Asus Eee PC 1000H (Intel Atom N270 Processor 1.6GHz, 1GB RAM)

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Features

There are few surprises inside the machine--particularly if you've been following our coverage of the Eee PC 1000H for the past few months. It uses a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, plus 1GB of DDR memory--much like the Eee PC 900, Acer Aspire One and MSI Wind.

Asus is releasing two versions of the 1000, as it did with the 901, 900 and 701. The Eee PC 1000 ships with Linux and 40GB of solid-state storage and the S$888 (US$630.86) Eee PC 1000H uses an 80GB mechanical drive and Windows XP. Notably, this is the first time in Eee history that the Windows XP model has had more storage than the Linux model and the first time there has been a price difference between the two versions.

In the past, we've always recommended buying the Linux version of Eee PCs since they've traditionally had more storage space. But in the case of the Eee PC 1000 series, we'd say the Windows XP model is the one to go for, especially if you want to pay less money and get an extra 40GB of storage space. The Linux model isn't a dud, though--we'd recommend it to anyone who's accident-prone, as its less susceptible to data loss as a result of sudden impacts.

The wireless capabilities of both versions of the Eee PC 1000 are identical. They include 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, so you can connect to just about every type of popular Wi-Fi network, including high-speed 300Mbps networks. There's also Bluetooth, which isn't quite so handy, but we're more disappointed at the absence of integrated 3G for true go-anywhere Internet access.

It's worth noting that the Eee PC 1000H's screen is of a good standard. Its vertical viewing angle is pretty limited, as is the case with all these devices. The 1,024 x 600-pixel resolution is, again, par for the Netbook course, but it's still a pleasure to use. It doesn't use a glossy finish, all icons and text are large and readable and there's simply not as much need to squint or bow your head closer to the device to see what's going on.

Performance And Battery Life

There's very little difference between the Eee PC 1000H and the rest of its Atom-equipped rivals in terms of performance. The 1000H clocked up 1,512 in PCMark05, which is a very respectable score for a machine of this type. During our time with it, it felt very responsive and never gave us the impression it wasn't up for a particular task.

3D gaming isn't the 1000H's forte. It hit only 602 in 3DMark06, which is pretty pathetic. Remember, the machine clearly isn't designed to move polygons around, so if you stick to things like browsing the Web, showing presentations, playing movies--high definition included--you won't be disappointed.

Battery life was pretty impressive in the Eee PC 1000H. We weren't expecting it to be as long as the Eee PC 901's, due to its larger screen, but it fared surprisingly well. It lasted 3 hours 56 minutes while watching a DivX movie, which is good compared to the 901.

The Eee PC 1000H is a fabulous machine. It precariously straddles the line between mini laptop and ultraportable, but it's well-equipped, well-designed and great for those who need a usable laptop on the move. It's more expensive than the similarly equipped MSI Wind, but it does have its advantages like the multi-touch mouse trackpad and a choice of specification. As a result, we recommend it highly.

Service And Support

Asus offers a one-year local warranty for the Eee PC. Should a problem occur with the unit, you can send it to your local Asus service center and get it repaired. Asus Web site provides software support and updates as well as a telephone hotline number.

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