I just purchased this netbook after my previous Asus (the dependable S101) died b/c the screen was damaged by my own carelessness. So with that in mind, here's my quick take on the 1005PE MU27 model, which I received yesterday.
Pros:
- Nice feel of the keyboard. Firm and the spacing between the keys did not affect my typing in any way.
- Attractive cover (I bought the blue colored unit) and look to the machine.
- Fairly painless installation. The first boot took about 10 min or so, and updating the latest files for Windows 7 starter took about 30 min, not too bad.
- Based on the 1GB ram usage, surfing the web was a breeze. Watching videos on youtube or playing flash-based games all was fine. But at times I did notice some hiccups when many programs were running so I opted to upgrade to 2GB (see below edit for info).
- Battery life was very very decent. On a full charge on the high performance mode I managed about 7-8 hours.
- Quick charge time for battery.
- Very nice touchpad. Very responsive.
- Great price point for people looking to do very basic stuff on the computer.
Mehs:
- Screen resolution was ok. Not really up to part with the higher end counterparts.
- Camera is standard 0.3Mb quality
- Unit is not as 'sleek' compared to my old S-101, which was definitely lighter, more slender, and didn't feel as 'bulky' of sorts vs the 1005PE
- Click button below touch pad a bit clunky.
Cons:
- Windows 7 starter blows. It's fine if you're just going to use this netbook to do basic stuff like surf the web, send emails, or play games on facebook. But not recommended if you're looking to do more extensive things with the netbook.
- Did I tell you Windows 7 blows? Serious lack of customization. It's lame that you can't even change your desktop wallpaper without downloading some other app to circumvent the problem. Dumb you can't personalize fonts etc.
- Does not include even a basic cloth cover for the netbook. Even in my previous S101 unit they included at least a cheap little cover for the netbook.
- Finger print magnet. Better have clean hands when holding this laptop!
- Feels kind of heavy. It looks small, but weighs more than you think. Definitely outweighs my old S101 by a fair margin. (And boots a bit slower than my old S101, though my old OS was XP, which I still think was great to use).
Summary
- Great computer for price conscious folks
- Great computer for people not looking to do much more than just surf the web, send emails, do basic stuff like type papers etc.
- Is just fine if you can live with the (many) bare-bones limitations of Windows 7 starter.
- Won't blow you away, but is a decent all around machine at a reasonable price point
**EDIT 6/25/10**
I would also like to point out that I decided to upgrade the RAM on this netbook. It was partially because I wasn't too thrilled with the performance of Windows 7 (I still ABSOLUTELY HATE the lack of customization options on the starter OS. COME ON MICROSOFT!!!). But also I noticed sometimes things got a bit sluggish when I ran multiple programs.
Anyway I just want to point out I bought the 2GB RAM from Kingston = Kingston ValueRAM 2 GB 800MHz PC2-6400 DDR2 CL5 SODIMM Notebook Memory (KVR800D2S5/2G) (Link Below):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00102A066/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img
I would strongly recommend anybody who wants a bit more out of this netbook to consider upgrading the memory. I noticed a nice difference in performance after my upgrade. VERY VERY HAPPY that I did so.
For those of you who aren't aware - the Asus memory comes with 1GB RAM that's upgradable to 2GB. There's only 1 memory slot so you will have to take out the old chip.
To do so - (REMEMBER UNPLUG COMPUTER AND REMOVE BATTERY BEFORE STARTING THIS PROCESS)
1. Remove the single screw from the memory casing on the bottom of th netbook.
2. Remove the old chip (carefully since it comes out at an angle)
3. Insert new chip carefully (again at an angle somewhat) and make sure it snaps into place.
4. Put battery back on, turn on computer, press F2 upon powering up to get into bios and make sure computer recognizes memory.
5. All done.
- Note the kingston memory chip had none of the issues that other users previously noted with other brands. At least I didn't experience any hiccups. 2GB does make a difference.