ASUS Eee PC 1000 (Linux)

ASUS’ response to the heap of competitors entering the mini-notebook space it helped create has been a bit overwhelming; the company has just released its fifth Eee PC model in two months. But though it is increasingly difficult to pick from the seemingly interminable Eee PCs on the market, the Eee PC 1000 has risen to be one of our favorites.

With a 10-inch screen and spacious keyboard, the $699 mini-notebook sports the same exact design as its sibling Eee PC 1000H ($549). But the Eee PC 1000 (note the lack of an H) isn’t just a copycat: its 40GB solid state drive—the biggest SSD in a mini-notebook to date—and ASUS’ customized version of Xandros Linux (now with more preloaded applications) make it faster and longer lasting. We just wish it cost a bit less.

A Sleeker, Larger Look

Similar to the Eee PC 901 and 1000H, the 1000 has an updated look and feel from earlier Eee PC models. The glossy black Fine Ebony lid is accented with the new Eee PC logo in cursive script. The improved silver hinge and black-on-silver combination completes the high-fashion look. Unlike the 901’s shiny white lid, the 1000 is not immune to fingerprints; ASUS includes a cloth for wiping down the system.

With its favored 10-inch screen, the Eee PC 1000 is the largest mini-notebook to date: Measuring 10.5 x 7.5 x 1.1–1.5 inches, the system is bigger than the 10-inch MSI Wind NB (10.2 x 7.1 x 0.8 inches). The 2.8-pound system, though two ounces heavier than the MSI Wind, is 4 ounces lighter than the 1000H, thanks to its lighter solid state drive. The 1000 still slid nicely into a shoulder bag and felt extremely light in a backpack. ASUS has also kept the power brick slim, bringing the total travel weight to a manageable 3.4 pounds.

Roomy Screen, Good Audio Punch

The 10-inch screen allowed us to keep two windows open side-by-side. The matte screen looked sharp from a variety of angles when we watched an episode of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia on Hulu, but colors were somewhat muted. Compared to the MSI Wind NB, the horizontal viewing angles were better, and vertically tilting the screen caused only ait of glare. Above the display is a 1.3-MP webcam that provided clear images and solid colors when we made a video call using the bundled Skype application.

Similar to the 1000H, the Eee PC 1000 includes Dolby Sound Room stereo speakers. Despite their location on the bottom of the machine, the speakers delivered strong and solid sound. Streaming music over Slacker was loud enough to fill a small living room.

Spacious (But Flawed) Keyboard

Underneath the screen is the same large and roomy keyboard as on the Eee PC 1000H. To say it’s an improvement over the cramped keyboard found on earlier Eee PCs is an understatement; typing accuracy was quite good. Additionally, the keyboard on this particular model was void of the flex that we saw on the 1000H unit we tested earlier. The keyboard is not perfect, however; the right Shift key is awkwardly placed above the right arrow key. The size of the keyboard is a big step up, but we still prefer the feel of the protective-coated keys on the HP 2133 Mini-Note.

As on the 1000H, the Eee PC 1000’s touchpad is far roomier than previous efforts and has a smooth but textured feel. The Eee PC 1000 also features dedicated left and right buttons, but they were tough to press. According to ASUS, the touchpad supports multi-touch controls, such as the ability to zoom on a picture by pinching. However, out of the box the touchpad did not support this feature.