The Greenest Notebook Computers Of 2008

The ASUS Eee PC was a ground-breaking ultra-mobile computer when it was first released. It was a powerful, efficient machine for its size that could run Windows and Linux, it retailed for $400.

Since then, ASUS has continued to improve on this compact notebook. The latest model, the Eee 1000, was released last month, and it has many welcome improvements. It has an improved screen size (10 inch, 1024-by-600 widescreen display) and the keyboards size is now 92% normal size instead of 75%. Yet it measures just 7.5 x 10.5 x 1.1 inches and weighs 2 pound. Because it uses flash memory instead of a hard drive (with 40 GB of storage), the Eee PC 1000 boots quickly, produces less heat, and is less susceptible to shock damage.

The Eee 1000 has a 1.6-GHz Intel Atom processor that never uses more than 3 watts of power and runs cool (less than 1/10 of the 35 watts used by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor). It’s also equipped with the ASUS “Super Hybrid Engine” for automatic detection and adjustments of CPU frequency, voltage, and LCD brightness to minimize system noise and power consumption, saving up to 15% power consumption. Computerworld says the Eee 1000 has 5 hour battery life on average, in real world conditions.

The Eee also features 1 GB of RAM, 1.3-megapixel webcam, tri-mode Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n), integrated Bluetooth connectivity, Secure Digital memory card slot, multiple USB ports, a VGA output for connecting to a monitor.

The computer is RoHS-compliant but has yet to be certified for Energy Star 4.0 and EPEAT.

The Eee 1000 available from Amazon for around $700. The Eee 900 is available for around $400.