First look at ASUS Eee PC

ASUS held the media launch for their mini-laptop, the Eee PC yesterday, which was the first chance Aussie journalists have had to get their hands on it.

My first impression was that it looks much smaller than I’d expected, even being aware of its 7″ screen size and sub 1kg weight. I included this picture to try to give you an idea of the size.

 I’m expecting to get a review unit later this week, but here are some facts and observations I gleaned from a quick play with the unit:

• The OS is a simplified version of the Xandros Linux distro
• It’s running Open Office with 40 built-in apps ranging from Firefox to Skype
• The Media Player can play DivX and .avi files
• 15 second boot time, 5 second shutdown
• Onsale date is 1 December from Myer Sydney, or 2 December from Myer nationally – but if you want the black version, you shouldn’t have to wait too long.
• battery time is quoted at up to 5 hours
• it’s aimed at kids but its size makes it a worthwhile contender for a laptop replacement – the keyboard is small for a laptop, but huge for a PDA. :)