Finally - A nearly perfect notebook

4/30/2009

I started using laptops about 1988. In fact for over 10 years I used laptops nearly exclusively. I have owned more than 20 laptops often upgrading each year at least. Finally, I have found nearly the perfect laptop. The last time I felt so good about a laptop was the famous Sony VAIO 505 line.

Recently I've been involved in a project where we are doing a lot of recommending and purchasing. For this process I have had a chance to test out a lot of hardware.

ASUS 1000HA

Last November I chose the ASUS 1000HA over a lot of contenders. Despite a few small annoyances, the ASUS 1000HA was a fantastic machine, far ahead of its competitors.

The Lenovo S10e suffers from a horrible battery life, odd sized screen (1024 x 576????) which a lot of programs hate, and a trackpad smaller than my thumb making it dreadful to use. The Acer Aspire suffer a similar fate ,especially regarding the trackpad. Dell and HP models also have issues. We quickly eliminated the field down to ASUS and Samsung. However they were very close, but the ASUS is significantly cheaper.

ASUS 1000HE

As with the 1000HA, the 1000HE made a few refinements. With a chiclet (Mac style keyboard), 9.5 hour battery, 160 GB hard drive, and just 3.2 lbs! It literally is my dream laptop. I was able to get a model in Blue, expanded the RAM to 2 GB, and installed Vista.

Nearly Perfect?

Very close, in fact this is the best notebook I have ever owned. Portability and long battery life are a key for me. But as always, there is room for improvement. ASUS has a long history of refining successful models, so lets hope there will be more improvements in future models. Here is my list.

Slightly Bigger Screen

The screen cannot be made too big, else the notebook will not be portable. The bezel still has quite a bit of room though, and a 12" screen could be included with little or no impact on size or weight. A 12" screen with a higher resolution is my number one wish.

Tablet Functionality with Touch

ASUS has already announced a small tablet, but it will be based on an 8.9" screen and a slower processor. Let's hope it will make it into the larger format as well.

Backlit Keyboard

I often find myself using the computer in dark settings. I can touch type, but none the less a backlit keyboard would be very welcome.

Go Legless

The 1000HE is improved over the 1000HE, but it still has little rubber bumps on the bottom which protrude. They provide for a better elevation when on a desk, but increase the overall thickness when sliding into a bag. They should be removed to make a more rectangular profile.

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