and used mainly in netbooks, nettops, embedded application ranging from health care to advanced robotics and Mobile Internet devices...
and AMD FusionAMD Fusion is the marketing name for a series of APUs by AMD. There are two flavors of Fusion currently available, one with its CPU logic based on the Bobcat core and the other its CPU logic based on the 10h core. In both cases the GPU logic is HD6xxx, which itself is based on the mobile variant of...
processors.
Display
The Eee PC 700 has a 800×480 pixelIn digital imaging, a pixel, or pel, is a single point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable screen element in a display device; it is the smallest unit of picture that can be represented or controlled....
s 7 inch (178 mm) display, measured diagonally. 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 pixels 8.9-inch (226 mm) display, almost filling the lid.
Later models came with 10 inch to 12.1 inch displays and up to 1366x768 resolution.
With all models, an external display can be supported through a standard VGA connector. The manufacturer does not give any specifications on maximum resolution and display configuration (mirroring, extended desktop), but most models can handle an external display at native resolution of 1440 x 1050, and even 1600 x 900 although performance starts to slow down. Models that ship with Xandros do not have access to the full capacity of the external VGA output by default, allowing only 'mirroring'. Users must reconfigure their xorg.conf file, or install a more feature-rich OS such as EeebuntuAurora is an operating system for netbooks. The current version is based on Ubuntu, though newer versions will be based on Debian Unstable...
to allow the higher resolution output.
Keyboard
On a normal, "full size" computer keyboard, the 10 keys Q–P measure 190 mm (7.48 in). The 700 and 900 series are equipped with similar keyboards, 82 % size of a generic one, meaning that the Q–P keys measure 155 mm (6.10 in). The 1000 series, as it fits in a more spacious case, has 92 % of a full size keyboard, where the Q–P keys measure 175 mm (6.89 in).
Some Eee PC lines such as the 1000HE and 1215s uses the island-style keyboard, similar to keyboards used in Apple computers and Sony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's VAIOVAIO is a sub-brand used for many of Sony's computer products. Originally an acronym of Video Audio Integrated Operation, this was amended to Visual Audio Intelligent Organizer in 2008 to celebrate the brand's 10th anniversary...
series, where the keys are reminiscent of ScrabbleScrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. Official reference works provide a list...
tiles, being spaced apart and raised from the surface below.
Storage
The early model Eee PCs use a solid-state driveA solid-state drive , sometimes called a solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data with the intention of providing access in the same manner of a traditional block i/o hard disk drive...
for storage (instead of a hard drive), which consumes less power when in use, allows the device to boot faster, generates no noise, and is less susceptible to mechanical shock damage than hard drives. A down side of SSD storage (flash memoryFlash memory is a non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It was developed from EEPROM and must be erased in fairly large blocks before these can be rewritten with new data...
) is that an individual sector can be written only about 100,000 times. This problem can be partially mitigated by intelligent wear levelingWear leveling is a technique for prolonging the service life of some kinds of erasable computer storage media, such as Flash memory used in solid-state drives and USB Flash drives...
, resulting in a MTBF similar to conventional platter-based hard drives.
The SSDs used in early Eee PCs also had extremely poor random write performance (the S101 does not have this problem).
In the 2 GB and 4 GB models of the 700 series of the Eee PC, the SSD is permanently soldered to the board. 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.
The Eee PC 900 comes with a removable PCI Express Mini SSD module, with or without four additional 1 GB memory chips soldered on the main board. Different models come with different-sized SSDs. One Linux version has 4 GB, a Windows XP version has 8 GB, and all remaining ones (Windows XP or Linux) have 16 GB.
The Eee PC 1000 contains a fast 8 GB internal SSD and a slower 32 GB internal flash drive.{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}}
Some models, such as the 1000H and 904HD do not have a SSD, and instead have a SATA internal hard drive of either 80- or 160 GB, which can be upgraded by the user.
