Asus Eee PC 900 - UMPC for Traveling

by atticus ~ June 1, 2008

My main reason for buying the Asus Eee PC 900 is its 8.9″ screen and 1024×600 resolution. Having used the 7″ for a few weeks, I find the screen too small for comfort. Equally important to me is the Eee PC 900’s small footprint (225 x 170 x 20~33.8 mm). It’s almost similar in size to the Eee PC 701 (225 × 165 × 21~35 mm) and Cloudbook CE1200V (230 x 171 x 29.4 mm).

How about the HP 2133 and MSI Wind? I would say they are pretty nice except for their size. To some people, they might find that a couple more centimeters isn’t a big deal. I guess this depends on your purpose of purchasing a UMPC. For me, I intend to bring the mini laptop on my travels. As I always try to travel light, I want the UMPC to take minimal amount of space in my backpack. Now, why would I need a laptop while traveling? Well, it would be nice to be able to surf the internet, watch some videos and do some work on your own machine. Traveling doesn’t mean we have to do tourist stuffs all the time.

So does the Eee PC 900 fits all my requirements? Actually, no. I find the 20Gb disk space too restricting. I understand SSD is expensive but I wouldn’t mind a 1.8″ HDD. Its keyboard and battery life aren’t that desirable as well. The price can also be cheaper. But overall, the Eee PC 900 is a good compromise. Well, I’m always on the lookout for a better UMPC. Maybe the upcoming Cloudbook Max or ECS G10IL would be the answer.