Buying ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-PU1X-BK 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 10.5 Hour Battery Life

I bought this to use when traveling within a developing country, where I need lots of battery life and don't feel like lugging around my conspicuous (and now heavy) 15" notebook.

I do a lot of LAMP work, so I wanted something I could set up to mirror my server. This machine is great for that. A small plug for Linux: I've installed 2 GB of RAM, but running Apache mpm-prefork, PHP, mysql, eCryptfs, compiz, Gnome, Firefox, OpenOffice, and JEdit under Ubuntu 9.04, I almost always have 1GB of RAM free. I haven't hit my swap yet in several weeks of heavy use, and performance has been more than satisfactory for what I do with it.

Pros:

Relatively easy to install Linux (just Google/Bing for "perfect ubuntu jaunty asus 1005ha"), if you know what you're doing and have access to another internet-connected computer (and 1GB+ blank USB drive) at the time. With a bit of tweaking, pretty much everything works, including all the hotkeys (except that as of this writing, bluetooth cannot be disabled in software to save power; try disabling it in the BIOS before boot). I can even run Compiz with "Normal" effects, including 2 virtual desktops and an excellent Exposé knock-off. One caveat: Let the BIOS, not eeepc-tray, manage the fan speed. The BIOS knows best.

Good battery life under Linux (about 7.5 hours under light use).

Compact and portable without being too small.

Surprisingly readable screen for the size.

Good webcam.

Cons:

Glossy screen. Most of the time it's not an issue, but if you do any work outside, be prepared to squint and squirm.

Glossy everything else. The lid, palm rest and bezel start out glossy, then end up looking like the inside of a bus/train window where people regularly rest their greasy heads and hands. I've found that regular Turtle Wax CAREFULLY applied in multiple coats can limit, but not eliminate, this. Warnings: 1) Do not use "Polish Wax": it is abrasive; not sure what it would do to your computer. 2) Obviously, just apply the wax dry, no water. 3) If you get wax inside your computer, it can melt and break things, stop buttons/keys from working, etc.; be reasonably cautious. 4) DO NOT GET WAX ON YOUR SCREEN. I'm not sure what would happen, but I certainly don't want to try it with mine.

Single mouse button/bar. The mouse button is annoying. It's pretty (and also, shiny and then greasy), but I sometimes find myself hitting the middle by accident and getting frustrated. 2 buttons would be best; at the very least Asus could put a slight bump or dip in the middle to demarcate. It is a bit firm, but otherwise, it would be too easy to hit by accident.

Microphone and speakers are a bit weak, but that is expected in a power-saving machine like this.

Requires purchase of Windows, and thus, per Microsoft's desire, cannot include 2 GB of RAM. If given the choice, I would prefer to spend the money on the RAM (which I did anyway). It turns out that the Windows license and the RAM are about the same price at wholesale, so I would rather have the choice.

Upgrading the hard drive voids your warranty and is relatively difficult. I haven't done it yet, but I would just like the freedom to do it. If you want to upgrade your drive (to a 256GB SSD, e.g.), look into the 1000HE. It's bigger, heavier, and has less battery life, but it is much easier to upgrade internal components.

Advice:

As noted by at least one reviewer, add a 2GB 800 MHz (PC6400) SO-DIMM. If you're running Linux, this is a very well-supported netbook, like the 1000HE; if something's not working, wait a couple of weeks, and someone will probably get it working. I chose this over the Toshiba NB-series because of the Linux support (I also prefer the Asus keyboard). Buy Best Price USA ASUS Eee PC 1005HA PU1X Lowest Price, Order Now! [Click Here!]

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