By Chris Nicholls

SYDNEY: Asus has announced two Australian explorers will use their Eee PC on an expedition to be the world’s first to cross Victoria Island in the Arctic Circle, saying the computer’s toughness and light weight made the explorers choose it.

The expedition, by Chris Bray and Clark Carter, will begin in May, and will be second attempt at traversing the island, after a failed attempt in 2005. The pair will use the Eee PC to send video messages, upload photos and update a blog via a plug-in satellite connection.

Bray and Carter were apparently introduced to the Eee PC by business associates, and chose it after finding it worked in temperatures down to minus 33 degrees Celsius.

“The Eee PC will form a critical part of our communication set-up out there, and it was important that we felt one hundred percent confident with the quality and stability of the product. Clark and I were so excited that not only will the solid-state design make the Eee PC shock proof, but the size and weight won’t impact our already heavy load,” said Bray.

The pair have dubbed the adventure the “1000 Hour Day” expedition, as they will spend the first 1000 hours spent in constant sunlight.

“It is critical that we have secure and stable communication out there, and after testing the Eee PC over the past four months with all our necessary software and conditions, I feel confident that we won’t be disappointed.” Bray said.

“We bought our first Eee PC and within hours of sussing it out we bought our second one. They are truly amazing laptops, and will change the way the world views portable computing – portable being a key requirement from us,” said Bray.