The Asus Eee Pc 701 - The traditional Netbook

The Asus Eee Pc 701 - the computer that brought to us the world of 1 kilo laptops, sub-£200 prices and the name 'netbook'. Since the first 4G model appeared while Computex Taipei 2007, Asus have taken the Eee Pc, made it bigger, faster, flashier and more functional - which has pushed the price up. The former Eee Pc however remains true to its netbook roots; small, light, simple and cheap.

The Asus Eee Pc 701 lacks some features of some of the newer models. It doesn't have the Intel Atom processor found on most netbooks, since the Atom wasn't nearby until 2008. Instead, the humble Intel Celeron M 900Mhz Ulv processor takes its place - designed with long battery life in mind, hence the Ulv; Ultra low-voltage.

Asus Netbook

The battery itself, Asus promises will pump out 3 and a half hours of battery life, slightly less for the surf models. Storehouse is standard to the version of the model; in this case, 4G of Solid state drive. 512Mb of memory is also built in.

The screen, only 7 inches across has a measly 800x480 screen resolution which'll leave you scrolling sideways for most websites. By comparison, later 9 inch and 10 inch mini laptops have a 1024x600 resolution. The screen itself is engulfed by the speakers which lie on both sides, with a microphone and a 0.3 megapixel camera above it.

The keyboard, a whopping 83% size of a full size keyboard is useable, although it takes some practice to refine the skills needed for fluent typing. Bear in mind the Eee Pc was designed for children - none the less, 70% of startling netbook sales are startling to be for consumers, not educational. Unlike some netbooks, the Dell Mini 9 comes to mind, all the keys from a full size model are included.

Dimensions; the 701 is a small 22.5x16.5x3.5 cm, although the thickness does drop down to 2.5cm. The size puts it in line with usual hardback, with a weigh to match - a trim 0.92 kilos. It's about the size of half an A4 sheet of paper folded up.

Regardless, the specs are no match for the newer models. Thanks to the speakers on the side of the screen on the 701, the 9 inch models aren't that much bigger - including our #1 mini laptop: the Eee Pc 901. Simplicity remains standard across the Eee Pc range, with a choice of Linux and Xp operating systems. However, thorough weight and price has steadily increased - so whilst the newer netbooks may be more powerful, the simplest, cheapest and lightest remains the former netbook - the Asus Eee Pc 701.

The Asus Eee Pc 701 - The traditional Netbook

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