Netbook Reviews

Doing research on netbook? You are at the right place! Here we provide you with the latest netbook reviews, pros and cons analysis, and video demonstration for every popular netbooks on the market!

Asus Eee PC 1015PED Review

Asus Eee PC 1015PED Review

Asus Eee PC 1015PED Overview

As a new model to replace the Eee PC 1005PE, Asus has made a few improvement on the Eee PC 1015PED, which includes:

  1. Processor: Upgrade from the 1.66GHz Intel N450 Atom Processor to 1.83GHz Atom N475
  2. RAM: From DDR2 to DDR3
  3. Design: Seek aluminum cases that just look nicer than most earlier Asus netbooks

At MSRP of $379.99, the Asus Eee PC 1015PED comes with the following specs:

  • Intel Atom N475 (1.83GHz)
  • 1GB DDR3 RAM, 1 SODIMM Slot, 2GB Max
  • Intel GMA 3150 graphics
  • 250GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM) + 500GB Free Web Storage
  • 0.3MP Webcam
  • 10.1-Inch 1024X600 WSVGA Matte Finish LED Display
  • 802.11 b/g/n; Bluetooth 3.0; Chiclet Keyboard
  • 6 cell battery for up to 13 Hours of Battery Life
  • Windows 7 Starter Operating System (32 bit)
  • Available colors: Black, Red, White, Blue

Review Summary

Design
The Asus Eee PC 1015PED is one of the most attractive netbooks in terms of appearance. While the chassis design and size are quite similar to the Eee PC 1005PE, it has a soft-to-the-touch aluminum lid that makes it looks more stylish than its predecessor. It’s 1.4″ at it’s thickest point, and weight 2.8 pounds.

The chiclet style keyboard of the Eee PC 1015PED is pretty much the same as its predecessor, the 1005PE. It has a small right shift key which some people might not like, but overall still gives pretty good typing experience. The soft aluminum-coated touchpad is flush with the palmrest and only set off with two silver lines. It’s large enough to be used comfortably with multitouch gestures.

Another design change that’s worth mentioning is that the 1015PED comes with a matte instead of glossy display. This means that you don’t have to worry about reflection anymore when using this netbook outdoor or under bright surrounding.

Performance And Graphics
Performance and graphics are the same as most of the Atom-based, 10-inch netbooks out there. You will not have problem performing tasks like web surfing, chatting through skype, and streaming Hulu/YouTube videos in standard definition, but it certainly cannot handle high-def video playback. If you want a 10-inch netbook that’s capable of playing HD video, go for the AMD-powered Acer Aspire One 521.

Battery Life
Just like its predecessor, the Asus Eee PC 1015PED is one of the 10-inch model with the strongest battery life on the market. There are 2 models of Eee PC 1015PED available — one is the 1015PED-MU17 which comes with 44Whr 6-cell battery; the other one is the 1015PED-PU17 with 63Whr 6-cell battery.

The 1015PED-MU17 last for 5 hours under continuous looping of the same standard-def video at 65 percent brightness; while for the 1015PED-PU17, you can expect around 8 hours.

Conclusion
The Asus Eee PC 1015PED better looking and slightly more powerful than its predecessor, 1005PE. If you are looking for a stylish, long battery life netbook for daily computing tasks (e.g. surfing the web, checking email, and watching standard-def video), the Eee PC 1015PED is definitely one of your best choice. But if you are looking for a more powerful netbook and battery life and appearance are not important to you, then you should check out the Acer Aspire One 521.

Unboxing Video

Acer Aspire One 521 Review

Acer Aspire One 521 Review

Acer Aspire One 521 Overview

At the time I am writing this review analysis, the Acer Aspire One 521 is still one of the most powerful 10-inch netbook on the market. If you are in the market of netbook, you should know that almost all existing 10-inch netbook has a specs that combines Intel Atom processor with integrated GMA3150 graphic chips. This combination works perfectly fine for normal computing tasks but not for gaming or high-def videos playback. The Acer Aspire One 521 which runs on AMD 1.7GHz Athlon II Neo K125 processor and ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics performs way better than those Atom powered netbooks, and promises 1080p playback thanks to ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics.


