Asus intros 30GB Eee PC 900

Asus has introduced yet another Eee PC model. This time, the company is offering an Eee PC 900 with a 30GB hard drive. Older Eee PC 900 models come with 12GB or 20GB solid state disks. The new units are only showing up on the Asus China page at the moment. It looks like you can get a 30GB model with Linux or Windows XP, for the equivalent of about $499 or $513 respectively.

Now, I’m all for giving customers more choices. But I’m starting to get tired of the way Asus is introducing new models.When most computer makers introduce a new machine, they take one of two routes. They might offer a computer with one or two sets of specs and let you place your order in peace. Or they offer you the ability to customize your order by choosing from a list of hard drive, RAM, processor, and accessory options. And then there’s Asus.

Asus has been releasing Eee PC models like there’s no tomorrow. Sometimes the changes are big, and the new model gets a whole new name. The Eee PC 901 has a different processor and memory configuration than the Eee PC 900, but the same screen size. The Eee PC 1000 has a larger screen. And so on.

But the company also keeps releasing different versions of existing models. So you can order an Eee PC 900 with 12GB of storage and Windows XP, or 20GB of storage and Linux. But you can’t mix and match. There’s no way to order a 20GB model with Windows XP, because Asus doesn’t offer that. If Asus is going to keep introducing a new model every week, I wish the company would just let you customize the computer of your dreams online the way that Dell, HP, and other manufacturers do.

[via jkkmobile]


Posted on Thursday, July 17th, 2008, 9:46 am by Brad Linder
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  • Travis
    I think you mean to say that there isn't any way to order a 20 gig version with XP. The 20 gig version currently ONLY comes in Linux. But I get your point. :)
  • artrafael
    Also, the equivalent USD prices stated in the first paragraph are reversed. The Linux version should be $499 and the XP version should be $513.

    But note that this chart doesn't list the 16G model that was quietly rolled out last week. Perhaps Asus is now making region-specific models? 16G in U.S. (is this available anywhere else?) and 30G HDD in China?
  • Thanks guys. Someone remind me not to write a post when I'm running out the
    door in the morning and don't have time to proof read!
  • davidmarquardt
    Asus can't do what HP and Dell do with customization because they don't sell directly. To allow customization would require a new web interface, as well as some management and customer service that is not presently in place. (This focus on the buyer as a consumer rather than a user is a big reason why Dell has often managed to be such a successful ripoff.)

    What we like about Asus is that once you get your computer, there is a lack of BS. The BS is lacking because Asus is focused on products, not service or protocol. I think that we need to forgive their myopia because they give us no nonsense hardware and rather lucid internet support.

    If what you want is a few options that you don't have to think about Mac is perfect for you.
  • paudio
    The confusion actually started earlier. Remember that there is a difference between eee PC surf 4GB white and black when it comes to memory door? The black has it, but (some of) white don't. Only Asus would make such variation.
  • LukeRazor
    What gets me is the fact that they keep announcing new models when all I want to do do is buy a 901 linux :(

    They should spend less time making media releases more time making machines
  • DougC3
    When ASUS first paired XP and Linux models at the same price but with different sized SSDs, I thought they might have made a deal with Microsoft to prevent Linux models from looking cheaper than XP models. (Novices might not notice the slight difference in SSD sizes.) This would result in more sales of XP models.

    Whether there was a deal or not, this refusal to allow sale of XP versions with cards as large as Linux versions may have been the start of the screwy model array.

    I think there's something to be said in favor of getting your model ducks in a row before driving them to market ;)

    Doug
  • GunnarEEE
    They are making serious mistakes letting the form factor grow. The 900 was just right in dimension. Now things are getting out of control with bigger and bigger models until the whole point with them are gone. The challenge should instead be to shave off yet more millimetres here and there while offering lower power CPU's, faster IO and less weight. People would stand in mile long queues just to get their hands on one.
    Now instead they seemingly without strategy release models less interesting than its predecessor.
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