How would you change ASUS' Eee PC Seashell line?
By Darren Murph 
posted July 17th 2009 11:13PM
posted July 17th 2009 11:13PM
posted July 17th 2009 11:13PM
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Depends on your wants on battery and USB ports. If you don't want/need the 10 hour battery life on the 1005, and 2 USB ports is fine for you (which does require a USB extension cable if you want to use a standard Y USB cable to power an external DVD drive) then get the smaller 1008, if you think only 2 USB ports will annoy you and you want the extra battery life, get the 1005 (and save $50 into the bargain).
Two and a half words: 12-CELL BATTERY OPTION ....whatever happened to the freedom to choose?
Additional Words:
1. Detachable screen would be nice! Wired detachability would be better than none... Attachments for mounting the screen in different locations (car, wall, desk, ceiling, chair arm, etc.)
2. Wireless touchpad... (i.e. NOT a wireless mouse) for remote control of said detachable screen. Similar to the 'GiSTEQ Wireless Touchpad Remote Control' or a wireless version of the 'Adesso EasyCat Touchpad'.
3. Optional Docking Station: to a dual-3.5-inch Hard Drive Bay for quick conversion into a "Super Nettop"
4. Standard Video Outputs... since netbooks CAN play 480p!
5. Obviously 1080p playback and higher screen resolution!
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It'd be nice to see a company streamline and push things into this direction rather than have the consumer scrambling to find his own ways to create a similar setup! The Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player, for example, is awesome but I would prefer to have everything in a single unit!
Spoon-feeding the consumer has not gone out of style!
STOP MAKING SO MANY FRIGGIN EEE-PCS ASUS.....dayyumm
Ship it with http://www.geteasypeasy.com/ FTW!
Well the obvious changes would be:
Matte screen and finish on laptop
Ion graphics
Upgraded CPU so that things like Hulu will play without lag (probably impossible but I can dream)
Lower price point. Highest price for a netbook should $400
The gist of it is I want something small that doesn't attract fingerprints and can be more easily used in florescent lighting and outdoors. I will mainly be using it for Internet browsing and watching online video on sites like Youtube and Hulu so it needs just enough power to do that. And finally since my expectations are low the price needs to be low as well. With smart online shopping an extremely nice laptop can be found for $700-$800 so $500 for something too slow to be used as a primary computer is unacceptable.
I ordered my 1005HA-P from buydig.com for $359.00 on July 15, 2009. It was delivered FedEx on July 16, 2009. I opened the box, plugged in the battery, turned it on and it just worked. No junk applications to delete. Quick boot. I LOVE IT!
What would I change?
1. Increase the resolution to 1280x800.
2. Matte screen.(option) without losing bluetooth and 1.3Mp camera
3. Accessible hard drive compartment.for upgrading (any video on how to do this anywhere yet)
4. Offer a SSD model.
5. Hard switch GPU option.with ION (when I don't need the Horsepower, I can turn it off and save power - better yet, NVIDEA offer ION with software that lets you list what apps use the full performance of ION and all other apps runs in super low power mode).
6. Power brick minicase that attaches to the netbook sleeve
7. Update eeepc docking app to display battery life left in dead space of applet that you see when closed.
8. Win7 free upgrade or at least a discount
9. If you're going to split 160GB disk 80/80 install one of the excellent
They should come with 2 Ghz processors, and maybe like the Nvidia Ion or something, just for kicks.
Is it true that the new Windows 7 restraints on netbooks that are running the most basic version can have up to 2 Ghz processors??
How about a 24 hour battery life (that's with WIFI on), HD video acceleration and maybe ExpressCard slot.
A dedicated video card would just sip battery, netbooks arent made for 3D gaming any way. Battery life should be number 1 priority.
Two words: built-in bacon.
All the prices should come down to $300.
What's with the gloss? If I could change 1 thing on it it'd be to remove the glossy coating from the entire netbook (1008ha) except for the keyboard bezel. ASUS if you're reading this, PLEASE stop with the make-up-kit netbook look. How about a little matte? Carbon fiber, brushed steel, anything but gloss.
1. More RAM.
2. Bigger screen/less bezel as everyone else has mentioned.
3. Anti-static coating on the exterior, it attracts dust.
4. Upgrade the graphics chip, a Intel 945 is so yesterday :)
5. Aluminum/composite shell
Get rid of the dimpled track pad and use smooth glass like the macbook.
Everything that's being suggested would increase the price. IMO, the seashells are right at the top of the acceptable netbook price range, anyway. But, RAM is so cheap I'm mystified as to why they put only 1GB in, would 2GB have increased the price at all?
