Asus Eee PC 1005PE review roundup

The Asus Eee PC 1005PE is one of the first netbooks with Intel’s next-generation Pine Trail Atom. A number of publications have published reviews this morning of Asus’ 1.66GHz N450-powered 10.1-inch device.

Overall, the consensus seems to be that the Eee PC 1005PE offers superb battery times, thanks to the Pine Trail platform, although performance is barely different to what we’ve seen N270/N280 Atom-powered netbooks. Battery life results differ and it looks like you’ll be able to get around nine hours of usage out of it.

Whilst the 1005PE is not much different to the 1005HA Seashell, you do get a bigger hard drive, more robust keyboard and of course the extra battery life. As it’s at the same price point ($379) of the 1005HA, it also offers good value for money.

Asus is planning on launching two similar models the Eee PC 1005P and 1005PE. The 1005PE comes with a higher-capacity battery and larger hard drive. The Eee PC 1005PE will go on sale on 4th January 2010 for $379. There’s no word on UK launch details for now. Below you’ll find a list of all of the reviews that we’ve come across. Read more

NbC: Asus Eee PC 1005HA Seashell (N270) Review

The Asus Eee PC 1005HA Seashell can be thought of as the spiritual successor to the company’s best-selling Eee PC 1000HE. It is thinner, lighter and sports a nicer design, whilst not compromising on the specifications and battery life. The 1005HA is a worthy update to the 1000HE and in our view, the biggest hurdle Asus’ marketing team will face is communicating the significant differences between the N270 and N280 Atom versions of the Eee PC 10005HA.

We reviewed the N270 Atom model and found it to be a very competent netbook, offering good build quality, a comfortable keyboard and a crisp matte display. However, battery life wasn’t stellar when compared to the standard set by the most recent models and the 1005HA also had heat issues. At its price point though, it offers great value for money compared to its peers. Read on for our thorough review, including some comprehensive performance and battery tests. Read more

Windows 7 vs. XP – which gives the better netbook performance?

The release of Windows 7 is set to be a milestone for netbooks. Most netbooks run Windows XP, an operating system that is starting to show its age. Against the heavy hardware requirements of Vista, Windows 7 is set to be the next major Windows OS fully embraced by netbook devices. It’s relatively light system requirements and native multi-touch gesture support will ensure its presence on many netbooks from the fourth quarter this year.

However, some of you may be wondering, how much of an overhead Windows 7 uses compared to Windows XP. This is where a good benchmark roundup from Legit Reviews comes into play. They compared the performance of both operating systems and used the same benchmarks across both OSes on an Asus Eee PC 1005HA to determine which gave the better netbook performance. Read more

NbC: Asus Eee PC 1005HA Seashell netbook unboxed

The Asus Eee PC 1005HA was officially announced for the UK today and Asus were kind enough to send over the netbook for testing. The Eee PC 1005HA looks very similar to the first 1008HA Seashell model, but is slightly thicker and heavier due it having a removable battery (the 1008HA has a sealed battery). You also don’t get the flaps over the port doors that you get in the slimmer 1008HA. The 1005HA also has a full-sized VGA port.

As we reported earlier, there are two (quite different) UK SKUs for the Eee PC 1005HA. The model that we were sent is the Eee PC 1005HA-WHI064X. This particular version is the white 1005HA powered by a 1.6GHz N270 Atom CPU. Compared to the more expensive N280 Atom model, this model has a lower capacity 6-cell battery, no Bluetooth, no netbook sleeve, a matte screen (N280 SKU has a glossy screen) and a 0.3MP webcam (N280 SKU has a 1.3MP webcam). Read more

Asus Eee PC 1005HA and 1101HA officially announced for UK

Whilst we already know lots about the Eee PC 1005HA and 1101HA Seashell netbooks, both models have officially been announced for the UK market today. The 10-inch 1005HA will come in two different SKUs and launch at the end of the month. We would suggest that consumers pay special attention to both model numbers as there are significant differences between both SKUs.

