Funny name, cool computer.

You might have heard me give my not-so-hot take on the Wal-Mart sub-$200 PC, but the Eee PC is much, much better.

Let me list some good reasons why I dig this itty bitty laptop.

1. No optical drive whatsoever

I was waiting for a company to send the optical drive (that being the CD/DVD drive) to the wolves – and Asus did it. This laptop hasn’t an optical drive to be found. This is not a bad thing because optical needs to go.

And don’t worry, you can hook one up via USB if you really need one for whatever reason.

2. Itty bitty – yet usable

This is a 7-inch design, shock-proof and solid state. Win, win and win again. Yes it has wireless. It comes bundled with Linux, but for those stuck on Windows it will run Windows XP. However you’d be hard pressed not to stick with the Linux already on it because it comes bundled with just about any app you could ever need.

The deal with portable computers is that PDA’s are too small and current "compact" laptops are too large. This one fits snugly right in the middle between those two. Everything you need and nothing you don’t.

3. Cheap

The Eee PC has had reported wild price shifts. However it’s for sale right now for $400 at NewEgg.

$400 for a brand new laptop? Cheap.

4. Only 2 pounds!

You want light? That’s light.

5. Easy by design

The OS bundled is meant to be easy-to-use. For you Linux guys out that that require the terminal – don’t worry you can get to it easily.

. . .

Now I’ll list the not-so-good points.

1. 800×480 native resolution

Many web sites are designed for 1024×768 minimum resolution which exceeds this laptop’s native res. The Eee PC is an 800×480 widescreen.

2. 4GB solid state disk

The "hard drive" in this laptop is only 4GB’s. That’s it.

3. It’s white.

There are other colors coming soon – but for right now all you can get is white.

4. No Wireless N.

It’s got 802.11 b and g. The n will probably be on the way in the next model after this one, however g should be fine for most people.

. . .

I’m seriously considering picking one of these up. Small, ultra-light, very affordable, 100% cool.

Hopefully they’ll make one in black.

Check out NewEgg’s listing for yourself.

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