Asus Eee PC 1000HE review roundup
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted February 9th 2009 1:53PM
posted February 9th 2009 1:53PM
Well, kids, it looks like the Asus Eee PC 1000HE has started making the rounds and so far the reviews have been rather favorable. PC Review was so taken by the machine, in fact, that they declared it the "best one yet... dethron[ing] the MSI Wind as the leader of the pack." Their enthusiasm is stoked by the fact that the machine's been designed around its new six-cell battery (making for something less bulky than, say, the 10-inch Aspire One or the NC10-14GB). Also in the win column are the obvious design improvements over its predecessor, and its hard to beat $400 street price. That said, it is a netbook: the new Intel Atom N280 processor offers "no real performance benefits" over the N270, the features are pretty standard for a machine of its class (160GB HDD, three USB ports, a webcam, VGA out, 4-in-1 card reader and the usual ethernet and WiFi connectivity) and testing failed to find "any performance differences between the 1000HE and systems like the Wind, the Aspire One (10-inch), and the HP 2140." Also according to the magazine, the new software-based overclocking feature is no great shakes. Laptop Magazine feels pretty much the same way, loving the new keyboard, the new battery, and the fact the easy-access panel (for HDD and RAM upgrades and the like) is still intact. On the other hand, they point out that the thing's a little heavy (3.2 pounds) -- but what do you expect from a machine that boasts over 7 hours battery life? Notebook Review singles the thing out for its design: "Build quality," it says "is very good with strong, durable plastics used throughout the body," and the new keyboard and gloss black paint "really adds another level of class and style to this netbook." But don't take our word for it -- hit the read links for the full reviews, and be sure to check out the gallery below.
Read - PC Review
Read - Laptop Magazine
Read - Notebook Review
Read - PC Review
Read - Laptop Magazine
Read - Notebook Review
Netbooks are such a craze.
Soon to be replaced by ever-better technology in cell phones
yeah sure. I suppose that whole "Personal Computer" thing is a fad too.
An iPhone does not a netbook make.
Shrug. I disagree. I love my desktop, I love my G1, what I don't have and would love is a super light 10" laptop. Hey, a netbook! I mean when I'm around the house 10" LCD > 3.2" LCD for internet browsing.
I can definitely see how they aren't for everyone though. So to each their own.
"They're gonna be screwed once this whole internet fad is over."
@Eddie: Exactly! Desktop, G1 and since xmas an Asus 900HA. Since I got that I find myself doing more and more of what used to tie me to the desktop from the couch on the Eee (watch it!). Love the tiny size and long battery life. While the G1 does have a very good browser, the resolution is simply too small for comfortable extended reading of large pages. Eee PC FTW!!!
nahh not cellphones MID's like the gigabyte m528... can't take my mind of of it :-)
Looking forward to upgrading to this style keyboard when they release the N280 with the G40 :) My eee701 is needing a replacement.
Yeah, I think anyone looking for a new netbook should wait for the GN40 chipset, since it is supposed to pack an X4500 IGP instead of the GMA 950, which is an order of magnitude faster I believe, and of course has 720p video decoding in hardware and other nifty things.
Hell yeah! I want one! NOW!
Any word on how good the bluetooth works?
Battery < or = 7 hours?
I think I am going to wait for the upcoming nvidia ion based netbooks. The idea of HDMI out on a netbook is intriguing. The loss of a bit of battery life is no real concern, although being able to switch between beefy graphics mode and a "lite" mode for battery life would be pretty hot if they could manage it.
Asus NJ10-A1 or NJ10-A2
I actually agree with the phone comment. A smartphone with a nice interface (I'm only personally familiar with the iPhone, which I love) does everything I'd ever want from a netbook. Anything more substantial and I want a bigger screen and a full-size keyboard.
I have an ipod Touch, and while it's convenient to pull it out of my pocket to look up a definition of a word, or catch up on my Engadget and Autoblog news, It's not fun to read traditional content on a 3" screen.
I'm looking to get a netbook for a grab and go interface for websurfing, emailing, facebooking, and patient files.
Yeah, same here. My iPod Touch is great for a shallow and superficial 5 minute experience which is centered around consumption, but I definitely wouldn't want to use it for producing anything meaningful or using it for longer than 5 minutes.
