The Asus 900 eeePC

A couple of weeks ago I bought an Ausus 900 eeePC (http://eeepc.asus.com/global/product.htm). It’s a “netbook”, a very small laptop (8.86" x 6.69") with 1 GB of RAM, 16GB of flash storage, and weighs a touch over 2 lbs. This model has a Linux operating system (although Windows XP Home is available) and comes with a good bundle of applications such as Firefox, Open Office, Skype, as well as audio and video players. My thought was it would be a perfect machine for travelling and connecting to my work and home computers. With my eeePC I can reach my desktop computer at the hospital with our IS approved secure Citrix client and my home computer with LogMeIn. The eeePC connects easily to a wireless or wired Internet connection, so I have the resources of all 3 machines available to me in a 2 lb package.

This would be a great tool for the mobile clinician (assuming it will fit in a lab coat pocket), student, or anyone on the go. It would also be a wonderful component for a mobile computer lab. The biggest things I’ve had to get accustomed to are the small keyboard and a 1024x600 display, neither of which are show stoppers. I also have to remind myself it is not intended to be a desktop or laptop replacement. It fills a middle ground between PDAs and a full size laptop and it does it extremely well.

A lot of players are coming into the netbook arena. Asus, HP, Acer, MSI, and Dell all have or will soon have similar products starting at $299. Even with several options one of these devices will cost less than many PDAs and has a screen size much more accommodating to aging Baby Boomer eyes!