King of the Eees? Hands-On with ASUS Eee PC 1005HA
June 19th, 2009 by Joanna Stern
We may not be convinced by ASUS’ claim that it was going to start releasing fewer Eee PC models this year (considering we’ve reviewed both the Eee PC 1000HE ($389.99) and 1008HA in just the last five months), but that its newest Eee PC 1005HA is a horse of a different color. The newest Eee family member has the same specs as the 1008HA and a similar build, but its major difference is the removable battery and its accessible RAM.
The Eee PC 1005HA arrived at our offices two days ago and we have had the chance to put it through the paces. While we won’t be posting our full review until Tuesday, here are our first impressions.
The overall design of the Eee PC 1005HA is similar to the 1008HA which is why its part of the Seashell family. Measuring 10.2 x 6.9 x 1.4 inches, it isn’t as slim as the 1008HA but that extra space allows for a full size VGA port (the 1008HA has an adapter) and an Ethernet port on its edges. The glossy black (also available in blue) lid still picked up a fair amount of finger prints, but we still like the elegant look of the black.
Under the lid it has the same keyboard and trackpad combo as the 1008HA. The keyboard has a full size Shift key and is more than sturdy. We still prefer the island layout on the Eee PC 1000HE, but that is more our personal preference. The trackpad is flush with the palm rest ; only small braille like dots on it distinguish it from the rest of the deck .
The 1005HA has the same specs as the 1000HE and the 1008HA – a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N280 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and Windows XP. However it has a larger capacity 5600 mAH six-cell lithium polymer batterywhich on our LAPTOP Battery Test lasted just a mere three minutes under nine hours (8:57). More than a good night’s sleep, the Eee 1005HA has produced the longest run time of any netbook yet (even the Toshiba NB205 ($399.99)which took the lead earlier this week with 8:33).
For $389, the 1005HA is simply adding up to be one of the best netbooks we have seen from ASUS ever and looks to rival our new favorite the Toshiba NB205. But stay tuned for the final call in our full review of the Eee PC 1005HA next week.
Our Related Content
- ASUS Eee PC 1005HA: Full Review
- ASUS Eee PC 1201N Reviewed: Fastest Netbook Ever
- ASUS Eee PC 1005PE-P (Seashell): Full Review
From Other Sites
- Deals of the Day (Liliputing)
- Asus designates Eee PC 1005HA a business netbook with XP Pro, higher price (Liliputing)
- Asus Germany unveils Windows 7 roadmap for Eee PC netbooks (Liliputing)
Related Deals
- Dell Off Lease Coupon Code: 25% off Any Item (No Minimum) at Dell Off Lease Refurbished Computers
- Western Digital Passport 500GB Portable External Hard Drive $79.99 Free Shipping at Staples
- Acer Aspire AS5732Z-4280 Intel Dual-Core T4400 2.2GHz 15.6in Laptop (3GB/320GB/Win 7) $399.99 at OfficeMax
- $40 PRICE DROP - Dell Inspiron Laptops w/ New Core i3-330M Dual-Core Processors at $549 at Dell Home
- Western Digital Elements 640GB Portable External Hard Drive $89.99 Free Shipping at Dell Small Business
| Powered by: |  |
5 Responses to “King of the Eees? Hands-On with ASUS Eee PC 1005HA”
Leave a Reply
Featured Sponsors |
|||
|
|
|
|
|
June 19th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
If I may request, could you post some pictures/show in the video how the battery fits into the underside? Thanks so much and look forward to reading the review!
June 22nd, 2009 at 9:00 am
Comparison shots, showing this next to the 1008HA, would be much appreciated, especially side-on shots comparing thickness.
June 23rd, 2009 at 1:11 am
@pimlicosound
Direct link to an image comparing the two: http://www.liliputing.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/1005ha-1008ha.jpg
September 7th, 2009 at 11:03 am
I purchased the Asus 1005HA model (my first netbook) 2 weeks ago from Amazon, and so far, it’s great (and I am a die-hard Mac user……I did not want to spend a lot of money on a full-size laptop). This netbook was purchased mostly to create Word files during travel, but it is capable of MUCH MORE. You can take your music, pictures and videos wherever you go. Can’t wait to explore all the features.
October 7th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
The ASUS 1005HA may be small… really small but do not underestimate the power of 802.11G, 2 logical CPU’s and Windows XP Home in a 1.1Kg package!
I use my netbook on a daily basis now at home and in the office. At home I connect my little netbook to a Samsung PN63B550 63-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV and watch streaming video from YouTube. During the day at work, I use the netbook to send instant email updates to my team members during meetings.
I ran some benchmarks and give more detail in this review: http://bit.ly/44CHFm