Asus Eee PC

Asus Eee PC

Developer	AsusTeK Computer Inc.
Type	Subnotebook, netbook
Operating system	Linux (Aurora, formerly Eeebuntu; Xandros) Windows XP/7
CPU	Celeron, Atom, AMD Fusion
Website	eeepc.asus.com

The Asus Eee PC is a subnotebook/netbook computer line from ASUSTeK Computer Incorporated, and a part of the Asus Eee product family. At the time of its introduction in late 2007, it was noted for its combination of a light weight, GNU/Linux operating system, solid-state drive (SSD), and relatively low cost. Newer models added the options of MS Windows operating system, rotating media 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 in the West — in Japan, subnotebooks had long been a staple in computing. According to Asus, the name Eee derives from "the three Es," an abbreviation of its advertising slogan for the device: "Easy to learn, Easy to work, Easy to play".

History

Eee 700 series

Black 700 series unit side view showing the SD card reader, two USB ports, the VGA output and the Kensington Security Slot.

Asus announced two Eee PC models at Computex Taipei 2007: the 701 and the 1001. The 701 base model Eee PC 4G was released on October 16, 2007 in Taiwan. Three additional models followed.

Both the price and the size of the device are small in comparison with similar Ultra-Mobile PCs. The Eee series is a response to the XO-1 notebook from the One Laptop per Child initiative. At the Intel Developer Forum 2007, Asus demonstrated the Classmate PC 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 XP pre-installed in January 2008. In Japan, the version is known as the 4G-X.

Modding

USB drives physically protrude from the unit and are prone to breaking or becoming loose, and there is no support for faster SD cards as an alternative boot drive. Thus, some users of the 701 (SDX especially) physically modify the machine to replace the 4GB solid state drive, often adding other improvements, most likely after maximizing the SD card storage to 16GB class 6.

The 8GB versions of the 700 series leave the SSD area on the motherboard empty and connect their SSD as an internal PCI Express Mini Card. Replacing the SSD requires only an SSD compatible with the connector. The SSD area on the motherboard may also be used to install other devices, or accommodate physically larger SSDs, or even to hard-solder an SSD salvaged from a 2GB or 4GB 700 model. As this requires only soldering on a new device without removing an old one, the risk of doing so may be acceptable to some users. See #Storage below for configuration details.

Another reason the 700 series units may require modding is to replace a soldered in SSD that can no longer be written to as a result of exceeding the maximum number of write cycles to the drive.

Eee 900 series

White 900 series

The Eee 900 series was launched in Hong Kong on April 16, 2008, and in the UK on May 1, 2008 for £329 (approximately 410 € or 650 US$ including VAT). It 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-touch trackpad allowing two-finger scroll and zoom via a "pinch" gesture, and is available with GNU/Linux and/or MS Windows XP configurations, depending on the market.

The GNU/Linux version is named the EeePC 900 and comes with a 16 GB SSD. 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 MS 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 GNU/Linux 20G version is sold for the same price as the MS Windows 12G version. In the case of the 16G EEEs, the MS Windows version costs more than the GNU/Linux version.

The Windows version comes with Microsoft Works and Windows Live Suite preinstalled. It also includes StarSuite 8. 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 Intel 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. It was a revision of the 900 series with a different chassis. The 901 features an Intel Atom 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. Bluetooth and 802.11n Wi-Fi are also included. The 901 uses the Intel 945GME chipset, meeting the requirements for MS Windows Vista or 7 Aero. The 901 is otherwise similar to the 900, shipping in GNU/Linux or MS Windows XP configurations with SSD storage of different sizes. It was discovered that the Eee 901 has capacity for a "3GCard" upgrade.

The Eee PC 901 GNU/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]}

The Eee PC 904HD was one of the first Eee PC models which features an 80 GB HDD instead of an SSD. It features an Intel Celeron M running at 900 MHz and gets power from a 6-cell battery. Like other Eee PC 90x models, it features 802.11 b/g WLAN and a 1.3M pixel webcam. MS Windows XP comes pre-installed.