All Eee PC models also include a memory card reader, supporting SD, SDHCSecure Digital is a non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association for use in portable devices. The SD technology is used by more than 400 brands across dozens of product categories and more than 8,000 models, and is considered the de-facto industry standard.Secure Digital...
and MMCThe MultiMediaCard is a flash memory memory card standard. Unveiled in 1997 by Siemens AG and SanDisk, it is based on Toshiba's NAND-based flash memory, and is therefore much smaller than earlier systems based on Intel NOR-based memory such as CompactFlash. MMC is about the size of a postage...
cards for additional storage while the Eee PC S101 also has support for Memorystick and MS-PRO.
Eee PC 1004DN is the first model with a Super-Multi optical disc drive (ODD) that reads and writes data to DVD or Compact Disc.
Memory
Most early EEE PCs use 533/667 MHz DDR2 SDRAMDDR2 SDRAM is a double data rate synchronous dynamic random-access memory interface. It supersedes the original DDR SDRAM specification and has itself been superseded by DDR3 SDRAM...
via a standard SO-DIMM module, which can be swapped out. The 700 and 701SDX have RAM soldered to the motherboard. Other models (like the white 4GS-W010) had lacked memory access panels and required disassembly to upgrade memory.
Later models, such as the black model EEEPC 4G SURF (4GS-PK008), and newer white models (4GS-W010) have a removable panel on their underside that allows the user to change the RAM without fully disassembling the system.
Cooling
In an EE380 talk (video archive), an Asus engineer mentioned that the Eee PC uses the keyboard shielding as a heat sinkA heat sink is a term for a component or assembly that transfers heat generated within a solid material to a fluid medium, such as air or a liquid. Examples of heat sinks are the heat exchangers used in refrigeration and air conditioning systems and the radiator in a car...
to absorb the heat generated by the processor. The Eee PC has a fan, and some vents to also cool off the system.
Compatible operating systems
As the Eee PC uses a standard x86 processor, most operating systemAn operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
s can be installed with little effort, though full hardware support varies, especially for the latest models.
The following operating systems are known to work on certain models:
- Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
- GNU/Linux, BSD, Solaris,MeeGo
MeeGo is a Linux-based open source mobile operating system project. Primarily targeted at mobile devices and information appliances in the consumer electronics market, MeeGo is designed to act as an operating system for hardware platforms such as netbooks, entry-level desktops, nettops, tablet...
, Android, and other UnixUnix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
-likeA Unix-like operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, while not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification....
systems
- Mac OS X v10.4
- Mac OS X v10.5
- Mac OS X v10.6
- Syllable
Syllable Desktop is a free and open source operating system for Pentium and compatible processors. Its purpose is to create an easy-to-use desktop operating system for the home and small office user...
- Haiku
Haiku is a free and open source operating system compatible with BeOS. Its development began in 2001, and the operating system became self-hosting in 2008, with the first alpha release in September 2009, the second in May 2010 and the third in June 2011....
, development releases
Xandros
XandrosXandros is the name of both a line of operating systems and Xandros Corporation, the company which creates them. Xandros Desktop was a Linux distribution. The name Xandros is derived from the X Window System and the Greek island of Andros....
, a Linux distribution, boots in 20–22 seconds on the Eee PC, substantially faster than the boot time for an installation of Windows XP on the same hardware. Xandros on the Eee PC runs a custom tab-basedIn the area of graphical user interfaces , a tabbed document interface is one that allows multiple documents to be contained within a single window, using tabs as a navigational widget for switching between sets of documents...
interface, uses IceWMIceWM is a stacking window manager for the X Window System graphical infrastructure, written by Marko Maček. It was coded from scratch in C++ and is released under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License...
as the default window manager, and comes with forty bundled software applications including OpenOffice.orgOpenOffice.org, commonly known as OOo or OpenOffice, is an open-source application suite whose main components are for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, and databases. OpenOffice is available for a number of different computer operating systems, is distributed as free software...
, Mozilla FirefoxMozilla Firefox is a free and open source web browser descended from the Mozilla Application Suite and managed by Mozilla Corporation. , Firefox is the second most widely used browser, with approximately 25% of worldwide usage share of web browsers...
, SkypeSkype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chat over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based user account system...
