The Asus EEE PC 1000HE netbook appeared on our list of Top 5 Netbooks for 2009, ranking third. We gave it that ranking as we took notice of its great combination of price, build quality and ease of upgrading it.
The Asus Eee PC 1000HE’s computing prowess is handled by the Intel Atom N280 processor running at 1.66 GHz and has 1 GB of RAM with a 160 GB of storage. Power is handled by a 6 cell lithium-polymer battery which the manufacturer claims keeps it on and running up to 9.5-hours. Keyboard is near full size (92 percent) and a 10.5-inch LED-backlit screen displays bright and colorful images.
The Asus Eee PC 1000HE serves as proof of the manufacturer’s efforts to constantly improve on the very first Eee models – which is quite a statement as the earlier Eee PC models are widely credited as having pioneered the netbook craze.
The evolution of Eee PC series into the 1000HE is initially evident in its streamlined design. Build quality is as solid as ever and the difference from the earlier models is the natural element that comes with the styling. The form feels and looks more ergonomic. A look underneath shows careful planning to allow greater airflow into and out of the device; which certainly helps with its cooling and performance.
The Eee PC 1000HE’s 10.5-inch screen has a native resolution of 1024-by-600 but you can view 1024-by-768 resolutions as well via a special compression mode. The backlit LED display is bright and capable of good color reproduction.
This Asus also has Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n /Wi-Fi and Bluetooth features as well as 3 USB ports and one card reader port. There is a VGA output for video, a 1.3 megapixel webcam but no optical drive.
| SPECS |
AVAILABLE OPTIONS (from Asus’website) |
| CPU |
1.66 GHz Intel Atom N280 |
| RAM |
1 GB upgradeable to 2 GB |
| Screen Size |
10.5 inches |
| Operating System |
Windows XP Home Edition |
| Battery Life |
Up to 9.5 hours (manufacturer’s claim) |
| Graphics |
Integrated GMA 950 |
Pros
The things we love about the Asus Eee PC 1000HE are: its relatively fast processor, its rugged but stylish design, the comfortable keyboard, the long battery life, the loud speakers and the fact that it is still competitively priced given these features.
Cons
Like some users, we noted it operates rather noisily (because of the fan) and there is no ExpressCard slot. The glossy surface can also be annoying at times.
Conclusion
The Asus Eee PC 1000HE does provide long hours of continuous operation on a single charge. The manufacturer claims 9.5 hours although it runs nearer to 7.5 hours in actual use; all in al, still remarkable. The comfortable keypad and bright screen contribute to the fun experience. We’d recommend though that you upgrade the memory to 2GB if you aim to do some serious computing with this device. The Asus Eee PC1000HE is one well-designed and affordably priced netbook.
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