Asus Eee PC 901 netbook

The good value Asus Eee PC comparison, this time between the Asus Eee PC 901, the Asus Eee PC 1000H and the Asus Eee PC 1000HE, all of which have fantastic battery life.

All of these Asus netbooks have a good specification including Draft N, 3 USB ports and practically all day use with the 901 featuring an SSD hard disk instead of the conventional hard disks in the 1000H and 1000HE netbooks.

The 901 is more portable, as it is lighter and slightly smaller but still manages to pack a lot in. It is also the cheapest of the 3 at only around £240. But then you don’t have to pay much more for the 1000H, which is available for just less than £260. The 1000HE is the real workhorse of the 3 will the longest battery life and a slightly faster processor but is also the most expensive.

In our view all of these 3 Eee PC’s offer great value for money. But what then are the differences that are important to you with regards to these 3 Asus netbooks and which should you think about buying? Have a look at the comparison table below.

Related posts:

1. Comparison between Asus Eee PC 1000H, Asus Eee PC 1000HE and Asus Eee PC S101
2. Asus Eee PC 1000H Specification
3. Asus Eee PC 1000HE Specification

The king of the Asus comparisons – the newly released Asus Eee PC 1008HA Seashell is up against the 1000HE and the S101.

How does the new Seashell Asus compare against the massively popular Asus Eee PC 1000HE and the amazingly stylish Asus Eee PC S101? You are about to find out.

Related posts:

1. Comparison between Asus Eee PC 1000H, Asus Eee PC 1000HE and Asus Eee PC S101
2. Asus Eee PC 1008HA Seashell stock expected 17th June
3. Asus Eee PC 1008HA Seashell Specification

Announcing Fantastic Netbooks new netbook rankings – to sort out the best netbooks from the also rans.

With the large number of netbooks on the market it can be difficult trying to keep up or work out which netbook is the best overall. It used to be the MSI Wind U100 a while ago but there have been so many released it can’t still be number 1 can it?

But what about if you are looking for a particular feature and just want the best netbook in that category? We have started with 2 individual categories – the lightest netbook and the longest battery life. Perhaps you want a compromise, a light netbook with a long battery life, hopefully comparing the tables will give you a good idea of which netbooks to look at more closely.

So which is the lightest netbook and which one has the longest battery life but perhaps most importantly, which netbook is the overall number 1?

Click here to see our netbook rankings.

As we add more reviews and more netbooks to this site these netbook league tables will be regularly updated to help us determine the best netbook in each category and the top netbook overall.

And let us know what future netbook rankings you would like to see. Would a league table for best screen or best keyboard be useful to you, how would you measure which one was best? Any feedback is more than welcome and we will respond to any comments you may have.

Find the latest netbooks at the lowest prices at our Netbook Shop.

Related posts:

1. Netbook Rankings updated with new models
2. Netbook Rankings Updated – Contains Over 75 Models
3. Over 50 netbooks now in our netbooks rankings

The Asus Eee PC 1000HE is based on the Asus Eee PC 1000H with some minor differences that improve the previous model and turn it into a genuine contender for best netbook.

The ‘E’ apparently stands for ‘Extended’ and the battery life is certainly one of the longest of any netbook you can get. If sheer longevity is a clear selling point for you then this netbook should surely be on your wishlist.

We provide a clear, comprehensive and easy to read review of the Asus Eee PC 1000HE that collates and compiles all of the opinions from 10 top industry reviews to give you the true picture without having to read 10 separate reviews. I hope you find this useful and we would be very grateful if you could leave feedback at the bottom of the review once you have got that far.

Now, onto the review of the Asus Eee PC 1000HE netbook.

Differences Between Asus 1000HE and Asus 1000H:

1. Processor – the 1000HE is one of the first netbooks to use the Intel Atom N280 processor (instead of the now standard Intel Atom N270 processor). The N280 offers a faster front size bus, which runs as 667Mhz instead of 533Mhz and helps to increase the clock speed to 1.67Ghz up from 1.6Ghz in the Atom N270 processor. However, the 1000HE still uses the 945GSE chipset instead of the new GN40 chipset and so perhaps does not take advantage of further benefits that using the new chipset could provide (more on the performance of the Asus Eee PC 1000HE below).

