MSI Wind U123 and ASUS 1000HE Show Netbook Evolution
by Wesley Fink on July 17, 2009 12:02 AM EST- Posted in
- Laptops
ASUS 1000HE Hands-On
Notebook keyboards and pointing devices are at best an acquired taste. When talking about netbook ergonomics it helps to constantly remind yourself that the comparison is to other netbooks, notebooks, PDAs, and smart phones and not to the best separate devices available on a desktop system. Given that perspective the ASUS 1000HE is very successful from an ergonomic point of view.
Comparing all the Eee netbooks that came before the 1000HE it is clear the 1000HE is the best keyboard yet from ASUS. Keys are clearly labeled and there has been some logical reorganization of special purpose key locations from the earlier Eee models. Typing feel and tactile feedback are very good.
The larger 9.75" width that comes with a 10" display is much easier to use than the smaller keyboards on the 9" PC 901 and the earlier 7" PC 4G. The touchpad is large with a clear positive click feel on the selection buttons. Touchpads remain in our thinking a low-cost pointing device relegated to notebooks and netbooks, but the ASUS 1000HE touchpad is the best of the 5 netbooks tested in this comparison.
Ports are pretty standard for a notebook with an MSRP of $399. There are a welcomed three USB ports instead of the more common two, which is very useful. Other ports include external video, an SDHC card reader, microphone/headphone jacks, an Ethernet jack, and the power adapter port. Stereo speakers, a 1.3MP webcam, Windows XP Home, and a 160GB hard drive complete the package. The battery pack is removable for easy upgrade or customization, with 3-cell and 6-cell battery options. Wireless options include both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
ASUS points out that the bottom of the 1000HE is relatively smooth and flat compared to the bulges on earlier Eee models. A large port door provides easy access to the hard drive and memory, and it is held in place with two non-captive screws that are unfortunately easy to lose. Yes, the bottom is smooth, but the ASUS is still one of the heftier netbooks and thicker than many of its competitors.
It is easy to recognize the 1000HE as the best netbook yet tested from ASUS, which is high praise since ASUS essentially invented the netbook market. MSRP is $399 but we have seen the 1000HE selling in the $350 range at several e-tailers.
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fuberwil - Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - link
I think this is just showing the evolution of the netbooks. A relatively recent device that now has everyone clamoring for one due to the size and portability of it. I think MSI is onto something especially with the option of the 9cell battery which can offer up to 10 hours of work time (from what i've read). Partner that with a low price tag with amazing specs then you have the new best friend of every student and businessman. Yea i think they all have their shortcomings such as the mouse track or the keyboard but like any good electronical device give it some time then it will meet consumers needs on almost every level.Hrel - Thursday, August 6, 2009 - link
A device like that would NEVER be worth more than 200 bucks to me, and I'd feel a little rotten about paying anything more than 100. Not to mention it's not really much more portable than a laptop. Laptops just need better battery life so we don't have to chug around with the ac adapter, If my laptop got 12 hours of battery life I'd take EVERYWHERE!!!afkrotch - Thursday, July 30, 2009 - link
I can't see how anyone can recommend these pieces of crap. I've owned an Asus EeePC Seashell and I would never recommend these to anyone I know. I don't care about battery life, size, or weight. The pieces of crap run so freaking slow. On a straight up HTML page, it flies, but once you get into something that's heavy in java, php, etc is lags. It lags when you scroll, move to a new page, etc.For simple websurfing, it fails. If all you plan on doing is typing up on notepad, ya. Go ahead. Have Office 2k7? Play with lag. It lags when I type.
FYI, I cleaned off the XP Home they had on there and installed a clean copy of XP Pro. I thought it would help with the lagging, but needless to say. It didn't.
MamiyaOtaru - Monday, July 20, 2009 - link
stop making glossy bodied netbooks. They look like trash as soon as someone touches them. Also never make glossy screened netbooks. I want to see what I'm working on, not my reflection. WOn't buy any eee past the original 900 because of this.kawatwo - Sunday, July 19, 2009 - link
Futisu and Sony both have 2 Ghz atoms overseas now in the P and the u820. It shouldn' be long before they make there way here. Also, it costs a little more but people always forget Asus own N10J mmodel with the gforce 9300m which makes it a pretty well rounded machine. A 2 Ghz N10 would be pretty remarkable I would think.I'm waiting for the 2 Ghz U820 though as I travel by motorcycle whenever possible.
AstroGuardian - Sunday, July 19, 2009 - link
Hmmm.. 2Hhz? Like 5% more horsepower? Not feeling like waiting for it lol.I think the netbook future will be pushing the limits to portable CPUs and GPUs. Nowdays netbook CPUs are useless except for bare computer needs. Right?
Wesleyrpg - Saturday, July 18, 2009 - link
hey guys, i know the MSI Wind 123 already has an impressive battery life, but how would it perform with an Intel SSD and would there be any better battery life?richwenzel - Saturday, July 18, 2009 - link
The lenovo s12 and the samsung nc20 both have the new via nano. I believe asus has a netbook and possibly dell as well with the nano.the nano supposedly can do blue ray. It would have been nice to see the differences between the two.
the nc20 is a bit pricier, at $500-$550 or so, but the lenovo can be had for around $400.
there is another company call top crown, www.tct.hk that looks they have some interesting developments with the nano
piasabird - Saturday, July 18, 2009 - link
What is the appeal of a miniature laptop which is slow and underpowered? Better yet, just build a small nettop with a real processor. One thing I tend to wonder is why these Atom motherboards are so inexpensive, yet the via Mini-ITX motherboards are so expensive. Maybe it is just mass production fueled by the want of people for a smaller computer. Myself, I think you could just as easily hook it up to an external HD widescreen monitor. This would give such a device more appeal.You could just make a phone that could plug into a monitor. Why carry around a big nettop? I think it is just as possible.
SilthDraeth - Friday, July 17, 2009 - link
My brother bought an EEE specifically to run some DJing software on it, so he didn't have to lug around his Macbook. Unfortunately it couldn't handle it. He then couldn't sell it on Ebay, only scammers tried to buy it.Not blaming the netbook, and he had the money to throw away, and still makes use of it. But something with a bit more horsepower than a slight processor clock speed increase would be very welcome.
Looks like we may have to wait a bit longer though.