, Tux PaintTux Paint is a free and open source bitmap graphics editor geared towards young children. The project was started in 2002 by Bill Kendrick who continues to maintain and improve it, with help from numerous volunteers...
and other educational entertainment software, e-mail and Internet radio applications, and look-up tools for Google Docs and WikipediaWikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
.
The operating system drivers for the ACPIIn computing, the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface specification provides an open standard for device configuration and power management by the operating system....
and wireless devices supplied with the pre-installed XandrosXandros is the name of both a line of operating systems and Xandros Corporation, the company which creates them. Xandros Desktop was a Linux distribution. The name Xandros is derived from the X Window System and the Greek island of Andros....
operating system are versions of software licensed under the GNU General Public LicenseThe GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
. The company released the source code as a ZIPZip is a file format used for data compression and archiving. A zip file contains one or more files that have been compressed, to reduce file size, or stored as is...
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 obfuscatedObfuscated code is source or machine code that has been made difficult to understand for humans. Programmers may deliberately obfuscate code to conceal its purpose or its logic to prevent tampering, deter reverse engineering, or as a puzzle or recreational challenge for someone reading the source...
. 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 since released the source code for the ACPI module. They have also released the patched Linux kernel sources and their BusyboxBusyBox provides several stripped-down Unix tools in a single executable. It runs in a variety of POSIX environments such as Linux, Android, FreeBSD and others, such as proprietary kernels, although many of the tools it provides are designed to work with interfaces provided by the Linux kernel. It...
sources.
The Synaptic Package ManagerSynaptic is a computer program which is a GTK+ graphical user interface front-end to the Advanced Packaging Tool for the Debian package management system. Synaptic is usually used on systems based on deb packages but can also be used on systems based on RPM packages...
and apt-get can be used to install additional software through the repositoriesA software repository is a storage location from which software packages may be retrieved and installed on a computer.- Discussion :Many software publishers and other organizations maintain servers on the Internet for this purpose, either free of charge or for a subscription fee...
.
Forks and other distributions
Current Asus Linux development policy generates forksIn software engineering, a project fork happens when developers take a legal copy of source code from one software package and start independent development on it, creating a distinct piece of software...
of code as 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 diffIn computing, diff is a file comparison utility that outputs the differences between two files. It is typically used to show the changes between one version of a file and a former version of the same file. Diff displays the changes made per line for text files. Modern implementations also...
utility) and port into a newer version or other distribution. For example, the Eee PC 900 model has a sound card that needed some modifications to the Linux kernel driver to work. Asus' modifications were against version 2.6.21.4 from June 2007. This problem was removed with the kernel 2.6.28 and above.{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}
{{-}}
Specifications
Eee PC models
| Component |
700 (2G Surf) |
701 (4G Surf) |
UK|I|} |
}
!701SD
!702 8G
!900
!900 16G
!900SD
!900HD
!900A
!901
!MK90H
!904HD
!1000HD
!1000H
!1000HA
!1000
!1002HA
!1000HE
!1005HA-P
!1008HA
!1101HA
!1201HA
!1201N
!1215b
|-
!rowspan=3| DisplayA display device is an output device for presentation of information in visual or tactile form...
! Diagonal
|colspan=5| 7 in (17.8 cm)
|colspan=8| 8.9 in (22.6 cm)
|colspan=8| 10.2 in (25.9 cm)
|| 11.6 in (29.5 cm)
|colspan=3| 12.1 in (30.7 cm)
|-
! Resolution (px×px)
|colspan=5 | 800×480 (WVGA)
|colspan=16| 1024×600 (WSVGA)
|colspan=4 | 1366×768 (WXGA)
|-
! Type
|colspan=5| TFT LCD with LEDA light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...
backlightA backlight is a form of illumination used in liquid crystal displays . As LCDs do not produce light themselves , they need illumination to produce a visible image...
|colspan=20|TFT LCD
|-
!rowspan=3| Storage
! SSDA solid-state drive , sometimes called a solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data with the intention of providing access in the same manner of a traditional block i/o hard disk drive...
soldered (GiBThe gibibyte is a standards-based binary multiple of the byte, a unit of digital information storage. The gibibyte unit symbol is GiB....
