The ASUS EEE PC 1000H arrived today from Amazon (via Pixmania), so this evening I set about unboxing it and installing all the software I will typically be using on it.
Enjoysurrounding it with air filled packing.
Here’s the contents of the box - the machine, battery, power cable, books, software installation media, licenses, a cleaning cloth (?!), and a surprisingly good neoprene zipped bag to protect the machine. I had to buy a 3rd party one for our Macbook…
Here’s the machine - out of it’s protective wrapping. Notice the high gloss finish to all surfaces. That explains the cleaning cloth!
The keyboard is about 80% the size of a standard Dell desktop keyboard. Although I have only used it while logging into various websites creating bookmarks, it is easily big enough to touch type, and doesn’t seem to cramp my hands (and I’ve got huge hands). The right shift key has been pushed out of the way slightly, but it’s more than worth it to have a huge enter key - something I hated on the EEE 701.
Firing the 1000H up for the first time, it goes into the standard Windows XP installation routine, and completes painlessly.
I cannot emphasis enough - the screen on the EEE PC 1000H is fantastic. Really sharp, vibrant, and non reflective. If anything, it’s better at shallow viewing angles than the 24C/3 Dell screen sat next to it on the desk.
After an hour or so of installing software, the above image shows us nearing the end of the installation story - running Windows Updates. I will admit to being surprised at so many updates being required; it has XP SP3 installed on it after all.
So what do I think so far?
I’m incredibly impressed. For the price, the ASUS EEE PC 1000H is perhaps the best machine I have ever seen or used. It’s worth doing some mathematics - it costs less than a third the price of a Macbook, and two thirds the price of a plain vanilla 15C/3 Dell laptop.
The installed crapware wasn’t too bad at all. One application EXE was left on the desktop - I spirited it away to a folder in Program Files. I removed Star Office and installed Open Office 3 instead. I also installed TweakUI in order to remove “non removeable” BlueTooth icons on the desktop.
I’ll write a more in-depth review of the machine in a week or so - when I have found out how long it lasts on a full battery charge, how it handles high quality video files, and how it stands up to being carted around the place.