Well, except battery life. It’s awesome. I found I could open and close the 1000HE throughout the day without worrying about battery usage or sleep/shutdown cycles.

Up front, the SmartPad (i.e. trackpad) is sensitive and erratic. Lots of complaints online. I turn off features to limit liability. However, since I don’t use a mouse, I give the rather stiff L/R click keys high marks. The keyboard has some bounce that results in double strikes but then again I have big hands that pound the keys.

The 1000HE has turned into a personal electronic assistant for me.

I upped RAM to 2GB and swapped the 160GB HDD for a 64GB SSD and a wallet full of 16GB SD cards. Since I use my computer in public I installed a privacy screen and carry earphones. I added a plug adapter for international travel and a plug splitter on the power unit to power accessories. I tried XP as installed, ubuntu on a 4GB SD card and now Win7 on the SSD.

The size, fast SSD and battery combination work smoothly to provide me with anytime language study, personal enrichment study, health tracking info, watching video using VLC (using the same files from my Touch) and downtime puzzle-type games. OpenOffice handles my word processing needs. Skype text for family/friend chats online while I work and Skype video for older family who can’t type well keep me in touch. The SD slot is handy for digital photo transfer.

The 1000HE will never replace my MB for work. Excel on the 1KHE is a chore. I wouldn’t edit video or even edit large image files on the 1KHE.

I don’t use wi-fi much preferring ethernet cable. I don’t run into many VGA out connections so there is limited video out and no other option.

If you don’t need DVD, the 1KHE is handy for vacation travel if you have hotspots, weekends with family or friends to stay off their computer or as a personal electronic assistant to your digital life. Add the DVD and your packing size and weight is right at that of a MB which can do more, especially at school.

I like the iPod Touch, 1KHE and MB combination. I wouldn’t consider the 1KHE as my only computer.

I finally found the Asus 1000 HE. I got it from Best Buy because after searching for months for my netbook, Best Buy had the best price. ($349)

So here it is, I am in grad school, I would take my old laptop everywhere. It was really becoming a pain in the neck, so when I heard about netbooks I was really interested in exactly how they could make what seemed to be an awesome little machine so cheap. Well… they did it.

My Asus 1000 HE is great. It’s small has GREAT battery life and can do everything I need it to. The keyboard is comfortable and it’s a lot quicker than what I thought it could be. It connects to wireless without a problem and the webcam is VERY user friendly and really clear. I am really excited about it and I would definitely recommend this machine to anyone who is looking for a netbook. I’m pretty sure 2 of my classmates are going to get them after playing around on mine!

I would definitely suggest getting a protective hard case, the glossy finish is prone to getting little smudges and finger prints otherwise this thing is AMAZING!!! =)