• Asus Eee PC Now in India

    Asus Eee PC Now in India

    Bharti Adhikari, Jan 29, 2008 1940 hrs IST

    Initially, the Eee PC 4GB model running on the Linux operating system has been launched only in Mumbai, and will be made available in other cities in March.

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After a long wait, the Asus Eee PC has finally made it to the Indian market with a price tag of Rs 18,000.

Targeted at user segments like school children, housewives, senior citizens, and teenagers who enjoy simple computing with lightweight gadgets, the 7-inch Eee PC -- weighing even less than 1 kg -- was launched at an event in Mumbai today.

According to Francis Kao, product manager (Notebooks) for Asus India, "The worldwide acceptance of this product is symbolic of its simplicity, robust build quality, and user-friendliness. Although it is primarily aimed at school children and teenagers, even other user groups have shown a lot of interest in the product."

The Eee PC promises the most comprehensive Internet application based on three Es: Easy to learn, work, and play; Excellent Internet experience, and Excellent mobile computing experience.

On the occasion of the launch, Albert Tung, managing director of Asus India, said, "The Asus Eee PC aims at enriching human life like all our other technology offerings. With growing computing demands as well as growing number of users, both young and old, the Eee PC provides users with a new mobile Internet experience like never before."

Based on the Intel CPU and chipset, the Eee PC offers two modes of intuitive user interface for both experienced and inexperienced PC users, and packs over 40 built-in applications. The other specifications include built-in flash-memory, 512MB DDR2 memory, 300K pixels video camera, and WLAN.

However, what is missing from the machine is an optical drive, the reason given being light weight and ultra-compact form factor. Leaving out on the optical drive seems to be the mantra for making slim and light weight notebooks. The very recently launched 'Mac Air' has also missed out on the same, and apparently for the same reasons.

Initially, the Eee PC 4 GB model running on the Linux operating system has been launched only in Mumbai, and will be made available in other cities in March. In addition, Asus is also working on a Windows version of the Eee PC.

The Eee PC will be available starting February 2 evening at Croma stores in Juhu and Malad, as well as at e-zone. It will come in two colors -- Galaxy Black and Pearl White.

Interestingly, HCL just recently launched its MiLeap X series ultra-portable laptops featuring nearly the same technical specifications as the Asus Eee PC. There are very few differences, one of them being storage capacity; the Asus Eee PC has a 4GB internal flash memory while the HCL leaptop has a 2 GB internal flash memory and no Web cam. Minus these two features, the HCL laptop is available for Rs 14,000.

