Asus' Tiny Laptop Hits All the Right Buttons

Be careful with Microsoft software options on these small machines. They can really drag.
By Gary Krakow ,

They're the hottest things in portable computing -- super-portable laptops at super-low prices.

The Asus Eee is setting the standard, so far. The Eees are so popular that the May edition of

Popular Science

magazine ran a feature story on upgrading the original Asus mini.

But now, there is are a bunch of Eees on the market, including the new model 900, which is the first to sport a nearly 9-inch screen (8.9 inches, actually; 1,024 by 600 pixels). The new models have

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processors and come loaded with 1 GB of RAM, and either Linux (with 20 GB of internal memory) or

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Windows XP (12 GB of internal memory).

Big Love for Tiny Laptops

var config = new Array(); config<BRACKET>"videoId"</BRACKET> = 1519803429; config<BRACKET>"playerTag"</BRACKET> = "TSCM Embedded Video Player"; config<BRACKET>"autoStart"</BRACKET> = false; config<BRACKET>"preloadBackColor"</BRACKET> = "#FFFFFF"; config<BRACKET>"useOverlayMenu"</BRACKET> = "false"; config<BRACKET>"width"</BRACKET> = 265; config<BRACKET>"height"</BRACKET> = 255; config<BRACKET>"playerId"</BRACKET> = 1243645856; createExperience(config, 8);

The new 900s also have bigger batteries. Asus claims as much as three hours of battery life per charge. Your mileage will definitely vary. The Eee 900 weighs 2.16 pounds.

The competition hasn't been sleeping, though. There is the One Laptop Per Child XO (designed for third-world schoolchildren), Intel's Classmate (release expected soon) and the brand new

H-P

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2133 Mini Note PC.

The H-P also has an 8.9-inch screen (1,280 by 768 pixels), but it runs Windows Vista Home Basic. The H-P people told me that it's easy to "downgrade" the operating system and have the 2133 run on Windows XP. That may be a good idea. One GB of RAM is standard. Another GB is optional.

The 2133 runs on processors from Via, and sports hard drives of 120 GB or 160 GB, as well as an optional (and expensive) 5GB solid-state flash drive.

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.

I spent more than an hour uninstalling other programs to make room for the Service Pack uninstall. Bottom line: Stick with the operating system that came with the Eee. Or, but the Linux version of the 900 and not have any of these worries.

Either of these minis would be great for everyone from students to busy execs who are tired of schlepping large, heavy notebook computers when they're on the road. Both are highly recommended.

Gary Krakow is TheStreet.com's senior technology correspondent.

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