Conclusions
With a low-resolution screen, cramped keyboard, anemic storage capacity, and underclocked processor, the Eee PC would be easy to write off as too limited by its underpowered hardware. Except it isn't. Stuff all that hardware into a sub-notebook form factor that weighs less than a kilogram, and you have a device that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Factor in another sum—the 4G's affordable $400 price tag—and the Eee PC looks even better still.

The price is what really seals the Eee PC's appeal. Sure, you can get a laptop with a big screen, fast dual-core processor, and gobs of storage capacity for a couple of Benjamins more. But that's a full-sized notebook whose proportions dwarf the diminutive Eee PC. To get anything even close to the Eee PC's size, expect to pay several times the cost of the 4G model.

Don't think of the Eee PC as a laptop replacement, then. I'm not sure I'd even call it a sub-notebook, and it's certainly much more than an Internet appliance. What this really is, and Microsoft will have to excuse me here, is an ultra-mobile PC—one that's much more affordable than the tablet-style UMPCs on the market, with a real keyboard to boot.

Of the three Eee PC models currently on the market, the 4G and 4G Surf look like the best options. The latter saves you $50 by dropping the integrated webcam and 45 minutes of battery life, but depending on how you intend to use the Eee PC, that might not be a big deal. I'd stay away from the 2G Surf; with only a 2GB internal solid-state hard drive and RAM that can't be upgraded, the 2G sacrifices a lot to hit a $300 price point.

In the end, I can't help but think that Asus has created a whole new class of notebooks with the Eee PC: machines inexpensive enough to compete with Internet appliances, but with the flexibility and many of the features we get from laptops, including the ability to run Windows. It's hard to argue with that sort of value proposition, especially when it appeals to enthusiasts and mainstream users alike, which is why we're bestowing the Eee PC 4G with our coveted Editor's Choice award.