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Discussion Board
(57) Comments
R.N swami
,thane, on Jul 29, 2010 10:08 AM
sir i wld like to contact ur mumbai office as i need to find out n resove some problems wiith the model i bought in germnay contact 25345667 mb 9821130180. pls advise ur mumbai office contact numbers n other centres in mumbai close to thane
pratik
,ajmer, on Aug 25, 2009 12:49 PM
where i can et it in Rajasthan?
kumar
,bareilly, on Feb 04, 2010 12:11 AM
dude, i have got an pink/ white colour brand new piece i just want to give away at 10k but i m located in bareilly.
ARUP KAR
,NEW DELHI, on Jan 29, 2010 02:53 PM
I want to buy a latest model of Ecc PC, kindly contact me if possible on my cell +91 9310799886
basha
,gulbarga, on Jan 23, 2010 06:20 PM
my raiter is not work
JAWAHAR DHAWAN
,NEW DELHI, on Oct 31, 2009 12:20 PM
Retail Shops in delhi that Sell ASUS EEEPC 900HA ( White)
Sandeep Tripath
,New Delhi, on May 05, 2009 08:37 PM
I am an animation student and i wanted to purchase a laptop for its portability.so th main thing i wanted to ask is that does it have a good display or not??and from a student point of view hows it???please help me out....
mdmuzzamil
,hyderabad, on Sep 30, 2008 10:15 AM
what is the cost of asus in india
S P Singh
,Delhi, on Sep 17, 2008 11:56 PM
is it only linux based... can't it be windows based... from where can i get it in delhi
Gautam Chakraba
,New Delhi, on Aug 21, 2008 06:50 PM
Hi Folks, I've an Eee PC 4G bought abroad: it has Windows XP Home in a foreign language; can anyone, please, tell me if I can switch to the English version somehow? Also, will Linux be pre-installed on this pc?
Prathip
,Chennai, on Sep 09, 2008 03:14 PM
If the foreign language Win XP is just a add-on, then yes you can switch to english. If it'a native language XP, then no. Since u have XP on it, you won't have linux installed on the same.
pooja verma
,mumbai, on Aug 12, 2008 04:04 PM
a nice laptop easy to handle, a cheap too.. love to have it
K.P.Tunga
,Bangalore, on Apr 11, 2008 10:33 PM
I have seen the 4 Gb version it is useless. when you install windows you have hardly i GB left in memory. If 8 GB version is available it is a better option.
riju
,kolkata, on Jul 19, 2008 11:42 PM
i've installed xp, ms office 2002, and a bluetooth software and still have 2.65GB left in my eee pc 4G
JASPREET SINGH
,SHENZHEN, on Jun 24, 2008 10:13 AM
HI I JASS CONTACT US I CAN SHIP EEE PC FROM CHINA WE HAVE OFFICE IN =CHINA CONTACT U S<> 008613418573733
Vijayashankar
,Bangalore, on Jun 12, 2008 07:31 AM
Where is ASUS EEE PC available in Bangalore? I am looking for one with basic browsing and DVD.
Abhishek
,Bhagalpur, on Jan 31, 2008 01:46 PM
Totally a third class overpriced product. I agree that its for a complete different segment but whats the point if one cannot watch a movie on a vcd or dvd - a pity it has no optical drive. Do our teenager do not watch a movie?. Secondly, what will the 4 gb memory serve- in this age of mp3 and movies. In my opinion its better to invest bit more and opt for aci or hcl's low end model with 40 gb hard disk
Ranjit
,Pune, on Apr 02, 2008 12:23 PM
How many places can u carry your laptop and get it out to do some work? you want to connect to the net pronto and u search for a cafe.... unfortunately in India we dont have wireless net available as easily as they do abroad. So its true potential is not being recognized such a waste of such a wonderful product. I pity such people who compare oranges to apples. Grow up grow up.
kaushik
,delhi, on Jun 10, 2008 08:19 PM
u can play DVD through a DVD drive connected through the USB port,it works fine also add your HDD with an external HDD dongle connected through your USB again,,,,,isnt that a plenty
sonia
,mumbai, on Mar 28, 2008 11:39 AM
i;m based in mumbai..n would like to knw if its available here in mumbai...n if yes where?
AJAY
,DELHI, on May 19, 2008 01:32 PM
IT IS AVAILABLE IN CROMA STORE IN DELHI. YOU CAN TRY CROMA IN MUMBAI.
sunesh
,mapusa,goa, on May 02, 2008 12:55 AM
where do i by it in india.i would like to know the contact no or the add
vignesh
,chennai, on May 10, 2008 05:26 PM
I saw n spencer plaza @ laptop zone. It was priced 17k
SteveJB
,Kochi, on Apr 25, 2008 10:08 AM
