That brings us to the Asus Eee PC X101 on Linpus Linux Lite
Nearly four years ago Asus launched the first netbook: a 2 pound DV5 Battery with a 7 inch display and a $400 price tag. While it didn’t come close to the $200 price Asus had initially promised, the Eee PC 701 was the cheapest ultraportable laptop on the market… and over the past few years we’ve seen netbook specs get better and better while prices have fallen lower and lower HP Compaq Business Notebook NC6400 Battery .
That brings us to the Asus Eee PC X101. Released in September, 2011, this is the first nc2400 Battery to launch for just $200.
Asus loaned me demo unit for review purposes. This is the version of the mini-laptop currently available in North America, and it HP Pavilion ZD7000 Battery features a 1.33 GHz Intel Atom N435 single core processor, a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, 1GB of RAM, and an 8GB solid state disk.
The computer features 802.11b/g/n WiFi but does not have Bluetooth or 3G. It has a 3 cell, 28Whr HP HSTNN-XB52 Battery . It’s user replaceable, but Asus will not be producing a higher capacity 6 cell battery for this netbook Compaq HSTNN-LB09 Battery model.
The netbook runs a Compaq Presario 1700 Battery version of MeeGo Linux based on Linpus Linux Lite. The operating system feels more like something you’d see on a touch-based smartphone or V3000 Battery tablet than an OS designed for a keyboard and mouse.
Most applications run in full-screen mode. Instead of a desktop, start menu, and Dell Latitude C600 Battery taskbar, there’s a home screen with access to frequently used programs and updates for your social networks.
You can bring up a toolbar that lets you switch to social networking, instant messaging, or media functions by moving your Dell WU852 Battery cursor to the top of the screen. And there’s an app store based on the Intel AppUp Center.
In some ways the latest Dell U116D Battery from Asus is a throwback to the original Asus Eee PC 701. In order to keep the price low Asus loaded the X101 with cheap flash storage instead of a hard drive and installed an open-source Linux operating system instead of Windows. But unlike the original Eee PC netbooks, the Asus Eee PC X101 has a 10 inch display and an Intel Atom Dell KM769 Battery .
It’s impressive that a company like Asus can cram a fully functional computer into a 2 pound case and sell it for $200. But the company made some sacrifices to achieve that low price Dell Latitude E5500 Battery , and you can get a whole lot more computer for not much more money.
So is the Asus Eee PC X101 worth its very low price Dell Latitude C540 Battery ? Read on to find out.
The Eee PC X101 is the thinnest and lightest 10 inch netbook from Asus. It weighs 2 pounds and measures 10.3″ x 7.1″ x 0.7″ at the thicket point. If you removed the battery bump it would look even thinner since the hp laptop batteries is much thinner at the front.
It’s hard to compare the performance of a netbook running MeeGo Linux to one running Windows 7. Although you certainly can install Windows, it will eat up most of the computer’s 8GB of storage. Asus will also offer an Eee PC X101H model with a higher Dell Latitude C510 Battery capacity hard drive and Windows 7, but that model will cost more than the $200 Eee PC X101 with MeeGo Linux.
Some folks have installed Windows, Ubuntu Linux, or other operating systems on the Eee PC X101. But since I’m working with a review unit which I need to return — and since most HP ProBook 4411s Battery customers are probably unlikely to change operating systems, I decided to stick with MeeGo.
But while my usual raft of benchmarks may not apply, there are a few simple ways to compare the overall performance of the Eee PC X101 with MeeGo. I tested the HP ProBook 4415s Battery life, attempted to watch online video using the web browser, and ran the SunSpider benchmark which tests browser performance.
All told, the Eee PC X101 is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand the user interface feels Inspiron 6400 Battery pretty zippy when you’re switching between running programs or navigating the MeeGo user interface. The computer also boots very quickly — taking about 20 to 25 seconds to go from completely Dell KD476 Battery off to a fully usable desktop.
On the other Dell 312-0460 Battery hand, there’s no denying that the computer feels slower than most other netbooks I’ve used over the past few years. It’s not entirely clear how much of that performance dip is due to the slower processor and how much (dis)credit should go do the operating system and web browser — the version of MeeGo that ships with the Eee PC X101 uses Chromium 11, an older, open source Dell 451-10482 Battery version of the Google Chrome web browser.
When surfing the web with more than 4 o 5 browser tabs open, I’ve noticed that the computer seems to slow down a bit NX9600 Battery.
While the under-$200 netbooks usually come with low capacity 3 cell batteries that provide 2-4 hours of run time, you can often find higher capacity batteries that will offer extra HP ProBook 4416s Battery life if you need it.
Against that backdrop, it’s hard to recommend the Eee PC X101 when you can find a more Dell Latitude C500 Battery powerful, more versatile netbook for a similar price — especially given its cramped keyboard and finicky touchpad.