The layout of the keys is acceptable but the position of the right shift key is very awkward. This allows only users with very slim fingers to use the 10-finger system and this only after some training time. The keys have a stroke surface of 12x12 mm and the special characters even only 10x12 mm.
XP EMBEDDED EEE PC PC
The Asus Eee PC 901 takes the very small keyboard of the Eee 900 and 701 and therefore struggles furthermore with handling problems. The dominate display hinge was a bit stiff (both hands were required for opening) in our test device but made no disturbing noises. Thanks to the compact design, no creaking noises were noticed, either. The plastic case makes a very stable impression and barely twists itself in the test. The form of the base unit was also revised by Asus and seems to be a bit rounder. The power switch has moved from the hinge area into a silver bar above the keyboard. The touchpad is edged with an aluminum border, too and is no longer as recessed as it was in the 900 model. The wedge shaped case of the Eee PC901 is dominated by the battery/hinge combination with aluminum end. The WLAN card is compatible with the Draft-n standard and Asus treated the small subnotebook to a Bluetooth 2.0, as well. In addition, the small netbook received new wireless communication techniques. Besides the new CPU, the design has also been turned inside out and updated. With the Eee PC 901 Asus introduces the Intel Atom based successor of the Eee PC 900.