2. Keyboard – the 1000HE uses an isolated keyboard with each key separate from the key next to it, which is similar to some MacBook’s, Sony Vaio’s and other often more expensive machines. Asus has sorted out the right shift key problem that Trusted Reviews (and a couple of other reviewers) say has plagued every Eee PC released to date. If you like the MacBook style keyboards then you will like this one. One of the better keyboards out there according to Trusted Reviews (more on the keyboard below).

3. Design – the overall design has been improved to make the Eee PC 1000HE a bit sleeky and less bulky than the 1000H.

Asus Eee PC 1000HE Good points:

1. Battery – practically the biggest selling point of the 1000HE, this netbook benefits from a huge 6 cell 8,700mAh battery that gives up to 9.5 hours usage according to Asus’s quoted figures.

Every reviewer got stuck in and tested the 1000HE to the max to gain a good set of battery life figures. Here are the results:

i) Trusted Reviews got 7.5 hours in normal use so you can perhaps leave your charger at home if you go out for the day. This is practically a full day’s work without charging.

ii) CNET tested the 1000HE using the Battery Eater’s Classic Test, which runs the netbook at full tilt until it dies and the netbook lasted a full 5 hours and 48 minutes, which is huge. CNET also tested with the Battery Eater Reader’s Test and the 1000HE did not give up for a massive 10 hours and 32 minutes.

iii) TechRadar complained that they could not get anywhere near the quoted 9.5 hours mark but could fairly happily run the 1000HE for over 7 hours with a mixture of WiFi on sometimes, playing videos other times and general use. This did not appear to be a scientific test but was based on example usage. Over 7 hours is still way over the netbook average (about 4.5 hours).

iv) In High Performance mode, Register Hardware got 6 hours and 35 minutes from the battery and in their H.264 SD video test, the battery lasted for 5 hours and 35 minutes, which is more than an hour longer than the next best netbook (Samsung NC10). In Power Saving mode you could expect to get more from the battery than the above tests show.

v) IT Pro’s light use test garnered just less than 6 and a half hours from the battery and the 1000HE lasted over 5 hours in IT Pro’s heavy use test.

vi) VNUnet.com used the Battery Eater Pro test and achieved results of 4 hours and 48 minutes battery life, which has all power management disabled so normal use should achieve a longer timespan.

vii) PC Pro’s light use test got 8 hours and 10 minutes out of the battery and 5 hours in their heavy duty test, both great figures and PC Pro were very pleased.

viii) Laptopmag’s test resulted in 7 hours and 8 minutes but this figure was bettered by their test of the HP 2140, which we are about to review in more details (please look out for this review coming soon).

Generally speaking, the battery is excellent, it is way about the netbook average so if you need long battery life then this netbook should be on your shortlist.

2. Keyboard – the keyboard is much improved from the 1000H (see differences above) and all the reviewers had positive things to say about this ‘chiclet’ keyboard, as it is called in the US apparently. The keyboard is easy to use, touch typing is more than possible and hitting an adjacent key happens much less often. Several reviewers found that the keys have a positive feel and a decent amount of travel.

TechRadar liked the fact that the keyboard is very similar to a MacBook but was critial in that the keyboard did not have as much of a sturdy feel in relation to a MacBook (the MacBook is quite a bit more expensive than the 1000HE) and the space bar is a bit dead. TechRadar did say that the keyboard is otherwise thoroughly responsive.

Trusted Reviews thought that the isolated keyboard was one of the better keyboards of any netbook. CNET thought it was easy to use and so did Register Hardware who also noted that it is solid and less rattly than other Asus Eee PC keyboards.

3. Speakers – the 1000HE’s speakers offer a good volume with no distortion and impressive clarity for small speakers. Several reviewers made reference to the good speakers and Laptopmag also thought that they are loud but without sounding harsh. Of course more bass would be better but you are not really going to get that in a netbook.

