The Neon Rush

ASUS releases new Netbook with DVD burner

Jul 27, 2009 12:16

Taiwan's PC makers are regularly churning out new Netbooks. Asus has just released a new puppy into the wild--the Eee PC 1004DN. What's interesting about this model is that it has a DVD player/burner, something uncommon in tiny notebooks. 

It seems to me that in order to add the DVD burner/player and keep costs low, Asus has had to scrimp on hard drive performance. The built-in 1.8-inch hard drive spins at only 4,200rpm, well below the standard 5,400rpm that most users are used to.

It is an interesting engineering achievement, but I'm not sure if it's practical or good for usability. Sure, some users will appreciate the fact that they can now burn a CD or DVD on-the-go, but who uses a DVD player these days? And if you do use the DVD player, the battery life will be drained much faster compared to simple tasks such as Web surfing or email.  

Added to the fact that the hard drive performance will be markedly slower, and this makes it a great middle-of-the-road product.  

But I may be too harsh. What do you think, would you use a DVD drive in a Netbook? 

In Taiwan, the price is listed at NT$1,9998/US$608.

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