ASUSteK's answer to the Foleo: the Eee PC, and it's $200!

NatCh · 06-06-2007, 01:50 PM

Here's one UMPC that has abandoned all pretense of being anything but an internet appliance, sure, it'll run Word, but they know you just want to read your e-mail, play Bejeweled and surf the web. They also know you want to not pay an arm and a leg for the privilege.

Quote:

Taipei, Taiwan, June 5, 2007 – Majority of activities conducted on the laptops today are Internet related. Whether it´s checking emails, reading news, communicating with others or simply utilizing online share spaces, Internet usage has become a big part of the daily computing operations - for both work and fun. To accommodate the increasing total Internet computing demands as well as growing number of users, both young and old, ASUS launches the revolutionary Eee PC to provide users with a new mobile Internet experience like never before.

And fairly decent specs as well:

Quote:

EeePC 701 Specification
Display：7"
CPU & Chipset: Intel mobile CPU & chipset
OS: Linux/ Microsoft Windows XP compatible
Communication: 10/100 Mbps Ethernet; 56K modem
WLAN: WiFi 802.11b/g
Graphic: Intel UMA
Memory: 512MB, DDR2-400
Storage: 4/ 8/ 16GB Flash
Webcam: 300K pixel video camera
Audio: Hi-Definition Audio CODEC; Built-in stereo speaker; Built-in microphone
Battery Life: 3hrs (4 cells: 5200mAh, 2S2P)
Dimension & Weight: 22.5 x 16.5 x 2.1~3.5cm, 0.89kg

They have a nice (if annoyingly large) flash presentation here, and the full press release is here.

Hat tip to Coolest-Gadgets.

TadW · 06-06-2007, 02:10 PM

$200 is a killer price.

I almost feel sorry for Palm. Competition is getting fieeeeeerce...

RWood · 06-06-2007, 03:46 PM

ASUS is one of my favorite motherboards. I have used them for many years since I first started to build my own systems.

At $200 they could clean up.

yvanleterrible · 06-06-2007, 04:30 PM

Clean up you say?
Man they'll berry'em!
Where do I buy it?

rmeister0 · 06-06-2007, 04:35 PM

Ah...but does it have instant on?

Seriously, the price is good, but I shudder in horror at the idea of trying to run Windows XP on 512 mb ram. That had better be upgradable!

NatCh · 06-06-2007, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

Clean up you say?
Man they'll berry'em!
Where do I buy it?

Easy, there, buddy, stop drooling on the keyboard.

I haven't found any release date speculation anywhere, save for one tidbit that mentions that the thing is supposed to designed for the Intel Penryn processors, which are due out some time late this (calendar) year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmeister0

Seriously, the price is good, but I shudder in horror at the idea of trying to run Windows XP on 512 mb ram. That had better be upgradable!

I think those are the base model specs, rmeister0. presumably they'll have uprev models too. The SSD is supposed to speed things up quite a bit all by itself -- I saw somewhere that SanDisk's new 64 GB model would boot Vista in something like 30 seconds.

Nightwing · 06-06-2007, 05:37 PM

From here it says it booted up in 15 seconds...

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=40076

and more info here...

http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS9292516116.html

Nightwing · 06-06-2007, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmeister0

Ah...but does it have instant on?

Seriously, the price is good, but I shudder in horror at the idea of trying to run Windows XP on 512 mb ram. That had better be upgradable!

Would, if I wanted to inflict a Windows, would try for W2k over XP...

Been seeing the sub threads of the flash demo at the Asus site is showing Safari screen shots....

Or could this be running the same version of Mac OS X thats in the iPhone? Now that is creepy!

bojan · 06-06-2007, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmeister0

Seriously, the price is good, but I shudder in horror at the idea of trying to run Windows XP on 512 mb ram. That had better be upgradable!

512 MB RAM is more than enough for Win XP. Take a look at your Peak Commit Charge in TaskManager, I never go beyond 500 MB on my system, and I run all sort of applications on it.

JSWolf · 06-06-2007, 06:36 PM

The battery life is what will be the downfall. 3 hours is a problem.

MMascaro · 06-06-2007, 07:53 PM

If the flash demo is an end poduction model it also has 4 USB and a VGA port on top of the 10/100 ethernet and SD card slot.

Nightwing · 06-07-2007, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The battery life is what will be the downfall. 3 hours is a problem.

I agree.. The VIA nanobook that pop out also gives 4.5 hours and has a 30 or 60 GB HD...

I like the concept behind this Asus one..

branko · 06-07-2007, 07:00 AM

With the short battery time, the price is indeed the only thing that makes this device attractive; and the price alone may not be enough to justify its purchase. I can see these things be used as thin clients in public spaces, especially if the casing is rugged.