The cheaper 1.6GHz N270 Atom netbook will cost £329 and is available in black (1005HA-BLK083X) and white (1005HA-WHI064X). This model comes with a lower-rated 6-cell battery (4400 mAh) that should be good for 8.5 hours according to the company. You will not find Bluetooth on this model and it only has a 0.3MP webcam. The N270 SKU also has a matte (1024 x 600) display. Asus also does not include a netbook sleeve with this version. Read more

NbC: Ruby Red Eee PC Seashell hands-on + other colours announced

It was going to happen at some point or the other, Asus has announced various colours for its Seashell range of Eee PC netbooks. Along with the standard black and white colours, the Eee PC 1008HA will also appear in Blue, Pink, Ruby Red and Sapphire Blue. The last two colours will come with an iridescent finish. The Eee PC 1005HA netbook will get just two new colours, Pink and Blue.

We went hands-on with a Ruby Red 1008HA Seashell last week and it looked very nice in the flesh. It also seemed less fingerprint prone to compared to the black version. From what we were told, these versions will come with no extra premium and the specifications will remain the same. You can check out to see how the Ruby Red Seashell looks in the pictures below. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1005HA Seashell now shipping in US

The latest line-up in Asus’ Seashell series, the Eee PC 1005HA netbook is now shipping in the United States through Amazon.com. There are two main SKUs being sold and it is important to recognise the difference between both series as there is quite a difference between them.

The more expensive Eee PC 1005HA-P at $389.99 comes with the 1.66GHz N280 Atom processor, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a 1.3MP webcam, a higher capacity 6-cell battery (5600 mAh) good for 10.5 hours and a netbook sleeve. This version also comes with a glossy screen. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1005HA Seashell Review Roundup

The Asus Eee PC 1005HA netbook was officially launched in the US market today. Two SKUs have been announced, the 1005HA-V and 1005HA-P. The 1005HA-V comes with the 1.6GHz N270 Atom processor, a smaller capacity 6-cell battery and no Bluetooth. The 1005HA-P has the faster 1.66GHz N280 processor, a higher capacity 6-cell battery and Bluetooth. Overall, the Eee PC 1005HA is part of the Seashell family and therefore shares the design seen in the super-thin 1008HA Seashell.

It differs mainly be having a removable battery as well as a full-sized VGA port. You won’t find any flaps covering the ports on the 1005HA either. To account for the removable battery, the 1005HA is marginally heavier and thicker than the 1008HA. A number of publications released their reviews of the 10-inch Eee PC 1005HA netbook today. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1101HA & 1005HA UK pre-orders open

We already knew that the Asus Eee PC 1101HA was due to hit Europe at the end of June for €399, although the UK price was still a mystery at the time. However, Amazon UK now has the Eee PC 1101HA up for pre-order and will cost you £379.00, which seems about right looking at the European price.

Amazon has the Eee PC 1101HA available to pre-order in black and white, there is no estimated release date. The only listings are for the versions with the 1.33GHz Z520 Atom CPU. At Computex, a 1.6GHz Z530 Atom SKU was also seen, although we’ve not heard any details since. I really do hope that this version is planned for retail too, especially for those who crave more power for HD video.

This is the case for the Eee PC 1005HA, where both the 1.6GHz N270 and 1.66GHz N280 Atom SKUs are available to pre-order from Amazon. The N270 Atom 1005HA models will set you back £329.00, whilst the N280 Atom models will cost an extra £50 at £379.00. Each of these is available in black and white.

Asus Eee PC 1005HA Seashell pre-order up at Amazon.com

Whilst we recently reported that pre-orders for the Asus Eee PC 1005HA were already live at BeachCamera, it appears that they have now pulled down their product page. Not to worry though as Amazon.com has a live pre-order page for the black version for $349.99 (1005HA-VU1X-BK).

Only the 1.6GHz N270 Atom model is available for pre-order, it is expected that a 1.66GHz N280 model will be available at some point. The Eee PC 1005HA Seashell is similar to the 1008HA apart from having a removable 6-cell battery as well as being slightly thicker and heavier.

Asus Eee PC 1005HA Seashell gets video unboxing

Whilst we await official UK launch details for the Asus Eee PC 1005HA Seashell netbook, Liliputing has just gone hands-on with the device. The 1005HA Seashell differs from the 1008HA model by having a removable battery, a full-sized VGA port and no plastic flaps covering its ports. It also is slightly thicker and heavier than the sexy 1008HA.