Trusted Reviews mentioned that the 1000HE includes Dolby Home Theatre audio and excellent headphone sound virtualisation.

4. Performance – the various performance tests that many of the reviewers carried out as part of their reviews found that the Atom N280 processor marginally outperforms the Atom N270 available in most other netbooks. The 1000HE generally scored slightly higher in whatever performance test the reviewer completed (those that ran full tests such as PCMark05). It was pretty much agreed that the performance increase was small but obviously a good thing.

5. Draft-N – Trusted Reviews, CNET and TechRadar did not even mention the fact that the 1000HE has support for Draft N whilst Register Hardware and IT Pro did mention it as being a bonus, which I think is pretty relevant that getting faster wireless is a big selling point when many people are going to be using the netbook’s wireless capabilities.

Laptopmag helpfully noted that Draft-N means that you should expect above average wireless performance and produced some data transfer rates of 20.7Mbps when 15 feet away from the access point and 17.6Mbps with 50 feet away from the access point.

6. Accessible – Register Hardware liked the fact that it is easy to access the memory slot and hard drive but it is not so easy to access the bluetooth module and wireless card (should you need to). IT Pro, VNUnet.com and Laptopmag also spotted the memory slot being easily accessible.

7. Online Storage – the 1000HE comes with 10Gb of online storage although it should be noted that this is only free for 18 months.

Asus 1000HE Divided Opinion:

Before we get to the bad points there were a couple of areas where the reviewers could not seem to agree.

1. Screen - depending on which review you read the screen is either sharp, bright and with an anti-glare finish that can be easily viewed in bright light unlike many competitors with glossy screens or is grainy, has poor colour reproduction and is a little dark.

Trusted Reviews, CNET and Laptopmag liked the screen and found it to be sharp and bright.

Register Hardware would actually prefer a glossy screen rather than the anti-glare one found on the 1000HE. Perhaps they don’t want to use their netbooks outside. Register Hardware also thought that the screen was a little dark.

IT Pro did not like the screen either and thought it was grainy and the colour reproduction was not great. They did concede that the screen was fine for a netbook but could have been better quality.

PC Pro also found the screen to be grainy and a bit washed out noting that better screens can be found on the Samsung NC10 and NC20.

Overall, even though there are blatant differences of opinion on whether the 1000HE’s screen is bright and crisp or dark and grainy practically all the reviewers kept things in perspective and did not mark the 1000HE down very much if they did not like the screen. The screen was mostly found to be fine but could perhaps be better quality.

2. Trackpad – is another area where reviewers seemed to disagree on whether the trackpad was easy to use or sticky with stiff buttons.

Trusted Reviews and Laptopmag found the trackpad very easy to use, as it is larger than many netbooks and supports multi-touch.

IT Pro and PC Pro didn’t like it however and found it sticky to use with the buttons being too much of an effort to press. PC World thought the trackpad was a bit twitchy, not a big deal but enough to notice it.

3. Design – often a contentious area, the design of the 1000HE was often covered in detail in reviews with varying opinions from the reviewer.

Trusted Reviews thought the 1000HE was a bit chunky looking with big hinges and not as refined as some newer models. CNET, however, liked the design and believed it to have nice curved edges but perhaps the glossy black finish would attract too many fingerprints although they did say that the screen has a rather large bezel around it, which PC Pro woud agree with.

IT Pro mentioned that the 1000HE does not match the Samsung NC10 and NC20 for style. Laptopmag liked the premium look and feel for the 1000HE.

The design of the 1000HE has seemed to split the reviewers down the middle and so it really comes down to whether you feel the design to be important and, if so, whether the 1000HE looks good to you. If design is vitally important then the Asus Eee PC S101 may be more up your street or perhaps a Samsung NC10 if your budget is lower.

4. Cost - slighty dividing opinion in that the US reviewers believed the 1000HE to be good value where it is on sale at around $400. In the UK it is a slightly different story where the 1000HE is offered at around £320 and so some UK reviewers felt it was on the expensive side, especially when the Samsung NC10 is the same price or slightly cheaper.

