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.

Summary of reviews

AnandTech: “Internally, the changes haven’t resulted in a system that’s significantly faster, but the one change is very noticeable. Our initial tests indicate that Pineview has improved battery life on the 1005 laptops by a whopping 25%. If you want a netbook that can last 10+ hours and you want to spend less than $400, the ASUS Eee PC 1005PE has exactly what you need.”

Cnet: “The first next-gen Intel Atom Netbook, Asus’ Eee PC 1005PE, offers amazing battery life, but otherwise feels like a last-gen system.”

Engadget: “If you’ve been waiting for Pine Trail netbooks hoping for noticeably better performance and graphics, you’re not going to get it — and the truth is you probably won’t even notice the difference between the 1005PE and older Diamondville-based Eee PCs until you start using it on battery power alone.”

HotHardware: “Though the Atom N450 offers a better general computing experience for the Asus Eee PC 1005PE, we were left wanting a bit more on the multimedia side of the equation, with the system’s inability to handle even 720p content and struggling occasionally with certain flash video streams. Finally, what was more than impressive was that, even with its somewhat higher general computing performance, this Eee PC lasted longer on a battery charge than any other netbook we’ve tested to date.”

Laptop Mag: “While Intel’s new Atom N450 processor doesn’t really improve performance, the extra endurance it provides will certainly be welcome among netbook users. At $379, this netbook is a bargain, undercutting the Toshiba mini NB205 by $20 while lasting longer on a charge.”

Notebook Review: “Compared to the Eee PC 1005HA which got 9 hours and 37 minutes in our original battery test, the 1005PE managed over 12 hours … a 25 percent increase. If battery life is the most important feature you look at when buying a notebook, 40 bucks gets you over two hours of additional mobility.”

Tech Report: “Asus’ Eee PC 1005PE sticks to the old 10″ netbook formula, and it gets a lot of the little things right. The chassis is nice and solid, and the six-cell battery offers phenomenal run times.”

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.

Positives:
- Good value for money
- Clear & crisp matte display
- Strong build quality
- Good keyboard layout; all buttons in right places; no flex
- Contemporary ‘seashell’ design
- Responsive touchpad & mouse buttons
- Easy access to memory module (RAM)

Neutral
- Above average battery life, although below the best-in-class
- Performance broadly in-line with other N270 Atom netbooks
- New smaller power supply port appears to be fragile

Negatives:
- Glossy lid is fingerprint magnet
- Air blown through side vent can get quite hot
- Noticeable fan noise
- Shallow keyboard travel
- Touchpad is missing some multi-touch gestures like two-finger scrolling
- No Bluetooth or sleeve in the N270 version
- A 0.3MP webcam is not up to par (N280 comes with 1.3MP webcam)
- No access panel for HDD

Asus Eee PC 1005HA N270 [1005HA-WHI064X / 1005HA-BLK083X] Technical Specifications:

• Operating System: Windows XP Home
• Intel CPU: Intel Atom N270
• Memory: 1GB DDR2 SO-DIMM [Maximum 2GB]
• Display: 10.1″ LED Backlight WSVGA Anti-glare Screen (1024×600)
• Wireless Data Network: WLAN 802.11b/g/n @2.4GHz
• Hybrid Storage: 160GB HDD
  10GB Eee Storage
• Webcam: 0.3MP
• Audio: Hi-Definition Audio CODEC
  Stereo speaker
  Digital Array Mic (XP Only)
• Input / Output: 1 x VGA Port (D-sub 15-pin for external monitor)
  3 x USB 2.0
  1 x LAN RJ-45
  2 x Audio Jack (Head Phone / Mic-in)
  Card Reader: MMC/ SD(SDHC)
• Battery Life: Up to 8.5hrs (6 cells 4400mAh 48.84W/h)
• Dimensions: 262mm(W) x 178mm(D) x 25.9mm~ 36.5mm(H)
• Weight: 1.27Kg (with 6-Cell Battery)
• Colours: White and Black
• Price (at time of publication): £268.97 (Amazon.co.uk), £268.97 (Laptops Direct), $329.99 (Amazon.com), $349.99 (Newegg.com)

The Asus Eee PC 1005HA is the second 10-inch netbook in Asus’ Seashell line. The first Seashell was the elegant 1008HA, which boasts a super-slim, lightweight chassis along with good battery life and performance. The Eee PC 1008HA is certainly a sexy device and even comes with port flap covers to keep the sleek lines of the exterior intact. However, one of the main compromises of this slender design is a sealed rather than removable battery.

