Got an Asus Eee PC (netbook) from BestBuy two weeks ago. No, this is not mine but rather my wife’s new “toy”. Previously, she was using my old laptop – the Compaq Presario C714NR but decided to give it to her sister who needed it. The Toshiba Satellite A305-S6872 is my work machine and sharing it would be difficult so we decided to get my wife a new machine. Since she only needs a computer for checking her email, checking her Facebook account, surfing the web and watching YouTube videos, a netbook would be enough. Found one online on BestBuy, an Asus Eee PC 1005HAB on sale for $329. Paid for expedited shipping and got it within 3 days.
Basic Specifications:
- Intel® Atom™ processor N270 (533MHz system bus, 512KB L2 cache and 1.6GHz).
- 1GB DDR2 memory (expandable to 2GB).
- 10.1″ WXGA LED-backlit widescreen display (1024×600 resolution).
- 160GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 rpm)
- Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950
- Windows XP SP3 Home Edition
- Built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam
- 3-in-1 digital media reader
- 3 high-speed USB 2.0 ports
- Built-in high-speed wireless LAN (802.11b/g/n)
- Built-in 10/100 Mbps fast Ethernet LAN with RJ-45 connector
- 2.4 lbs. and 1.4″
Additional Photos:
As the in-house desktop support, I had the privilege of playing with it first. The Asus Eee 1005HAB didn’t have much bloatware installed so it took me only a few minutes to install the necessary programs like antivirus, web browser, media player, etc., update Windows and configure other settings. I also replaced the default blue Windows color scheme/theme to a black theme which looks much better and makes the desktop look nicer. Finding and connecting to my WiFi network was a breeze with the Asus Eee 1005HAB.
The Asus Eee 1005HAB comes with 1GB of RAM installed and is enough to run Windows XP but I do plan to upgrade it to 2GB as soon as I order some from Newegg. The WXGA LED-backlight widescreen display is clear and crisp and displayed DVD-quality videos very well. Other features I love on the Asus Eee 1005HAB are the 3 USB ports (love that it has 3 USB ports and love the location of the ports), the 3-in-1 media card reader and the 6-cell lithium-ion battery that can last up to 8 hours.
There were several models that had a bigger hard drive space (250 GB) but had Windows 7 Starter Edition installed so I opted for the one with Windows XP. For those who aren’t familiar, the Windows 7 Starter Edition is very limited – only allows 3 applications running at the same time and you can’t even replace the wallpaper. I regret not getting the $30 WIndows 7 Home Edition upgrade last month.
The only cons with the Asus Eee 1005HAB? The glossy finish around the display/keyboard and the hand rest area are fingerprint magnets and takes extra effort to remove. The other one is that the keyboards are a bit loose and feel kinda cheap. However, these are very minor flaws. Overall, I’m really impressed and I don’t regret purchasing the Asus Eee 1005HAB.
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July 15th, 2011 at 6:33 PM
David, how did you resolve the sound problem? I have the same problem!
-thanks!
January 18th, 2011 at 11:06 AM
Acquired EEE pc 1005HAB from a friend. Cannot get it to work with my inhouse wifi (fine at the coffee shop)..
Wonder is there an incompatibility with cisco wrt120n router?
It consistently gives a firewall problem even if I change settings on the netbook.
Also am unable to get a change in owner/user name to “keep”
Tips???
Thanks
December 27th, 2010 at 12:42 AM
To clarify: It won’t SEE a blank cd/dvd in the external drive when I’m trying to burn files. It plays fine but I can’t record because the pc doesn’t recognize a blank disk of any kind.
December 27th, 2010 at 12:39 AM
My eee 1005hab won’t read a blank cd/dvd disk in the external player. Anyone have this problem or know of a solution?
Many thanks!
June 30th, 2010 at 12:04 PM
Just got one for my wife. It is a great little computer. My only complaint is that they did not say the driver disk came as a DVD. I ordered a cd external drive for it. Will not read the dvd. Also, I have no audio right off the bat. Managed to download the audio driver from asus site. Installed it, but same problem. no sound. I now have a popup at startup that tells me the audio driver is not installed… It is! Anybody with the same problem that can help me?
January 21st, 2010 at 11:15 PM
@Tom – Hehe..that’s a good idea. Netbooks are affordable and are pretty solid computers. :)
January 21st, 2010 at 11:12 PM
I’m thinking of getting one of these for my partner so I can spend some time on my own laptop!
.-= Tom´s last blog ..Bejeweled Blitz Cheat =-.
January 21st, 2010 at 10:20 PM
@Ade – That’s true and that’s what I’ve read from customer reviews. Really? I thought you wanted a full-sized notebook because the netbook has limited features?
January 21st, 2010 at 10:15 PM
Asus Eee PCs are really solid netbooks. I would’ve gone for an Asus netbook again if my Acer wasn’t available the day I bought it.
.-= Ade´s last blog ..Movie Review: Avatar =-.
January 21st, 2010 at 5:10 AM
@Michael – Since this was gonna be hers, my wife was the one who chose this color. But regarding specs and performance wise, this machine performs really well.
January 21st, 2010 at 5:06 AM
my sister has one and honestly I don’t like it…color seems so poor, I dunno…
January 20th, 2010 at 2:55 PM
@Jena – Netbooks are good for basic computing needs like surfing the web, checking emails and typing documents which makes it ideal for students and teachers. Portability is also a plus.
January 20th, 2010 at 2:50 PM
Cool, we should use these PCs.
January 20th, 2010 at 1:15 AM
@MinnieRunner – Thank you! She loves her new toy. :D
January 20th, 2010 at 1:12 AM
Congrats to your wifey for her new “toy” :D
I also wanted to buy one, but I guess I can still content myself with my desktop =)
January 19th, 2010 at 10:45 PM
@Jhay – Thanks! I always do my research before I buy a gadget. :D
You’re right, I just checked and Microsoft has removed the 3-app limit on Windows 7 Starter Edition. Thanks for pointing that out.
January 19th, 2010 at 10:42 PM
A nice find and at a good bargain.
One thing though, I thought they removed the 3-application limit in Windows 7 Starter Edition? Must have missed that one.
.-= Jhay´s last blog ..Press Release: The Dangers of the CyberCrime Act =-.