Asus 1000HE Bad Points:

1. Relatively heavy – for a 10 inch netbook the 1000He weighs 1.45Kg, which is mostly down to the large battery. As is often the compromise, if you want a huge long battery life then you are going to have a heavier netbook. Several reviewers pointed out the relative heavines of the 1000HE but it does still only weigh 100g or 200g more than quite a few other netbooks. Similarly, at 38mm thick the 1000HE is slightly chunkier than other netbooks but, again, this mostly comes down to the size of the battery.

2. No integrated 3G – Trusted Reviews and IT Pro would have liked to have seen this but perhaps it is being a bit harsh on Asus for not including it. PC Pro pointed out that including 3G would probably have pushed up the price quite considerably although they would have liked to have seen it included.

3. Slip case – Register Hardware did not like the slip case that comes with the 1000HE and found it really peculiar to touch. Nobody else mentioned this at all.

4. Tips backwards – VNUnet.com noticed that the weight of the battery at the back of the 1000HE made it sometimes tip backwards so needed to be used with care in this respect. No other reviewer mentioned this.

Some Other Points of Note:

1. There are 2 microphones placed underneath the screen, while many competing models only have 1. Laptopmag made a few skype calls and noted that the picture was clear and the sound was crisp in both directions.

2. A couple of reviewers mentioned the software that came preloaded with the netbook, which is StarOffice 8 suite, Skype client and InterVideo WinDVD player. Asus also include their utilities, such as Asus Update to download and install updates for the system’s Bios, Eee InstantKey, which drives the hotkey functions such as turning wireless on/off and controlling the display brightness, and the SuperHybridEngine power management tool

3. The ports are all down either the left or right side of the netbook, there are no ports on either the front or back sides.

4. There are 4 buttons above the keyboard on the left that complete the following actions
i) Blank the screen – not sure how useful this is unless you want to hide something
ii) Cycle through 4 display resolution settings
iii) and iv) Customise to what you want

5. Laptopmag liked the swift book time for XP in that it booted up in 37 seconds.

6. Laptopmag also spotted that graphics performance for the 1000HE is slightly below average for a netbook so you won’t be playing the latest games on it.

Overall Score – 83.2% (from 10 top industry reviews – see netbook rankings)

Available From – Insight at £344.99 inc. VAT.

Reviewers Comments and Verdicts:

1. Trusted Reviews – If you’re after a netbook with the best possible battery life, the Eee PC 1000HE definitely has you covered and should be seriously considered. However, in terms of design and usability it lags behind some of its cheaper rivals and with new models bound to materialise soon, it doesn’t quite do enough to make it a must buy.

2. CNET - The Asus Eee PC 1000HE is the best netbook so far for people who travel often. Its stunning battery life eclipses that of all its rivals, its keyboard is good enough to touch type with, and it looks good, too. We’re in love, as should you be.

3. TechRadar said that if you already have a netbook then there is no real need to upgrade unless you really want to longer batter life. If you’re in the market for a machine that wont break the bank, and will last you a full working day, then we reckon we’ve maybe got a new netbook champ.

4. Register Hardware felt that with the monstrous battery life, good keyboard, Draft N and newest processor that the 1000HE is actually better than the Samsung NC10 and takes the netbook crown.

5. IT Pro felt that the screen and trackpad were average but you should still consider the 1000HE due to its impressive battery life, decent performance and good keyboard.

6. VNUnet.com believes that the 1000HE stands out from the crowd thanks to the battery life and decent keyboard. The weight is pushed up as a consquence and there is no built-in 3G unfortunately.

7. PC Pro said that ‘The best battery life on offer from any netbook and a strong core package make the latest Eee a contender’. At the end though the Samsung NC10 is probably still out in front, as it has a better screen, more style and a slightly lower price.

