Asus 1000HR Eee PC Netbook review.
- 10 inch LED backlit WSVGA screen (1024×600)
- Intel ATOM N280 processor 1.66GHz
- 1GB DDR2 memory (expandable to 2GB, which I did)
- 160GB HDD built in plus 10GB Eee Online Storage
- Windows XP Home w/SP3
- Wireless-N
- 1.3 MP webcam
- Supposed 9.5 hour battery (Depends on Configuration)
- 3 USB, 1 SD card slot
- Weighs 3.2 lbs (with battery)
1st test: Battery lifetime
I turned off sleep mode and disabled hibernation. I turned the screen brightness to one level above its lowest setting, which is ideal for me because I hate glossy reflecting screens. I set the power options to alert me when the battery hits 5% and charge the battery to 100% while it’s off before I start this test. I removed the 1GB DIMM and installed a 2GB one and start testing at 1 P.M.
First I played with some of the basic Windows features like icon spacing and active title bar colors. I set my screensaver to play photos of my kids and then set
Advanced System Care to clean up the system. While it works I surf on over to TBCS and eBay among other places. I do my normal internet usage like updating my website and uploading photos of my Cuda mod to multiple modding forums.
The keyboard isn’t perfect if you’re used to desktops, but I adapt in about an hour. The touchpad is different. You have to use two fingers to scroll up, down and sideways. There’s a tricky movement that lets you use the touchpad to zoom in and out. There are other movements that mean nothing to me.
There are points during the test where I walk away or just watch TV and let the screensaver play for a few minutes. There are other more intense times where I defrag the hard drive or play Peggle Extreme on Steam.
As I type this review I’m at 6% of my battery and the time is 8:26 PM.
Things I hate thus far.
(1) I hate not knowing when CAPS lock is on or off. There’s no light for it or any type of on screen display. (2) It has bluetooth, which is not something I hate, but I don’t like having a messy desktop especially ones with icons that I cannot get rid of. I don’t use any bluetooth devices so I don’t need a shortcut. The problem came when I tried to delete the icon, because it wouldn’t let me. I had to uninstall the bluetooth software to make the icon go away. (3) After the first week the Eee PC began freezing at boot up. I later discovered that it was unable to load the audio driver for the start up sound and froze trying. I reinstalled teh driver from the Asus website and that fixed it. And lastly, (4) It has Windows XP. Everyone seems to be hanging on to XP even after the boat has begun to sink, but the more I use Vista and have to later use XP I realize how much I hate it. My wireless internet is already configured, but setting it up in XP is not as easy as Vista. Vista’s visual effects are far smoother too. Having to use a 3rd party software firewall is one more thing that has to load, because XP is naked and exposed on the net. Windows defender isn’t great, but it’s an improvement over XP. Having played with Windows 7 makes me salivate at its eventual release. I will probably upgrade this Netbook when it hits shelves.
My battery is down to 5% now and the time is 8:32 PM. The Netbook has been on for 7.5 hours and I’m sick of looking at the screen.
As the battery gets closer to dead it drains even faster. 3% hits at 8:40 PM. And the Asus claims to have 12 minutes left. I stop typing, save my review and let the screensaver play as the battery nears its end.
At 1% of battery it says there’s 2 minutes left so I plug it back in. The time is 8:51 PM. The Netbook has been on for 7 hours and 51 minutes, give or take a couple minutes. This test replicated what I would consider a normal day of computer use. I spend time surfing the web, listening to music, defragging my hard drive, downloading updates, and installing new programs.
I’m willing to bet that if I charge it back to 100% and let my screensaver go the entire time I can easily expect 9.5 hours as Asus claims. This battery is amazing!
2nd Test: Benchmarking – Disclaimer: I ran the following tests with 2GB installed and on the battery alone.
I kicked off testing with 3DMark2001 SE which took at least 2 minutes to install! After all 17 tests the final score was 2108. Aquamark 3, PCMark04, and 3DMark05 would not run at all. Those programs have a minimum reequired screen resolution that the Eee PC does not support. Obviously this computer is not meant for gaming and I don’t expect it too, but it would’ve been nice if the tests ran. I have played Peggle and I am comfortable with saying that it does outperform the GeForce 6150 which is common on a lot of retail Computers/laptops.
Final thoughts:
This is what I consider a good buy. As I stated, there’s a couple things I wish it could do, but it has no problem doing what it needs to do. It was designed for internet and light office work and it excels at it. I love that it can be upgraded to 2 gigs of RAM and if a 4GB DIMM wasn’t so outrageously expensive, I’d drop it in just to see what happens. Obviously, the real reason I got this Netbook is because of the battery. Asus claims a 9.5 hour battery life under very insane/strict conditions, but we know that’s not realistic. Under what I would consider normal use it did last 7 hours and 50 minutes. That’s easily 4 hours better than a modern laptop.
I’d give it an easy 4 1/2 outta 5 stars.
Ken Kirby – PCModHouse.com
