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Asus Eee PC 1005HA Netbook Review By Jacob |
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I purchased my Asus Eee PC 1005ha because I was looking for a good secondary mobile computer. I have an HP dv7t quad edition powerhouse laptop, but it weighs more than 10 pounds and mobile only in the loosest sense of the word. The "Pearl White" Eee PC seemed like a good complement to this, especially given that Asus was the first company into the netbook business and remains the largest netbook vendor today. I do not regret the purchase. The computer set me back only $290, which is less than many other computers with equal specs. |
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It has the same processor as most netbooks: a 1.66 Ghz Intel atom processor, but Asus has given that quite a boost. Using the included Asus "hybrid engine" software, one is able to change the processor speed at the cost of battery life. This works out to dynamic overclocking and does not even require restarting the computer. It is also possible to underclock the processor into "power saver" mode, which I typically do to increase battery life. The other specs that the computer has is a 160 Gb 5400 rpm hard drive, a 10.1" screen with 1024x600 resolution, a 1.3 megapixel video camera, and 1 Gb of ram. The ram is very easily upgraded, so I purchased an addition Crucial 266-pin 2 Gb memory stick, which I installed without trouble. This is pretty important as Windows 7 can be quite a memory hog. The battery on this 1005HA was the main reason that I purchased it, and it does not disappoint. I typically get 10 hours of battery life between charges. It is a 6-cell battery, so it is heavy, but even with that the computer is only about 4.4 pounds. There is, however, one thing that a purchaser must be careful of. My main qualm with this computer is that there are two versions. The eee PC 1005ha-P* is sold in most locations, but best buy sells a 1005ha-V*, V supposed to stand for value. The "V" version is only $40 cheaper but has a smaller battery, a lower-resolution video camera, no bluetooth, and a slower processor. Be careful to get the version with "P" in the name- the $40 is not worth the two hours less of battery life. I only have one other qualm with this Asus Eee PC 1005HA. Rather than coming with the standard version of Windows 7, it comes with Windows 7 "starter" edition. This version of Windows 7 is severely limited, without even the ability to change the desktop background. It is not cheap to upgrade, so I have kept starter edition. However, Starter Edition does have fewer services in the background, which increases the battery life even farther. By Jacob for Cheaperlaptop.com Thursday, July 22, 2010 - Good For Short Bursts? - The Asus UL20A-A1 - Overview of the Asus Eee PC 1000HE - Site map - Privacy policy |