)
| 2 ||colspan=2|4 ||colspan=2| || 4 || || 8 || || 8 or 4 (US) or 0 (US/DEGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) || 4 (removable) ||colspan=5| ||| 8 (removable) ||colspan=7|
|-
!SSD removable (GiB)
|colspan=3| ||colspan=2| 8 || 8 (Windows XP) or 16 (Linux) || 16 || Only insertable if WLAN removed || || 16 or 8 (DE), 0 (US), or 4 (US) || 8 (Windows XP) or 16 (Windows XP/Linux) ||colspan=5| || 32 ||colspan=7|
|-
!HDD (GBThe gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
)
|colspan=3|
|30 external in some markets ||colspan=4| || 160 ||colspan=2| || 160 || 80 ||colspan=2| 80 or 160 || 160 || ||colspan=2| 160 ||colspan=6| 250 / 320
|-
!rowspan=3|CPUThe central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
!Model
|colspan=9| Intel Celeron-M ULV 353
|colspan=3| Intel AtomIntel Atom is the brand name for a line of ultra-low-voltage x86 and x86-64 CPUs from Intel, designed in 45 nm CMOS and used mainly in netbooks, nettops, embedded application ranging from health care to advanced robotics and Mobile Internet devices...
N270 (45 nm Diamondville, Socket 437 FCBG8A)
|colspan=2| Intel Celeron-M ULV 353
|colspan=4| Intel Atom N270 (45 nm Diamondville, Socket 437 FCBG8A)
|colspan=3| Intel Atom N280 (45 nm Diamondville, Socket 437 FCBG8A)
|colspan=2| Intel Atom Z520
||Intel Atom N330
|| C-50 or E-350
|-
!Frequency (GHzGHZ or GHz may refer to:# Gigahertz .# Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state — a quantum entanglement of three particles.# Galactic Habitable Zone — the region of a galaxy that is favorable to the formation of life....
)
|0.8 @ 0.571; 32 kB L1 cache
|colspan=4| 0.9 @ 0.63 (70 MHz × 9)
|colspan=4| 0.9
|colspan=3| 1.6
|colspan=2| 0.9 @ 0.63 (70 MHz × 9)
|colspan=4| 1.6
|colspan=3| 1.66
|colspan=2| 1.33
||1.6
|| 1.0 or 1.6
|-
!Cache
|colspan=23| 512 kB L2 cache RAM, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size
|2 × 512 kB L2 cache RAM
|-
!rowspan=3| MemoryRandom access memory is a form of computer data storage. Today, it takes the form of integrated circuits that allow stored data to be accessed in any order with a worst case performance of constant time. Strictly speaking, modern types of DRAM are therefore not random access, as data is read in...
(GiB)
!Default amount
|0.5
|colspan=3| 0.5
|colspan=6| 1
| 1 (Windows XP), 1 or 2 (Linux)
| 1
| 1 (Windows XP), 1 or 2 (Linux)
|colspan=8| 1
|colspan=3| 1
|colspan=1| 2
|-
!and type
|DDR2DDR2 SDRAM is a double data rate synchronous dynamic random-access memory interface. It supersedes the original DDR SDRAM specification and has itself been superseded by DDR3 SDRAM...
-400 onboard{{Citation needed|date=December 2007}}
|COLSPAN=3|DDR2-533/667
|COLSPAN=6|DDR2-400, supports 533/667
|DDR2-400, supports 533/667
|
|DDR2-400, supports 533/667
|COLSPAN=8|DDR2-533/667
|COLSPAN=3|DDR2-667/800
|COLSPAN=1|DDR3-1333
|-
!Sockets (max. upgrade)
|solderedSoldering is a process in which two or more metal items are joined together by melting and flowing a filler metal into the joint, the filler metal having a lower melting point than the workpiece...
RAM
|colspan=6| 1 (2 GiB)
| Not upgradeable
|colspan=11| 1 (2 GiB)
|colspan=3|
|| 1 (4 GiB)
|| 2 (4 GiB)
| 2 (8 Gib)
|-
!colspan=2| GraphicsComputer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
|colspan=9| Integrated GMA 900 (SMAIn computer architecture, Shared Memory Architecture refers to a design where the graphics chip does not have its own dedicated memory, and instead shares the main system RAM with the CPU and other components....
