This post is in the wrong section.  I hope that mod will move this into the other section since it clear does not give us any information about prices, preorders or where to buy. >_>

Anyway, I hope that my Linux one has a ZIF connection.  Dunno why, since I probably wouldn't use it, but the option to do so is nice.

Last edited by TKT97054 (2008-07-23 10:06:02 am)

This really sucks... but I was going to add a 1.8" drive in eventually so I guess I am forced into the XP option... how sad Asus...

I am not too sure why people planning on modding their 901s with a 1.8" drive would be waiting for the Linux based machine in the first place.  Doesn't the 1.8" disk mod disable the secondary SSD (whether it is physically removed or not) anyhow?

I guess this would screw people that don't want to give MS any money or people that really want that non-free version of Linux that comes with the 901s (could always just use Ubuntu, Fedora, openSUSE, etc on the WinXP model).

I purchased the Windows version myself so I cannot attest to the ZIF connector on the Linux version.  As long as the Windows version includes it, I don't think too many people should feel "screwed".

perhaps the linux eee 901 is simply the first revision of the 901 to come without zif connectors.. perhaps the future xp models will be without as well.

If I'm understanding jkkmobile's pic correctly...
My 20G Linux 901 White unit does not have the ZIF connector.  Solder pads are there, connector is not.  I'm not sure if there are other supporting chips/hardware that have been removed.
The extra PCI-e slot is there, however.

Serial sticker says
EEEPC901-W001
MB REV 901 12
SN: 870AAQ------ (I skipped the last 6 numbers)
VN: 2900

As for the "situation," looking at it from the manufacturer's perspective, it's normal par for the course for tech manufacturers.

The initial batch is a bit "over engineered" and serves as a base platform for future models.  Hence the initial 901s having parts/headers/whatever that aren't used or activated.  This makes it easier for them to start testing configurations of future models based on the same platform.

As production ramps up and volumes increase, the build is optimized for whatever its intended functional spec is.  Things that don't are unnecessary and don't change the functional specification are removed.  Now you get boards with perhaps pads for a header, but no actual header.  If the board gets a model-specific revision, those headers may be gone as well in the revision.

Following this line of reasoning, I'm still a little bit confused on why the XP version has ZIF and the Linux version may not.  It might just be that they anticipated a large volume of XP sales, so they made a bunch of XP versions in the initial run (with extra parts) so the selling XP units are still part of the initial run, whereas the Linux version was put into assembly later, and may be on a separate assembly line, so it is more likely to have the "optimized" build without extra parts. 

If the assembly was "branched" so there's a base build that splits off to get 16GB SSD/Linux on one side and 12GB SSD/Windows on the other, then this shouldn't be the case.  I don't know enough about the assembly line logistics to know whether branching happens or not, but the feeling I get given the Linux delay, is that the assembly isn't branched like this and Linux is getting produced on a different line.

Either way, I definitely see the XP version also being "optimized" at some point and not having extra parts either.

As a normal buyer who isn't planning to stick a HDD in my unit, ASUS never said there would be a 3G or ZIF HDD upgrade for the 901, did they?  So it's a bit unfair to say they're making the 901 "less" than what it is.  It's more like they're just removing things related to what the 901 doesn't (although it could) have.

On the other hand, I like to mod things too, so it's a bummer and it'd be nice if there was a definitive way to know whether a unit does or doesn't have the ZIF connector without opening it up first (like how the Linksys WRT54G routers could be identified by serial #).

Brandon

@bhiga, you have the 3g mini pci-e soldered in? i would prefer that slot over the zif connector anyday

Bhiga, is your unit 901 20gb Linux ?

So you do confirm that the zif connector is not there!

Could you provide a photo of the solder points?

DjDiff wrote:

Could you provide a photo of the solder points?

I'll post a pic when I get home.

Keep in mind that it's possible (hopefully not though, for your sake) that the 12GB model you get doesn't have the ZIF socket either.

Aside from me, has anyone else seen/heard reports of units without ZIF headers?

Additional notes: My build date is 7/19/2008, and the default system clock was set 13 hours ahead of me... and I'm GMT-7 right now, so that would mean it came from somewhere GMT+6?

bhiga wrote:

If the 3G connector is the black connector in the "PCI-E Slot" box in the picture from jkkmobile's site, then Yes, it is there on my unit.

EDIT: I'm not sure whether the SIM hardware is there - I didn't open my unit up beyond the RAM access door.

Now the brown/beige ZIF connector on the left side of this picture from jkkmobile's site, on the other hand, is not installed on my unit.

that is just the 4gb ssd. .. the 3g area is just to the north of that.