8. Laptopmag – Asus’s latest netbook offers a much-improved keyboard, excellent battery life, and a slightly faster processor for a very good price. Overall, Laptopmag probably prefer either the Samsung NC10 or HP 2140 but the 1000He is one of the best value netbooks around.

9. PCWorld felt that out of the current netbook pack, the 1000HE is their favourite.

Reviews used to compile this report:

• PC World – posted on 9th February 2009
• Laptopmag – posted on 9th February 2009
• PC Advisor – posted on 10th February 2009
• Trusted Reviews – posted on 12th February 2009
• CNET – posted on 16th February 2009
• Register Hardware – posted on 20th March 2009
• IT Pro – posted on 25th March 2009
• TechRadar – posted on 27th March 2009
• PC Pro – posted in March 2009
• VNUnet.com – posted on 2nd April 2009

Related posts:

1. Asus Eee PC 1000HE Specification
2. Comparison between Asus Eee PC 1000H, Asus Eee PC 1000HE and Asus Eee PC S101
3. Asus Eee PC 1008HA Reviews

Here we provide a comparison between the 3 top Asus netbooks as the moment – the Asus Eee PC 1000H, the Asus Eee PC 1000HE and the Asus Eee PC S101.

The specifications of each are very similar so any specific differences may be critical when making your choice between the 3 netbooks.

Asus Eee PC 1000H vs Asus Eee PC 1000HE vs Asus Eee PC S101

As you can see from the comparison table above one of the big factors is battery life, with the 1000H having a fantastic battery life of 7 hours but the 1000HE beating that with up to 9 hours. The other main difference is the S101 model coming with a 16Gb SSD instead of a conventional 160Gb hard disk.

If price is a factor then the 1000H is great value installed the Linux operating system whilst the S101 is the most expensive but you do pay for the fantastic styling associated with that model.

It is a close call but my vote would go for the 1000HE as being the best overall. Which one would you buy?

Related posts:

1. Asus Eee PC 901 vs 1000H vs 1000HE
2. Asus Eee PC 1008HA Seashell vs 1000HE vs S101 comparison
3. Asus Eee PC S101 Specification

The Asus Eee PC 1000HE moves the 1000H on a stage in that it provides a massive 9.5 hours of battery life, which is about the longest battery life out of any netbook. Otherwise, the specification is fairly ordinary but if you want a good standard of netbook with a fantastic battery life then the 1000HE is a good buy.

Insight are offering the Asus Eee PC 1000HE from £320.83 inc. VAT.

The full Asus Eee PC 1000HE specification is shown in the table below:

Full specification for the Asus Eee PC 1000HE Netbook

We have put together comparisons between the Asus Eee PC 1000HE and the Asus Eee PC 1000H and Asus Eee PC S101 here plus another comparison with the MSI Wind U100 and Samsung NC10 here.

Related posts:

1. Asus Eee PC 901 vs 1000H vs 1000HE
2. Comparison between Asus Eee PC 1000H, Asus Eee PC 1000HE and Asus Eee PC S101
3. Asus Eee PC 1000HE Reviews

Here we provide a comparison between 3 netbooks that are often discussed within reviews – the Asus Eee PC 1000HE, MSI Wind U100 and the Samsung NC10.

Whilst some aspects are pretty much the same across all netbooks, such as the amount of RAM, screen size and resolution, there are some differences that you may find surprising and will hopefully help you to make a decision on which one warrants your hard earned cash.

Asus Eee 1000HE vs MSI Wind U100 vs Samsung NC10

As you can see from the comparison table above one of the big factors is battery life, with the Asus getting 7.5 hours, which is 3 times the amount that the MSI Wind can manage. That battery is heavy though and so the Asus is the heaviest of the 3.

Yet again, the Samsung NC10 appears to be the best all rounder with pretty good features across the board and it looks as though the MSI Wind U100 is now showing its age. Perhaps the newly announced U123 will put that right and we are looking forward to find out more about it soon.

Related posts:

1. MSI Wind U100 Specification
2. MSI Wind U135 vs Wind U160 vs Wind U210
3. Asus Eee PC 1000HE Specification