Customer Reviews

ASUS Eee PC 1008HA Seashell 10.1-Inch Pearl Black Netbook - 6 Hour Battery Life

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

This is my third eee pc. I started with the original 4G with 7" screen. I wanted more storage and a screen that filled the form factor so I then moved up to the 9" 900HA. At the time of the 900HA, I opted for reduced weight over increased size and chose the lighter weight 900HA over the larger but heavier 100x series. I learned my mistake, though, because the more I used the 900HA, the more annoying the typing errors due to the smaller keyboard became. You might not think a diagonal inch could make such a difference, but it does. Since getting the 900HA, I've gotten two 1000HAs for my sons and recommended the 1000HA to my sister and all three of them love them. Still, the increased weight kept me from taking the plunge for a 10" netbook myself, that is, until the 1008HA came along.

As with everything, the 1008HA comes with pluses and minuses.

The biggest plus is the weight: 2lbs 5 oz. compared to 2lbs 7.5 oz for the 900HA and 3lbs 4 oz for the 1000HA (and 3 lbs 5 oz for the latest 1000HA with chicklet keyboard).

Another plus is the Atom N280 processor which, while not a barn burner, is noticeably faster than the N270 in other models.

There is also Bluetooth and 820.11n wireless, but those are of no real interest to me since I don't have an 802.11n router (but perhaps I should start thinking of one!).

The only clear minus for me is the port covers which make it inconvenient to connect things. They would be particularly inconvenient if I wanted to keep the teeny (1/4" extension) USB receiver from a Logitech VX Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks (Black) plugged in permanently. Unfortunately, Logitech does not make a Bluetooth version of the VX nano.

Then there are two things that are a positive or negative depending on your point of view.

The first is the nonremovable battery. If the battery were to die, it would have to be returned to Asus for service. I tell myself that by the time this happens I would probably be wanting to replace the machine. The reason I view it as a positive and not an outright negative is that the Li-polymer battery, which can be molded however the manufacturer wishes, helps give the 1008HA its reduced weight. Asus will shortly be introducing the 1005HA, which has a replaceable battery but is otherwise identical to the 1008HA. However, 1005HA's weight will be back up in the 3 lb 2 oz range.

The second is the glare screen. It can take some getting used to. I don't have any problems with my appearance, but if I wanted my face for wallpaper, I'd have taken my picture an uploaded it. However, so far I haven't found the adjustment to be difficult. The biggest surprise was that outdoors the glare screen on the 1008HA turned out to be easier to read than the matte screen on my 900HA! The trick was to have the screen facing the sun, but at an angle so that the sun was not reflecting in my eyes. With the back of the screen toward the sun, the 1008HA's screen is unreadable, but the 900HA's screen was no great shakes either.

I won't paint a pretty picture. I spent two days debating whether to keep the 1008HA or return it for what is now a considerably cheaper 1000HA, but I found myself getting used to the glare screen, felt I could easily live with the port covers, and decided to keep the 1008HA because of its reduced weight.

Do yourself a favor. Before you order one of these, get your hands on one and try it out first. You may have heard that the display is "very glossy", but until you actual see it, you have no idea. I have never seen a screen as reflective as this one. For a machine in which the emphasis is clearly on the aesthetics, I can't for the life of me imagine why anyone thought this was a good idea.

Some may say that you'll get used to it, but my response is, why should you have to? It's not as if this machine has such overwhelming advantages, that the tradeoff is acceptable. Also, machines this portable are often intended for outdoor use; if you're one of those people with that in mind, this display is completely unusable in that kind of lighting.

So yes, it's small, light and stylish, but with a display that ranges from annoying to difficult to impossible to use, given the light conditions, I'd have a hard time recommending this to anyone.

I pre-ordered the item and got it a week ago, and its an excellent piece of machinery. Let me say that every square millimeter (except the keyboard and the lcd screen itself) of this laptop is covered in piano black finish, which might scare some people since piano black is not too scratch resistant, but Asus apparently used some scratch-resistant coating, and it works pretty well.
For those who want to upgrade the hard drive and the ram in this laptop, its not an easy task. I was able to change the single 1GB dimm to a 2GB Corsair one (only one dimm slot, so not actually dual channel memory like every other laptop on the market, but usually most netbooks are like this.). The dimm they provide is 1gb 5300 samsung ram. The 2gb is working excellent with XP. I was going to replace XP with windows 7, but everyone online states that when you boot windows 7, it just turns to a black screen, although there is an easy work-around with a .bat file, just google :-)

