Asus EeeBook X205 review

Remember the Eee PC? The little laptops that they called netbooks that were once a rage? I had have one too - the Asus Eee PC 1000H. The little hardy thing survived many a fall and even after seven years boots up fast whenever I need it as a backup.Budget laptops are ruling laptop volume sales at the moment, thanks to Chromebook, and that's been enough to make Asus take note. The company's new EeeBook X205 is a reimagination of the 2007 Eee PC in a refreshed format, some seven years on. If you're not looking for a Chrome OS setup then is the X205 the perfect Windows alternative?Hi everyone, Mike here and in this video we’re going to talk about the Asus EeeBook X205TA / X205asus ap22 t101mt, which is a brand new compact laptop selling for only $199.

The original netbooks promised basic computing at a budget price. It was a promise worth making, in the pre-touchscreen-smartphone age, when Internet usage was growing and many couldn't afford a full-fledged laptop or even had a need for much of its power or features.Maybe it is. We got to play with the new EeeBook at the IFA trade show in Berlin and although the budget format isn't enough to blow us away, if you're after something cheap and cheerful then the X205 ticks plenty of boxes.First off, this is a Windows 8 machine, albeit one minus a touchscreen so much of the tile-based Start menu is lost in use. At least it'll keep that 11.6-inch, 1366 x 768 pixel resolution panel free from fingerprints though.Even though netbooks were not recommended as a primary PC, I found myself using the little Intel Atom-powered device to also edit small videos. Not the best device to do that, but it, with some effort, did deliver.

There are a few other notebooks that go for around the same amount of money these days, like the 11 inch Acer Chromebooks. But this one comes with Windows 8.1 and that allows it to run most of the software you’re already familiar with from your other computers.First though, check out the specs sheet, so you’ll know what to expect from this laptop, and also the video review, if you don’t feel like reading the block of text (however, some details are not included in the video).

After a few years in the limelight, the netbook quietly faded away, unable to make space for itself in a new era of Internet connected devices. A year ago Asus, the netbook pioneer, announced that it was ending production of the Eee PC seriessamsung netzteil ad 6314t.No Linux to be seen here like the original Eee PC, but Asus is trying to sell the system in a slightly different manner: there's a Bing search engine tie-in. All that means is rather than Google popping up by default you'll instead be met by Bing; Google can stay on Chromebooks seems to be the message here.The thing that typically riles us about Chromebooks (except for the expensive ones) is how poor their typical screen viewing angles are. With the EeeBook it's not a giant leap ahead, as viewing anything but face-on fails to offer the same level of contrast as many other screens. It's usable, although we only saw the device in a dim-lit room rather than a more typical room sprinkled with daylight.

At IFA 2014, Asus announced its return to netbooks - only that it was no longer called a netbook and the branding was changed from Eee PC to EeeBook. And the Asus EeeBook X205akku lb6211be is the first in the series.I am a compact laptop enthusiast and the news that the EeeBook was coming to India did get my fingers itchy. And after a fews days of the fingers easing their itch on the chiclet keyboard, my belief is reaffirmed that the netbook deserves a second chance. The Asus EeeBook X205TA isn't the perfect comeback, but is nevertheless a commendable one.Plastic fantastic is order of the day with the EeeBook, as is to be expected at this budget end of the market. It's only a couple of hundred pounds after all. The white clamshell model we saw had an ample trackpad and full chiclet keyboard that, despite its plasticky build, were both comfortable in use. None of this compressed keys layout, which is great. Like we say, it ticks in the boxes.

Under the hood there's a quad-core Intel Atom Z3735 processor, 2GB RAM and 32/64GB storage to keep things ticking along. It's fan-free to be nice and quiet and although it won't deliver ultra power, it'll be spot on for web browsing and word processing - just like the earlier Eee PC was. History does have a habit of repeating itself, but this time around there's a fair bit more power for the equivalent cost, given the advances in computing in the last seven years.Available in four colour options, the unit that came to me for review was white. Not my choice of notebook colour as I am the type who uses a computer even while eating.And that’s because this EeeBook is built on an low-power high-efficiency hardware platform, with an Intel Z3745D processor, bundled with 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, which can actually become a problem quite fast. Both the RAM and eMMC storage are soldered and NOT upgradeable.

