The Asus Eee PC represents a new type of machine on the notebook landscape: it's neither a conventional, full sized budget notebook with a 12-15" screen, nor is it a so-called ultra-mobile PC (UMPC): a relatively expensive but diminutive PC with a high-resolution 7" display. Rather the Asus EEE stakes out its own relatively new ground on the budget notebook landscape as a machine with UMPC dimensions, very low cost, but also, low electrical power consumption and low-end computing power and capability.

A primary market for the Asus Eee is the educational market, where its low cost is a very strong positive, and where a relative lack of computing power need not be too detrimental to effective use and associated learning. As I write this story (mid-April 2008), the Eee PC comes either with Linux or Windows XP installed, in the configurations shown in Table 1. Some Eee units come with a "Surf" designation (check out these specifications). These models come with either a 2, 4, or 8B GB solid state disk (SDD) drive that functions as its hard disk, and may be configured with anywhere from 0.5 to 2.0 GB of RAM (though the older Asus models include 0.5 GB, and newer ones 1.0 GB) from the factory.

There's also a secure digital (SD) flash memory slot that provides the ability to add some much-needed storage space to the machine. Asus indicates the Eee will be available in a number of pastel colors, including "Blush pink," "Lush Green," and "Sky Blue," but at the moment it is available for purchase only in "Pure white" (moe of a pearl color, really) and "galaxy black." The precise make and model of the unit I reviewed is Eee PC 4G 701, which includes a rear hatch with access to the unit's single SODIMM slot and a WLAN interface (the Surf models apparently lack this hatch). As I format this story, in fact, Asus has just announced a new 900 model for the Eee PC (check out this review at ZDNet). The 900 features a bigger (8.9") 1024x600 display, a higher-res Webcam, more RAM and SSD storage, and a bigger and improved touchpad. Wish I'd had one to review!