Asus' Tiny Laptop Hits All the Right Buttons

H-P must be commended for creating a very small device, considering there's a hard drive inside and a much larger keyboard (92% of standard ones) than the Asus. The HP measures 10 inches by 6.5 inches by 1 inch and weighs in at 2.63 pounds.

The H-P is covered in metal rather than plastic and looks like a much more expensive machine. Surprise! The 2133 starts at $499 (more for different configurations). The Eee PC 900 will sell for $550 (but it comes with a nifty carrying case).

There are other minor hardware and software differences, but none really affect either machine's performance in this comparison test.

I will tell you what does affect performance, though: Windows Vista. It slows the H-P to a near crawl.

Whatever you do, follow the suggestion to roll your 2133's operating system back to Windows XP. You'll be glad you did. Otherwise, the HP is a wonderful mini with a super-great keyboard.

As for the Eee running Windows XP -- it's a downright speed demon. Although the keyboard is not as large, touch typing is a possibility, and the extra half-pound of weight savings over the H-P is a blessing.

One warning though -- and once again, it concerns Microsoft software. Microsoft Update asked me if I wanted to install the brand new Windows XP Service Pack 3. I clicked "install."

Big mistake!

Because the Eee's 12 GB of storage is configured into a small C: drive (4GB) and a larger D: drive (8GB) -- and because the Service Pack installs only on the primary C: drive, I ran out of room.