While 13-inch is the perfect size for a laptop screen in terms of function and portability, but the hp probook 640 g1 power supplyX205's 11.6 also serves its purpose satisfactorily. This being a budget device, I didn't expect much from the display and the 1366x768 16:9 panel is along expected lines. The screen is glossy (I prefer them matte) and viewing angles aren't great. Also don't count on using this in the bright outdoors.To be frank, I was a bit disappointed this laptop does not support standard sized SD cards, that would have been useful for downloading pictures from my cameras while on the go, but that’s probably not such a big deal for most potential buyers.

The X205 is powered by an Intel Atom Z3735 processor, backed up by 2GB of RAM. That's not one of Intel's more powerful chips, and suggests that you'll be frustrated if you try to use this computer for things like gaming, or editing high-resolution photos. The 11.6-inch display has a 1,366x768-pixel display, which isn't especially high for a screen this size, especially compared to the pixel count you'll find on new smartphones and tablets.It's possible to navigate Windows 8.1's colourful tile-based homescreen using a trackpad and keyboard, but the experience can be frustrating, and certainly isn't as intuitive as using an iPad or Android tablet, something to bear in mind if you're considering buying the X205 for a less tech-savvy friend or relative. Asus hopes to make up for the lack of a touchscreen with a larger trackpad, which we'll be putting to the test when it comes time for the full review.

The first thing that you might notice on picking it up is its weight, rather the lack of it. At 0.98 kg this fanless device is (if we go by the specs) lighter than Apple's much-fancied MacBook Airlenovo yoga 3 pro charger. It is also slim. At 17.5mm this is much slimmer than most regular laptops.However, it won’t help much, as everything seems to be soldered on the motherboard. In fact, you can see how small the MB is and how most of this laptop is occupied by the battery, which is also hold in place by a few screws and could be replaced down the line, if needed (and if Asus or third parties will provide replacements).I was hoping to be able to upgrade the storage, but there seem to be no dedicated storage stick like on some of the other mini-laptops I’ve tested, so there’s no way to up the 32 GBs through a hardware upgrade. At least none that I can tell of, and that’s a bit annoying, as the 32 GB of space is hardly sufficient for a Windows 8.1 laptop. You could try to go the Linux road. I planed to try Ubuntu or Mint on this myself, but my Linux knowledge is virtually null and I did not have the time to do it this time. Hopefully in the next few weeks.

The keys appeared a little noisy while I was rapidly typing away this review in the quietness of my bedroom late in the night. But then this might not be as noticeable in other environments. Pity it doesn't come with a backlit keyboard. But I was quite impressed by the other sounds that X205 produces - the ones from its speakers. The front facing speakers produce audio that is quality enough to prevent me from attaching it to external speakers and loud enough for our three-year-old to ask me to turn the volume down.The power-efficient Intel Bay Trail-T Quad Core Z3735 1.33 GHz processor, present in many tablets, also drives the Asus EeeBook X205dell venue 11 pro power adapter and with some efficiency. This and 2 GB of RAM might not exactly turn the X205 into a workhorse or a gaming companion, but gives enough for it to deliver regular browsing, word processing and basic image editing without any hiccups.The battery backup is another plus. Though Asus claims 12 hours of battery and that's not too far away from real world use. I have clocked over 10 hours on a single charge with mixed usage. The compact adapter that comes with the device is quite like those that accompany some tablets and not like the laptop chargers that we are accustomed to. The large and responsive touchpad also merits a mention.Ports include two USB 2.0 sockets on one side, with a 3.5mm headphone jack, micro-HDMI, and a microSD card slot found on the other. All in order here.

