Calvin’s Hub

At last, my netbook has arrived from the US and now I got a new toy to tinker with. I bought the Asus 1000HE a month ago in Amazon for only $374 (Php 18,000) so that I could bring a small laptop during long trips.

I’ve been using it for hours now installing my default programs, anti-virus and updates and didn’t ran into any problems connecting to my wireless network or whatever.

The Asus Eee PC 1000HE is just like your typical netbook but here are some of the things that I love about it.

Macbook-style keyboard

Aside from having 92% keyboard, the raised keys follow the syle used by Macbook and Sony Vaio. My fingers don’t feel cramped when typing and I got used to it in a matter of minutes.

Long battery life

Asus is claiming an all-day battery here providing 9.5 hours of uninterrupted power but I’m already satisfied if I can use it for 7 hours straight. That explains the additional weight but it’s no biggie for me. At already less than 25% battery, it says that I can still use it for almost 2 hours with the current mode (high performance with WiFi on).

For almost 4 hours, the 1000HE still doesn’t get hot unlike our MSI laptop where the base gets hot in just a couple of hours.

Sound

I really don’t expect too much from laptop speakers but the 1000HE produces decent sound on its stereo speakers. I played a Russel Peters video and I could hear him clearly without that hollow and clanky sound you usually hear from built-in speakers.

So what’s not to like?

Well I noticed that the quick buttons that toggles the LCD backlight, resolution and power saving mode are kinda difficult to press.

Also, it’s glossy finish can attract scratches and fingerprints like bribe money can attract our government officials. I may have to apply G-mask on the lid and the inside to prevent scratches.

It also has a multi-touch touchpad by the way which can take quite a bit of practice to get used to. Scrolling up or down by using two fingers is still a bit tricky for me.

Conclusion

Well it’s a decent 10-incher netbook that can last for a long time on a single charge (unlike the typical 3-4 hours) with a very attractive price. Who can beat 18k on a netbook with 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD and pre-installed Windows XP?

Now we’ve to go shopping and buy a decent sleeve (there’s already a sleeve included but we want the zippered one so we don’t have to take it out), LCD protector and a mouse for it.

• Asus EeePC 1000HE, should I or should I not?
• Proud of my choice of netbook: Asus Eee PC 1000HE
• Asus EeePC 1005HA or 1000HE?
• Asus 1005HA battery is not as good as advertised

Filed under: Gadgets n' Games