BiggEee’r?
More interesting Eee news from the rumor mill. Digitimes is reported the following tidbit, which they culled from unnamed Asustek channel sources
The Eee PC 904 and 905 will adopt Atom processors and the major difference between the two and the previous 901 model is that they feature a bigger keyboard. Asustek is still evaluating whether to make changes to the two models’ battery and storage capacity.
In addition Digitimes is saying that the rumored 904 and 905 will have similar price points to the 900/901 which would put it in the $550-650 US range. Asus has not decided yet if they will then EOL the 900/901 in favor of their chunkier new additions, or keep the models and drop their prices. The latter would make a lot of sense to me, since dropping a 900/901 to $399/499 would ease a lot of the pricing problems the new Eees are facing and likely move an awful lot of new Eees.
If this is a pricing gambit, it is brilliant….but I am not sure that it is.
If it is a way to deal with the complaints of cramped keyboards, I think it is wrong headed. The 10 inch chassis is getting too big to be classed as an UMPC, keyboard or no. Keeping the 8.9 screen would help on power consumption, and price, but not a lot else. Asus would be better off, imho, dealing with the cramped keyboard issue by redesigning and improving the keyboard itself, not just making it larger in a larger chassis.
Hopefully Asus will keep the 900 and 901 in the marketplace as is at reduced prices, showing intelligence, nerve and considerable gamesmanship in a rapidly crowded field. If they lose them in favor of the larger 904 and 905, then they will be continuing down the wrong path.
Also in Eee news, Kamal over at GadgetMix just posted a nice little how to for making the most of your Eee, aimed at new or inexperienced users. He gives some excellent tips, especially about installing the irreplaceable AsTray+. Definetly worth a look.
Written by Zealot · Filed Under General
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It’s becoming obvious that Asus, the company that launched the subnotebook into the limelight, came out with the Eee PC by sheer luck, not a flash of brilliance. Its management can’t have the least idea why this device is so popular because they have done everything that can to muck it up.
The original Eee PC was such a success because it combined easy portability with a low price. All Asus’ follow-up models have been larger and heavier than their predecessors, and noticeably pricier, too.
This product line is rapidly leaving the subnotebook category behind, and simply becoming yet another collection notebooks.
I’m hoping that some of Asus’ competitors will learn the lesson it never did. Both Dell and Acer are supposed to be coming out with inexpensive sub-notebooks; let’s hope they can successfully take up the torch the Eee PC has dropped.
They have lost all track of the four key traits they put into the Eee which made it succeed; Low cost, ease of use, small size and sweet/sexy form factor.
Asus created the space, perhaps it is up to someone else to continue it. They still have a chance, especially if they at least get the price factor under control, but it is fading.
Perhaps we need to look to Dell. The UMPC form seem ideal for their style and market position.
Z
I think the size of the Eee was the reason it was a hit. Making it larger and slightly more expensive I think is a mistake. At those prices, it’s very tempting just to pay slightly more and get a bigger laptop. History also hasn’t been too kind to laptop of that size. There were tablet pc’s at that size that didn’t sell too well. Didn’t sony also have a laptop at that size a while back?