Specification of Acer Aspire One 521:

  • 10.1-inch WSVGA LED-backlit Display
  • 1.7GHz AMD Athlon II Neo Processor K125
  • ATI Radeon HD 4225 Graphics
  • 1GB DDR3 Memory
  • 250 GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
  • Windows 7 Starter
  • Built-In Webcam (1280 x 1024)
  • Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
  • High-Definition Audio Support
  • 802.11b/g/n WiFi CERTIFIED
  • Bluetooth 3.0
  • Ethernet
  • 3 – USB 2.0 Ports
  • HDMI
  • Multi-gesture Touchpad
  • 6-cell Li-ion Battery (4400 mAh) up to 5.5 Hours of Battery Life
  • 2.76 lbs. | 1.25 kg (system unit only)

Review Summary

Design:
The Acer Aspire One 521 has a glossy lid with a big Aspire One logo on it. While the huge logo design does not bother me much, some reviewers find it tacky. It depends on personal preference. Keyboard and touchpad of this netbook is pretty decent. It has the same chiclet keyboards that Acer’s been using on its recent netbooks, which the keys are big enough to be comfortably type on. The touchpad although is a bit small, is still usable and works fine for navigating. An improvement that you will find on the 521 compared to Acer’s previous netbook is that is that it has 2 dedicated right and left mouse buttons.

In terms of portability, it weights 2.8 pounds and measures 1.1-inch thick at its thickest point, making it a highly portable machine which you can carry around with easily.

Performance:
Looking at the PCMark benchmark score, the performance of the Athlon II Neo CPU on the AO521 is right in between Intel Atom and Intel ULV CPUs. Everyday performance is relatively snappy especially after uninstalling McAfee Internet Suite. It has no problem handling multitasking even when playing a 720p video.

Graphics:
With the ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphic chip, the Aspire One 521 plays local 720p and 1080p video flawlessly, even when outputted to a 40-inch HDTV via HDMI. It also has no problem playing 720p video from YouTube, but will start to show some shuttering when it plays 1080p video from YouTube. Engadget has tested playing War of Warcraft on this machine and gets 28 frame per second which is pretty good for a netbook.

Battery life:
The Acer Aspire One 521 comes with a 6-cell 4400 mAh battery. It lasts for 4 hours on Engadget’s video rundown battery test, which loops the same standard def video at 65 percent screen brightness. And according to Brad from Liliputing, he gets close to 5 hours of run time under normal usage.

Conclusion
The Acer Aspire One 521 has better graphics and performance than almost every 10-inch netbook currently available on the market. While it has shorter battery life than other Atom-based netbooks, 4 to 5 hours of battery life should be good enough for most people’s everyday use. With this in mind the MSRP of $349 is very attractive. I certainly recommend this netbook.


Video Review

Source: Amazon, Engadget, Liliputing

Asus Eee PC 1201PN Review

Asus Eee PC 1201PN Review

Asus Eee PC 1201PN Overview

While the Asus Eee PC 1201PN is the first netbook in the market to incorporate the next generation Nvidia ION (aka ION 2) GPU, it does not come with the much awaited Optimus technology — a feature that enable the automatic switch between integrated and discrete GPU to save battery life.

Specification of the Asus Eee PC 1201PN:

  • Intel Atom N450 (1.66 GHz, 512 KB L2 Cache)
  • Nvidia ION 2 graphics platform
  • 12-inch WXGA (1366×768) LED screen
  • 2 GB DDR2 RAM, 2 x SODIMM Slot, 4 GB Max
  • 250 GB SATA Hard Drive (5400 RPM) + 500 GB Free Web Storage
  • Windows 7 Home Premium Operating System (32 Bit)
  • HDMI and VGA out; Bluetooth; Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n; 0.3 MP Webcam

It’s quite a disappointment for many people for the lack of Optimus technology which has been advertised as one of the feature to come with the ION 2 platform on this netbook. So does the 1201PN still offer a good enough balance of multimedia muscle and battery life without Optimus?

Review Summary

The external design, keyboard, and touchpad of the Asus Eee PC 1201PN is pretty much the same as its predecessor, the 1201N. Both the keyboard and touchpad are comfortable to use.

In terms of performance though, the Asus 1201PN is slower than its predecessor (according to PCMark Vantage), which is expected since it has a single core N450 Atom processor while the 1201N has a more powerful dual-core N330 processor. Laptop Magazine noticed some delays when starting video calls in Skype and when opening the AT&T Connection manager software they installed. The overall daily computing tasks run smoothly with no problem though, even with multiple application opened simultaneously.