),
VGAVideo Graphics Array refers specifically to the display hardware first introduced with the IBM PS/2 line of computers in 1987, but through its widespread adoption has also come to mean either an analog computer display standard, the 15-pin D-subminiature VGA connector or the 640×480 resolution...
port (up to 1600×1280 pixels)
||
|colspan=2| Integrated GMA 950
||
| Integrated GMA 900
|colspan=7| Integrated GMA 950
|colspan=2| Integrated GMA 500
|| Nvidia IonNvidia Ion is a product line of Nvidia corporation intended for motherboards of low-cost portable computers. It uses graphics processing units and chipsets intended for small products.-Description:...
|| Integrated Radeon HD 6250 GPU
|-
!colspan=2| ChipsetA chipset, PC chipset, or chip set refers to a group of integrated circuits, or chips, that are designed to work together. They are usually marketed as a single product.- Computers :...
|
|Intel 910GML
|colspan=3|
|colspan=4| Intel 915GM/GMS, 910GML Express
|
| Intel 945GSE
|colspan=2|
| Intel 910GML + ICH6M
|colspan=2| Intel 945GSE + ICH7M
||
|colspan=4| Intel 945GSE + ICH7M
|colspan=2| Intel Poulsbo US15W
| Nvidia IonNvidia Ion is a product line of Nvidia corporation intended for motherboards of low-cost portable computers. It uses graphics processing units and chipsets intended for small products.-Description:...
| Fusion Controller
|-
!rowspan=5| BatteryAn electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
! Cells
|colspan=10| 4 || 6 || 4 ||colspan=5| 6 || 2 ||colspan=2| 6 || 4 ||colspan=3| 6
|-
! Capacity (AhAn ampere-hour or amp-hour is a unit of electric charge, with sub-units milliampere-hour and milliampere second...
)
|colspan=2| 4.4
|colspan=6| 4.4 or 5.2
| 4.4
| 4.4 or 5.8
| 6.6
|
|colspan=5| 6.6
| 4.2
| 8.7
|
|
|colspan=3|
|-
! Voltage (V)
|colspan=2| 7.4
|colspan=6| 7.4
| 7.4
| 7.4 or 7.2
| 7.4|
|colspan=5| 7.4
| 7.4
| 7.4
|
|
|colspan=3|
|-
! Approx. run time (h:m)
|colspan=2| 2:45
|colspan=6| Unknown or 3:30
|
| No info or 3:30
| 4:15–7:45
|
|colspan=5| 4:15–7:45
| 5:00
| 9:30
|
|
|colspan=3|
|-
!Type
|colspan=11| Li-ion
|
|colspan=5| Li-ion
|colspan=7| Lithium-polymer
|-
!colspan=2| CameraA camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
(Mpx)
|colspan=2 {{No}}
|colspan=3 {{Yes|0.3; up to 640×480, up to 30 frame/sFrame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems...
}}
|colspan=2 {{Yes|1.3}}
| {{Yes|0.3}}
| {{Yes|0.3}}
| {{Yes-No|0.3, or none}}
| {{Yes|1.3}}
|colspan=8 {{Yes|1.3}}
|colspan=1 {{Yes|0.3 or 1.3 (on HA models)}}
|colspan=1 {{Yes|1.3}}
|colspan=4 {{Yes|0.3}}
|-
!rowspan=3| Size (mm)
! Width
|colspan=10| 225
| 248
|colspan=5| 265.9
| 264
| 266
|colspan=5|
|-
! Depth
|colspan=5| 165
|colspan=5| 170
| 175.3
|| 173
|colspan=5| 191.3
| 181
| 191.2
|colspan=5|
|-
! Height
|colspan=5| ~21–35
|colspan=5| ~20–38
| 22.9
| caCirca , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
24-28.7
|colspan=5| 38.1
| 27.6
| caCirca , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
28.5-38
|colspan=5|
|-
!colspan=2| Weight (g)
|colspan=5| 922
|colspan=5| 990
| 1,140
| 1,100
| 1,400
|colspan=3| 1,450
| 1,330
| 1,200
| 1,450
|colspan=4|
| 1,460
|-
!rowspan=2| Network adapters
! LAN (Mbit/s)
|colspan=18| 10/100 (Attansic L2)
| 10/100
|colspan=4|
| 10/100/1000
|-
! WiFi (802.11)
|colspan=10| b/g mini PCI-E card (AtherosQualcomm Atheros is a developer of semiconductors for network communications, particularly wireless chipsets. Founded under the name Atheros in 1998 by experts in signal processing from Stanford University, the University of California, Berkeley and the private industry, it became a public company...
