CNet Compares Eee PC Against the Competition

An anonymous reader writes "CNet has recently done a comparison of the Asus Eee PC against six bargain laptops that all fall under $1000. Included in the list is the Elonex One, OLPC, EasyNote XS and MSI Wind. "Since the Eee's launch, many of its rivals have begun to create similar alternatives — each designed to pilfer a piece of the budget ultraportable pie. Some are trying to beat the Eee on price, some on specs, but they're all tiny and they're all camped out in the bargain basement." Let the 'race to the bottom' begin."

Comments

The Eee PC's Screen is too Small

[bit trollent]

It is obvious that there is room for a larger screen on the Eee PC that wouldn't make it any bigger. So if you want to beat the Eee PC, just make the exact same screen with a screen that is as big as it can be.

I should really charge a consulting fee.

Re:The Eee PC's Screen is too Small

[calebt3]

Maybe the screen is that small for battery conservation purposes?

Re:The Eee PC's Screen is too Small

[Kelbear]

The trick isn't just getting a larger screen on the unit, it's doing it without putting additional drain on the battery and additional burden on the pricetag.

Like many other incremental steps to today's technology, it's certainly possibly, even feasible, but nontrivial to implement. It'll take engineering, expense, and a new fab process and business relationships to mass-produce an appliance such as this.

Per the summary "Some are trying to beat the Eee on price, some on specs," and this would be an example of beating it on specs while likely yielding on the price war.

I believe there's plenty of room in the market for such competition since the EEE falls into a very small niche of quick-reference usage and ultra-portability. More an appliance than a personal computer, and as individual needs vary, people will buy the device best suited to the expected usage.

Re:The Eee PC's Screen is too Small

[Lumpy]

I dont think it's too small it NEEDS 1024X768 at a minimum for screen resolution.

Physically small is ok. A substandard resolution is not ok.

Re:I'm here too soon

[sm62704]

I'm not too lazy to read it, but I refuse to read C|Net. Two paragraphs per screen, and each screen is filled with so many blinking shiney flashing ads it takes forever for each page to load.

And under $1000? WTF? They're comparing a $999 laptop with a $250 laptop? Isn't that kind of like comparing a compact car with a mid sized car? One more reason to avoid C|Net like the plague.

It's sad, that used to be a pretty good site.

Under $1000?

[Evro]

That's not exactly "bargain" space, Apple's Macbook is almost in that range, and last week I configured a Dell Vostro 1500 with a Core 2 Duo T7500 2.2 GHz, 3 GB ram, XP Home, a 256 MB GeForce 8600GT, and a 15" SXGA screen for $833.

Re:Big price diffrence there

[Jeff DeMaagd]

Why get an underpowered ultraportable when a normal laptop costs just as much?

Maybe because "normal" notebooks are overpowered, overheating beasts? They aren't "laptops" because of that heat, they seem to feel like they burn through jeans when used for longer than 15 minutes on a lap, even on max power saving mode. I think that's a lot of why the marketing literature almost always calls them "notebooks".

Wow, talk about insightful

[Sockatume]

The article is, basically, a few specs and pictures from press releases lifted out and spread over 7 ad-filled pages. The same information could've been provided in a small table with some pictures next to it. No insight, no investigation, nothing that isn't public knowledge. They didn't even (as an example) do a google search for the phrase "Elonex One" which would've told them that it's a variation on a rather old unit which has been on sale in other markets for a while, so there are lots of hands-on reports (that way they could've commented on the need for a kickstand on that machine, and other useful tidbits). Heck, they reckon that the "VIA Nanobook" and "Easynote XS" are rebrandings of the "Cloudbook", without the vaguest notion of the real relationship between the machines. Just another bit of "news" accomplished by rewriting the press releases with as little thought as possible.

Re:Big price diffrence there

[pipatron]

I'm very satisfied with my thinkpad x40 in that regard. I guess that's about as small as you can get while still having a keyboard you can use for hours, daily.

Re:I'm here too soon

[Thorwak]

But you're allowed to read and post on Slashdot, right? ;)

Re:Asus Eee hardly groundbreaking

[Corporate Troll]

Utraportables are *companions* to desktops or desktop-replacements (that's what you describe). Utraportables are "just enough to do something on the move", but that's it. I mean this from a usability perspective, not from power since you can get powerful (but expensive) ultraportables.

You mention gaming, this means that the Dell is out of the question too by the way. (Integrated Graphics: forget it)

You are simply not the target demographic for an ultraportable. Cheap or not. I am, but I'm not shelling out 2000€ for an Ultraportable as they have been costing the last few years.

The Asus EEE is for me: small, usable for browsing, small text editing, etc, while I commute to work with the train. No way in hell, I'd lug around my 15.4" desktop replacement.

Re:I read stories but have never seen one.

[Asic Eng]

I have been hearing people saying how the Eee PC will bring Linux to the personal user, How it is really popular... But I havent seen any evidence of this is Real Life.

I'm not sure I understand your argument there. Are you comparing sales figures from e.g. Amazon and other companies (see e.g.: http://linux.slashdot.org/linux/07/12/29/1959244.shtml ) with anecdotal evidence observed amongst your acquaintances?