Netbook Scoop

In my last article, I complained that Asus was creating confusion in the marketplace by announcing (officially or unofficially) a plethora of products. To help clarify things, in this article, I will focus solely on the soon-to-be-released Eee PC 901.

I’ll start with facts provided by Asus and then move to information and opinion provided by other sources.

On June 3rd, Asus announced the release of the Eee PC 901, 1000, and 1000(H). In their press release, they told us the following about the 901:

• It is equipped with the exclusive Super Hybrid Engine technology (which adjusts CPU frequency, voltage and LCD brightness to minimize noise and power consumption)
• Battery up to 7.8 hours (with the typical caveats that your mileage may vary)
• Larger 8.9″ display
  
• 20 GB storage
  
• They spend a lot of ink explaining why solid state drives are better than traditional hard drives (“shockproof” and “reliable”).

Asus later posted an Eee PC 901 product page on their website, which provide more in depth information.

Here is a comparison of the features on the Eee PC 900 (which is currently available for $549) and the 901:

• The display is the same size (8.9″).
• The solid state drive is the same size (12G for Windows and 20G for Linux).
• The CPU in the 901 is the new 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor vs. the 900 MHz Celeron in the 900
• The RAM is the same (1GB)
• The battery in the 901 is a 6 cell battery vs. the 4 cell in the 900
• The webcam is the same (1.3 megapixel)
• The wireless LAN in the 901 supports 802.11n compared to the 802.11g in the 900
• The sizes of the 900 and 901 are a little different; but the 901 weighs more due to the larger battery

Neither the press release nor the product page provide any production release dates or pricing.

Asus also has a website dedicated to the Eee PC. This curious site (with links to Yahoo, Mapquest, Ebay, etc.) is out of date. The last press release is dated Nov. 27, 2007 and the last product listed is the Eee PC 8G. This website provides nothing useful regarding the 900 or the 901.

So now we wander through the blogosphere for more information.

The 901 was released in the UK on July 1. So there are a number of hands-on reviews. In addition, some lucky folks in the USA received pre-release 901s for review. Here is a quick rundown of the better ones.

On June 12, Laptop Magazine reviewed the Eee PC 901 12G Win XP version. Some noteworthy quotes:

“The Eee PC 901 is the first in the line that doesn’t scream ‘budget.’”

“The inclusion of Dolby Sound Room stereo speakers to the 901 gives the Eee PC 901 surprisingly good sound despite being located on the bottom of the machine.”

Regarding the keyboard: “We much prefer the larger layout on the HP Mini-Note and the MSI Wind NB.”

“Nearly 5 hours of battery life with Wi-Fi turned off.” With Wi-Fi activated 4 hours and 38 minutes.”

Verdict: “All in all, the Eee PC 901 is a good evolutionary step in the Eee line. But when you consider that the MSI Wind NB, which features a larger keyboard and a bigger 10-inch screen, costs $100 less, this mini-notebook becomes less attractive.”

At the same time, Laptop magazine reported that Asus had advised that the 901 was priced at $599.

On June 14, Trusted Reviews provided a nifty review of the 901 20G Linux edition. Their observations:

“Gone… is the slightly toy-like pearlescent finish, replaced almost entirely by a classy and familiar feeling glossy finish.”

“Bizarrely, we’ve also come to rather like the voice activation application installed on Linux. When running it you press F10 and then launch programs, or even websites, simply by saying its name. It works surprisingly well..”

Verdict: “…the Eee PC 901 personifies exactly the spirit in which the original was created.” “…for a balance of features, size, usability and value, the 901 has once again set the standard.”

In the review they also provide this photo comparing (from left to right) the HP Mini-Note, the MSI Wind and the Eee PC 901.

On June 24, Slashgear reviewed the 901 with Linux as well. Here is a few selected comments:

“Unfortunately the keyboard hasn’t been reworked; it’s usable, certainly, but MSI’s Wind and Acer’s Aspire One have raised the game and “usable” simply isn’t good enough any more.”

“…thankfully the other big criticism from users has sunk in and ASUS now fits a 6600mAh battery as standard.”

“Still portable, but subjectively not quite as attractive as the Aspire One.”

“What could undermine the Eee 901 is nothing to do with its hardware; actually, its ASUS themselves who may have made for a difficult sell. Priced at $599 for either Windows or Linux versions, the 901 sits significantly higher than the MSI Wind ($499 for the XP model, $399 for the Linux; both with 80GB HDD) while the $379 Linux-based Acer Aspire One undercuts them all (albeit with less storage).”

On June 27th, Engadget reported that Asus’ pre-sales team was verbally providing a July 8 ship date to USA customers.

On June 30, ZDNet published a review of the Windows XP version of the 901. They rated it at 7.8 out of 10. Their summary:

“The good: Much-improved battery life; new mouse and quick-launch buttons; still highly portable and reasonably priced.”

“The bad: New Atom CPU is slower than previous Celeron Eee PC, slightly bigger than the Eee 900; price is creeping up to the full-size laptop range.”

“The bottom line: The long-awaited Asus Eee PC 901 is the best version of this inexpensive Netbook yet, but it’s facing increased competition from the likes of HP, Dell, and MSI.”

And finally, earlier this morning, PC World published a rather gushing review by Dan Nystedt. Although he does note:

“Price on the new Eee PCs is also a concern. Most of the other mini-notebook makers have worked to keep the 8.9-inch screen models cheaper at US$399-$499 and the 10-inch screen models at $499-$599. Asustek’s prices are slightly higher, but the components on board may justify that, especially the speedier Wi-Fi and SSDs.”

Summary

This article turned out to be somewhat longer than I had planned. But I believe I’ve given you a solid overview of the Asus Eee PC 901.

The consensus seems to be that the 901 is significantly better than the 900. When you consider that the 901 is only $50 more, that sounds like a good thing.

But compared to the new products from competitors that are poised for release, the 901 is over-priced.

Regarding the release date for the 901 in the USA, I am speculating that Asus will not ship on the July 8, as reported by Engadget and elsewhere. My logic is as follows.

• Amazon.com sells a full line of Eee PC products. They are not accepting pre-orders for the 901 as of this time.
• Amazon.com also sells the MSI Wind. MSI is scheduled to begin shipment in the USA on July 7. Amazon.com has been accepting pre-orders for a couple of weeks.
• The feedback from the market is that the 901 is overpriced.
• Rumors have flooded the market over the past several days that other models (for example, the 904HD) will be released imminently.

All of this says to me that Asus is scrambling to respond with a product that is competitive.

They face difficult choices. They could simply introduce the 901 at a lower price (and take a bath on the margin) or find a way to use the components they have already purchased in a different, lower-cost package.

While I don’t have any inside knowledge, I would not be surprised to see Asus pull the 901 – and release a different product in its place. Alternatively, they may introduce the 901 at a lower price and then quickly replace it with a new model.

Asus has to modify their plans in some way. If they proceed with the 901 at $599, they are opening the door to marketshare losses to their new ULPC competitors.