- or RalinkRalink Technology, Corp. is a Wi-Fi chipset manufacturer which is mainly known for their WLAN chipsets. Now headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan, Ralink was founded in 2001 in Cupertino, California and it was bought in 2009 by the taiwanese company MediaTek....
-based).
|colspan=12| b/g/n mini PCI-E card
Eee PC 901/1000: RalinkRalink Technology, Corp. is a Wi-Fi chipset manufacturer which is mainly known for their WLAN chipsets. Now headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan, Ralink was founded in 2001 in Cupertino, California and it was bought in 2009 by the taiwanese company MediaTek....
RT2860.
|colspan=3 | b/g/n
|-
!colspan=2 | BluetoothBluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
|colspan=10 {{No}} || {{Yes}} ||colspan=3 {{No}} || {{Yes}} || {{No}} ||colspan=3 {{Yes}} ||colspan=4| || {{Yes}}
|-
!rowspan=3| OSAn operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
! Linux
|colspan=7 {{Yes|XandrosXandros is the name of both a line of operating systems and Xandros Corporation, the company which creates them. Xandros Desktop was a Linux distribution. The name Xandros is derived from the X Window System and the Greek island of Andros....
{{ref label|preinstall|II|}} running KDEKDE is an international free software community producing an integrated set of cross-platform applications designed to run on Linux, FreeBSD, Microsoft Windows, Solaris and Mac OS X systems...
and IceWMIceWM is a stacking window manager for the X Window System graphical infrastructure, written by Marko Maček. It was coded from scratch in C++ and is released under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License...
}}
|colspan=2 {{No}}
|colspan=2 {{Yes|Xandros{{ref label|preinstall|II|}}}}
|colspan=1 {{No}}
|colspan=3 {{Yes|Xandros{{ref label|preinstall|II|}}}}
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
|colspan=2 {{No}}
|colspan=6 {{Yes}}
|-
! Windows XP
|colspan=22 {{Yes|Yes}}
|colspan=2|
|-
! Windows 7
|colspan=19 {{No}}
|colspan=6 {{Yes}}
|-
!rowspan=5| Other
! Audio
|colspan=24| RealtekRealtek Semiconductor Corp. , a fabless IC design house situated in the Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu, Taiwan, was founded in October 1987, and subsequently approved as a listed company on the Taiwan Stock Exchange in 1998...
ALC662 Hi-Definition AudioIntel High Definition Audio refers to the specification released by Intel in 2004 for delivering high-definition audio that is capable of playing back more channels at higher quality than previous integrated audio codecs like AC'97...
5.1 codec; built-in stereo speakers; built-in microphone
|-
! Connectors
|colspan=24| 3 × USB 2.0USB is an industry standard developed in the mid-1990s that defines the cables, connectors and protocols used in a bus for connection, communication and power supply between computers and electronic devices....
ports, MMCThe MultiMediaCard is a flash memory memory card standard. Unveiled in 1997 by Siemens AG and SanDisk, it is based on Toshiba's NAND-based flash memory, and is therefore much smaller than earlier systems based on Intel NOR-based memory such as CompactFlash. MMC is about the size of a postage...
/SDSecure Digital is a non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association for use in portable devices. The SD technology is used by more than 400 brands across dozens of product categories and more than 8,000 models, and is considered the de-facto industry standard.Secure Digital...