Despite this, the styling is distinctly similar, as is the keyboard and touchpad (which also uses a dimpled surface). The latter felt a little less bumpy than the 1008HA, which may make it easier to use. The keyboard is not chiclet but has flat keys and a full-sized shift key. It comes with a glossy lid and, disappointingly, a glossy display – a trend that many netbook manufacturers seem to be following right now. In terms of upgradeability, there is only an access panel for RAM, no HDD access here I’m afraid.

This particular model was powered by a 1.66GHz N280 Atom CPU, 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD. The battery is rated to last for around 10.5 hours. Check out the video after the break. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1005HA Seashell pre-orders open in US

Whilst official launch details or pricing has yet to be revealed, the Eee PC 1005HA Seashell has now been spotted for pre-order. BeachCamera.com has the unit up for pre-order with prices starting at a very reasonable $350. The 1005HA Seashell has a removable battery and is slightly thicker than the 1008HA Seashell.

Whilst there is no mention of the 1005HA-H and 1005HA-M SKUs, there will be two different models offered by the retailer. The configuration, which includes a 1.6GHz N270 Atom CPU, will cost $350 and is available in black or white. For a slightly faster CPU, 1.66GHz N280 processor, this will set you back $389 and will come in black or blue. There’s no signs of the Eee PC 1005HA’s pre-order availability in the UK right now.

Via Portable Monkey.

Asus Eee PC 1005HGO Seashell with built-in 3G

Asus is planning on releasing a 3G enabled version of the Eee PC 1005HA, under the model name of 1005HGO. This follows the naming convention used with other 3G enabled Eee PC’s including the 1003HGO and recently announced 1101HGO.

The specifications of the 10.1-inch 1005HGO relates to the higher-end SKU (1005HA-H) which comes with a 1.66GHz N280 Atom CPU, Bluetooth and a longer battery life over the 1005HA-M SKU. It will come with the HUAWEI EM770 3G modem. Pricing and availability is unknown right now.

Via Eee-PC.de.

Video: Asus Eee PC 1005HA Seashell hands-on

The Eee PC 1005HA Seashell could be a potential best-seller for Asus. It shares the styling of the 1008HA but comes with a removable battery, full-sized VGA and has no flaps covering ports. Yes, it may not be as thin or as light as the 1008HA, but it will be cheaper and should offer better battery life too. NetbookNews.de has gone hands-on with the device and posted a video and a number of photos of the new Eee PC.

They compare to the Eee PC 1008HA, Samsung NC10 and even a Blackberry handset. The video shows that the 1005HA will come with a glossy lid and display, similar to the 1008HA, I was really hoping they’d choose a matte display. Apart from a slightly protruding bottom (to account for the 6-cell battery), the two models do look very similar. Interestingly, the version they booted up was running Windows 7 Starter Edition. There’s no word on UK pricing yet, but in Europe it is expected to cost from €299 (with N270 Atom) and €349 (with N280 Atom). If you want to see some more comparison pics, then NewGadgets.de has a number of photos of the 1005HA against the 1008HA here. Check out the 1005HA video after the break. Read more

Video: Asus Eee PC 1008HA Seashell hands-on + 1005HA spotted

Sascha from NetbookNews has released a hands-on video of the Asus Eee PC 1008HA. The video shows us the ports on each side and gives us a close look at the bottom which hides a mini VGA connector and integrated 3-cell battery. He compares the 1008HA Seashell to the Samsung NC10 and it really shows how skinny the Seashell is. Interestingly, the 1008HA in the video was running the Xandros Easy Mode OS.

If you forward the video to 3 minutes and 46 seconds, you can spot the upcoming Eee PC 1005HA in black. You can instantly tell how much thicker it is compared to the 1008HA and it looks a bit thicker than the Samsung NC10 too.

Sascha is currently in Taipei visiting a number of manufacturers and no doubt will be attending Computex on June 2nd. There are already rumours of an Eee PC powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. He says that this will be demonstrated at Computex and have Bluetooth, 3G and GPS all in one chip. Until then, check out the hands on 1008HA Seashell video after the jump. Read more

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