Buying guide: how to buy a low-cost subnotebook - Asus EeePC, Everex Cloudbook, or HP Mini-Note 2133?
By John Pospisil
Not long ago I was looking to buy a subnotebook computer, and there really wasn’t much of a choice unless I willing to spend at least a couple of thousand dollars. Then, with the arrival of the sub $500 Asus EeePC, the game changed completely.
I bought an EeePC as soon as I saw it in my local office supplies store, and I have to say, it’s one of the most useful and clever IT products I’ve ever purchased. That was just a few months ago, and now a number of companies - including Everex and HP - have jumped onto the low-cost subnotebook bandwagon. There’s also a new EeePC, the 900, coming out, in May. So how do you decide on which model is right for you? Following are the key features to look for. There’s also a table at the bottom of this post where you can compared the key features of the Everex Cloudbook, Everex Cloudbook Max, Asus EeePC, Asus EeePC 900 and HP Mini 2133.
Screen size: These low cost subnotebooks feature screen sizes of 7″ or 8.9″. Obviously this is smaller than the standard 15″ notebook screen, but the point of a subnotebook is maximum portability. I’ve had no problems working with a 7″ screen when I’m out and about, though the small screen size does make working on large spreadsheets a little problematic. As long as you have realistic expectations, you won’t have a problem, ie don’t expect to use one of these subnotebook computers as your main computer.
Keyboard: If you’re going to be doing a lot of typing, make a point of trying out the keyboard of the model you intend purchasing, before you buy it. If you have large fingers you may have problems with some of the keyboards (the EeePC’s keyboard is 83% of normal size). As someone who’s managed to use a Jornada 680, I had no problem adjusting to the keyboard of the EeePC, but I can imagine that others might have problems.
Operating system: In order to minimise costs, and maximise features, some models come with loaded Linux. For me this has been fine. I’ve never used Linux, and never been a particular fan, but in the case of the EeePC, I’ve had no problems adjusting to the graphic user interface, and I’ve found the accompanying office suite, Open Office, to be excellent. However, if you have a particular platform-specific piece of software you want to run, you’ll obviously need to go for a model with an appropriate operating system installed (you don’t want the hassle of installing a different operating system, trust me, though it can be done).
Processor and memory: We’re talking about low-cost computers, so there do have to be compromises somewhere. Compared to regular notebooks, these low-cost subnotebooks feature slower processes and less memory. Again, it comes down to expectations. These machines are designed for maximum portability at a low or reasonable price, so you can’t really expect them to run the latest games and processing intensive 3D rendering packages. Having said all that, my relatively low power EeePC has no problems playing back video files and accessing online multimedia content.
Storage: The EeePC is most challenged when it comes to storage, with the cheapest model coming with just 2GB of flash storage. If you’re needing to store a lot of data, obviously 2GB is rather restrictive, though with the use of USB memory, it’s not such a problem (for example you can easily play video files from a USB memory stick). Still, if you do need to carry a lot of data around with you, you’re going to be better off with a model that comes with more storage.
Battery time: Since the whole point of these products is to provide portability, how long the battery lasts between recharges is crucial, especially if you’re planning to use the
Here’s an overview of the key specifications of the key low-cost subnotebooks currently available or proposed:
| Computer | Everex Cloudbook Out |
Everex Cloudbook Max due Q1-2 2009 |
ASUS EeePC Out |
ASUS EeePC 900 Out Q2-3 2008 |
HP 2133 Mini-note Out soon |
| Processor | VIA C7-M | VIA C7-M | Intel Pentium M | VIA C7 Q2 Intel Pentium M Q3 |
VIA C7-M |
| Speed | 1.2 Ghz | 1.6 GHz | 900MHz | ? | 1.6 GHz |
| WiFi | 802.11b/g | 802.11b/g WIMAX 802.16e on Sprint Xohm |
802.11b/g | 802.11b/g WIMAX,HSDPA |
802.11a/g |
| RAM | 512 Mb | 1G-2G | 512Mb-1G | 1G-? | 512Mb-2G |
| Screen Size | 7″ | 8.9″WVGA | 7″ | 8.9″ Touch | 8.9″WXGA |
| Screen Resolution | 800 x 480 | 1024 X 600 | 800 X 480 | 1024 X 600 | 1280 X 768 |
| Storage Options | 30G HDD | 80G HDD | 2-8G Flash Drive | 8 GB SSD XP 12 or 20GSSD LINUX |
120-160G 7,000rpm HDD 4G SSD (Linux Only) 64G SSD |
| Keyboard | Full | Full | 83% | ? | 92% |
| Ports | 1 Ethernet 1 DVI-I 2 USB 2.0 4 in 1 Media Reader 1 Headphone 1Mic |
1 Ethernet 1 D subport 3 USB 2.0 4 in 1 Media Reader 1 Headphone 1 Mic 1 S-Video |
1 Ethernet 3 USB 2.0 SD and MS reader 1 Headphone 1 Mic 1 56K modem 1 VGA |
1 Ethernet 2 USB 2.0 1 SD card reader Express Card 1 Headphone 1 Mic VGA |
|
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes | optional | ||
| GPS | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Webcam | 1.3 MP | dual 2MP webcam | webcam in 4-8G PCs | webcam | optional 1.3 MP webcam |
| Operating Systems Offered | gOS Rocket | Windows Vista Home | LINUX Windows XP | LINUX Xandros Windows | Windows Vista Home or Business, LINUX SUSE, Windows XP |
| Other Software included | Mozilla Firefox, gMail, Meebo, Skype, Wikipedia, GIMP, Blogger, YouTube, Xing Movie Player, RythemBox, Faqly, Facebook and OpenOffice.org 2.3 (includes WRITER, IMPRESS, DRAW, CALC, BASE) | Mozilla Firefox, Open Office (except Draw), plus software for video and music playback, children’s games, Skype | Windows Office 2007 (trial) | ||
| Battery size | 4 cell | 4 cell | 4 cell | 3 cell or 6 cell | |
| Battery Life | 5 hours | 4 hours | 3-3.5 hours | 2 hours or 4 hours | |
| Weight | 2 lb | 2.2 lb | 2.2 lb | 2.8 lb or 3.2 lb | |
| Price | $399 | $ ? | $199-$299 | $499-$750 |
The bottom line is that you need to ask yourself is “what do I want to use this subnotebook for?”
As you can see from the table, there’s a continuum where the more you spend, the more you get. For me, a low-cost EeePC was just right, but if you need more by way of features and performance, there are more expensive models available, which are still well under $1000.
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