ASUS EPC1000HA-BLK026X PC Notebook

This Asus 1000HA Netbook is, quite simply, just about everything you need in a netbook. The advantages of netbooks over full-size laptops are staggering, provided that you already own a desktop. To clarify; I would not recommend a netbook -- even the 1000HA -- as a primary computer. But as an ultra-portable, low-price addition to a desktop... it's superb.

The cost is unbeatable. The screen, while small, is surprisingly easy to get used to. The maximum resolution -- 1024x600 is the most comfortable setting -- allows you to fit a surprising amount of things on the screen. With 1GB of memory on a Windows XP system, the computer performs remarkably well for the cost.

But the biggest advantage here is the miniscule size and ultra-portability of the machine. The 3lb netbook can fit almost anywhere. If you disable the Webcam, lower the brightness, and don't use any USB peripherals, you can squeeze 6 hours out of the battery. Even in everything-on mode -- max brightness, USB mouse, Wi-Fi, etc -- 4.5 hours is easy. That's four and a half hours of comfortable computing on a one-pound battery. That's incredible!

Furthermore, the mouse touchpad and the keyboard are relatively easy to use as well. The computer comes with helpful (and discrete) software that allows to scroll, zoom in, etc, with simple and natural gestures on the touchpad. The keyboard is not remarkable, but that is what it should be -- you shouldn't feel that you have to adjust to, or make do with, the keyboard. It should just work, and this one does.

I used this netbook while traveling around the Western United States in my car for several months. It was exposed to extreme heat, dusty conditions, and high humidity, to say nothing of the intense use. During this entire experience, my only serious gripe was that the speakers sometimes struggled to reach a high enough volume to use the laptop as a portable speaker system, which, of course, is hardly a severe flaw. The sound quality at all volumes, however, is fantastic. The sound and video quality were both good enough that I was able to comfortably watch TV shows and movies in nearly any environment.

Most netbooks come with similar or even identical processors and video chipsets. A netbook is not designed to edit 3D videos. Mobile computing usually involves a Word Document, a few internet browsing tabs, and a chat program. That's what this computer should be good at, and indeed, it excels. I was expecting a slow and handicapped speed when I bought the computer, but I was blown away at what it was capable of. If limited to a few programs at a time, the CPU, video card, and memory arrangement have no trouble keeping up. Indeed, at that workload, they may rival a $300 desktop configuration. But if you are looking for seamless speed, advanced 3D graphics, and more advanced multi-tasking, you shouldn't be looking at a netbook anyway. The computer will begin to struggle once you start running several demanding programs at once.

I would recommend this, the 1000HA model, over some of the others out there. The hard drive size -- 160GB -- is large enough to fulfill most portable computing needs. This model also comes with 3 USB ports as well as the standard microphone and headphone jacks. A VGA output is also included.