Is it just me, or has the Asus Eee 4G been getting a bit too much attention as of late? Overnight, the book-sized notebook has become the darling of the gadget lover community, and I’m pretty sure it’s not because of its low-spec components.The Eee’s 3 USB ports, VGA output, and memory card reader are a welcomed surprise for a unit of this size; however, its small screen and ridiculously low resolution (800×480) kills any potential for the Eee 4G to offer serious competition in the subnotebook market. Give me a call when Asus fits the Eee frame with a 10 inch, 1100×600′ish screen. That would be much more practical and exciting to use. Guess we’ll just have to wait for some new gadgets next year.

Yes, I realize that upping the LCD specs would substantially increase cost and conflict with the company’s goal to sell the Eee 4G to the masses. But yet, I don’t imagine grandmas and preteens lining up at BestBuy to get one, regardless of how great a deal this new gadget is perceived to be.

This brings up my next point. The Eee’s linux based OS, no matter how well suited it is for the platform, is not what casual computer users are looking for. This crowd is looking for the Starbucks of operating systems–Windows or OS X–they want what everyone else is using, one that is compatible with popular software. What they don’t want is a bunch of linux apps and a strange interface, even though it may make perfect sense for the Eee’s tiny screen and limited resources.

Without a doubt, the Eee’s pricing is its most impressive feature. But is $400 still cheap these days? With other great offers hovering around the same price, including Dell’s full-fledged Vostro 1000 laptop, does the Eee 4G really seem like a bargain anymore? I think not. The portable computer industry is rapidly advancing and prices have fallen substantially, particularly for low-end devices. At this price point, one can now expect an entire system, portable or not.

So there you have it. I expect the Asus Eee PC series to mature and eventually offer a decent spec model that can be had for a decent price, but a price which is not any cheaper than what their quickly adapting competitors will offer. Which really isn’t saying a whole lot now, is it?

Got an Eee, or an opinion? Drop a comment.