The Eee PC 904HA has these dimensions: 266mm(W) x 191.2mm(D) x 28.5mm~ 38mm(H). The 8.9-inch screen has a native resolution size of 1024x600 pixels (WSVGA). The CPU is an Intel Atom N270 @ 1.6 GHz, and the standard model came with 1 GB DDR2 RAM occupying the single memory slot. The 160 GB Hard Disk Drive had Microsoft Windows XP Home pre-installed. Also standard are the 6-cell battery, the 1.3M px webcam and integrated microphone, and both ethernet and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g network connections.

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 Singapore 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 Australia and Italy, 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 Markt in Italy 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 Buy'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

Black 1000 series; 1000HD model shown

The 1000 series launched at Computex Taipei on June 3, 2008. It featured a new 10-inch (254 mm) screen and a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom CPU, although built in power management software can increase the speed to 1.7 GHz. The 1000 model ships with Linux, an 8 GB SSD and a 32 GB SSD (totalling 40 GB); the 1000H model ships with Windows XP Home or Linux and an 80 or 160 GB SATA 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. WiMAX 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 on some models, Bluetooth.
The 1000XPH has the same Intel Atom 1.6 GHz CPU, an 80 GB HDD, and 1 GB of RAM. Other amenities include 10/100 LAN and 802.11 b/g Wireless LAN adapters, an integrated webcam, but no Bluetooth. The 1000HG features a Huawei 3G-Modem.

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 revised keyboard.

Asus 1005HA-V, with "seashell" design; the screen hinges to sit behind the base

At CeBIT 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 ION 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" APU. The 1215B has USB 3.0 ports, as well as a CPU and BIOS that support full hardware virtualization in Linux via (kvm or xen) or Windows via (XP mode, Virtual Box, Vmware). The 1215B is the first of the EEE PC line of computers that supports virtualization.

Technical overview

Asus Eee PC 701, with fountain pen for scale, running Ubuntu Netbook Edition

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 M processor underclocked to 630 MHz. Later models shipped with Intel Atom and AMD Fusion processors.

Display

The Eee PC 700 has a 800×480 pixels 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. On some early models this connector lacks the screws to secure it to the EEE PC which some consider a safety precaution. 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 Ubuntu to allow the higher resolution output.

Asus Eee PC 1215P Seashell with Intel dual-core cpu (N 570) And a 12.1" HD Display

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's VAIO series, where the keys are reminiscent of Scrabble tiles, being spaced apart and raised from the surface below.

Storage

Removable 8 GB SSD in Eee PC

The early model Eee PCs use a solid-state 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 downside of SSD storage (flash memory) is that an individual sector can be written only about 100,000 times. This problem can be partially mitigated by intelligent wear leveling, 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 GNU/Linux version has 4 GB, a MS Windows XP version has 8 GB, and all remaining ones, MS Windows XP or GNU/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]}

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, SDHC and MMC 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 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 sink 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 systems can be installed. The following operating systems are known to work on most models:

• Microsoft Windows
• GNU/Linux especially its Ubuntu, Gentoo, Debian [1], Joli OS, Mint, Fedora and variants thereof (see below)
• Chrome and Android, and other Unix-like systems
• BSD and its derivatives Solaris and MacOS:
  • Mac OS X v10.4
  • Mac OS X v10.5
  • Mac OS X v10.6
• Syllable
• Haiku, development releases

Linux on the Eee PC

Later EEE PCs can run most Linux distributions. Earlier ones, especially the 701SDX, are restricted by small SSD size (4GB) and failure to support class 10 (10MB/s) or 32GB SD cards, and are restricted to operating systems specifically designed for smaller OS footprint.

Comparison of netbook-oriented Linux distributions has more detail for those interested in comparing many such distributions.

Android x86

The primary goal of the Android x86 project is "To provide a complete solution for Android on Eee PC platforms first, and then to provide solutions for common x86 platforms as well."

Android x86 is also tested on other small netbooks including the Viewsonic Viewpad 10, Dell Inspiron Mini Duo, Samsung Q1U, Viliv S5 and Lenovo ThinkPad x61 Tablet. The intent of the project is to become dominant on these older smaller devices.^{[citation needed]} As Android also dominates smart phones and tablets^{[citation needed]}, and is shipped on some newer netbooks — including AMD Brazos-based devices already supported by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich —, this will be the most familiar version of Linux for EEE for most newer users.^{[citation needed]}

Android 2.2, 2.3, 3.2 and 4.0 are presently supported for the ASUS EEE family. All support multi-boot coexistence with GNU versions of Linux.

