Asus EEE PC 1005HA Review

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Asus is the original netbook manufacturer and still one of the best. Its 1005HA "Seashell" design is popular with netbook users, and a budget netbook review on Engadget praises its excellent battery life. Consumer reviews of inexpensive netbooks say the 1005HA's keyboard (which includes a full-sized Shift key) and touchpad are also a snap to use.

Like most netbooks, the 1005HA has Intel's Atom N270 1.6GHz CPU, though an N280 1.66GHz CPU is available. Unlike some netbooks, this model supports 802.11n wireless connections, as well as the standard 802.11b/g. You can also get the 1005HA with a six-cell battery rather than the usual three-cell, but this upgrade increases the weight of the system by about a half pound. The 1005HA runs on Windows XP and includes a 1.3 megapixel webcam.

Excellent battery life and comfortable keyboard and touchpad, make the Asus EEE PC 1005HA a winner, despite the extra weight from the six-cell battery. On the other hand, you don't find a lot of netbooks with a full-sized Shift key, and that's one of the little things that can bump one netbook ahead of the pack.