How to open the netbook:

In ordered to open the netbook for those who are experienced with working in desktops/laptops and want to upgrade their hdd to ssd or replace the ram, you must first take out the four screws at the bottom of the laptop. Next, on the top edge of the keyboard, you will see 4 pieces holding the keyboard into the laptop. Push down on each metal spring with a flat-tip screw driver, and pull the keyboard out from the top left corner, there are no screws attached to the keyboard. Lift the keyboard when you have the 4 top pins pushed in. The keyboard is glued to the laptop, so dont be afraid to pull hard in order to remove the keyboard when you are sure that the 4 metal pins at the top are not in the way (there is a sticker between the keyboard and the computer where the glue is, and it will most probably get ripped in some way, but its not important. You may have to use a little glue on the keyboard to put it back on when you put it back together, but I found it unecessary). Detach the keyboard from the computer by pushing the black clip on the port of the keyboard connection upwards, this will loosen the wire from the port and then you can pull the keyboard cable out of the port. You can start lifting the keyboard first and push down on each metal spring as you go from left to right as well. Next, you will see 6 black screws, two on the left, one in the middle, and three on the right, that attach the top surface metal frame to the plastic body inside. Remove these 6 screws. Now, underneath the yellow sticker that says "will void warranty if sticker is broken or removed" is another silver screw that must be removed. You must CAREFULLY remove the sticker from the laptop, I used a little rubbing alcohol to remove the sticker from one side of the screw, and reattached it later with some glue. THE STICKER IS EXTREMELY FRAGILE, BE CAREFUL (please see the link I posted *** at the bottom of this review). After you have the all 6 screws removed, remove the blue-tabbed ribbon cable on the left side by just pulling gently on it, and do the same thing with the black cable thats in between the two screws on the right side.

Now here is the tricky part, seperating the two plastic pieces of the laptop. START AT THE SD CARD SLOT: remove the plastic sd card and using a flat tip screwdriver, slowly and gently pry the two plastic panels apart, and make your way first toward the bottom of the laptop until you reach the opposite side of the sd card, then work your way up from the sd card. These tabs that hold the computer are extremely fragile, so be gently. The two panels should eventually snap off if you have worked your way around the laptop, prying it apart with a very finely tipped flat head screwdriver. When you got the two panels apart, most of the hard work is over!

THE DIMM SLOT IS LOCATED BENEATH THE HEATSINK ON THE TOP LEFT PCB. In order to remove this PCB (the heart of the PC, because it contains the ram, the atom chip, the graphics chip, the northbridge, etc) first remove the black cable thats connected to it on the bottom left. Next remove the orange ribbon cable thats attached to on the right side (just pull up on the cable, and push it back down to put it back in later) and lastly, disconnect the black cable thats on the left side of the fan. Now starting from the top left corner of the PCB (where the charge port is), just pull up. The plastic tab piece thats about 5mm to the right of the charge port is not really a tab or anything, it just pushes down on the PCB to hold it in place, so you do not have to touch this. Just pull up slowly on the board, and eventually, it should come off. NOW THERE IS STILL A BLACK CABLE TO THE LEFT OF THE USED-TO-BE ORANGE RIBBON CABLE, I would say to leave this connected because its a pain to reconnect (must be pushed in very hard). THERE IS ALSO STILL THE BATTERY CABLE THATS ATTACHED TO THE BOTTOM UNDERSIDE OF THE PCB. To disconnect, slowly lift the pcb, and disconnect the rainbow colored wire. Now just tilt the PCB vertically so that the black cable is still connected (there is also another, very thin black cable attached to the top of the PCB board, this is the antenna for the Wi-Fi, leave it attached). At this point, you can remove the hard drive that is to the right of this PCB board. Now underneath the black sticker on the bottom side of the PCB is the ram slot, lift up on the black sticker, loosen the metal clips on each side of the dimm, and the ram pops right up. put your new dimm in, push it down, and it snaps into place. NOW REASSEMBLE THE LAPTOP!

The performance on this laptop is much better than I thought it would be. I use the bluetooth in the netbook to connect to my Windows Mobile phone and I am able to connect to the internet through AT&T 3G. I get around 5.5 hrs of battery life, which is pretty good imo. The single silver plastic bar for the touchpad is a rocker, and its EXTREMELY STIFF. This is what I hated most of the laptop, but I'm assuming with time that it will get less stiff, we will have to see.