Nevertheless, its introduction points to a hopeful change in mindset. First, the price. Subnotebooks and ultraportables have existed for a while, but usually they are hugely expensive -- Asus themselves introduced a 3,000 USD ultraportable recently; that's half a class full of 15 Eees.

Second, the price and format of the Eee, the VIA device and the Foleo suggest that manufacturers perceive a market where the required features have changed: less power, but with a keyboard and acting like a laptop instead of a PDA.

What I am trying to say is: even if these specific devices turn out to be not what people need, there will be similar devices that come closer.

yvanleterrible · 06-07-2007, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightwing

Would, if I wanted to inflict a Windows, would try for W2k over XP...

Been seeing the sub threads of the flash demo at the Asus site is showing Safari screen shots....

Or could this be running the same version of Mac OS X thats in the iPhone? Now that is creepy!

Interesting observation!

Since OS X is written in Unix do you think it would be possible to adapt it to this device? Or can Apple forbid it? As it is now it does 10 times more than the old Powerbook I still use once in a while.

This little bugger is cheaper than anything before it, even Palms!?! Take the cheapest Palm and add extras like a keyboard and software to match this one and the deed's done, way more expensive!

This will be the computer for third world economies. I can't see how they'll manage to produce enough, they'll beat the 'Big Mac' number of sales in two years if they can rack up the production.

Way to go Asus! I just hope this is no April fools type of joke or a stupid study to see how many you could sell.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 06-07-2007, 08:38 AM

Sounds like there're some details to be worked out, but this sounds like the kind of thing I'd take on vacation instead of a laptop! I can browse, I can e-mail, I can write on Word... I don't need any more than that! And for $200, this is something I'd buy.

However good or bad the ASUS turns out to be, though, the important thing is that it will show Palm (and everybody else) what can be done for a lower price point... especially if it sells well.

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06-06-2007, 02:10 PM	#2
TadW Uebermensch Posts: 2,583 Karma: 1094606 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Italy Device: Kindle	$200 is a killer price. I almost feel sorry for Palm. Competition is getting fieeeeeerce...

06-06-2007, 03:46 PM	#3
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	ASUS is one of my favorite motherboards. I have used them for many years since I first started to build my own systems. At $200 they could clean up.

06-06-2007, 04:30 PM	#4
yvanleterrible Reborn Paper User Posts: 8,616 Karma: 15446734 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Que Nada Device: iPhone8, iPad Air	Clean up you say? Man they'll berry'em! Where do I buy it?

06-06-2007, 04:35 PM	#5
rmeister0 Addict Posts: 270 Karma: 298 Join Date: Mar 2005	Ah...but does it have instant on? Seriously, the price is good, but I shudder in horror at the idea of trying to run Windows XP on 512 mb ram. That had better be upgradable!

06-06-2007, 05:37 PM	#7
Nightwing Addict Posts: 303 Karma: 541 Join Date: Oct 2006 Device: Cowon A2 Dell x3i, Sony Reader & Eee PC!	From here it says it booted up in 15 seconds... http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=40076 and more info here... http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS9292516116.html

06-06-2007, 06:36 PM	#10
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,896 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The battery life is what will be the downfall. 3 hours is a problem.

06-06-2007, 07:53 PM	#11
MMascaro Zealot Posts: 111 Karma: 1009 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Maryland USA Device: HP mini 1035/Sony Reader/IPad	If the flash demo is an end poduction model it also has 4 USB and a VGA port on top of the 10/100 ethernet and SD card slot.

06-07-2007, 07:00 AM	#13
branko Connoisseur Posts: 93 Karma: 549 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Amsterdam Device: Palm Zire	With the short battery time, the price is indeed the only thing that makes this device attractive; and the price alone may not be enough to justify its purchase. I can see these things be used as thin clients in public spaces, especially if the casing is rugged. Nevertheless, its introduction points to a hopeful change in mindset. First, the price. Subnotebooks and ultraportables have existed for a while, but usually they are hugely expensive -- Asus themselves introduced a 3,000 USD ultraportable recently; that's half a class full of 15 Eees. Second, the price and format of the Eee, the VIA device and the Foleo suggest that manufacturers perceive a market where the required features have changed: less power, but with a keyboard and acting like a laptop instead of a PDA. What I am trying to say is: even if these specific devices turn out to be not what people need, there will be similar devices that come closer.

06-07-2007, 08:38 AM	#15
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	Sounds like there're some details to be worked out, but this sounds like the kind of thing I'd take on vacation instead of a laptop! I can browse, I can e-mail, I can write on Word... I don't need any more than that! And for $200, this is something I'd buy. However good or bad the ASUS turns out to be, though, the important thing is that it will show Palm (and everybody else) what can be done for a lower price point... especially if it sells well.