Coffee Break- EEE PC “Best Laptop Ever!”
I am working in the local coffee shop trying desperately to avoid doing any work get an important article finished and sitting next to me is a college kid with the original EEE PC, the 7-inch model. How does she like it? ”It’s the best laptop EVER!”
What she liked best about the little netbook she showed me when she was leaving. She tossed it in the outside pocket of her purse, which is very convenient.
I owned the original Eee PC 7″ and now the Dell Mini 9 and I am partial to the smaller form factor just for this reason. While the netbooks have been upsized to the 10-12″ screen size, a new generation of smaller devices will be coming onto the market. Should be interesting.
Of the netbooks I’ve owned, the Mini 9 is my favorite with the Eee Pc 900ha in a close second. The size of those machines is just about perfect, for a portable device.
As for the 701. That poor gal doesn’t know what she’s missing. Using that seven inch screen was an exercise in frustration. She could be using a nine incher in the same sized case.
I have a question, too.
When she told you that the 701 is the best laptop ever, did she say, “EVER”? Or did she go complete Valley Girl on you and say, “EVAR”?
Just curious.
It’s a shame the Mini 9 is now discontinued. Seems like the netbook market is clearly settling on the 10-inch and slightly larger displays.
SAY WHAT!? the Dell Mini 9 was discontinued. that truly is a shame, im typing this on my eee 701 right now =’) I love that small form factor.
Is it discontinued? I saw some for sale at Best Buy yesterday
My first netbook was a 701 4g, now I’m using the 900HA and I love it. I don’t really like the feel of the 10″ ones (by asus at least)
It’s a goner, per Dell. Post coming soon.
The current crop of netbooks seem to be designed for optically-challenged touch typists too, uh…thrifty to get a ‘real’ notebook. This negates somewhat the intent and value that was found in the original Eee – a small, robust, reasonably fully-featured alternative to the bigger devices.
The 701 (one of which I still use regularly and as my ‘touring’ computer) filled a niche no one had tried before, with great success. Later models (by ASUS and others) eventually gave up on the original footprint, for the most part the use of a SDD and (here, probably a good thing) an unfortunate choice of OS. What we’re left with is a larger, more delicate, underpowered subnotebook.
People happily tap away on their Blackberry, Palm or iPhone and then have the chutzpah to complain about the keyboard and screen on the Eee 701 or 900?
The 701 is certainly not the “…the best laptop EVER”, but for many, it’s certainly a lot closer to what a netbook should be.
In my opinion the only way netbooks make sense is if they are dirt cheap, no moving parts, small and light. I agree the 8.9″ EEE in the same size case makes more sense than the young woman’s 7″ 701, But 901s can be had for ~$225 (nearly the original EEE target price). Once they get up to 12″ screens and pushing $500, I think a used X series Thinkpad makes more sense. I’ve had a 701, Acer Aspire One, 900A and am settled on the 901 (I replaced the SSD w/ a 32GB Runcore, and really, I could easily live with a 16GB. For me, the ‘tossability’ of the device is the key to it’s usefulness as a companion. It doesn’t make my T500 jealous one bit.
Patrick
7′/9′asus eee’s in europe already sold out almost 4 month ago.
happy to have 2 of such 20gb 900 little ones for the go. running xp and a small linux distro (puppy) in dualboot. the form factor is unbeatable, sturdy and with a 7800 accu good for 5-6 hrs. actually if using sleep mode when not in use it runs for a day with ease.
You all seem to be forgetting that for a woman, supposedly, size doesn’t matter. It’s how you use it that’s important.
All I know is I posted my little eee pc 4G Surf on Craigslist for $125 and the emails have been ringing off the wall.
I just ordered a 701…feel like I got a super deal!
I can’t wait to toss it in my tote and go
I can already feel the freedom of it. So excited.
I agree that the 701/901 case size is ideal. The only reason I went form 701 to 901 is that my wife didn’t like Linux at all.
Our laptop is 12″ screen, so going larger than the 901 doesn’t make sense to us.