Asus Eee PC S101 review

The Eee PC started a revolution in low-cost laptops.

It began life last year as an innovative but flawed 7 inch system with too many compromises, but has evolved into several bigger and better machines such as the 1000H. And these in turn have faced competition from increasing numbers of rivals.

Not content with adapting and surviving, the Eee PC has now produced a mutant offspring that challenges Asus' own classification of a netbook. Even from a distance, this new model is different. Instead of the Eee PC's familiar off-white finish, or the shiny black of other netbooks, the S101 comes in a glossy mocha. (You can also get it in graphite grey.) It may not be to everyone's taste, especially those in possession of a Y chromosome, but it certainly has a more luxurious feel.

That new finish has a hint of glitter, set off, when you open the lid, by a metallic wrist rest. There's even a pair of Swarovski crystals thrown in, one at each end of the central hinge. Fortunately, the comprehensive exterior changes haven't robbed the Eee PC of its impressive ergonomics. The keyboard still uses virtually all the space available, and it's not far off full size. This means it's almost as comfortable to use as a proper laptop keyboard, and it doesn't take long to adjust.

The trackpad is comfortable and responsive, too, and slightly larger than those on other netbooks, such as the original Eee PC or the MSI Wind - a small change that makes a big difference. The mouse button is a single large rocker, with the left and right-hand sides clickable, and we found it satisfyingly light and easy to use.

Around the chassis is the usual selection of ports and sockets. Three USBs, a VGA output, an SDHC memory card reader and headphone and microphone jacks are standard fare for a netbook these days, so it's slightly disappointing that Asus hasn't managed to cram more into its 'luxe' model.

Blonde moment

Also disappointing is the specification, which remains virtually unchanged. That means an Intel Atom N270 processor with a single core running at 1.6GHz, a mean 1GB of RAM, and Intel's integrated GMA 950 graphics. The S101 managed 47% in our application benchmarks, slightly faster than other netbooks but still in the 'barely adequate' bracket. It's OK for basic work programs, but try more demanding applications and you'll struggle.

The battery hasn't changed, and it's a strong point. In our light use test it lasted almost five hours, dropping to just over three with more to tax it. You could pay many times this amount for a laptop and get less time between charges.

The only really significant change in this 'new' Eee comes in the form of storage. While previous incarnations included an 80GB hard disk, this one comes with a 16GB solid state drive (SSD), basically a big memory card. To finesse Microsoft's labyrinthine licensing, the Windows XP version also has a separate 16GB SD card, for a total of 32GB. If you buy the S101 with the Linux operating system instead, you get 32GB on the SSD.

Some other netbooks have risked eroding the price gap that separates these relatively limited machines from full blown laptops. At typical prices of under £300, you're saving at least a little bit of money in return for putting up with low performance. But Asus is asking £450 for the S101. For that money, we'd expect it to be studded with diamonds, not Swarovski crystals. It simply isn't worth paying this much unless you're determined to have the most stylish netbook on the train.