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.
David, how did you resolve the sound problem? I have the same problem!
-thanks!
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
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.
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!
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?
@Tom – Hehe..that’s a good idea. Netbooks are affordable and are pretty solid computers. :)
I’m thinking of getting one of these for my partner so I can spend some time on my own laptop!
@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?
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.
@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.
my sister has one and honestly I don’t like it…color seems so poor, I dunno…
@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.
Cool, we should use these PCs.
@MinnieRunner – Thank you! She loves her new toy. :D
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 =)
@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.
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.