Last week I had the chance to use the Asus EeePC 1000h netbook (photo below) while carrying out official duties in my workplace.
The Asus EeePC 1000h dimension is roughly the size of an A4 paper. If you happened to have an A4 paper in front of you, then you’ll get the idea of how big Asus EeePC 1000h is. Its 10 inch widescreen monitor offers a compact yet comfortable view for portable operation.
The keys on the keyboard is roughly 92% the size of an average laptop keyboard. This is larger than its predecessor Asus Eeepc 1000 and 901. Most importantly, the 1000h also comes with 160GB hard disk (with a modest 5,400 rpm) as opposed to 4-8GB of Solid State Drive (SSD) like its predecessor, allowing you to store more files on the netbook.
EeePC 1000h battery life
One of the thing that I admire most about Asus EeePC is its battery life which was advertised as it could last up to 7 hours. My personal test reveals that EeePC 1000h could last about 5 hours when running with active WiFi connection, which I consider as more than enough for my use.
Pre-Installed Software
The stock EeePC 1000h comes with Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 3 and preinstalled with StarOffice 8.0 which is not compatible with the latest Microsoft OpenXML document format. The EeePC also comes with various ‘crapware‘ including EeePC Storage and EeePC panel (for enabling/disabling various features of the netbook)
Additional built-in hardware
Besides from the standard WiFi feature, The Asus EeePC 1000h also comes with :
- Bluetooth
- Webcam
- Microphone
- VGA-out port
- RJ45 LAN port
- Card Reader
- 3 USB 2.0 ports
- 1 GB RAM, upgradeable to 2 GB
As many other netbook, the Asus EeePC does not come with CD/DVD drive, something that haven’t bothered me because Ubuntu can be installed using the standard USB flash drive
Compatibility with Ubuntu
The netbook is compatible with Ubuntu Netbook Remix (UNR), which can be installed with this simple instruction using a typical USB disk drive.
Here’s a video of Asus EeePC 1000h netbook with Ubuntu Netbook Remix in action.
My Conclusion
Given the current price of (around) RM1,600 and its features, I’d say the Asus EeePC 1000h is a bargain. Its greatest feature is it portability where you can carry it around without much trouble when you are traveling on a holiday or working outside the office.
Powered by Intel Atom 1.6GHz CPU, the Asus 1000h netbook gives out a surprisingly adequate performance for users to work on their project while they are outstation.
However, one point need to be stressed out : netbooks are built with portability in mind rather than performance, so you are advised to consider your requirements before deciding to get Eeepc.
@Shirish: dude, wtf? 4 hours is what I get, really.
I use latitude d430 c2d.. it better for performance with 12.1 inch. which just cost me RM 1999
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I do not know of Asus Eeepc but do know for a fact that quite a bit of battery is consumed by Wi-Fi and the resultant wake-ups. There has been some initiative using lesswatts (a FOSS green initiative from Intel) which could go a long way in making things better.
It would be nice to know as the guy above said which battery comes up with Asus Eepc and did you turn of the display or something (under what circumstances did you get 4 hours time ) .
Just curious what were your exact settings as you have reported battery life to be 5 hours…what sorta battery did it come with?
How much battery life does it give on Ubuntu ?
I use EEEBuntu and windows XP , i get close to 4 hours on both but not more…