Asus Eee PC 901 review (white, Windows XP)

The Eee PC 901 is the first laptop we've gotten our hands on with Intel's new Atom processor, specifically designed for small, low-power Netbook-style devices such as this (we've since reviewed the MSI Wind U100 and updated the performance charts here). The single-core Intel Atom processor performed about as expected, coming in well behind a Core 2 Duo system in the form of the Dell Inspiron 1525 and ahead of the single-core Celeron Eee PC 701 and HP's VIA-powered 2133 Mini-Note. We also saw much improved battery scores, and low power consumption is one of the main selling points for Atom-powered products. Intel is already purportedly working on a new generation of dual-core Atom chips that may improve performance while multitasking.

The Asus Eee PC 901 ran for 5 hours and 15 minutes on our video playback battery drain test, which is one of the best battery life scores we've seen for a laptop in any category. That's thanks in large part to the Eee's energy-efficient design, using the new Intel Atom CPU and a solid-state hard drive. The system will also automatically underclock the CPU while running on battery power (although you can force it to run in high-performance mode through a system tray application).

Asus covers its laptops with a standard, one-year parts-and-labor warranty, and it offers online Web-based help and a toll-free phone number. The company's support Web site includes the expected driver downloads and a brief FAQ, but lacks useful features such as user forums or the chance to chat in real time with a technician.

Find out more about how we test laptops.

Asus Eee PC 901
Windows XP Home Edition SP2; 1.6GHz Intel Atom; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 400MHz; 128MB Mobile Intel 945 Express; 12GB Phison Solid-State Drive.

Asus Eee PC 900
Windows XP Home Edition SP2; 900MHz Intel Celeron Ultra Low Voltage M353; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 400MHz; 64MB Mobile Intel 915GMS Express; 12GB Phison Solid-State Drive.

Asus Eee PC 701
Windows XP Home Edition SP2; 900MHz Intel Celeron Ultra Low Voltage M353; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 400MHz; 128MB Mobile Intel 915GMS Express; 4GB SiliconMotion SM223A Solid-State Drive.

HP 2133 Mini-Note
Windows Vista Business Edition; 1.6GHz VIA C7-M Ultra Low Voltage; 2048MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; --MB VIA/SG3 UniChrome Pro II IGP; 120GB Seagate 7,200rpm.