For those near and dear to ASUS' Eee PC netbook line, the
1008HA 'Seashell' is definitely a breath of fresh air. It doesn't
look like an Eee, it doesn't
feel like an Eee and it doesn't boast a replaceable battery like an Eee; needless to say, only two of those three facts were lauded by reviewers across the web. Much like Apple's MacBook Air, the battery in this here machine is not user-serviceable, and while tests proved that it could last well over three hours with "normal" use, ASUS has yet to make clear what plans it has for
offering replacements. In any case, most everything else about the machine was found to be on par or above, with performance being satisfactory for basic tasks and the keyboard / trackpad being exceptionally yummy. Still, it feels as if ASUS is charging a bit much for a familiar lineup of internals, but those willing to pay for style should definitely take a closer look.
Read - Trusted Reviews ("a very refined and classy netbook")
Read - T3 ("a good all-round package")
Read - CNET UK ("great styling and a relatively light chassis")
Read - Bit-Tech ("definitely worth considering, but looks come at a cost")
Read - WhatLaptop ("a compelling proposition")
Read - PCPro ("If you don't mind paying a premium for fine design, then the Seashell is a tantalizing prospect")
posted May 14th 2009 at 10:59AM
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chuckles McGee @ May 14th 2009 11:10AM
"...charging a bit much for a familiar lineup of internals, but those willing to pay for style should definitely take a closer look."
Read: MacBook Air Users
Lare2 @ May 14th 2009 11:14AM
This machine is lacking what most MacBook Air Users pay for...............The Apple Logo
Lundmark @ May 14th 2009 11:22AM
@Lare2:
Or the performance, stupid. MacBook Air is about the cheapest, most powerful ultra-portable you can get.
AVG @ May 14th 2009 11:23AM
"MacBook Air is about the cheapest, most powerful ultra-portable you can get."
Uuuhhh, what? Please provide sources for this information.
Phoenix @ May 14th 2009 11:49AM
it's not an ultraportable since it has a normal laptop's footprint. It's just very thin.
hfm @ May 14th 2009 11:56AM
The Air is 3.0lb ... it's an ultra-portable.... what definition of ultra-portable makes the Air not one? the 13" footprint?
I'm interested in the Asus U20, I like the illuminated keyboard.. when is that thing coming out anyway...
KillerSiafu @ May 14th 2009 12:35PM
"MacBook Air is about the cheapest, most powerful ultra-portable you can get."
Ya... cuz $999 for a REFURBISHED, 1.6ghz atom with 2gb of ram and an 80gb hd, no optical drive, 1 usb port, no replaceable battery, and no pci slot certainly fits my definition of cheap and powerful...
oh wait... no it doesn't
You could buy a NEW laptop with a dual core, twice the ram, and 3x the HD space, an optical drive, multiple usb ports, a replacable battery and a pci card slot for half that price. Oh but it won't have that little apple logo...
And I know what you'll say: Ya but it doesn't run OS-X... true... but I consider that a feature
Lundmark @ May 14th 2009 2:46PM
@AVG:
"Uuuhhh, what? Please provide sources for this information."
I didn't deserve to get low ranked for that comment, because it's true. Compare the MBA to Dell Adamo, the Sony Vaio TT and the Lenovo X300 and you'll notice that these three machines, while similar in weight and size, comes with 1.2 or 1.4 GHz C2D CPUs by default, Intel graphics and a price tag well above that of MacBook Air.
To be fair, it should be mentioned that some of them come with SSD as standard but even then, when you compare them to the 1.8GHz SSD MacBook Air, they are not cheaper. Also, none of these can be configured with 1.8GHz CPUs or NVIDIA graphics. They all have more connections and the TT has an optical drive, but in terms of price, performance and included software, the Air is unbeatable.
That said, I still think these are expensive computers, but please bear in mind that ultra portables with great performance always are expensive.
@KillerSiafu:
"You could buy a NEW laptop with a dual core, twice the ram, and 3x the HD space, an optical drive, multiple usb ports, a replacable battery and a pci card slot for half that price. Oh but it won't have that little apple logo..."
Yes you could, but not an ultra portable. You could also get a couple chorizos for a quarter of the price of beef tenderloin, a tent instead of a house or a bike instead of a car. They all serve the same purpose, but would you compare them? For fuck sake...
Lastly, this is a comparison spec I made for myself about three weeks ago when I was comparing ultra portable computers. The prices are listed in Swedish Kronor (SEK) and were taken directly from the manufacturers' websites. The MBA with SSD option is not included, but it costs about 23 000 SEK.
http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/8872/bild1lyf.png
So there you go. The MacBook Air is a great deal if you live in the Nordics, but probably in more locations too.
bootareen @ May 14th 2009 3:25PM
@KillerSiafu: Where is this Atom-powered Macbook Air you speak of? I'm interested.
AVG @ May 14th 2009 4:01PM
@Lundmark
Those are CLEARLY NOT the only other ultraportable laptop models out there right now. Don't all of those also have more than 1 USB port?