Linux Mint

Main article: Linux Mint

Linux Mint is, as of the end of 2011, a popular Linux distribution^{[citation needed]}. It runs unmodified on even a low end ASUS EEE 701SDX which will boot Mint "live" from a 1GB class 4 SD card in a USB adapter in its USB port - but not reliably from the EEE's own built in SD port. The SSD and SD card filesystems are available for backup, recovery or replacement from the Live boot, and memory test is also available.

Ubuntu 10 and 11 (9.04-based EasyPeasy, Aurora, Leenux Linux now deprecated)

Main article: Ubuntu (operating system)

Stock releases of Ubuntu netbook work on all EEE PCs. Even the 701SDK can support Ubuntu 9.04 on its built in 4GB SSD and (according to some reports) 11.10 with netbook or KDE interfaces running in a stripped down mode (without Gnome). The EEE-specific Easy Peasy OS [2], Leeenux Linux and Aurora were based on Ubuntu 9.04, now out of support.

11.04 and 11.10 support small footprint devices well but install on these very poorly, requiring complex manual intervention beyond most users' comfort levels (editing python files). [3] Once these are modified, about 2.7GB of disk space is required, sufficient for all but the 701 2GB model (which can support a minimal 11.04).

However only the 1011PX and 1015PX are certified by Canonical for use with 11.10 [4]. Detailed instructions are available on the net from users [5][6][7]

Fedora

Main article: Fedora (operating system)

Fedora supports literally all EEE models except the 700 2G models, requiring 2.5GB of disk space [8][]. Unlike ubuntu its installers deal well with 800x480 screen space, thanks in part to the previous Eeedora project.

Joli OS

Main article: Joli OS

Originally based on Ubuntu Netbook Edition, Joli OS continues to be supported as a "cloud" alternative.

Xandros (deprecated)

OpenOffice.org Writer running on the Eee PC

Xandros is a Debian-based GNU/Linux distribution notable because ASUS shipped it initially with some 700 series models before replacing it with Ubuntu. It booted in 20–22 seconds on these early Eee PCs, 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-based interface, uses IceWM as the default window manager, and comes with forty bundled software applications including OpenOffice.org, Mozilla Firefox, Skype, Tux Paint and other educational entertainment software, email and Internet radio applications, and look-up tools for Google Docs and Wikipedia.

Xandros drivers for ACPI and wireless devices were standard GNU General Public License, so the company released the source code as a ZIP file along with the product; some of the source was reported missing, and some device driver software appears obfuscated. In the absence of necessary source code, other Linux kernel versions and distributions on the device had difficulty supporting it. Asus eventually released the source code for the ACPI module patched Linux kernel sources and their Busybox sources.

The Synaptic Package Manager and apt-get can be used to install additional software through the repositories for those users determined to continue to use Xandros.

Forks and other distributions

Ubuntu Netbook Edition

Current Asus Linux development policy generates forks 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 diff 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]}

