Asus Eee PC 1015PE

I got my 1015PE at the Big Box chain that has the yellow pricetag for a sign, so mine is a bit different from some of the models seen online. Most notably, the retail chain's version has no Bluetooth, has the Atom N450 CPU (1.66GHz), and it comes with a smaller hard drive (160GB). The price is lower, too, but only because they cut those features.

That being said, everything else is the same, and it's a great little netbook. It's sufficiently speedy with 1GB RAM, but I went ahead and ordered a 2GB SODIMM to boost it up a bit. The Atom CPU really impressed me, though. I was expecting a low-end system, and what I got was a system that could handle a lot more than I'd give it credit for.

The keyboard is nice. It's a little small, but then what did I expect? This is a netbook. The chicklet keys remind me of my Mac-owning days, and I'm glad some of those Mac-isms were adopted by PC laptops. The feel is great, and the keys are very responsive. I only wish they were back-lit!

The screen is clear and crisp. Despite the quality of the screen, it's still small and I wouldn't recommend a 10.1" netbook to people with poor vision. For them, I'd definitely say a 15" or bigger would be a better idea. However, if you're OK with smaller fonts and icons, then go for it.

It does last a long time on battery power, but I didn't measure it. I do know that the long times they claim are when it's running the built-in ExpressGate operating system, and not in Windows. ExpressGate is great if all you need are some basic things like checking email, web browsing, or playing simple games. When in Windows, you can expect to get about half as much battery power as in ExpressGate.

The Eee PC is suitably small and lightweight. Even in a case or sleeve, it's not a chore to carry around, providing you don't bring the AC adapter or a mouse with you, of course.

The touchpad is acceptable. I'm not a huge fan of them in the first place, but this one feels good, and it's not too sensitive, so you can type and not have an accidental brush of your palm move the cursor or accidentally click on the screen.

The outer case feels nice. It's not glossy, and I love that it's not. No fingerprint magnet (Apple could learn something, here!) and no worries about regular use causing scuffs or scratches. This is a computer you can use without kid gloves. Although it can still be damaged, it's not as dainty as those with shiny plastic/polycarbonate. It's not as scratch-prone as those made from aluminum. The only problem I have with the outer case is that it's not designed for easy access to the hard drive, so swapping it out isn't an option the average user will consider. For this reason, I highly suggest that anyone who isn't tech-savvy enough to mess with lots of screws, tabs, wires, cables, and components makes sure they get the netbook that has the amount of storage they really feel they need. Don't cheap out on storage space if you're not willing to get your hands dirty. I actually DID go through the upgrade process, and while I'm grateful for the boost in storage space (500GB), I really wish it had been easier to achieve.

Finally, a word about ASUS: I like them. I trust them, for the most part. They've always done right by me, and that's why my last notebook was an ASUS, and my gaming rig's motherboard is an ASUS. They have good drivers, good support, and a good user community if you look around online. If you want a computer that will continue to get some decent support from the company, then ASUS is a good choice. They make some really nice exclusive software for their PCs, and they use quality parts. I consider them a lot more reliable and acceptable than Dell, HP, or Acer. They're on par with Sony and Samsung (but I think a bit more friendly and more accessible than Sony).

In summary, the Eee PC 1015PE "Seashell" is a great netbook for anyone who is looking to replace a mid-power laptop with something smaller. A great many users would be perfectly happy only ever using ExpressGate OS or Windows Starter. For those who demand more, you can run just about any OS on this computer if you're the tinkering type. Various Linux builds run great on this netbook, and I've even heard of people getting Apple's OS X on it (though I never tried it and can't confirm it). It's simple yet versatile, and it's made with travel and usability in mind. Windows 7 Home Premium works well once you do the Anytime Upgrade from Starter (which I did) and grab the 2GB RAM upgrade.

It's a great buy. It gets four stars from me instead of five only because I would have preferred a simple way for the user to swap the hard drive; The closed case costs them a star. If you're not the tinkering type, though, you can consider this a five-star product. For me, as a supplement to my desktop rig, the Atom N450 CPU in the 1015PE was enough to do the job and serve my needs.

Works as expected. Battery life is a bit shorter than I anticipated (2-3 hours with basic text editing), but that wasn't my primary reason for purchasing it. Keyboard is a little stiff, so sometimes key presses aren't registered. Needs a RAM upgrade (I believe it only supports up to 2GB and has no expansion slot), which isn't too much of a problem. The ease of accessing the RAM slot is one of my reasons for this purchase (quite easy with the panel on the underside, just need a small screwdriver).

Overall, pretty happy with it.

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First, recognize that this netbook is not a powerful machine nor is a netbook supposed to be. I don't dock points for that for the same reason as I don't hold it against my Mazda for not being a hotrod; I went into the purchase knowing what I was getting.

Because I bought my ASUS used I didn't get much else. Without a recovery disk or recovery partition my only option was to do a clean wipe and start over from scratch. Not that I had to recover anything at all, but I prefer to start with a blank slate.

After a clean install of XP, I needed the drivers, which were easily located on the ASUS website. The Fn keys that didn't work when I first powered it up, worked after I installed the right drivers. The same went for the VGA and audio drivers along with all the rest. The SHE button that did nothing at first, prompted an error message after installing a few drivers and after learning what SHE stood for, I installed the driver for that and now have use of the button.

Performance wise its great. I opted for the RAM increase and did notice a jump in speed. The graphics are onboard and limited which means it can't handle games that the Atom chip could easily handle, but a dedicated GPU would contradict the niche that netbooks fill.

Power is great. At full charge I'm getting around five hours. From what I've read there is another battery that gets around thirteen hours.

All around its great. Aside from limited graphics for games, it can handle everything I need to do, and does not shackle me to an outlet like my last laptop did.

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I wanted a PC that was easy to carry around yet would do all the things a large laptop would. I check my email, surf the internet and create documents and plays my tunes. Takes up little space. I purchased a small carrying case, some external speakers and an external mouse, because I am more familiar with an optical mouse. I think this is well worth the money. I recommend it to anyone who wants a full function laptop in a small size.

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Like others I got this at the store not the site. I love this one and have had it over a year. I travel a lot with it. I have duel booted these distros with very little trouble, Fedora Core 16 and 17, Scientific Linux 6, as well as the Windows Starter it comes with.

No Blue Tooth, Small HDD, hard to boot to USB at times, and has Windows Starter other than that it is great. Rugged and fast it runs just fine if you use it as a netbook and not a desktop replacement.