The next generation Nvidia ION graphic does provide slightly improved graphic performance. Both the video transcoding test and 3DMark 06 benchmark done by Laptop Magazine on the 1201PN gives a better result compared to the 1201N. Playing 1080p video from local hard drive goes smoothly, even on a 32-inch Samsung TV through the 1201PN’s HDMI port. Streaming video from Hulu in full-screen however will still stutter, according to CNet.

For the battery life, the Eee PC 1201PN last 4 hour 33 minutes on continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi test, and 3 hours 57 minutes on video playback battery drain test — both of which are 40 minutes longer than its predecessor.

Conclusion
At the same price ($499.99) as its predecessor, Asus is offering the Eee PC 1201PN as a new 12.1-inch netbook model with longer battery life and better graphic performance, but less processing power. Whether you should opt for the 1201PN or the older 1201N model depends on which side of features are more important to you – processing power or battery life + graphic performance. You may also wait until September this year when Asus launch another new model (1215N) which combine a dual-core processor with the next-gen Nvidia ION with Optimus technology.

Video Review

Video review of Asus Eee PC 1201PN from CNet:

Source: Amazon, Laptop Magazine, CNet

Asus Eee PC 1005PR Review

Asus Eee PC 1005PR Review

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Asus Eee PC 1005PR Overview

The Asus Eee PC 1005PR is a new addition to the Eee PC family recently. It has almost the same specs and design as the Eee PC 1005PE with 2 additional features:

  • built-in Broadcom Crystal HD Accelerator
  • 1366 X 768 high resolution display

This gives the 1005PR the capability to play high definition video even without a discrete graphic card like Nvidia ION. Here’s a video that shows the difference between a netbook with and without Broadcom Crystal HD chipset.

Specs for the Eee PC 1005PR:

  • Intel Atom N450 (1.66GHz, 512KB L2 Cache)
  • 10.1-Inch Color-Shine 1366X768 WXGA LED Display
  • Intel UMA graphics with Broadcom Crystal HD Accelerator
  • 1 GB DDR2 SODIMM memory, Max Capacity 2 GB
  • 250GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM) + 500GB Free Web Storage
  • 802.11 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth
  • 0.3MP Webcam
  • Chiclet Keyboard
  • Up to 11 Hours of Battery Life
  • Windows 7 Starter Operating System

Review Roundup

In terms of design, the Eee PC 1005PR has a matte, textured lid, which not only looks good but also helps to prevent fingerprint — a nice change from the 1005PE’s glossy lid. The keyboard however is said to be a little noisy, and the the right shift key is a little too small, but they do not affect the overall typing experience much.

In terms of performance, the Eee PC 1005PR actually score slightly lower than other similar class netbooks, such as the Dell Inspiron Mini 10, in the PCMark05 test (1319 vs 1412). In real-world use though, you probably will not notice any difference if all you do with your netbook is surfing Internet, checking email, and processing Word document.

The Broadcom HD chipset does help to play HD video files (WMV, MOV, etc.) from hard drive smoothly. Playing HD versions of Flash video content from YouTube or Hulu, however, is choppy when played in full screen.

Battery life is excellent — with continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi, the 1005PR lasted for 8 hours and 45 minutes; while for continuous video playback it lasts 6 hours and 45 minutes.

Conclusion

Despite the complains about its imperfect keyboard design, and slightly lower performance score, the overall usability of the Eee PC 1005PR is still pretty decent. The Broadcom HD Accelerator does provide a better HD experience for locally played video, but not for Flash video content from YouTube or Hulu. If that’s acceptable for you, this netbook is about as good a Netbook deal as you’re likely to find for $399.

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Video Review

Here’s a short video review of the Eee PC 1005PR from CNet:

Source: CNet, Laptop MAgazine

MSI Wind U160 Review Roundup

MSI Wind U160 Review Roundup

MSI Wind U160 Overview
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The MSI Wind U160 is one of the newest netbook model from MSI that runs on the Intel Pine Trail platform. Compared to its sibling, the MSI Wind U135, this 10-inch netbook has a much better endurance — an impressive 15 hours battery life. Other than that, it has mostly the same set of specs as the U135. Below is the rundown of U160′s specification:

  • 1.66GHz Intel N450 Atom Processor
  • 1GB DDR2 667 Mhz SO-DIMM RAM (1 Slot) upgradable to 2 GB MAX
  • 250GB 2.5-Inch SATA Hard Drive
  • Wireless 802.11 b/g/n
  • 4-1 Card Read (XD/SD/MMC/ MS)
  • 10″ 1024×600 LCD Display
  • 1.3MP Webcam
  • Bluetooth
  • Window 7 Starter
  • 6 Cell Battery (15 Hours of Battery Life)

Review roundup

Overall, the MSI Wind U160 gets most of the thing right — good build quality, long battery life, and decent performance. According to Laptop Magazine’s test, it scores 1,406 on PCMark05 and 163 on 3DMark06. Both are above average compared to other netbooks with similar specs. In terms of battery life, although MSI claims that it has 15 hours of battery life, it lasted for around 8.5 hours in both LaptopMag’s and NotebookReview’s battery test. It’s still above industry average although not as great as the 12 hours endurance that we get from the ASUS Eee PC 1005PE (which is currently the best in the netbook market).

Like many other netbooks, the MSI Wind U160 has a chiclet style keyboard. While the folk at notebookreview find the keyboard to be quite comfortable to type on, those from LaptopMag think its keys are a little cramp. Also, some user may not like the protruding battery that makes the netbook looks bulkier although it really weigh just 2.6 pounds which is lighter than most other 10-inch netbooks out there.

Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 >> Read Customer Reviews

Video Reviews

Here’s an unboxing and overview video of the MSI Wind U160 by Newgadgets.de:

Availability
The MSI Wind U160 is available in brown and black color, both cost $379.99 on Amazon currently.

Conclusion
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If you are interested in picking up a MSI Wind netbook, the U160 is a pretty good choice. It has a long battery life and strong performance although the keyboard and battery design is something that some users might not like. If you are not particularly interested in a MSI netbook, we think the ASUS Eee PC 1005PE or the Toshiba Mini NB305 will be a better choice.

Acer Aspire One 532h Reviews Roundup

Acer Aspire One 532h Reviews Roundup

Acer Aspire One 532h Overview
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The Acer Aspire One 532h is Acer’s latest offering based on the new Intel Pine Trail chipset. It comes with the following specification:

  • 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 Processor
  • 1GB DDR2 Memory
  • 160GB or 250GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
  • 802.11 b/g/n Wireless Certified
  • 10.1″ WSVGA Acer CrystalBrite LED Display
  • Intel GMA 3150 Graphics
  • Windows 7 Starter
  • 4400 mAh battery for up to 8 Hours of Battery Life or 5600 mAh battery for up to 11 Hours of Battery Life

There are 2 configuration available for this netbook. One with 160GB HDD and 4400 mAh battery at a lower price of $297, and another one with 250GB HDD and 5600 mAh battery but with a higher price of $319.

Review Roundup

In terms of design, the Acer Aspire One 532h looks pretty similar to the Aspire One 751h. The only thing that’s noticeably different is the multicolored, metallic-like lid. Instead of a solid color, the lid fades from a dark metallic color to black, which definitely makes it look more refined. The 532h is available in Onyx Blue, Garnet Red, and Silver Matrix.

The keyboard of the 532h is neither an island style nor a traditional style keyboard found on its predecessor. Instead, the it comes with an Acer’s FineTip keyboard, which is completely flat on top, and has a slight space between each key. Both the keyboard and touchpad (measuring 2.6 x 1.4 inches) of the Aspire One 532h is larger than its predecessor, and is pretty comfortable to use.

In terms of performance, the new Atom N450 processor does not give any extra processing power to the netbook. The 532h scored 1,332 on PCMark05 which is pretty average for a netbook, and is able to perform tasks like web surfing, chatting through skype, and streaming Hulu videos (not in full screen though) pretty well. The new processor does give a longer battery life to the netbook. Laptop Magazine manage to get 8 hours and 36 minutes of battery life from the 6-cell model in their battery test, which involve continuous web surfing over WiFi.

Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 >> Read Customer Reviews

Video Reviews

Sascha from netbooknews.com has done a great video review on the Acer Aspire One 532h. Check it out below:

Availability
The Acer Aspire One 532h is available in 2 set of specs:

  • The model with 160GB HDD and 8 hours battery life (maximum) is available for $297
  • The model with 250GB HDD and 10 hours battery life (maximum) is available for $319

Conclusion
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The Acer Aspire One 532h has a pretty good design and performance for a netbook. While it’s not the best in the market, the starting price of just $297 definitely offers great value for the money.