Asus has positioned the Eee PC 1005HA Seashell as a more mainstream netbook. It maintains the design cues of the 1008HA, but does away with the port flaps and comes with a removable battery. As a result, the 1005HA is heavier and thicker than the 1008HA but offers better value for money and can be seen as the spiritual successor to the best-selling 1000HE.

Whilst the Eee PC 1000HE has a single set of specifications, the 1005HA has two. One SKU of the Eee PC 1005HA comes with the 1.6GHz N270 Atom processor, whilst the other comes with a 1.66GHz N280 Atom. If that were the only difference, then that wouldn’t be too complicated to digest.

Unfortunately, the differences don’t stop there. The N270 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.

This compares to the more expensive N280 Atom model that includes Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a 1.3MP webcam, a netbook sleeve and a higher capacity 6-cell battery (5600 mAh) good for 10.5 hours. This version also comes with a glossy screen.

The significant differences that exist between both models presents a marketing headache for the company. We have already observed across a number of forum boards, confused consumers debating exactly what you get with each model. In our opinion, Asus should have given both of these models different model names to distinguish between them. Whilst on an external level, both SKUs look exactly the same, the different hardware means that each will have different performance, battery lives and netbook displays (glossy vs. matte). As such, we want to clarify that this review is only for the 1005HA N270.

Apart from the specifications discussed above, you won’t find too much missing. It comes with a 160GB hard-disk drive along with 10GB of Eee online storage. You’ll also find 1GB of RAM and Asus allows you to upgrade this to a maximum of 2GB through the easy to use access panel on the bottom. It comes with Wi-Fi Draft-N, three USB ports, a card reader, full-sized VGA port, digital array mic and a couple of audio jacks.

We previously covered the unboxing here. Inside the box you will find a power supply, battery, some documentation (user manual & warranty card) along with an XP support DVD. As this is the N270 version, you won’t find a netbook sleeve (that’s been reserved for the N280 SKU). As usual for Asus, the power supply included is one of the smallest power bricks compared to its peers. However, Asus has changed the port that plugs into the netbook, which is much smaller than previous versions. Whilst this means that it shouldn’t stick out as much when plugged in, it does appear to be more fragile and a bit trickier to get in and out. We do wonder how this port would far over long-term use.

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.

Benchmarks used include wPrime, 3DMark06, PCMark05, Cinebench, Sandra 2009, HD Tune and Geekbench. The end result is a bit of a mixed bag, but it may not surprise you to learn that the lighter Windows XP still edges it overall. Battery performance was also marginally won by Windows XP too. On an idle battery test under XP, the battery lasted for 10 hours and 14 minutes, just 9 minutes longer than Windows 7. The movie playback delta under XP was slightly larger at 26 minutes.

Whilst some may still want to cling onto Windows XP for a long while yet, these performance results show that Microsoft has done a good job of making Windows 7 as lightweight as possible. It also means that performance and battery life won’t be heavily compromised. The Eee PC 1005HA managed a score of 2.2 on the Windows Experience Index’s graphic test, which even allowed Aero to be used (whilst on AC power).

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).

The 1005HA comes with a glossy lid and palm rest that is prone to fingerprints. Luckily, the white model is less of a fingerprint magnet than the black versions. We are fond of the ‘Seashell’ design and the tapered edges meet elegantly when closed. We also like the fact that it uses a matte display that automatically earns it extra brownie points.

Judging by our first impressions, the keyboard seems comfortable to use and there doesn’t seem to be the flex that we saw on the Eee PC 1000HE. Asus uses a matte finish for the flat keys on the keyboard. The touchpad is defined by a dimpled surface, rather than an explicit boundary. Underneath sits a faux-chrome single button mouse rocker. We were sceptical how user friendly this would be, but we have been thoroughly impressed so far. It’s very responsive to the touch without being overly sensitive.

We should have a thorough review up in a few weeks time, but until then, have a gander over our unboxing pictures below. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the Eee PC 1005HA, please let us know in the comments below.

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.

