Asus EeePC 1000HE Review

Asus has launched a number of 10” netbooks for its 1000 family. Aside from the 1000, there’s the 1000H, 1000HA, 1000HD and 1000HE. Among the 5, it was the HE that caught me eye so I decided to write a review for it (forgive my crummy photos).

Here’s a quick rundown of its specs:

• Intel Atom N280 (1.66GHz)
• 1GB RAM (upgradeable to 2GB)
• 160GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
• Intel GMA 950
• 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0
• Windows XP
• 1.3mp webcam

The 1000HE has the same glossy fingerprint-magnet finish as that of the other Eee PC’s in the 1000 series. It also has roughly the same weight as the others at 3.2 lbs (this weight is already on the hefty side for netbooks).

Gorgeous Keyboard

One of the major design improvements on the 1000HE is its chiclet-style keyboard that reminds me of Mac and Sony’s keyboard. I felt comfortable using its keyboard even when typing in the dark.

You will notice that the right Shift key is already placed on the correct side of the Up arrow key unlike the other 10” Eee PC. Although a bit small, I had no problems hitting it.

They also included an Fn key on the right edge for one-handed Page Up and Page Down. Nice call!

Long-lasting Battery

The biggest thing that I liked about the 1000HE is its battery life. It uses a 6-cell 8700mAH Li-on battery that they claim can last up to 9.5 hours. I don’t get it why it weighs the same as the other in the 1000 line but have better battery life.

In reality, I could get almost 8 hours from it with WiFi on. Check out the screenshot that I took. I was playing a movie and using Macromedia Fireworks during that time. Notice that my WiFi is also active.

I also noticed that even using it for 4 hours straight, I didn’t feel it getting hot at all unlike my other MSI laptop.

Other stuff

The trackpad buttons are a bit stiff to press but the trick is to press it on the edge. It also features a multi-touch trackpad but I’m having difficulty mastering it. No big deal for me though.

I don’t know how it is with other 1000 Eee PC but the sound coming from on the 1000HE’s speakers are quite decent. While watching Russel Peters, I could clearly hear what he’s saying.

There are dedicated keys near the top for changing the resolution (which I seldomly use) and for easy switching of performance mode. I just set it at auto power saving and only switching to high performance mode when I need to use Photoshop.

Oh yeah, the package comes with its own dust-attracting sleeve. Hehehe.

Conclusion

For it’s cheap price tag (bought from Amazon at $374) and one of the best battery life for a netbook, it’s hard to beat the 1000HE. It doesn’t have any Expresscard slot, 3G, nor capabilities for HD video playback but if you’re looking for a cheap basic netbook, I highly recommend this one.

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