Asus Eee S101 notebook computer

Having started the mini-notebook trend with its Eee PC products, Asus has decided to take things a step further with the S101, a relatively pricey mini-notebook but one that has the characteristics of its full-sized cousins.

The S101 is something of a Kylie Minogue of mini-notebooks. It’s sleek and small, weighing 1kg and with a height of just under 2cm, and even comes complete with a glittery casing and keyboard. Like one of Kylie’s concert tickets it also has a high price tag. The price for such a special computer is £449, which is almost twice as much as the cheapest of its similarly sized competitors.

In its defence, the S101’s looks aren’t the only thing going for it. For instance, there’s the 30GB of internet disk space that Asus is calling Eee Storage. This lets users store any files online instead of on the computer, meaning they can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection – through an icon on the S101’s desktop they appear as normal files, which is handy.

For its on-board storage there is a solid state disk (SSD) with a capacity of 16GB and which should, in theory, be less susceptible to knocks and shocks. While that’s true in general we didn’t put its shock-proofing to the test as the thought of throwing such a glitzy notebook around seemed somehow profligate in the face of the credit crunch. There is also a memory card reader and 1GB of memory to complement the Intel Atom N270 processor.

The S101 has a 10in screen, which because it has an anti-glare coating, unlike the screens of many larger notebooks, didn’t suffer from reflection in bright light. It was so clear and sharp that after a while of use we forgot it was so small.

The keyboard also did far more than look good: with the nicely spaced keys and springy touch we were able to type without hitting the wrong keys and if you’re a woman you’ll find that your fingernails won’t get caught in between keys. Although this may seem like a small consideration, from its look and size it seems clear Asus is targeting women with the S101. Despite its size the trackpad was also easy to use.

In addition to the Windows XP operating system the computer comes with Microsoft Works for word processing and spreadsheets, and it can connect to Bluetooth and wireless network connections as well as having three USB ports for other expansion.

The Asus Eee S101 has better features and is more glamorous than its cousins. Add to that a nearly full-sized keyboard and the clear screen and you could almost be tricked into believing that this was a standard-sized laptop – only the lack of a DVD drive gives it away.

Although it’s considerably more expensive than its rivals the Eee S101 is an impressive computer for the money.