Overall, I commend Asus for making such a light and thin portable computer with this kind of speed and processing power. By using the method above, it is also possible to replace the battery with an aftermarket one, but I have no idea about those...

** If you have assembled a desktop in the past, I see no reason for you not being able to upgrade the RAM with the above help. Fiddling with the two shell pieces takes some effort if you're interested in not breaking any of the tabs, but once the top shell is separated from the bottom it is much easier than the first part of the dissection. Overall, the process took me 1/2 an hour to take apart and put back together, but your mileage will obviously vary depending on your level of expertise. If you do manage to break a tab while removing the two shells, my friends have used EPOXY in between the two pieces to stick it back together, and you cant notice a difference. For those who venture into upgrading the RAM, good luck!

*** In regard to SPANKY who posted Comment #3 on this review (and to others who would like to know about the "void warranty" sticker): google "eee void sticker" and hit the first link.

Please do your homework before you go and criticize other people's work and giving other's wrong information. Thank you.

I was considering the 1000HE, but decided to wait for the 1008HA. It's a really nice package. My only real problem with it is the lack of a Linux option, but that is (relatively) easy to remedy.

For those wondering about Linux compatibility, I was able to install Ubuntu 9.04 easily enough, but none of the network interfaces worked. I then tried the "netbook remix" of Ubuntu, but this did not solve that problem.

(Note for those trying the netbook remix; it is about 950MB, and is an .IMG file, *not* an .ISO, so don't try to use a CD. It is relatively easy to "dd" the file to an SD card, however, and the Eee will boot from the SD card. It's also handy to know that you need to press F2 on boot to get to BIOS, then disable the "Boot Booster", so that next time you boot you can press ESC to select the boot device.)

Once you install, you need to grab the AR813X-linux-v1.0.0.8.tar.gz package from http://partner.atheros.com/Drivers.aspx . Untar this (ignore the gzip errors), cd src, make, sudo make install, then insmod the resulting file. That should give you wired ethernet.

To get wifi, go to Administration > Software Sources > Updates and check off "Unsupported Updates (jaunty-backports)", then do sudo apt-get install linux-backports-modules-jaunty . Once you reboot, you should have wireless.

Ahhh....the 1008HA Seashell is so cool and feels so good.

If you are looking for an overall excellent netbook then this is the one for you.

It is extremely nice looking, very thin and smooth just like a seashell. The style is truly fantastic. Better looking than any other netbook out there. It will blow you away when you see how nice it looks and how awesome it feels in your hands.

Performance is snappy and the sound is quite loud from the built-in stereo speakers. It is too bad you must be a brain surgeon to upgrade the memory ( RAM ), but this is really not a big deal since things work well with the included 1 GB of RAM. Still it would be nice to have the option to self upgrade. This is a weird design flaw ASUS ! The non user replaceable battery is not a big problem either as I have never needed an extra battery for a laptop and I always get rid of a laptop to get a new model before the battery ever goes bad. The trend is to build in the batteries and the laptop can be smaller, thinner, lighter due to using custom battery packs that fit around other components in the chassis. We will just have to get used to this.

The screen is sharp and bright using the latest low-energy LED backlighting. It is glossy, but I have found no problem with this. Colors are bright and vivid. The Seashell is also an "Energy-Star" approved device since it is very energy efficient.

The keyboard is very usable and the trackpad nice. The trackpad has little raised bumps and the multi-touch works good. The button is a one piece type and you push the right or left side. The button is somewhat stiff, but on the upside this prevents erroneous key presses.

It is the best netbook out yet in my opinion.

The included case is really nice and luxurious. It is a black velvet type of material outside and very soft inside and is very well padded. It has the eee logo and a zippered enclosure. It is a true case, not just a flimsy sleeve. It is a very nice touch that they include this.

The power supply or charger is white to match the white netbook. It is a 3 piece deal with a small "brick" in the middle and 2 cords. One goes from the brick to the wall and the other cord goes from the brick to the computer. While it is ok and serves it's purpose I would have preferred a "cell phone" type of charger with only a small cube that plugs into the wall and a cord plugging into the computer. This would have been much cooler.

Highly recommended netbook. This is the BEST netbook available right now in my opinion.

This is my third eee pc that I've come across in my household. The first one was the 7" inch one but I had much difficulty typing on the keyboard due to the small compact form. Later on upgraded to the 1000ha and it was a more favorable experience for the bigger screen size and keyboard. However it was still a boxy form and the battery life wasn't' good enough. It was a little like all the other netbooks and I wanted something much slimmer. I own a Macbook but I decided to carry something cheaper and not as heavy around in my bag for school. The 1008ha caught my eye when it looked almost like the Macbook Air without the high price tag.