I have a 1005, and I love it. Keyboard is comfortable, trackpad is good (but needs the multitouch options put back on, no idea why they removed those), and honestly I like the glossy screen although I understand why you might want a matte option. Higher res would, of course, be nice but you start pushing the price up, and right now I think the seashells are at the sweet spot of price. They beat out everyone else at their price point, so I'd be hesitant to do much other than increase the memory.
1GB is the maximum that Microsoft allow to be shipped with XP on a netbook
I've owned so many eeepc's that I thought the 1005ha wouldve been the best of all, but it got worse. They should've kept the speakers on the 1000h because the newer ones are so high pitched, they're ear piercing! If u control the EQ to make them not as ear piercing, then they're way too low in volume. keyboard also sucks and doesn't register every key when I type, and I'm not a fast typer either. Also build isn't as solid as past models.
Yeah agreed, get some decent speakers with some base(drivers).
Make a simpler power cord with a more durable connector. The line cord goes to a brick, which goes to a thin cable and a tiny plug. Seems guaranteed to break in the hands of children. Use a common 12v power supply.
Let the screen fold back further.
Improve the balance - the 1005HA is tippy with the screen all the way back.
VGA connector is OK with me- at the moment.
Change the shell to be "grippier" - a light rubber coating or texture would make is easier to handle without worrying about dropping it.
More battery power, touch screens and discrete graphics.
Call it the Eee Shell not the Eee Seashell....I mean go for the pun!
- Price unde $450 - even with following improvments
- NVIDIA ION -
- HDMI port
- Touch screen with matte finish
- 6 cell battery
- Speakers on the side, more power from speakers
- Better access to m-board for installing
- Under 2.3 lbs
I have the 1008HA and think it is great, but here are my suggestions:
1280x800
better quality keyboard (I'm used to macbook)
better quality left/right mouse click pad (feels a bit cheap and clunky)
backlit keyboard
No doors to cover USB or headphone jack
all computers should have magnetic power plug like macbook (but probably cant due to patent)
matte screen
2 finger scroll
easier way to increase ram (had to completely disassemble to update to 2 GB)
blue light is way too bright in a dark room
I have XP, Windows 7, Ubuntu Remix, and moblin running, but XP is the fastest, most stable, and most complete OS so far.
In order of decreasing priority for me:
- hi res screen (1280x800 would be perfect)
- matt screen
- less bezel, more screen
- more metal, less plastic
- 5-6% smaller in every dimension (down from 95% keyboard to 90% keyboard)
- optional built in HSDPA
I would give it more power and a better screen resolution.
I wonder why almost noone mentions the CPU. I have an Eee 900A and I'm very happy with it - the only thing that would make me buying a new netbook is a better CPU, as sometimes the performance of an N270/N280-based machine could be better. Too bad noone puts the Atom Z550 with 2GHz in a netbook, instead they even take the Z520, so that for example the T91 - which I think is really cool - is even slower than a 900A...
Make the bezel the same color as the body. Cutting corners by using the same black bezel on every system gives the netbook a disjointed look. And an island keyboard will fit on this netbook (nee Toshiba NB205). The larger seashell netbook should have the same low-profile seeing it has more cubic room than the 1008HA. You actually should bundle a system specific (design-wise) external dvd drive, or at least as an option. Raise the height of the LCD to 768 (1024X768) to increase standard view.
I'd change it with a sledge hammer, Office Space style.
backlit keyboard anyone?
Trackpoint or Pointing Stick!
I am one of those people who hates using a touch pad mouse. I can't stand the fact that I need both hands to use it. I can't believe not a single netbook on the market offers the option of a trackpoint mouse. Another person already commented that trackpoints are usually found on small notebooks. Why aren't they offered on netbooks? I am waiting for a netbook with a trackpoint mouse. Then I will buy one. It's that important to me.
Nobody's commenting on the 11" "Seashell" model which is broken in so many ways--the tiny little right shift key, the 1.3GHz CPU, all things they got perfectly on the other Seashell models.
- Add a trackpoint, at least as an option
- Offer high GHz Atom processors, like a 1.8GHz or 2.0GHz Atom CPU
- All models should come with overclocking utilities
- Access doors for RAM, HDD/SSD and mini PCIe slot for a 3G and/or WiFi card with antenna cables ready to go on all models
- Narrower bezel, in fact there should be an 11" display in the 10" form factor with a 720p display option
- Models with HDMI or mini-displayport instead of VGA, e.g. for everybody who doesn't need to do presentations with the thing
- One USB port should be powered even when the unit is off, at least if the netbook is plugged in
- 802.11n should be standard on all models
- One USB port should be a hybrid with eSata
- Windows 7 options once it ships