The Asus Eee PC904HD (catchy name, that)

A good ten years ago, the Netbook was a lovely idea. A cheap, simple notebook that allowed you to browse the internet, get some basic productivity tasks done and play a few simple games, the Netbook product category really started with the Asus Eee PC 701, a Linux powered device with a tiny seven inch screen and a suitable keyboard to go with it. It's main selling point, apart from the basic functionality was the price, under £200 in 2008 prices. That model proved quite popular initially with consumers but there were issues with the lack of consumer familiarity with Linux and returns to shops were apparently quite high. Noting this, Asus introduced a larger model, powered by Windows Xp, the Asus Eee PC904HD (catchy name, that), the machine I am typing this post on now.

My personal machine is over 10 years old now and apart from a replacement battery pack, the hardware has held up rather well over the years. Of course, I don't have Win XP on here anymore, but I'll cover that later on.

The Ausu Eee PC904HD (catchy name, that) plus Ubuntu.

Netbooks don't exist as a hardware category anymore due to the rise of the ubiquitous tablet, specifically, the Apple iPad. You see, the netbooks of old started to get bigger, to bring more power and functionality to the type. However, that increase in size negated the very reason for their existence. The prices went up, more powerful laptops became smaller and the tablet market took care of the content consumption market. Over time, the limitations of the type gradually killed them. That and the introduction by Google of the Chromebook. This did the job of the Netbook in a similar sized package, without the Windows operating system tax and without the need for better hardware to run said Windows.

That's not to say the Netbook was a bad idea, just one that was overtaken by technology and marketing. It is but a mere footnote in the history of personal computing though given the prices they still fetch on e-Bay and other sales sites, I am not the only person still using one.

The Asus Eee PC904HD (catchy name, that) was released to the public in 2008 and not only added Win XP to the type but also an 8.9 inch 1024x600 screen, a bit too grainy for truly comfortable viewing but good enough to do the job. An Intel Celeron processor running at 900MHz, 1GB of RAM and an 80GB hard disk make up the rest of the main spec. Not exactly a powerhouse at the time but enough to get you a decent, if basic Windows experience. No optical drive was included (the chassis is too small), but you could easily add one via one of the three USB ports, nestled alongside the Ethernet and VGA ports as well as an SD card slot. An optical drive would have missed the point of the Netbook anyway – it was designed for connected use at all times and the thought process around that was carried on with Google's Chromebooks.

A workable screen, nothing more.

Priced at about £250 at the time, I bought mine as part of a 3G broadband dongle package on the Orange mobile phone network. The price per month wasn't extortionate, certainly not by the current monthly packages being advertised for modern day mobile phones, and I don't think it was bad value considering the hardware itself is still running.

Now the device itself is quite chunky, a sign of its age and the change in fashion in laptop computers. The bulk, however, is reassuring in that whilst the shell is plastic, it still feels quite sturdy and has, over the years, survived may journeys in rucksacks. It also has quite a decent sized battery that in Win XP territory, gives about 3 to 3.5 hours. Under the current OS (and the replacement battery), that's about 2.5 hours which is... OK. Compared to modern day devices, that's less than half of anything outside of a gaming laptop but it suffices for use for me. Even though the Asus is over an inch thick and chunky to boot, it has a certain charm that current hardware lacks, at least in my view.

The keyboard is reasonably sized and takes up the full width available. Much better than most hunt and peck keyboards, the keys have a decent amount of travel and feedback and there is a soft click upon each key press - nothing overly obtrusive at all. Overall, it is far superior to most Chromebook/tablet keyboards I have used through the years and even gives the Alphasmart a run for its money – though that one is a tad bigger but clackier and a bit more loose with the key tops. The trackpad is a bit too small and for those with largish hands, I'd recommend a USB mouse wherever possible. It must also be noted that the wrist rest gets a little bit warm on the right hand side but nothing too bad.

It's decent...

and not too much smaller than the Alphasmart.

After about 2014, I got a little bit bored with the chugging of XP and decided to replace it with Ubuntu 11.10, the then most suitable stable release for the spec of the machine. Performance wise, it was a breath of fresh air and the user interface is very easy to follow even if Windows was the only OS you had used up to that point. Some of you might think it is a bit reckless still running such an old version of Ubuntu, but this machine is kept off networks and the only file transfer occurs via USB or SD card and whenever that happens, full scans are undertaken.

So why still use it?

Well, the hardware still works, and I have never been rich enough (or reckless enough) to replace hardware on a willy-nilly basis. I still like the format of the device, the keyboard is good, the additional screen area over the Alphasmart comes in handy sometimes plus it feels rather rugged. The Alphasmart's unprotected screen and keyboard do give rise to some cause for concern, even with the rucksack I use. Ok, the Asus is thicker and a bit heavier but not by much and the footprint of the Asus whilst closed is smaller. Even with the additional bulk of the charger, it doesn't take up that much more room.

The modern day market has no room for the Netbook. The Chromebook has taken over the budget (and not so budget) basic laptop niche, especially if you want a bit more of flowing user experience, the lower priced Windows laptops (sometimes marketed as Cloudbooks) simply don't have the oomph to run Windows 10 smoothly under anything other than basic use. Tablets are now the go to consumption device and given the number of add-on “pencils” and keyboards, seem to be making a grab at content creation too. Saying that, no device I have tried in either category gives me a keyboard I like and typing is the main use for such a device for me. Indeed, the seemingly ever present need to make laptops thinner means, for the foreseeable future, shallow travel keyboards will keep me from any kind of new hardware – especially, but not uniquely, Apple laptops. For me, despite it's shortcomings, the Asus Eee PC904HD (still a catchy name, that), continues to fill in a gap that modern hardware doesn't. Combined with the Alphasmart (and NC100), this hardware combination gives me multiple choices for what I need.