Yea, the iphone experiance does a lot, but it still doesn't do everything. It definitely doesn't have a full keyboard. Netbooks are great for college students who want something light, to take notes with, or people who just want an around the house laptop for when they're in the kitchen/living room. There are tons of things you can do on one that you'll never be able to do on the iphone, and some people want to do those things.
I have an ipod touch 32gb second gen. I can say it has saved me from not getting that important email. I was carrying a IBM thinkpad R50 and that was really useful for class note-taking until the screen cracked from being carried in my backpack. Now I really want a netbook so that I can take notes without having to break my back on that two hour long subway ride to and from school.
Should I shell out the extra money for this, or should I go for the Lenovo s10 (Atom 270, 10.2", upgrade to 2Gb RAM, 80G HDD) assuming I'm okay with an 80G HDD and knowing that a SSD will be cheap and easy to upgrade in the future?
I get the impression that the Lenovo has great build quality, and at $299, it's pretty cheap.
I know exactly which model you're looking at. Remember that the Lenovo S10 that is $299 has a 3 cell battery. A 6 cell battery is at-least 50-60. You'll get a much longer battery life with a 6 cell, and typically you'll get it coupled with a larger HDD (typically 160gb vs. 80gb).
Just food for thought. I've researched these for the past weekend, and more and more is taking me to the Asus 1000HA for $349. However, there's an Acer Aspire for $239, but it's that darned 8.9" screen and a smaller battery. But that 110 difference, you get quite a bit.
I'd be curious to know how many readers of Engadget actually use netbooks. Ever since their popularity and the numerous Engadget posts about netbooks, I too have been thinking about buying one. While having something really light and quick is great to have around with you all the time, is it really worth it? Has anyone out there that bought a netbook going through buyer's remorse?
I own an Asus Eee 901 and the only regret I ever get is when I hear news about whatever new Atom tech is going to replace what I have.
After a few months on the eee 701 last summer, with no regrets but in full knowledge it would be replaced as soon as something better became available, I acquired an HP 2133 and use it 90% of the time. In fact I enjoy seeing how better models emerge, for when I buy a new device in 2010. Learn to buy wisely, be content with what you have and to skip generations if you can.
On a different note, if HP would sell 3-cell batteries as well as 6, I'd be happier as I could keep it plugged in at work and not fret about wearing down the battery. It would also fit better in its case.
I'm ashamed to admit, I've shelled out for four netbooks, and I'm considering this one.
I don't know why, but I'm addicted to these things.
owning a umpc which is roughly the size of a netbook i can say it is a much better experience to using a desktop pc or a notebook.
you find yourself taking it around the house , eating, drinking tea, conversating and even on to the toilet. infact, whenever i need the toilet i usually grab my umpc and browse the internet , i suspect many other umpc/netbook users might do the same...lets have a poll..
I am typing this on a 901 40G. I bought it around the beginning of October for 450. The only thing I regret is not waiting until something like this came out. I upgraded my own and customized it too much to bother with this one. Maybe if they slapped a touch screen on this model, and upped the graphics chipset a bit, at maybe $400, I'd splurge for another one. Streaming video on XP you should have 2gb ram for, which I do. Whatever this costs, by June, I'll order a pair for myself and my sister who is going away to school. And I'll order a couple of SSDs and a couple sticks of RAM. If you don't own a netbook and were going to buy one, this 1000HE looks like the one to get.
I bought the Acer Aspire one, 160gb w/ 6 cell on US launch for full price, $399.00. So far no buyers remorse, except when I read all the next gen netbooks with better specs.
I have taken the AA1 with me on trip to Vegas for New Years and recently installed Win7 dual-boot with XP. I used it mostly for watching Anime and occasional work stuff.
I don't think I'm going to buy another netbook buy I'm definitely keeping my eyes open for MID devices. Or something like the Vaio P minus the Sony tax.
One right here. White Samsung NC10 with XP and Fedora Core.
NOT EVEN SLIGHTLY REMORSEFUL over my MSi WIND. I use it 90% of the time (over my desktop).
You won't find many actual users in agreement with all the naysayers (who actually don't know what they're talking about).
Buy one! You won't be sorry, and you also will never use a "normal" laptop again.
I have an Ideapad S10 from Lenovo, and I have absolutely no qualms with it (except perhaps weak glue on the rubber feet, but that's probably a symptom of it being slung in and out of a backpack every day). My only real complaint is that I didn't wait to get some of these new ones XD
Damn, I sure picked the wrong time to buy one of these! My launch EEE seems positively wimpy compared to this one.
lol yeah, my 701 is struggling, but i'm holding out for the ion movement, might even catch win7 + ion + this keyboard before i upgrade.
