I used the EEE 701 for a year after it came out, however eventually got tired of trying to run programs that seemed like they should but never did. Eventually sold mine on eBay and got a Fujitsu Lifebook tablet instead. The netbook isn't for everyone.

I agree with Paul Brown's comment. What I love about my EeePC 901 is that it can easily go everywhere with me. Put in a bigger screen and bigger keyboard and I'd be able to browse better and type faster, but it would stay home more, thus being less useful. Move to a power hungry and vulnerable Windows from Linux, and lose much of the early appeal...become just another Windows box vendor.

The whole thing that makes the netbook so great is the small form facter, i noticed how much bigger the asus 904 is compared to the asus 900 when i was in staples . any thing bigger and you might as well buy a laptop the whole reason i bought mine was because of the small size I am so glad i installed mandriva 2009 on mine instead of the awful xandros why asus dont put mandriva 2009 on he linux version i dont know .

If it's Windows you can put the taskbar on the side of the screen instead of the bottom.

I use touchscreens: a desktop PC with Fitaly slide-keyboard software nailed to a right-side taskbar by means of a tool called AutoHotkey, and a Samsung Q1 7 inch 800x480 running Windows Tablet Edition, held portrait (480x800!), with Fitaly parked on the default input and speech panel which I don't use as much as I expected. I use Opera's zoom and fit-to-width a lot, and I want the Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium which has more power and 1024x600 touchscreen, but it hasn't come out in the UK. I may buy a Dell Tablet PC instead which is 12 inches, but pricey.

The point of the netbook is ultra-mobile net access, I thought. More of these should have HSDPA fitted internally if they're using that, not a dongle sticking out of a USB ready to break off. However, I have an HSDPA pill on a longish USB 2 lead so that I can put it on the windowsill for a better signal while working.

To me 7 and 9 inch netbooks are really just a fad that is starting to dissapear. The way I see it, Asus really just paved the way for 'reasonable' priced 10 & 12 in. notebooks which is where i see the market resting for a while.

Unfortunately for those that actually found the 7 & 9 in. models useful the entire market seems to be 'getting over' tiny notebooks and wanting something they can use properly! Then again, maybe Asus' sales results are because Acer stole all their sales for 8.9" netbooks :)

I Think the Acer one 10" and Lenovo 12" models will be killer.

Hugs his EeePc 901 :D

I also love my Acer 150 for the excellent price of £200 - so much that I bought 2 more for wife & brother when ASDA had them for £150!

Now when I look at the prices of other "netbooks" at £300 or even more that is just too much for me; same hardware, just bigger screen - sometimes just 3-cell battery.

How many people want 1080p playback and gaming graphics with nVidia Ion? How much is that going to cost, £400?

As for Sony Vaio-P, let's hope there are enough rich people in the World...

I had a 10" eee pc for a couple months but I couldn't handle the 1024x600 screen, it's too small vertically. Even hiding toolbars and the taskbar you just can't fit everything in. They seriously need to use 1024x768 or 1280x800, I know it's not meant to be a full notebook, but it's barely useable with 1024x600.

I like the 8.9" form factor better but preferred the 10" keyboard... 8.9 was just a little too small for me.

Remember people when Asus first came out with the netbook many industry pundits said this is bullsh*t we can't make any money on these. Each increase in size adds $100 to the price and all they have done is added $5 lcd material and $5in plastic. Its all about markup and profit.

I already grabbed my 8.9 model with the 160Gb HD, works great even with AVG running in the background. The sleep mode when closing the lid has no issues at all.
They could make the 10" one, barley over one inch larger screen than the 8.9" smaller by reducing the wasted space and smaller keyboard. The edge size around the 10" screen is large to make up for the larger keyboard they are using. I would pay extra if Apple would make a netbook as long as it had a user replaceable battery. I know, I want too much.

I am one of those who are particular about the size. So far only EEEPC 900 fit my requirements (must be at least 1024x768 and compact). Even EEEPC 901 is too big.

Acer is coming out with a 10" not-a-netbook netbook as well.

http://www.aspireoneuser.com/2009/02/10/acer-aspire-one-10-inch-review/

There goes the neighborhood. :/

Cheers,
John

Like others I just don't get it, I can't be alone in wanting a netbook that is cheap and portable. 8.9" is a great size that fits in a small bag, go bigger and I may as well just lug a notebook around.
Surely people who want a "real" netbook are not that small a minority?

As I read down, it says "Lenovo may extend netbook screen to 12 inches".

Wait, wasn't the point of netbooks not to be bulky and full-functioning? A simple device with an internet browser and maybe notepad will do the trick, that's all. Oh, and minesweeper.

I'm with AJ. The USP of the "netbook" line is that they're cheap subnotebooks. Stop making them cheap and you end up in the preexisting subnotebook market (with people complaining that they're awfully expensive for a netbook) - see recent the Vaio P or Lifebook reviews. Stop making them small and you end up with just another budget laptop that's too big to leave in a bag "just in case", and I'd been using a second-hand subnotebook for years rather than buying one of those.

Netbooks appeal to a niche - and might be selling well now because that niche has so far only been filled by eBay. Yes, a lot of people who want a netbook might want a bigger screen - but there are plenty of other cheap laptops out there too. The netbook boom will disappear the moment manufacturers stop making devices that are distinctively netbooks, no matter how every smallish or cheaping laptop may be shoe-horned onto the bandwagon.

The cynic in me wants to suggest that Asus just want to re-use the cheap parts from their other laptops which wouldn't fit in a smaller device.

I had some doubts as I walked out of the t-mobile shop yesterday with my brand new Compaq 701 HSDPA-flavour in a bag.

After 2 hrs working on it and setting up the thing all doubts melted; 10.2", or rather 1024x600, is just right and I recon 95% of all other 2009 netbook sales should account for it.

Dunno if there are 8.9"inchers with 1024x600 though, the former red team just sells this one and its okay (tm)

Asus lost the plot long ago, so I wouldn't take their decisions as any kind of barometer. Not to say all their current models are bad, but any realignment of their range is due to their screw-ups in saturating the market with such a huge range of indistinguishable machines. If they'd had a definitive 7", 8.9" and 10" machine (and updated them as they went), rather than half a dozen of each, they wouldn't be having to do this.

Acer are reportedly refreshing their 8.9" Aspire One rather than withdrawing it, and hopefully that will be a minimal change - the original Aspire One wasn't the top seller for no reason. Small and cheap: two of the essentials for a small cheap computer.

WHYYYYYYY DAMNIT WHHHYYYYYYY!!!

10inch? those things are huge, the only thing i didnt like (well, only major thing at the time) was that the screen could have been bigger, and they did improve on just that major point (again, at the time) with the 8.9", which was perfect.

Same size as the 7" but with a bigger screen, we dont need a massive netbook like that? What is wrong with people, why buy a humongous thing like that, if you want a cheap notebook pick up an old Dell online or an Acer from your local shop for 250 quid.

Im pissed now, was so happy with my eee 901, so im guessing there wont be a replacement?