Samsung N150 Review Roundup

Samsung N150 Review Roundup

Samsung N150 Overview
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The Samsung N150 is one of the new 10-inch model from Samsung that comes with Intel Atom N450 processor. It’s one of the cheapest new models, with a rather ordinary looking plastic case which are available in red, blue, black, yellow, and pink.

Here’s the rundown of specification for Samsung N150:

  • 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 Processor
  • 1GB DDR2 Memory
  • 160GB Hard Drive
  • Longer battery-powered performance of up to 7 hours
  • 10.1″ Non-glare Display
  • Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150
  • Genuine Microsoft Windows 7 Starter Edition

Review Roundup
Overall, the Samsung N150 is a pretty average netbook. Compared to the previous generation netbook that comes with Intel Atom N270/N280 processor, the new N450 processor does not give any performance boost. It does however gives the netbook a longer battery life — it lasted for 5 hours in CNet’s intensive Battery Eater Classic test, which means that you can expect around 7 to 8 hours of normal usage. Like all other Samsung netbooks, the N150 comes with a matte display which is perfect for working in bright light conditions. The biggest drawback of this machine is however the keyboard which is found to be a little cramped.

Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 >> Read customer reviews

Video Reviews

Samsung N150 tested withYoutube 720P HD, 5MP Pics, 1080p and 720p Lokal, Word 2007 and Counterstrike:

Availability
The Samsung N150 is currently available on Amazon for $329.

Conclusion
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The Samsung N150 is an average netbook with great battery life and average performance. The keyboard is however not as good as those on rivals such as the Toshiba NB305 and Eee PC 1005PE.

Source: Amazon, CNet, Pocket-Lint, Ndeviltv

HP Mini 210 Review Roundup

HP Mini 210 Review Roundup

HP Mini 210 Overview
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The HP Mini 210 is the latest generation of consumer class netbook from HP. This 2.7-pound netbook features Intel’s latest Atom N450 processor which gives it a longer battery life and a more unified design due to the N450’s smaller package size.

Here’s the run down of the specs for HP Mini 210:

  • Intel Atom Processor N450 (1.66 GHz, 512 KB L2 Cache)
  • 1GB DDR2 System Memory (1 DIMM)
  • A choice of 160GB or 250GB (5400RPM) Hard Drive (SATA)
  • Windows 7 Starter
  • A choice of 3-cell battery that supports up to 4.25 hours battery life or 6-cell battery that supports up to 9.75 Hours of Battery Life
  • 10.1″ Diagonal WSVGA LED Anti-glare Widescreen Display. 1024 x 600 resolution for standard version and 1366 x 768 for HD Edition
  • Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150 (shared) with up to 256MB Total Available Graphics Memory

The starting price of the HP Mini 210 is just around $299.99, but will vary according to the configuration that you select. HP offers a ton of options to trick out your system, including a full HD display and Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video Accelerator for smoother full-screen video playback on sites like Hulu.

HP’s commercial on the Mini 210:

Unboxing video of the HP Mini 210 by nDevil:

Review Roundup

In terms of design, the HP Mini 210 looks pretty stylish and are available in several color choices including white, black, silver, blue, and red. The chiclet style keyboard and large touchpad are both pretty comfortable to use. It has integrated touch buttons on the touchpad instead of real physical buttons which some people might not like, but according to Laptop Magazine, the Mini 210 is one of the better implementations of the integrated touch buttons that they have used on a netbook.

In terms of performance, the 1.66-GHz Intel Atom N450 CPU and 1GB RAM on the HP Mini 450 delivered a score of 1,365 on PCMark05, which is slightly lower than Toshiba mini NB305-N410 (1,383) and ASUS Eee PC 1001P (1,384). There’s no problem performing everyday computing tasks on the HP Mini 210 (eg. web surfing, email checking, word processing, etc..), but playing 1080 HD video is not be possible without installing Broadcom Video Accelerator. Below is a video from nDevil demonstrating HD video playback, gaming (Counter Strike), and running Abobe Photoshop on HP Mini 210. Note that the unit shown in the video is a standard version with no video Accelerator installed.

Here’s another video showing how World of Warcraft (WoW) runs on a HP mini 210 netbook.