Lundmark @ May 14th 2009 4:08PM
@AVG:
Indeed their not the only ones, but try finding a better deal. I just found the Samsung X360, which, like the rest above, is highly underpowered with its 1.2GHz CPU, slow RAM and Intel graphics whilst being priced similarly.
They all do have more than one USB port, but I don't think that having a trio of USB ports is more important than having more power. Do you? Especially not on an ultra portable computer, which isn't supposed to be tied up to peripherals. Use Bluetooth and WiFi as much as possible instead.
iKurt 5D @ May 14th 2009 6:47PM
"You could buy a NEW laptop with a dual core, twice the ram, and 3x the HD space, an optical drive, multiple usb ports, a replacable battery and a pci card slot for half that price. Oh but it won't have that little apple logo..." -KillerSiafu
ya.... and it weighs 7 lbs. Please re-read the post you are replying to, because you missed one important keyword - "ultraportable".
Dumbass.
Newone @ May 14th 2009 7:22PM
@hfm
Weight only doesn't make ultraportable. You wouldnt call 1 meter by 1 meter styrofoam ultraportable, even if it weights less than 3lbs.
Macbook air isn't a ultraportable simply by the size of its screen.
hfm @ May 15th 2009 12:03PM
@newone
Ultra-portable or subnotebook just weighs less than 4 lb.. netbook is a different class....
Patriks7 @ May 15th 2009 7:04PM
"Ya... cuz $999 for a REFURBISHED, 1.6ghz atom"
That's when I stopped reading your post. At least try to get your information right.
Atom =/= C2D in MBA
Beastage @ May 14th 2009 11:15AM
Why did engadget felt it was needed to mention the MBA? this thing costs about a 6th of the price.
LondonConsultant @ May 15th 2009 5:54AM
and it unfortunately prompts 100 Apply fans to write something about their religious artefacts - and 100 normal people to respond... It gets tedious after a while.
Thorin78 @ May 14th 2009 11:22AM
I would like to see a comparison between the MSI Slim and this. Is that possible?
Lundmark @ May 14th 2009 11:22AM
MacBook Air KIRF.
Look_Around_You @ May 14th 2009 12:01PM
So now every thin laptop is a fake MBA?
That's like saying every touch phone is a fake LG Prada.
Lundmark @ May 14th 2009 2:49PM
Nah, I was just trolling for people like you. But it does indeed have a similar design with its wedge shape and rounded corners.
MaXKiLLz @ May 14th 2009 11:29AM
Non user replaceable battery is a dumb decision by Asus. Some things you just don't eliminate in the name of style.
ChaoZ @ May 14th 2009 12:07PM
Never replaced the battery on my aging 700M, and these Netbooks are meant to be much more disposable.
Poo_and_Wee @ May 14th 2009 12:38PM
Not at this price they aren't.
Goldaar @ May 14th 2009 3:13PM
If you are buying an Asus, I would at least somewhat assume you knew how to remove 6-10 screws to gain access to the internals. I have no doubt this battery will be easily accessible to any hobbyist, and replacements will be easy to come by.
Ysengrim @ May 14th 2009 11:34AM
@MaXKiLLz: Wrong! Style is everything. Performance means NOTHING! [ ;-) for the irony impaired].
The non-replaceable battery does help the weight, and for some of us, every gram counts. Now, if it can run OS X, color me interested.
Poo_and_Wee @ May 14th 2009 12:44PM
I NEED to hackintosh this.
Andrew88 @ May 14th 2009 12:58PM
Seriously Eee, your logo is killing me.
Me4u2 @ May 14th 2009 1:05PM
Nice!!!
Me4u2 @ May 14th 2009 1:07PM
Install windows 7 on this baby and you've got the best ultra-portable netbook/notebook ever
vitriolix @ May 14th 2009 1:25PM
ugh... non removable battery = fail
Raim @ May 14th 2009 2:56PM
Looks sexy. But Im not so keen on the non removable battery. Just not enough to pull me away from my 900HA.
superhobo @ May 14th 2009 3:58PM
If I buy this I'll sand that damn logo off.
Zakor @ May 26th 2009 3:29PM
Just picked one up and found out that IT DOESN"T RUN Windows 7 due to Video issues. I had such a great experience with an Acer Aspire One netbook that I though I would upgrade to a slimmer netbook. But after bringing it home last night I found out that there are issues with it going to a black screen when poweing on OR hibernating...
There are some clunky workarounds that work for some but it's not a good choice for Windows 7 beta or RC yet. If you're planning on a netbook for Windows 7 this isn't it yet. Hope they update the bios at some point.
That being said it's a nicely built unit and feels solidly constructed with an excellent keyboard.
Netbook Dad @ May 30th 2009 12:01AM
Boy, this looks great with Mac OS X desktop on it:
http://www.netbookdad.com/featured/nethackintosh-is-my-netbook-mac-os-x-compatible/
Has anyone got it to work?
terry chay @ Jun 17th 2009 1:52PM
http://www.hackint0sh.org/forum/f181/74055.htm
Short answer. Yes, but you'll need to flip the WiFi card out and sound isn't working yet.