ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-PU1X-BU 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook – 10.5 Hour Battery Life

The Asus 1005HA series is comprised of 3 models. Best Buy offers the 1005HA-B for $299 (plus tax). It features the N270 (1.6GHz 533FSB) cpu, glossy display, 3-Cell 23Wh Li-ion Battery (4 hrs), and a 1.3MP webcam. Excluded are the Bluetooth module, 10GB online Eee storage, and netbook sleeve. This is obviously the “Basic” model. I was able to demo this unit at Best Buy on June 27th, and IMO you are giving up quite a bit for the ~$65 savings over the ‘P’ model. Not to mention that as of now Asus will not sell you a spare 3 or 6-cell Li-Ion battery.

Amazon and other e-tailers offer the 1005HA-V for $339-$349, and the most notable change is the matte LCD. Those that frequently work outdoors or despise reflections will appreciate the matte display. It also features a N270 cpu, 6-cell 48Wh Li-ion Battery (8.5 hrs), 0.3MP webcam (according to Amazon specs, but it may in fact be 1.3MP), no Bluetooth, and absent again is the netbook sleeve.

So in a nutshell (or would that be seashell?) the 1005HA-P offers the faster N280 cpu, glossy display, 1.3MP webcam, 6-Cell 63Wh Li-ion Battery with a whopping 10.5 hrs run time, Bluetooth v2.1, and a black netbook sleeve.

All three units come with the Digital Array Mic which consists of two powerful microphones. Ambient background noises are eliminated, as well as reduced echoes for clearer voice recording. What’s more, with only direct sound (within 60°) recorded, you’ll obtain better voice capture. I’ve tested the mic with Skype, and it’s loud and clear once you fine tune using the Realtek HD Audio manager. All models also include a WiFi 802.11 b/g/n adapter and 160GB 5400RPM hard drive. My 1005HA-P contains a Hitachi HTS543216L9SA00 hard drive and Atheros AR9285 wifi card. Atheros chipsets are known for excellent range and are typically less prone to connection drops. I’d like to point out that the AR9285 is only capable of 150Mbps.

All three variations ship with 1GB DDR2 800MHz memory. The good news is that you can remove the memory door on the bottom of the chassis and swap it out for a 2GB DDR2 200-pin SODIMM in under 2 minutes. Amazon offers the Crucial 667 & 800MHz modules for under $27. I installed the 800MHz module (CT25664AC800) since it offers more headroom and will step down to a lower FSB if needed. The 667MHz module should clock past its rated speed, but if your module doesn’t then it could lead to instability. I’d recommend running a Prime95 “Blend” torture test for 12-24 hrs to make sure your system is stable.

Now that I’ve provided my $.02 on memory I’ll briefly touch bases on the Eee Super Hybrid Engine utility. It lets users overclock or underclock their Eee PC’s to boost performance or provide better battery life depending on their immediate requirements. In Super Performance mode CPU-Z shows the bus speed to increase up to 169.9MHz which translates into roughly 1.7GHz. Woot! One way to quickly change modes is to press Fn + spacebar.

The glossy LED display offers excellent color and contrast when used indoors. I was also pleasantly surprised with the excellent horizontal viewing angles. Keep in mind that once you get in a room full of light or step outdoors screen reflections could become annoying. I’ve used mine outside on a sunny day, and the screen is still very much legible. In fact it was much more detailed than the matte screen on my Dell D600.

Apparently the 1005HA-P Black was “under review” for several days, but the Blue is in stock and ready to ship direct from Amazon. According to some Amazon reps it ranges from complaints regarding the ‘hot’ ac adapter, charging issues that are a direct result of the end user not pushing the micro-sized right angle end of the ac adapter until it snaps in place, and quite possibly the Asus rebate. While the ac adapter does run hot while it is actively charging the battery, which Asus clearly mentions in the user manual, I’ve felt other ac adapters get just as hot. Therefore one should not be alarmed over the heat output.

Overall I am extremely satisfied with the 1005HA-P, and it is arguably the best 10″ netbook on the market. Keep in mind that if you want a White or Pink shell you’ll be limited to the ‘B’ or ‘V’ models. Asus has already released the two aforementioned colors in Europe & Asia, so hopefully by the end of 2009 we’ll get them as an option on the ‘P’ model. Be sure to check out the Amazon community forum for this product located towards the bottom of this page if you require additional enlightenment. You’ll find a lot of tips, tricks, and general FAQ’s.