In terms of battery life, the Mini 210’s six-cell battery lasted 6 hours and 37 minutes on Laptop Magazine’s battery Test. It’s shorter than other Pine Trail netbooks such as the Asus Eee PC 1005PE, 1001P, and Toshiba NB305, but should be enough to get most users through a full day of on-and-off use.

Customer Rating

3.5 out of 5

PLUSES: Takes 2gb memory module; SD card can be used for ReadyBoost; easy access to memory, PCI-e card slot, and hard drive via “pop off” bottom cover; available slot for PCI-e card (in my case, a Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator, $25 mail order, but you may want to insert a 3G card etc.); MATTE SCREEN for glare free viewing; more ergonomic keyboard than most in this… (Read all reviews >>)

Availability
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You can find the HP Mini 210 netbook with various configuration on Amazon. The lowest price that you can get for this netbook is $299.99.

Asus Eee PC 1001P Review

Asus Eee PC 1001P Review

Asus Eee PC 1001P Overview
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The Asus Eee PC 1001P is one of the Pine Trail netbook released early this year. It’s quite similar to the Eee PC 1005PE, which is currently the best-selling netbook on the market, but with slightly lower-end specification and price. The Asus Eee PC 1001P is available in 2 variation: 1001P-PU17 and 1001P-MU17. You may find the comparison between them along with the Eee PC 1005PE here.

Specification of Asus Eee PC 1001P:

  • 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 Processor
  • 1GB DDR2 RAM, 1 SODIMM Slot, 2GB Max
  • 160GB (for 1001P-MU17) or 250GB (for 1001P-PU17) SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
  • 0.3MP Webcam
  • 10.1-Inch Matte 1024X600 WSVGA LCD Display
  • 802.11 b/g
  • Bluetooth Enabled (for 1001P-PU17 only)
  • Windows 7 Starter Operating System
  • 6 Cell Battery for up to 11 Hours of Battery Life

Review Roundup

As mentioned, the Asus Eee PC 1001P is very similar to the Eee PC 1005PE but with lower specs. There are a few features that we find the 1001P to be better than the 1005PE though:

  • The Eee PC 1001P comes with a lid with textured checkerboard pattern of tiny concentric squares. This matte lid keep smudges at bay, and it makes the 1001P look more expensive than its price suggests.
  • The Eee PC 1001P comes with a matte screen so outdoor use won’t be a headache and fingerprints aren’t as prevalent.
  • The Eee PC 100P doesn’t come with an island style keyboard like the 1005PE does, but Laptop Magazine finds it easier to type on as the keyboard size is relatively larger, and it has a full right shift key.

In terms of performance, the Eee PC 1001P held up well when performing everyday computing tasks. Conducting video calls over Skype while surfing the Web with multiple tabs open didn’t cause any system hang-ups. Most applications, like Internet Explorer and WordPad, opened rapidly. A downloaded high-definition 720p video clip played back smoothly with no hiccups, but when playing a 720p video from YouTube, the performance will suffer. Here’s a video from Ndevil demonstrating various application (including Youtube HD, 1080p, 720p and DivX Videos, photoshop CS4 and Counterstrike 1.6) running on the Asus Eee PC 1001P.

The battery life for the Eee PC 1001P is not as good as the 1005PE, but is still better than most other netbooks out there. Laptop Magazine manage to get it running for 8 hours 23 minutes from their battery test. Another feature that the Eee PC 1001P is lacking compared to the Eee PC 1005PE is the N compatibility in its Wi-Fi card. According to Laptop Magazine, the 802.11b/g Wi-Fi card on the Eee PC 1001P provides a slightly slower throughput of 20.3 and 19.3 Mbps at 15 and 50 feet from our access point, respectively.

Customer rating

Asus Eee PC 1001P-PU17: 4.5 out of 5

” I was absolutely surprised by how well fabricated this little netbook is.
The Quality is excellent, the keyboard, takes almost zero getting used to from a full size keyboard. I am typing this review from the unit itself, and I can type to 95% full speed…” (Read all reviews >>)

Asus Eee PC 1001P-MU17: 4 out of 5

” I’m very pleased with this netbook! I’ll break my review into different aspects of the device, to try to keep things relatively organized.

AMAZON PACKAGING
No issues here, perfect. I ordered mine overnight, so it came via FedEx. The box was easy to open, and there was sufficient packing material inside.

