Cheap Netbook Store

Asus Eee PC 1005HA-PU1X-BU 10.1 inch Intel Atom N280/1 GB/160 GB/XPH Netbook Computer (Royal Blue)

User Reviews about Asus Eee PC 1005HA-PU1X-BU 10.1-Inch Intel Atom Netbook Computer (Royal Blue)

Asus 1005HA-PU1X

The Asus Eee PC Seashell design is very slick. I bought the 1005HA-PU1X based on its styling and features. The 1005HA-PU1X is one of the few netbooks to offer: Bluetooth, 2.0MP webcam, WiFi b/g/n, and easily upgradeable RAM in an affordable package with 10+ hours of battery life. However, there are some major drawbacks to buying an Asus.

The first thing I usually do with a new PC purchase is format the HD and do a clean install of an OS. In this instance, I installed Windows 7 32-bit Professional (full version) and do not regret this decision for many reasons. I also maxed out the RAM to 2GB, even though Windows 7 only uses about 500MB, up to 1GB when lots of apps are running. Windows 7 makes the netbook perform so much better than with XP or Vista. My Dell Mini 9 has XP and it boots slower and runs slower than the 1005HA with W7! The Mini 9 has a N270 processor with 2GB RAM while the 1005HA has a marginally faster N280 processor and 2GB RAM.

The BIOS upgrade procedure is very cumbersome unless you use the Windows-based Asus update. I did not figure this out until I dug around the internet to find a solution. AFUDOS is a horrible piece of software. None of the Asus BIOS update programs allow downgrading for BIOS flashes, so make sure you really want to upgrade.

The compact charger than came with the 1005HA gets extremely/excessively hot during recharging. It also makes an audible hum. There were some complaints about earlier chargers, but the problems have been supposedly fixed with the Delta-manufactured chargers. The blue LED is bright enough to be distracting at night. I couldn't sleep with it lit so I flipped it upside down. The charging system on the 1005HA is very funky. With all of my Dell laptops, you can yank the power cord between 95%-100% and be able to charge it again upon replugging. The 1005HA does NOT charge unless you drop it below 95%. It is not software/OS dependent - I verified this behavior using Windows XP, 7, and even Ubuntu 9.10! As long as you drop it below 95%, it will charge it up to 100%. However if you pull it before it drops below 95%, it will give you the dreaded "Plugged in, not charging" message. The battery will also self-discharge at 100%, so even if you keep it plugged in, it will allow it to slowly drop below 95%.

That said, I've gotten up to 14 hours of battery life with this netbook. I typically get 9-10 hours on one charge. It's awesome to bring this netbook into a classroom where there is a HUGE pile of AC adapters/extension cords/power strips running around the floor to power HP, Dell, and Mac laptops while I pull out the 1005HA without any power cords. I take Saturday classes so I can run my netbook for the full Saturday without ever charging it. Windows 7 has superior power management options over XP, so you can tweak a bunch of settings to conserve power. I use my Bluetooth mouse and WiFi connection in class, so it wasn't like I babied it. I hear the N450-based Atom processors can get up to 14 hours advertised, so considering I have gotten up to 14 hours with my N280, it's all good.

The LED backlit LCD screen is very dark. There are 15 brightness settings, but even at full brightness it wasn't nearly as bright as the LED backlit LCD screens on my Dell Mini 9, Dell Studio 1537, or Dell Inspiron 1545. The viewing angle on the 1005HA is also extremely narrow. You have to sit in front of it to see anything clearly. However, the image quality is very crisp for such a small screen and low resolution.

The built-in speakers are absolutely rubbish. It actually hurts my ears to listen to my favorite songs. The best way to describe the audio quality is to imagine hooking up a pair of headphones and turning up the volume. There's an excessively scratchy and tincan-like quality.

The SD/SDHC slot was extremely tight. It took off the label from my Kingston SDHC card and scratched the heck out of the blank plastic SDHC chip that comes with the 1005HA. The cards will NOT eject properly either. Upon closer examination, I found the internal shield/sleeve wasn't made properly. My Dell Mini 9, Studio, and Inspirons all have very free moving SDHC slots.

The keyboard feels very flimsy. The keyboard flexes when you type, and the Esc key was actually tilted on mine. It sat lower in one corner, suggesting another manufacturing defect. I decided to replace it under warranty, and to evaluate Asus's warranty process against Dell. I had to email tech support to get the phone number. I called and a very rude lady tried to get me to send my entire netbook back to replace the keyboard. I asked for just the keyboard and she emailed me a form that required my credit card ahead of time. I also had to pay return shipping out of pocket! With Dell, I can use the Live Chat and ask for a new keyboard which they will ship out next day for no charge. They will also give me a return label for no charge return shipping. Asus's customer service is pretty poor compared to Dell. The overall quality of the 1005HA isn't as good as Dell's Mini either. I only bought the 1005HA because I wasn't able to build a Mini 10 the way I wanted (BT w/ WiFi N w/ 2.0MP webcam).

The Ethernet port location is awkward. I've almost accidentally connected USB devices to that port, and it might have shorted out a few connections had I done so. It might because of how many laptops I have that have USB ports in that sport (right hand corner near monitor hinge).

The 1005HA comes with a charger and a small neoprene sleeve. The sleeve is a little tight to use, but works well as basic storage for the 1005HA. I recommend a more secure netbook case/bag though.

Pros: Inexpensive, lightweight, and compact. With Windows 7, it becomes a very powerful netbook that runs a lot of office apps very smoothly.

Cons: Asus quality is mediocre at best, customer service sucks compared to Dell. I'd rather have bought a Mini 10 but the 1005HA had all of the features I wanted.

Overall: 4/5 stars. -- Mediocre quality, poor customer service, but decent netbook