The shorter keys do leave room for the spacious palm-rest mentioned before and an oversized trackpad, which I do appreciate. In everyday use though, the latter proved occasionally erratic and moody, although it worked alright most of the time. But sometimes ti double clicks all by itself or sends the cursor flying to the edges, and these mostly happen when you put the computer under a heavier loud than it can handle.The typing experience is not bad on the X205new notebook netzteil and is helped by a fairly good keyboard and a nice typing position, thanks to the roomy palm-rest and the laptop’s low profile.Finally, arguably two of the most important features: the keyboard and touchpad. The touchpad seems fine, so I won't dwell much on that.The keyboard is solid enough, too, but the key travel is a tad shallow. Cramped keys are an unavoidable symptom of the small screen as well. This is why I'd welcome a 13-inch version to add some choice, though this 11.6-inch would make a brilliant first PC for kids.

Budget, plastic and not with the very best screen in the world. Sounds like a Chromebook then. But as a Windows-based alternative the X205 is definitely onto something for those seeking an ultra-affordable purchase. Price-wise the X205 won't break the ￡200 mark when it launches mid September - and that in itself assures some level of success.What spoils the party is the paltry 32 GB of onboard storage of which only 20.8 GB is user accessible. Though there exists a microSD card slot for optional storage addition, 20.8 GB on C: still appears to be too little and is reminiscent of PCs from 15 years ago. Though Asus promises 500 GB of WebStorage for 2 years at no additional cost, storage on the cloud is quite different from storage on the local machine given patchy Internet connectivity and FUPs.

The entire case is made out of soft matte plastic that spreads across the lid, the interior and the belly, with the screen’s bezel being the only black element on this laptop, and Asus will offer the X205hp notebook netzteil in a few different colors. The materials feel nice to the touch and there’s little to complain about the finishing quality.In fact, I for one was fairly happy with the display. If you’ll look at the numbers below you might say otherwise. The measured contrast is appalling, the screen having trouble displaying accurate blacks at high brightness. The colors might sound awful as well and the laptop does have a very cool (as in blueish) glow, which could be addressed with the included Splendid app if you enjoy warmer images. But the truth is, when you’re actually using this thing in practice, it’s not going to be that bad as the numbers are suggesting.he X205 got me excited again about the netbook form factor. Something's that designed, from the ground up, to bring mobility goodness and enhanced productivity to the masses rather than to a select few.

However, If we’re to get picky, I do have two nits to mention: first of all, the case catches smudges and finger oil easily, which are especially visible on this dark blue version, and second, the lid-cover does flex a little bit, but that doesn’t seem to affect the screen’s integrity in any way, although pressing the lid hard does translate in ripples on the screen, so you might want to get a sleeve for this thing when carrying it in your backpack and be careful not to have many heavy objects sitting on it.However, Google, with the formidable Chromebook, cheap Windows 8 tablets and bigger, similarly priced laptops (often with twice the system memory and a proper keyboard and hard drive) will be potent challengers.

Asus is also including a 1-year subscription for Microsoft Office 365 (with 1 TB of online space). This is a bonus.Minor irritants on the Asus EeeBook X205TAac power adapter include the position of the status indicator LEDs that angle away from the user and therefore are not readily visible. Also that the two USB 2.0 ports (no USB 3.0) posts are located very close to each other which means that if there's a fat dongle that you need to attach, there might be no place left to squeeze in a pen drive. Left-handed users could also see the absence of an USB port on the left as a letdown.

More than their features and specifications, it was the price that had made netbooks so attractive years ago. And this bit of fact hasn't changed since 2007 (when the first Asus Eee PC was introduced). Given its $199 price tag in the US, we expect Asus to keep the India price of the EeeBook as attractive.Now that the excitement surrounding tablets has died down, and we’ve all come to realise that they can’t replace a laptop, the thought of the netbook-style resurgence is pretty viable.With that in mind, the Asus Eeebook X205hp ac power adapter looks pretty good for a sub-￡200 machine running Windows 8.1 - minus touch. We look forward to getting a sample into our Labs for a full test.Though it is unlikely that the EeeBook will be able to achieve the popularity of the Eee PC, but it, irrespective of its storage limitations, it makes for a recommended secondary laptop and for many with limited needs, a nice-looking-and-performing primary PC.