Black EEE, 1 GB RAM and XP Home is quite Decent. The small screen size is more apparent on the white models, on the black models, the screen looks fine. The webcam could be improved but there is a better cam in the 900 series apparently
Sapna
,Madurai, on Mar 04, 2008 11:34 AM
It would be much more nice and also it would be appreciated if you could add some more pictures
MSS
,New Delhi, on Mar 02, 2008 03:38 PM
I am based in Delhi and want to know if I can buy this in Delhi.
Sonal Chadha
,New Delhi, on Feb 29, 2008 12:14 PM
Good product ,compact, I could do with some more details and a brochure if possible
RAJENDRA JOSHI
,PUNE, on Feb 25, 2008 07:03 PM
I HAVE ALREADY PURCHASED EEE 4G. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER I CAN INSTALL OFFICE APPLICATIONS? ( WORD / EXCEL / POWER POINT / OUTLOOK ) AS I KNOW ONE CAN USE OPEN OFFICE ORG ON THIS. PL ADVISE IMMEDIATELY.
shiv
,new delhi, on Feb 21, 2008 09:58 AM
it does'nt have a cd rom drive !!! shockin
irfan
,mumbai, on Feb 18, 2008 12:13 PM
i want
irfan
,mumbai, on Feb 18, 2008 12:12 PM
i want eee pc black 8 gb SDD 512 Ram wireless and lan 100/10 Mbps
Jai Malhotra
,Gurgaon, on Feb 15, 2008 04:55 PM
i have to tell everyone that is posting here, that i have held and used the asus ee pc on a import piece from china. it looks smashing, plays movies from pendrives, runs windows xp, lets u browse the net, listen to songs, yes the screen is small, but that is where the price is cheaper but for basic work, it rocks, u dont need power hungry notebooks, that wont last u for more than a hour and a half, even if for 21,500. this lasted a solid 2 hrs, 35 mins. Dont get confused, as is the usual trend here. This is not a mainstream product, its a supplement to your desktop that u can carry with you, on a drive. and work on. Why compare it to others and spoil the segment its targeting. People worldwide who are buying this like crazy cannot be fools. We are none the wiser.
Anish Jajodia
,Kolkata, on Feb 13, 2008 12:28 AM
I love it, but how much does the 8gb one cost and does it have a cd drive???
vijayshimla
,Shimla 171001, on Jan 29, 2008 10:03 PM
Too Expensive!!--Just put Rs. 3000 into this inflated cost of 18000 for this 7inch screen lappy & buy a Acer AS 4315 NWXCI Laptop with 14inch screen-Celeron 1.73GHz, 1MB Cache from Future Bazaar.
majums
,Kolkata, on Jan 29, 2008 10:54 PM
This caters to a different market segment segment. It is not easy to lug around a 2.5 kg notebook all day. It can do more than a PDA at less price also the spec is good enough to run Windows XP. Show me a ultra portable laptop at this price. Also check the international sales figure for this. It has sold like crazy in all parts of the world. Also this is nice notebook for kids.
Saket Iyer
,Navi Mumbai, on Jan 30, 2008 09:19 AM
totally agree with vijay. Toooo expensive.
dookie
,Bangalore, on Jan 30, 2008 10:10 AM
Asus has overpriced this laptop for the indian market. A big problem is the small screen due to the silly speakers on both sides. It spoils the experience of this ultra compact PC. Otherwise, it's a good unit and time and again proves the fact that if you give the customer really good value for money, he will buy and your business will grow. Pricing a UMPC at some 80-90K is just plain stupid. What is the practical use of a UMPC besides the initial fascination? Only for use by professionals on the move who have to check their email. You can do that for 50 bux max at a cybercafe or at a hotel(and how many really want to read their mail on a plane?). Now, at a low cost, people will consider this as a useful addition besides their main PC and will use the Asus PC as a portable device, or at least, a mini server or for downloading files due to it's low power consumption.
Brendon
,Mumbai, on Jan 30, 2008 02:05 PM
I am shocked at this kind of a statement. It is like saying why buy a 10" Sony Vaio with 1 GHz Core duo processor for 75k when you can get a nice HP 17" laptop with Core 2 Duo 2 Ghz, 2 GB ram etc. I and how is this overpriced ? HCL has a similar laptop priced at 15k without a webcam and with 2 GB memory less. Plus this is a better brand.
Ambani
,Karachi, on Jan 30, 2008 04:21 PM
ACi is going to launch with price tag of Rs.14,999 which has intel based CPU, 512MB Ram and 40GB HDD with Web Cam inbuilt