I just dont use it enough to justify more$$
It's used about 8 hours a week while im in class - taking notes (google doc's ftw)
I got my G1 phone, my mac pro desktop, and my EEE PC 900HA Hackintosh. Love them all equally for different purposes :) The new keyboard on this one looks very nice, but i prefer my lighter 2.2 lb 900HA over this 3.2 lb guy.
I was leaning towards the new HP until this came out. The keyboard and battery life alone is reason enough for me.
I bought the eee701 last November and have never regretted it. It quickly replaced my MacBook for any coffeeshop-based visits that lasted under 3 hours (ok, so I like coffeeshops...).
Then I got my iPT. The Touch quickly replaced the eee & MacBook for anything that didn't involve typing messages longer than a longish email. Instant on, instant wifi-connectivity, insane battery life (this, of course, was before the 2.0 update).
Lately, I've been going back and forth 'tween all three. The eee/netbook does seem to fit into that ideal combination of size/weight/utility: I can type at about 85% of max, the screensize is fine ('though 9" in the same case wouldn't suck) and my 6cell battery pushes useful life to nearly 5 hours.
Only thing (currently/near available) that could beat the netbook for portable computing would be an external expando-keyboard that worked with my iPT. That'd be sweeeeet.
The netbook can copy/paste. Already trounced the iPhone.
I have been looking into getting one of these for around the house browsing and for trips to in-laws or other travel with hotels with wifi. Less risk of loss than with my wife's laptop, but still all the same functionality. The long battery life is very attractive as well.
Using the MS Live Cash Back program you can get 7% off at J&R for this netbook.
Total comes out to $340...unless you live in NY (taxman): http://todaysepicdeal.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/asus-eee-pc-1000he-10-netbook-36499/
Yet again another Glossy type netbook, when are asus going to learn that not everybody wants a finger marked cheap looking gloss netbook!
What are you talking about? The gloss exterior is real nice, it's shiny and doesn't show scratches on the material all that well. It looks pretty good IMHO. Not to mention, that both the ASUS and MSI manufacturers utilize a more "traditional" matte display finishes.
I am THIS close to picking up one ... I had a desktop and now I have a MacBook; but I must say these little 10" netbooks, especially for the price, you get a lot for the money.
I'm still waiting for netbooks to come into their own. They have some maturing left to do.
I have an ASUS 1000HD. I got it as a christmas gift and thought I'd primarily use it at work (work at a restaurant FT and we have wifi) and on the occasional trip. Like many, I wasn't sure I totally got the point of the netbook concept. I have a pretty nice desktop computer at home so figured that would be about it. I am surprised to say I use this netbook 90% of the time! I love it! Quite zippy for what I use it for, easy to carry anywhere, fast bootup, and the 10" screen really is the "just right" size for a netbook in my opionion . Sitting on the sofa with my netbook is one of my new favorite things. I am actually so fond of this thing I have already pre-ordered the 1000HD and am gonna sell this one to a friend. I never would have believed it but I am a converted netbook fan!
Also, the wireless N in this netbook paired with a cheap Belkin N router is quite fantastic! Great range and speed.
yeah... not many other netbooks well stocked come with 802.11n
bluetooth, too
Oh yeah, did i mention the multi-touch track pad is pretty nice. Ok, I'm done now. Sorry...
I'm new to the netbook, but I'm tempted by this Asus eee pc 1000he. My question - the 40g memory. How will that affect me as a writer? I only use these for writing and net research. I don't mind storing everything I write on a data stick.
The HE actually has a 160 Gb hard drive, so no worries about storage space.
The SDHC slot also makes for easy transfer of files (if you have another computer that is sd/sdhc compatible or a decent cardreader.. I put all the necessities on my hard drive, though, on my 1000ha and still have over 145 gb of space for anything.. also the wireless n is a huge improvement from the HA.. that wireless g card blows..
I was also looking at the 1000HA for some time but right now amazon and a few other retailers are offering the 1000HE for just 25 more at 375. So for a better battery, wireless N, and bluetooth I figured the 25 was worth it. Still holding out on the 2gb upgrade, perhaps someone will get it for me for my b-day :)
Apparently, the wireless N only works at 2.4 ghz, significantly reducing the utility of actually using N instead of G.