put on a little fashion show to launch the latest Eee PC, the S101. This is a cut above the previous models in being thin and stylish, and Asus reckons it's "a successful melding of fashion and functionality" that puts it at the "pinnacle of netbook computing." And while it comes at a higher price -- $699 -- it's much lighter (1kg) and cheaper than a MacBook Air, it looks nicer, and it has a much more practical specification.
At around 18-25mm, the S101 isn't as thin as a MacBook Air, but it's certainly thin enough. And where the MacBook Air makes pointless sacrifices that reduce its practicality, the S101 does the business. It has three USB ports instead of one, it has a built-in 4-in-1 card reader, it has a real RJ-45 Ethernet socket, plus Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. And you can change the battery yourself, without undoing 19 screws. Asus reckons the S101 will run for about five hours, but when the lithium polymer battery runs out, you simply swap it for a spare.
Since the S101 is a netbook rather than a notebook, the screen is 10.2 inches rather than the MacBook Air's 13.3 inches. However, it does offer similar resolution: you can choose 1024 x 768, 1024 x 600, or 800 x 600.
The first S101 runs Windows XP Home in 1GB of memory and a 16GB SSD (solid state drive), to fit in with Microsoft's netbook guidelines. Asus is chipping in another 16GB on a memory card plus a free 30GB of online storage. However, two Linux versions, which will follow in a few weeks, are expected to offer 32GB or 64GB of SSD.
In use, the S101 feels snappy, though the spec is familiar enough -- Intel Atom processor and Intel 945 Express (GMA 950) graphics with 128MB pinched from main memory. (full story Link)
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