Before I get into what I think about this device, here’s a quick guide for understanding the different flavors of the 1005HA:

1005HA-P (most expensive)
N280 1.66 GHz Processor, 667MHz Front Side Bus, 1.3MP Web Cam, 10.5 Hour Battery, Glossy Display, Bluetooth, Netbook Sleeve
Available Colors: Black, Blue

1005HA-V (mid range price)
N270 1.6 GHz Processor, 533MHz Front Side Bus, 0.3MP Web Cam, 8.5 Hour Battery, Matted Display
Available Colors: Black, Blue, White, Pink

1005HA-B (cheapest one, sold at best buy)
N270 1.6 GHz Processor, 533MHz Front Side Bus, 0.3MP Web Cam, 4.5 Hour Battery, Matted Display
Available Colors: Black, Blue, White, Pink

Which one to get?
——————-

It’s hard to recommend the B series offered at best buy if you have to pay sales tax. After you add sales tax, you are then approaching the price of the V series which gets twice the battery life. Battery life is one of the biggest features of a netbook so I wouldn’t go cheap and get less battery.

Deciding between the V series and the P series really comes done to how much you care about a slight speed different (if any), a small battery life difference, a better web cam, Bluetooth, and/or the netbook sleeve. To me, the extra ~$40 for the P series is well worth it. A netbook sleeve alone costs $10-$20 bucks.

Pros:
——-

- The 1005HA-P comes with all the features you want in a netbook. Some ppl may prefer a higher resolution screen but I don’t think it’s required.
- It’s thinner than the 1000HE, although it seems to be as heavy.
- I think the new keyboard rivals the great hp mini keyboards. The full size right shift key was enough for me to drop my 1000HE.
- The best thing about this unit is the battery life. Don’t hold your breath for getting 10 whole hours though. Expect 7-8 hours with wifi and Bluetooth on in power save mode. I expect to get 6-7 hours in high performance mode.
- Windows 7 works like a charm.

Cons:
——-

- The long life battery makes this unit heavy. The weight is not a show stopper but it’s something to be aware of.
- Some ppl might not like how the touch pad is integrated with the body of the device. The touchpad is bumpy so u can find it in the dark. It took me a day to get use to it.
- The speakers are on the bottom front of the device so when I had it on the bed, the volume was low.
- Upgrading the hard drive requires a lot of work and may void the warranty.
- I don’t like the one long rocker button for the touchpad. I prefer 2 separate buttons.

Should you upgrade from the 1000HE to the 1000HA?

Since the battery life difference is minimum, the only reason to upgrade would be to get the better keyboard. To me it’s worth it since the right shift key on the 1000HE is annoying. I also prefer the trackpad on the 1005HA but I can understand if it gets mixed reviews.

1005HA vs 1008HA

I like the 1008HA but it’s hard for me to recommend it over the 1005HA. For $30-$40 more you get one less usb port, you get covered usb ports which is annoying, and you get less than half the battery life. Yes the 1008HA is slimmer and weighs less. I just can’t justify the extra cost of a device that looks good but does less.

Bottom Line:

The 1005HA is really the best netbook currently available. It comes with all the features you need in a netbook. It has the longest battery life of any notebook. The keyboard is now as good as the HP and Samsung netbooks. Unless you are really on a tight budget, or if you need a smaller or less heavy device, there really is no reason to buy another netbook.

Necessary Upgrades:

Make sure you get the correct memory for this device. Don’t think about running Windows 7 without 2GB of Ram
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F7QRTG?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B000F7QRTG ;

Netbooks do not come with DVD drives so consider get a cheap external one.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MLZKAQ?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B001MLZKAQ ;

UPDATE:

There seems to be a debate over using the 667MHz memory Amazon recommends versus 800MHz memory the 1005HA ships with. I’ve read that the 800MHz is beneficial but I also read that the 800MHz runs at 667MHz even if u overclock. There’s a heated discussion on the eeeuser form about this. Check it out for yoursef.

Bought this netbook for our upcoming trip to Europe, immediately tried to install Windows 7 RC on it, worked PERFECTLY. I highly recommend buying the 2GB RAM upgrade (I went with the Amazon recommended 2GB 667mhz crucial module), best $20 you’ll ever spend. All drivers installed fine on Win7, Aero is enabled, everything is very snappy. Can’t wait to take this thing on the road.

2.0 out of 5 stars
Returning product
The computer will rarely turn on even though the battery has plenty of charge in it. I have to plug it in to start it and then unplug it and it will continue to work.

4.0 out of 5 stars
Love it (even though it made me work a bit more than I wanted)!
I love the Eeepc’s! This is the fifth one that I purchase (already had a 701, 901, and 1000he’s).
First the good: This Eeepc is the best one I’ve tried.

5.0 out of 5 stars
Nice second PC!
I purchased this netbook approximately 3 weeks ago and now I dont understand how I have lived without it.

5.0 out of 5 stars
BEST EVER
Had one EXTRA PROGRAM-90 day NORTON 360.Nobody tells U that.”6 STARS”,GREAT NETBOOK.LOVE IT TO DEATH.Battery recharges in ZIP time.Runs JAVA stock ticker (SCOTTRAE)just fine.