Netbook Review - Does the Asus Eee PC stand up against a MacBook?
We talk about netbooks a lot here on LaptopPimp, and we also tend to wonder about the future of Mac and the netbook market.
Well, MacWorld got around to wondering the same things and they posted a large article about how the Asus Eee PC holds up against a MacBook.
Here’s some of the highlights:
Size:
My first impression—and one that’s endured—is that the 1000HA is small. Smaller, in fact, than any laptop I’ve ever owned.
So it was complete culture shock to suddenly find myself with a laptop computer with a downsized keyboard (Asus claims it’s about 92 percent the size of a “full” laptop keyboard, but it definitely is markedly smaller than what I’m used to) and overall dimensions so small that I have trouble balancing it on my lap without having it fall through my legs. The keyboard does have nubs on the home row keys, which makes touch-typing possible. The unusual and somewhat cramped keyboard layout (cursor keys jammed into an area to the left of the right shift key) took me about a day to get used to.
No OSX:
The operating system running on the Eee PC is likely to be the biggest Achilles’ Heel for any Mac user considering this system: It’s Microsoft Windows XP. Some Eee systems offer Linux as an option, and you can easily reconfigure this Eee with Linux if you prefer. But at this point in its life cycle, XP is relatively stable and certainly effective, and it provides users with the widest possible selection of software they want, so it’s hard to quibble with Asus’ choice.
On Extras:
The Eee 1000HA sports built-in 802.11g Wi-Fi networking, and it was able to spot my home network (as well as any Wi-Fi hotspot I ran into) without any trouble whatsoever. It also comes equipped with an Ethernet RJ-45 connection, VGA jack for plugging in an external monitor and three USB 2.0 ports to connect additional peripherals (two on one side, one on the other), like an external keyboard and mouse, hard drive or DVD drive, or non-networkable printer.
Overall:
At $429, the Asus Eee 1000HA is much more in the realm of affordability than any of Apple’s current laptop offerings, at least for the average user. The MacBook Air, by comparison, is a paragon of style and sleekness, but it’s priced four times as much in its base configuration.
The Eee 1000HA is no replacement for a full-sized laptop or a desktop computer, but as a means to check e-mail and get some light work done while you’re out and about, it’s fantastic. The Eee 1000HA gets you around town conveniently and economically.
Now, more than ever, after spending some time with an Asus Eee, I remain convinced that Apple is missing an important opportunity by sitting on the bench rather than entering the netbook market.
Tags: asus eee pc, mac user, macbook, macworld
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December 2nd, 2008 at 6:12 pm
really good post. i know more about laptop. thank you
December 10th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
I think netbooks can stand up to many of their full-size counterparts. One thing I realised when I bought a netbook was how overpowered all of my previous laptops were with respect to what I used them for. Unless you play 3D games or work with media such as photos or video, then netbooks are more than adequate.
My blog has some posts which discuss netbooks and their uses.
http://www.pimpmynetbook.com