Well went down and checked out the ASUS EeePC 701 after trying to resist for weeks. As i walked into the notebook section i missed it and had to look 3 times before spotting it. Look I’m getting older but the fact is that the display item was black and the size is actually very small. I picked it up and instantly thought this is the perfect size for an on the go machine for the basic needs of email, web browsing and some skype etc.

I thought overall the black model was cool, but black keyboards in general are easy enough to live with everyday but with this unit being so small and the keyboard being tight i thought the available white model would be a better choice. After only a short time of holding it, the decision was made and a final price of AUD $460 was agreed to.

Now lets check out what is inside the box. Well as the pics above show you get the notebook with 7″ screen, pouch cover, battery, adapter and associated books.

Now this model only has a 4GB HD and after about 2 weeks of use i have found it an excellent piece of kit. I have also purchased a SanDisk 8GB SDCH card and Belkin surge protector. Overall if you just want to get online, check your email, chat, make a VOIP call, listen to some audio or watch a movie mpeg file you cant go wrong. I have tested many avi files and have had not one codec error which is one thing my $2000 Compaq laptop with Vista cant say. So well done ASUS you hit the mark.

Below is a list of the pro’s and cons.

Pro’s

  • great unit size and weight (0.92kg)
  • onboard usb ports, network port, wifi, MMC/SD/MS reader, mic and headphone jacks
  • easy setup and use including wifi and mpeg playback
  • quick boot up time
  • nice build quality overall
  • ok battery life
  • excellent included applications including open office and skype etc
  • price
  • the pearl white colour is cool

Con’s

  • camera that does not work in chat
  • touchpad sensitivity
  • not much else at all

This is the link to the Review article posted in Dec 2007.