Pros:
2lbs 5 oz. compared to the Macbook 4.5 lbs
Atom N280 processor, much faster than other netbooks on the market
Bluetooth and 820.11n wireless, latest wireless innovation installed on this netbook

Cons:
The non removable battery may bother some users who need to change the batteries, I see this as a no issue for me because I'm sure the battery life is sufficient for me for my small tasks. This battery is sure to last very long though, but when it goes into memory loss, I'm afraid what the price tag may be to fix this.

The glare and reflection is pretty bad outdoor. I was able to see myself very clearly as if I was looking into a mirror, as long as you stay indoor I'm sure you'll be safe.

Overall, I liked my purchase, instead of lugging my $1,600 4.5 lb. Macbook around, I can carry a $400 2.4 lb Eee netbook and feel less weight on my shoulders. This is almost like the Macbook Air and if your looking for the nicest netbook on the market and slimmest, the 1008ha is perfect for you.

This is my second Asus. I also own the 1000HE. If I had to pick the better of the two I'd have to go with the 1000HE, but there is nevertheless a lot to like about the 1008HA.

While the two machines appear to be identical in many respects, I have found some of the "apples to apples" comparisons a little misleading. The 1000HE has a 'chicklet" style keyboard that, surprisingly, I prefer. That said, the keyboard on the 1008HA will feel right at home to anyone who's used to the laptop, and the not-quite-fullsize profile is easy to get used to.

More annoying is the multi-touch touchpad. I assumed it was identical on the two models, and I was wrong. The gesturing (iPhone-like) setup is much easier on the 1000HE, and the tactile surface of the touchpad on the 1008HA (sort of braille-like ridges) really bothers me. I actually find the surface irritates my finger tips. This is obviously subjective and I'm sure I'll get used to it, but I wish they stuck with the same version they used on the 1000HE.

The two other issues to be aware of, as many others have mentioned, is the difficulty of upgrading the RAM and install issues with Windows 7. I am running Win7 on the 1000HE with 2GB of RAM, and it's fantastic - no hardware issues and faster than XP. While driver and BIOS issues on this machine will soon be solved, the RAM upgrade is more problematic.

With all that said, I'm still giving the 1008 4-stars because if you can live with the limitations, it's a fantastic looking computer that is extremely portable (the 1000HE is a brick) and a terrific value for the money.

I've always liked the idea of a netbook, but never got one because everything out there was, to put it frankly, fugly. They looked cheap and clunky, disproportionately thick, more like toys than real computers. So when the first photos of this machine surfaced on the internet, I knew at once that I would finally be purchasing a netbook.

And it didn't disappoint. It was the first - perhaps still the only - netbook that can honestly be described as 'beautiful'. It's by far the best-looking laptop I've ever owned, and for a netbook of all things to claim this honor is a truly impressive accomplishment on Asus' part.

Anyway. Onto the bulleted list:

Pros:
- It's beautiful, and thin, and light. Nothing at the moment beats its form factor and 2.4lbs in the 10" category. And it's by far the best-looking netbook available today.
- Extremely fast startup, shutdown, and standby times. I don't know if this is standard on eeepcs nowadays, but the machine gets past the XP logo in less than 10 seconds and loads the desktop in less than 30 from poweron. It enters standby nearly instantly, around 1 second. In these respects it cleanly beats any computer I have ever owned by a long shot.
- Keyboard. Keys feel nice to type on, not cramped, and fullsize right Shift key.
- Battery life: around 5 hours continuous use. I can bring this thing to work without the charger and leave it on the whole day easily. 1000HE has its 10 hours, sure, but at a much bulkier (uglier) form/weight.
** I don't consider nonreplacable battery an issue. This computer being a netbook and all, by the time the battery wears out a new one would probably cost nearly as much as the machine itself! And no one carries spare batteries for netbooks.
- 802.11n, bluetooth.
- Power cable: the oft-dreaded power brick is quite small and the cables have attached velcro ties. Minor plus.
- Stereo speakers and stereo microphone: definitely an unexpected (pleasant) surprise on a netbook. Minor plus.