APPEARANCE
Very attractive case…” (Read all reviews >>)

Related Videos

Asus Eee PC 1001P Unboxing:

Asus Eee PC 1001P Splashtop Instant On OS Demo:

Asus Eee PC 1001P Ram Upgrade and How to take it apart:

Availability

The availability of the Asus Eee PC 1001P is as following:

Asus Eee PC 1001P-PU17:

Asus Eee PC 1001P-MU17:

Conclusion
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The Asus Eee PC 1001P is a great choice for those with tight budget. If you don’t mind getting a netbook with lower storage capacity (160GB), you can get the Eee PC 1001P-MU17 for only $299.99. If not, you can still go for the 1001P-PU17 with 250GB hard drive for $339.99. Both models have a great design, comfortable keyboard, and a 6-cell battery that provides more than 8 hours of battery life. The Eee PC 1001P is definitely one of the netbook that gives the best value for the money.

Source: Amazon, LaptopMag, Ndevil

Toshiba Mini NB305 Review Roundup

Toshiba Mini NB305 Review Roundup

Toshiba Mini NB305 Overview
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Toshiba NB305 is the updated version of NB205. It comes with the new Pine Trail platform and Intel Atom N450 processor which supposedly give a better performance and battery life to this new model. Similar to the NB205, Toshiba NB305 is available in 2 variation:

  • The black version (NB305-N310) that comes with lower price, Fusion Finish casing in Black Onyx, normal keyboard, 160GB HDD, and Windows XP Home.
  • The colorful version (Toshiba NB305-N410) that comes with higher price, Textured finish casing in multiple color option (blue, white, and brown), chiclet style keyboard, 250GB HDD and Windows 7 Starter.

In this review, we are looking at the higher-end NB305-N410. The detailed specification of Toshiba NB305-N410 is as following:

  • 1.66GHz Intel N450 Atom Processor
  • 1GB 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM Memory
  • 250GB Serial ATA Hard Disk Drive (5400RPM)
  • 10.1″ LED (16:9) 1024×600 Display
  • Intel Graphics Media Accelerator GMA3150
  • Windows 7 Starter Edition 32-bit

Review Roundup
While the NB205 has everything that we would recommend for a netbook (i.e. ergonomic metal keyboard, large touchpad & touchpad buttons, excellent battery life, unique textured lid that’s anti-smudges, etc..), the two biggest complains on the Toshiba NB205 are the bulky battery that sticks out from the back of the machine, and the weak speaker that hide below the front edge of the system. Not only Toshiba has retained all the good features of NB205 on the NB305, they have also solved those 2 issues on the new model. Instead of jutted out from the rear, the battery is now tucked in underneath, causing the keyboard to be slanting towards the user and giving a more ergornomic angle for typing. Also, the speaker on NB305 is much louder compared to the one in NB205. Another improvement that the NB305 has over the NB205 is weight. Toshiba NB305 is slightly lighter than its predecessor at only 2.6 pounds.

In terms of performance and battery life, there’s not much difference between NB305 with its predecessor. Laptop Magazine manage to get 8:37 hours from their battery test (continuous Web surfing over Wi-Fi), while Engadget gets 6:30 hours from their battery drain test (video rundown test with brightness set to 65 percent). In terms of performance, the Toshiba NB305 is similar to other Pine Trail netbooks – good for daily tasks such as web surfing, checking email, document processing, etc.. but not suitable for HD video playback. This is the

The only drawback of the Toshiba NB305 is that it’s more expensive than other Pine Trail netbooks such as the Asus Eee PC 1005PE and Acer Aspire One 532h. However Engadget note that they still prefer the NB305 over the other two because it’s “more comfortable to use”; while Laptop Magazine has once again awarded the NB305 as one of their “Editor’s Choice”.

Customer rating on Toshiba NB305 is pretty good as well. Check out all customer reviews here.

Related Videos

Take a closer look at Toshiba NB305 in the following video:

Brief introduction of NB305 netbook by Toshiba:

Availability
Toshiba NB305-N410 is available in 3 colors:

All of them are currently available for purchase on Amazon at $399.99; while the black version, NB305-N310, is available for $349.99.

Conclusion
Order from Amazon
The Toshiba NB305 is still one of the best netbook in the market. Although the price is slightly higer than other Pine Trail netbooks, it’s keyboard and especially its touchpad are second to none, and to us that’s worth the premium.

Source: Engadget, Laptop Magazine

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