Specifications

Eee PC models

Component		700 (2G Surf)	701 (4G Surf)	701 (4G)	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
Display	Diagonal	7 in (17.8 cm)					8.9 in (22.6 cm)								10.2 in (25.9 cm)								11.6 in (29.5 cm)	12.1 in (30.7 cm)
	Resolution (px×px)	800×480 (WVGA)					1024×600 (WSVGA)																1366×768 (WXGA)
	Type	TFT LCD with LED backlight					TFT LCD
Storage	SSD soldered (GiB)	2	4				4		8		8 or 4 (US) or 0 (US/DE)	4 (removable)						8 (removable)
	SSD removable (GiB)				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)						32
	HDD (GB)				30 external in some markets					160			160	80	80 or 160		160		160		250 / 320
CPU	Model	Intel Celeron-M ULV 353									Intel Atom N270 (45 nm Diamondville, Socket 437 FCBG8A)			Intel Celeron-M ULV 353		Intel Atom N270 (45 nm Diamondville, Socket 437 FCBG8A)				Intel Atom N280 (45 nm Diamondville, Socket 437 FCBG8A)			Intel Atom Z520		Intel Atom N330	C-50 or E-350
	Frequency (GHz)	0.8 @ 0.571; 32 kB L1 cache	0.9 @ 0.63 (70 MHz × 9)				0.9				1.6			0.9 @ 0.63 (70 MHz × 9)		1.6				1.66			1.33		1.6	1.0 or 1.6
	Cache	512 kB L2 cache RAM, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size																							2 × 512 kB L2 cache RAM
Memory (GiB)	Default amount	0.5	0.5			1						1 (Windows XP), 1 or 2 (Linux)	1	1 (Windows XP), 1 or 2 (Linux)	1								1			2
	and type	DDR2-400 onboard[citation needed]	DDR2-533/667			DDR2-400, supports 533/667						DDR2-400, supports 533/667		DDR2-400, supports 533/667	DDR2-533/667								DDR2-667/800			DDR3-1333
	Sockets (max. upgrade)	soldered RAM	1 (2 GiB)						Not upgradeable	1 (2 GiB)														1 (4 GiB)	2 (4 GiB)	2 (8 Gib)
Graphics		Integrated GMA 900 (SMA), VGA port (up to 1600×1280 pixels)										Integrated GMA 950			Integrated GMA 900	Integrated GMA 950							Integrated GMA 500		Nvidia Ion	Integrated Radeon HD 6250 GPU
Chipset			Intel 910GML				Intel 915GM/GMS, 910GML Express					Intel 945GSE			Intel 910GML + ICH6M	Intel 945GSE + ICH7M			Intel 945GSE + ICH7M				Intel Poulsbo US15W		Nvidia Ion	Fusion Controller
Battery	Cells	4										6	4	6					2	6		4	6
	Capacity (Ah)	4.4		4.4 or 5.2						4.4	4.4 or 5.8	6.6		6.6					4.2	8.7
	Voltage (V)	7.4		7.4						7.4	7.4 or 7.2		7.4					7.4	7.4
	Approx. run time (h:m)	2:45		Unknown or 3:30							No info or 3:30	4:15–7:45		4:15–7:45					5:00	9:30
	Type	Li-ion												Li-ion					Lithium-polymer
Camera (Mpx)		No		0.3; up to 640×480, up to 30 frame/s			1.3		0.3	0.3	0.3, or none	1.3	1.3								0.3 or 1.3 (on HA models)	1.3	0.3
Size (mm)	Width	225										248	265.9					264	266
	Depth	165					170					175.3	173	191.3					181	191.2
	Height	~21–35					~20–38					22.9	ca 24-28.7	38.1					27.6	ca 28.5-38
Weight (g)		922					990					1,140	1,100	1,400	1,450			1,330	1,200	1,450					1,460
Network adapters	LAN (Mbit/s)	10/100 (Attansic L2)																		10/100					10/100/1000
	WiFi (802.11)	b/g mini PCI-E card (Atheros- or Ralink-based).										b/g/n mini PCI-E card Eee PC 901/1000: Ralink RT2860.												b/g/n
Bluetooth		No										Yes	No			Yes	No	Yes							Yes
OS	Linux	Xandros running KDE and IceWM							No		Xandros		No	Xandros			No	Yes	No		Yes
	Windows XP	Yes
	Windows 7	No																			Yes
Other	Audio	Realtek ALC662 Hi-Definition Audio 5.1 codec; built-in stereo speakers; built-in microphone
	Connectors	3 × USB 2.0 ports, MMC/SD (HC) card reader, Ethernet port, modem port (non-functional, empty), microphone input, headphone jack, AC power jack, VGA out, Kensington lock slot.
	Colors	Pearl white (pure white for Surf models) or galaxy black; lush green, sky blue, blush pink (spring 2008)
	Expansion	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.

^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.

^II. 701 4G (non-Surf) late releases have Windows XP pre-installed without Microsoft Works and Windows Live Suite, excluding the disc, or either Xandros OS pre-installed.^{[citation needed]}

Configurations

The 700 series units were shipped in 3 colors besides black and white.

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."

EeePC in its case

In the 70x series, the pre-installed Xandros operating system has a Linux kernel with a kernel option set limiting the detected RAM size to a maximum of 1 GB, even if a larger RAM module is installed. The actual capacity is shown in full in the BIOS 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.

Popularity

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 EeeBox PC
• ASUS Eee Top
• Comparison of netbooks
• Comparison of netbook-oriented Linux distributions
• Comparison of subnotebooks
• Internet appliance

External links

• Official website
• Official Eee Forum