Cons:
- Non user upgradable RAM. With its form factor I honestly don't expect it to be upgradable, but lack of a 2GB option makes this an issue. As detailed [...] you need to remove the keyboard, chassis, and motherboard just to get to the RAM bay.
- Ubuntu network issues: should you desire to load linux, be aware that Ubuntu (and most other linux distros, I'd imagine) does not include the drivers for the Atheros Ethernet/Wlan controllers in this machine. Ethernet can be enabled by [...] and Wlan after that by [...]
- Partitions and multibooting: the hard drive comes formatted with 2 large NTFS partitions and two small hidden partitions, probably for recovery/fastboot purposes. They are all primary partitions, which means that with maximum 4 partition limit you will not have more than 2 usable primary partitions without destroying the hidden partitions. I was hoping to tripleboot XP, Ubuntu, and Win7, but it seems this is not possible.
- Price: you pay a small premium for its form factor, but without sacrificing any specs compared to other netbooks. Nowhere on the order of, say, a Macbook Air.
- No 3G radio: not really expected, but it would have been nice all the same. A usb modem would be awkward with the port flaps.

Overall a great little computer, definitely a great first netbook for anyone who's yet to try one. If aesthetic objections have kept you away from netbooks until now - too nerdy, too ugly, too unprofessional - this machine is what you've been looking for.

This is my third eee pc. I started with the original 4G with 7" screen. I wanted more storage and a screen that filled the form factor so I then moved up to the 9" 900HA. At the time of the 900HA, I opted for reduced weight over increased size and chose the lighter weight 900HA over the larger but heavier 100x series. I learned my mistake, though, because the more I used the 900HA, the more annoying the typing errors due to the smaller keyboard became. You might not think a diagonal inch could make such a difference, but it does. Since getting the 900HA, I've gotten two 1000HAs for my sons and recommended the 1000HA to my sister and all three of them love them. Still, the increased weight kept me from taking the plunge for a 10" netbook myself, that is, until the 1008HA came along.

As with everything, the 1008HA comes with pluses and minuses.

The biggest plus is the weight: 2lbs 5 oz. compared to 2lbs 7.5 oz for the 900HA and 3lbs 4 oz for the 1000HA (and 3 lbs 5 oz for the latest 1000HA with chicklet keyboard).

Another plus is the Atom N280 processor which, while not a barn burner, is noticeably faster than the N270 in other models.

There is also Bluetooth and 820.11n wireless, but those are of no real interest to me since I don't have an 802.11n router (but perhaps I should start thinking of one!).

The only clear minus for me is the port covers which make it inconvenient to connect things. They would be particularly inconvenient if I wanted to keep the teeny (1/4" extension) USB receiver from a Logitech VX Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks (Black) plugged in permanently. Unfortunately, Logitech does not make a Bluetooth version of the VX nano.

Then there are two things that are a positive or negative depending on your point of view.

The first is the nonremovable battery. If the battery were to die, it would have to be returned to Asus for service. I tell myself that by the time this happens I would probably be wanting to replace the machine. The reason I view it as a positive and not an outright negative is that the Li-polymer battery, which can be molded however the manufacturer wishes, helps give the 1008HA its reduced weight. Asus will shortly be introducing the 1005HA, which has a replaceable battery but is otherwise identical to the 1008HA. However, 1005HA's weight will be back up in the 3 lb 2 oz range.

The second is the glare screen. It can take some getting used to. I don't have any problems with my appearance, but if I wanted my face for wallpaper, I'd have taken my picture an uploaded it. However, so far I haven't found the adjustment to be difficult. The biggest surprise was that outdoors the glare screen on the 1008HA turned out to be easier to read than the matte screen on my 900HA! The trick was to have the screen facing the sun, but at an angle so that the sun was not reflecting in my eyes. With the back of the screen toward the sun, the 1008HA's screen is unreadable, but the 900HA's screen was no great shakes either.

I won't paint a pretty picture. I spent two days debating whether to keep the 1008HA or return it for what is now a considerably cheaper 1000HA, but I found myself getting used to the glare screen, felt I could easily live with the port covers, and decided to keep the 1008HA because of its reduced weight.

I received my Asus 1008ha 6-9-09 and loved it. The design, size and functionality are great. For me, this computer seemed be perfect. After five weeks of use the computer wouldn't start. When I pressed the power button, nothing happened. I called Asus support for warranty service and found out I had to pay to ship the computer back for warranty service. "You have to be kidding", I told the service person. After five weeks of use, I have to pay to send their defective product to be repaired? What's up with that? I sent the unit in for service AND THE COMPUTER STILL DIDN'T WORK. After I received the computer back from the SECOND repair attempt, IT DIED AFTER ONE DAY. This is the worst product I have ever purchased.