dookie
,Bangalore, on Jan 31, 2008 11:48 AM
Brendon, the price is inflated especially for the indian market when compared to other markets. The HCL mini PC is not comparable given it's design and the fact that it's HCL. Any sensible person would not go for laptops from that company. They have no decent after sales support and their brand image is questionable.
Brendon
,Mumbai, on Feb 01, 2008 11:11 AM
I am not denying the Asus is overpriced. I am just saying you cannot compare an ultraportable laptop with a standard laptop. Compare apples with apples
sainath
,mumbai, on Feb 11, 2008 08:31 PM
i think acer 4315 is wise investment, one may use this toy for some time, one or two software crashes, the craze will evaporate, moreever anybody knows who will give service for this toy. what is price of acer on future bazaar, in mumbai santron computers is offering for 20500 all inclusive wth carybag
Tamanna
,Gurgaon, on Feb 01, 2008 11:24 AM
A toy for a child, worth 18000 Bucks!!!! USELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rimbaud
,London, on Feb 10, 2008 06:34 AM
You obviously know nothing about this product. It is not a toy. I run the Eclipse IDE for software development on it.
Jayesh
,Mumbai, on Jan 31, 2008 05:53 PM
This is nothing but an inflated mobile phone. It has limited functionalities and There's no windows in this product !. They seem to be working on a windows model but I bet its going to cost much more..... Its already looking stale right from the launch. sigh.
Sathvik V
,Bangalore, on Jan 31, 2008 07:23 PM
Guys you need to understand that this notebook is not a substitute for fully functional notebook. To achieve compact size, reliable speed and light weight you need to sacrifice optical drive. Go for an external DVD ROM drive. It is available for just 1500/-. In fact this should be called as a notebook as this is just the size of ordianry cardboard bound student note book and weighs less than 1kg. Memory is not a big deal. You can opt for 16GB or 32GB HCSD (High capacity SD card). If you compare this to sony viao umpc or cloud book, this is awsome at this price. Do you ever compare a laptop with a desktop to compare prices? In the same way dont do it between this and laptop too. Guys, dont convert the exact dollar price to ruppees. It is a known fact that hardware is costlier in India than US. In US you can get iPod shuffle for 99$. Do you think you can get it in India for 3960 ruppees. This markup is common with all hardwares and we need to deal with it. You can even Install Win XP or Windows Vista to these laptops and they work great. If any of you need help in installing XP or Vista drop a mail at sathvikv[at]gmail.com. I will be glad to assist you.
rimbaud
,London, on Feb 09, 2008 06:31 PM
Aww boo it uses Linux. What is your problem. I ditched Windows years ago and only use Linux at work. It is vastly superior.
vijayshimla
,Shimla 171001, on Jan 30, 2008 09:25 PM
Santron Computers Sion has it for 15901.
SAntosh
,Mumbai, on Jan 31, 2008 09:05 AM
Hi, i read Your Comeent On new Laptop By HCL N Other New Player Can You Tell Me The Santron Computers Address
Test
,test, on Feb 01, 2008 02:50 AM
Shilla House Shop #93 Sion Circle Sion Mumbai - 400022 Landmark: Next to UTI Bank ATM Phone: 022-24025338
AmazingKip
,Bearsville, on Jan 31, 2008 10:30 PM
I can't wait until ASUS put outs their line of Linux TVs. I just read about here http://linuxhow2.com/News/Linux_Assimilation_Asus_and_the_World.html
A.Shanmuharajan
,Chennai, on Jan 31, 2008 05:35 PM
Good deal !
dinesh
,chirawa, on Jan 31, 2008 03:19 PM
pls read this artical.
Jitendar Kumar
,Ghazabad, on Jan 31, 2008 12:14 PM
It's go for teenagers,student salso for basic computer education , it's so Lightweight nd Cheaper in brended company laptops , it's good for normal uses.
bharat
,Mumbai, on Jan 31, 2008 11:51 AM
It is available in HK for 400US$ i.e.below 16000 so why in india it is for 18000?
revribhav
,ajmer, on Jan 30, 2008 04:37 PM
I dream for the day good laptop will be available on the price of 10 K,I think the time is getting nearer.
jams
,Mumbai, on Jan 30, 2008 10:13 AM
Pearl white is sexy. I saw it. Looks cool.

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