According to a recent Pricegrabber report (PDF Link), the Asus Eee PC and the Macbook Air top the list of laptop computers. Overall, Pricegrabber finds that a growing number of users are looking for what they call "portable" laptops as opposed to standard laptops. What's the difference? Portables weigh less than 3 pounds.

A reader asked me today to explain why the Eee PC is so attractive. It generally comes down to two things: Price and weight. At just over 2 pounds, I take my Eee almost everywhere because it feels like it's not even in my backpack. If I never take it out of my backpack I don't feel like I was giving myself a backache for no reason at all.

In the past, you had to spend thousands of dollars to get a computer this small. But the Eee PC showed that people would be willing to buy an underpowered machine to use as a second or third computer if the price was right. I wouldn't think of replacing my main computer with my Eee PC, but it's the PC I grab when I'm running out the door.

The second most popular computer on Pricegrabber's list is the Macbook Air, which weighs just a bit more than the Eee PC, but which features way more power. It also costs five to six times as much as the Eee PC.

[via Eee PC.Net]

So you may have heard that Apple announced a new lightweight, portable, and pricey computer yesterday. My first thought upon hearing about the $1800-$3000 MacBook Air? I'll keep my Eee PC, thank you very much.

The folks over at The Register have put together a handy side by sider comparison of the specs, and they largely come to the same conclusion.

Now don't get me wrong. The MacBook Air may only weigh one pound more than the Eee PC, but it's a helluva lot more computer. It has a blazing fast core 2 duo processor, four times the RAM, and far more storage thanks to either a hard drive or an optional 64GB SSD. The Air also sports a 13.3 inch screen with a 1280 x 800 pixel display. As I've lamented repeatedly, one of my only complaints with the Eee PC is that it's 800 x 480 display is just too cramped.

But You can pick up 4 or 5 Eee PCs for the price of the cheapest MacBook Air. And that optional 64GB SSD? That will set you back $999. That's enough to pay for two more standard Eee PCs.

Apple also made a few design choices with the MacBook Air that just don't seem to make a lot of sense. The battery is not user-replaceable. Not only does this mean you have pay $129 and send away your computer when it's time to replace a dying battery, but if you want a spare battery for extra capacity while you're traveling you'll have to resort to inconvenient and expensive external battery solutions. The Air also lacks an Ethernet port and has just 1 USB port.

The Eee PC on the other hand, has 3 USB ports, an easily removable battery, Ethernet, WiFi, and pretty much everything else you'd expect from a laptop. It doesn't have Bluetooth, which the Air does, but seriously, aside from the souped up display, processor, RAM and storage, that's about it.

So while I wouldn't recommend an Eee PC for hardcore gaming or serious digital video editing, for me the MacBook Air just shows what a great bargain the Eee is. I'll take last year's components for 1/4th the price any day.

[via eeehackers]