The more expensive 1.66GHz N280 Atom model costs £379 and is also available in black (1005HA-BLK068X) and white (1005HA-WHI050X). This model includes Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a 1.3MP webcam, a netbook sleeve and a higher capacity 6-cell battery (5600 mAh) good for 10.5 hours. This version also comes with a glossy screen.

The 11.6-inch 1101HA will come in two colours, black (1101HA-BLK004X) and white (1101HA-WHI004X). It is powered by a 1.33GHz Z520 Atom CPU and comes with a 1366 x 768 resolution display, full-sized keyboard, 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD. It also comes with a 6-cell 4400mAh battery that should be good for 8.5 hours. The 1101HA will be released within the next couple of weeks for a RRP of £379.

Asus Eee PC 1005HA N270 [1005HA-WHI064X / 1005HA-BLK083X]

Intel® Mobile (Atom) N270 1.6GHz
Genuine Windows® XP Home
Windows® Live Suite
Anti-glare 10″ WSVGA(1024×600)
1024MB, DDR2
160GB HDD + 10GB Eee Storage
WiFi 802.11n
10/100 Ethernet
3x USB 2.0
1x VGA
1x SD/MMC card reader(SDHC)
1x Audio in
1x Audio out
Hi-Definition audio CODEC, Built-in stereo speaker, Built-in microphone
0.3M Pixel Webcam Built-in
Battery Life: up to 8.5hrs (6 cells 4400mAh 48.84W/h)
1.27kg (with 6 cells battery)
Available Colours: White; Black

Asus Eee PC 1005HA N280 [1005HA-WHI050X / 1005HA-BLK068X]

Intel® Mobile (Atom) N280 1.66GHz
Genuine Windows® XP Home
Windows® Live Suite
10″ WSVGA(1024×600)
1024MB, DDR2
160GB HDD + 10GB Eee Storage
WiFi 802.11n
10/100 Ethernet
Bluetooth 2.1 EDR
3x USB 2.0
1x VGA
1x SD/MMC card reader(SDHC)
1x Audio in
1x Audio out
Hi-Definition audio CODEC, Built-in stereo speaker, Built-in microphone
1.3M Pixel Webcam Built-in
Battery Life: up to 10.5hrs (6 cells 5600mAh 62.64W/h)
1.27kg (with 6 cells battery)
Available Colours: White; Black

Asus Eee PC 1101HA [1101HA-WHI004X / 1101HA-BLK004X]

Intel® Atom™ processor Z520 1.33GHz
Genuine Windows® XP Home
Windows® Live Suite
11.6” WXVGA(1366×768)
1024MB, DDR2
160GB HDD + 10GB Eee Storage
WiFi 802.11n
10/100 Mbps Ethernet
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
3x USB 2.0
1x VGA
1x SD/MMC card reader(SDHC)
1x Audio in
1x Audio out
Hi-Definition audio CODEC, Built-in stereo speaker, Built-in microphone
1.3M Pixel Webcam Built-in
Battery Life: up to 8.5hrs (6 cells 4400mAh 48.84W/h)
1.4kg (with 6 cells battery)
Available Colours: White; Black

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.

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.

The Eee PC 1005HA-V is $40 cheaper at $349.99 and comes with the 1.6GHz N270 Atom processor. It 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. Asus also does not include a netbook sleeve with the 1005HA-V. Interestingly, this model comes with a matte display rather than the glossy seen on the more expensive SKU.

The Eee PC 1005HA has already been released in Germany and France with other European countries set to follow shortly. The UK release is expected towards the end of the month, with the N280 Atom SKU costing £379 and the N270 Atom SKU priced at £329.

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.

Engadget found that it performed nearly identically to the 1008HA. The keyboard and touchpad were a joy to use and they managed to get 8.5 hours out of the 6-cell battery. They feel it is a good addition to the Seashell line-up and that the changes made are positive ones, even better considering the fact that it is $40 cheaper.

Laptop Mag views the 1008HA as the “most well rounded Eee PC to date”. In particular, they cite its attractive design, good keyboard and strong battery life (lasting nearly 9 hours). They still prefer the Toshiba NB205 as their number one netbook choice, but the 1005HA is a close second.

Computer Shopper awarded the 1005HA an “Editors’ Choice” award and scored 8.8. Whilst they found it to be a fingerprint magnet and heavy, hits value positioning, stylish design and long battery life more than compensated for it. Lastly, Liliputing also found it to be a model that’s well worth checking out.

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.

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.