(HC) card reader, Ethernet port, modem port (non-functional, empty), microphone input, headphone jack, AC power jack, VGA out, Kensington lock slotA Kensington Security Slot is part of an anti-theft system designed by Kensington Computer Products Group,Ltd....
.
|-
!Colors
|colspan=24| Pearl white (pure white for Surf models) or galaxy black; lush green, sky blue, blush pink (spring 2008)
|-
! Expansion
|colspan=24| 2 × PCI Express Mini Card connectors: 1 occupied by the wireless network card; 1 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 Eee PCs and some older models.
|}
- {{note|UK|I.}} In the UK, the Eee is also promoted as the RM Asus Minibook, which is targeted at students; however, the unit itself is no different.
- {{note|preinstall|II.}} 701 4G (non-Surf) late releases have Windows XP pre-installed without Microsoft Works
Microsoft Works is an integrated package software that is produced by Microsoft. Works is smaller, less expensive, and has fewer features than Microsoft Office or other major office suites. Its core functionality includes a word processor, a spreadsheet and a database management system...
and Windows LiveWindows Live is the collective brand name for a set of services and software products from Microsoft, part of their software plus services platform. A majority of these services are Web applications, accessible from a browser, but there are also client-side binary applications that require...
Suite, excluding the disc, or either XandrosXandros is the name of both a line of operating systems and Xandros Corporation, the company which creates them. Xandros Desktop was a Linux distribution. The name Xandros is derived from the X Window System and the Greek island of Andros....
OS pre-installed.{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}}
Configurations
Naming of the 700 series of models of the device appears to relate to the size of installed SSD, camera, and battery size. 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. 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. 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.
A controversy over a "warranty void if removed" sticker on the RAM access cover panel 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."
In the 70x series, the pre-installed XandrosXandros is the name of both a line of operating systems and Xandros Corporation, the company which creates them. Xandros Desktop was a Linux distribution. The name Xandros is derived from the X Window System and the Greek island of Andros....
operating system has a Linux kernelThe Linux kernel is an operating system kernel used by the Linux family of Unix-like operating systems. It is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software....
with a kernel option set limiting the detected RAM-Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another...
size to a maximum of 1 GB, even if a larger RAM module is installed. The actual capacity is shown in full in the BIOSIn IBM PC compatible computers, the basic input/output system , also known as the System BIOS or ROM BIOS , is a de facto standard defining a firmware interface....
setup and under other OSes. 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 4 GB of memory address space.
Sales
Asus shipped 700,000 Eee PCs in September 2008 and total shipments reached 1.7 million in the third quarter of 2008
See also
- ASUS Eee
ASUS Eee is a family of products by Asustek. The product family began with the release of the Eee PC subnotebook in 2007; since then, the product family has diversified into a number of PC form factors...
- ASUS EeeBox PC
- ASUS Eee Top
The ASUS Eee Top is a touch screen all-in-one desktop computer designed by ASUS and released in November 2008...
- Comparison of netbooks
These tables provide a comparison of netbooks. See also the comparison of subnotebooks, as there is significant overlap between these categories.Aspects of netbooks that should be considered:...
- Comparison of netbook-oriented Linux distributions
Netbooks are small laptops, with screen sizes between approximately 7 and 12 inches and low power consumption. They use either an SSD or a hard disk for storage, have up to 2 gigabytes of RAM , lack an optical disk drive, and usually have USB, Ethernet, WiFi and often Bluetooth connectivity...
- Comparison of subnotebooks
This page is a comparison of various subnotebooks, in various categories. See also the comparison of netbooks, as there is significant overlap between these categories.- Subnotebooks :These are examples of recent subnotebooks, not necessarily UMPCs....
- Internet appliance
An Internet appliance is a consumer device whose main function is easy access to Internet services such as WWW or e-mail. The term was popularized in the 1990s, when it somewhat overlapped in meaning with an information appliance, Internet computer, network computer, or even thin client, but now it...
External links
{{Commons category|Eee PC}}
{{ASUS}}
{{Netbooks}}
{{Linux devices}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Asus Eee Pc}}