The Eee PC has revolutionised portable computing and ASUS have scorched the road ahead with more innovation than many other companies. So, as the latest models saunter onto the scene, I thought it was a good time to look back over the history of this, ahem, historic device.
It’s hard to believe that the Eee PC has been with us since 2007. As we sit here, a mere three years later, this extraordinary device has undergone several incarnations and adaptations, and continues to throw new and exciting alternatives the consumer’s way.
It was in late 2007 that the Eee 700 series were announced. These tiny netbooks boasted an extraordinary low price point (at the time they were around £219), a Linux operating system, a solid state drive and a weight under 1kg. They were stonking good value for money and the world fell in love.
The two models that were announced at Computex 2007 were the Eee PC 701 and the Eee PC 1001. ASUS took the idea brought into being by the XO Laptop (a feat of engineering in and of itself) and turned it into a commercial success.
Soon every laptop manufacturer was rushing to catch up with ASUS and by 2009 there were 33.3 million netbooks sold globally with the sector achieving a 72 percent growth in sales. This remains one of the few sectors to continue to show steady growth as others either decline or remain relatively static.
In April 2008, the Eee 900 series was officially launched in Hong Kong for around £330. The first were released with Linux, shortly followed by the Windows XP versions in June. These models were slightly larger than their 700 cousins, and they weighed in at a little over 1kg. They still sat at an excellent price point with superb features and fantastically portable.
People were starting to wonder how they coped before the advent of the netbook. Gone were the days of heavy bags that you staggered with from train to train. Instead your computing (either on the train or in the clouds) was small enough to fit into your handbag/briefcase without any noticeable effect on the weight. It was pure pleasure.
2008 was a busy year for ASUS as they unveiled the 901 that boasted 20GB SSD storage for Linux fans and plenty of space for the Windows version too. The out came the 904 and the 900A and soon it was time for the Eee 1000 series. These arrived in June of that year and had larger keyboards, more features and a bit more weight. While still nowhere near as heavy as standard laptops, these were more of a middle ground between the ultimate netbook portability of the 700 series and the standard laptop.
2009 saw the 10 inch 1008HA Seashell Eee PC, along with sister 1005HA-P, an extremely sleek and sexy machine that offered up a camera, a four hour battery life, a N280 processor and a removable battery. The Seashell was gorgeous, and took the Eee PC from functional neatness into petite prettiness. It was the Eee that anyone with style wanted to own.
2010 has seen the Eee explode into the market. The Seashell 1008P was turned into the ultimate fashion accessory by Karim Rashid who developed a truly slick and stylish design in two colours – chocolate and pink.
Add to this the Eee PC 1018P that was announced at Computex this year, the huge range of Eee extras such as the Eee Tablet, Eee Pad and Eee Touch, and the fact that there are now so many different Eee designs, styles and shapes to choose from, anyone can find their perfect Eee PC.
It looks like this phenomenon is only just getting started.