Travel Technology - Asus EEE 1000HE mini review

Keyboard +
Faster CPU +
802.11n +
Bluetooth +
Price +

There you have it :D

$374 for a 1GB/160GB machine with .n, Bluetooth a kickass keyboard and a 9.5 hour battery. Netbooks really don't get much better than this.

This is a computer I have been very actively considering. My concern (as it is with any netbook) is only having 1 GB of RAM. How does this work with having multiple Firefox tabs open at once? I tend to have ~10 tabs open at any given time and expect instant switching between them.

This is a computer I have been very actively considering. My concern (as it is with any netbook) is only having 1 GB of RAM. How does this work with having multiple Firefox tabs open at once? I tend to have ~10 tabs open at any given time and expect instant switching between them.

I have no idea :D

I upgraded it to 2GB before I even turned it on. 2GB modules can be found for as little as $18, so it's a worthwhile investment.

Actually I lie - I have used an EEE with 1GB and XP, and it runs just fine. I too am a tab freak, but even with 1GB I never really ran into any performance issues. It's when you start opening memory hogs like iTunes that things need more than 1GB.

Thankfully installing more ram in the 1000HE (and other EEE 1000 models) is as easy as can be - 2 screws hold a panel in place, and the upgrade can be done in under 5 minutes.

Where'd you buy from?

amazon is the place that had it (has it?) for $374, but I suspect that Scott may have used the now defunct fat wallet/J&R link which was around $350 or so for pre-order.

Scott: Thanks for the review.

-David

amazon is the place that had it (has it?) for $374, but I suspect that Scott may have used the now defunct fat wallet/J&R link which was around $350 or so for pre-order.

Scott: Thanks for the review.

-David

Actually, I did pay the $374 at Amazon as JR only managed to ship a couple of them before they became backordered. I *really* wanted it, so decided to pay a little more.

ah ... I think the fat-wallet/j&r deal for around $350 was gone well before it actually started shipping. I didn't order one either.

-David

ah ... I think the fat-wallet/j&r deal for around $350 was gone well before it actually started shipping. I didn't order one either.

-David

I actually had three different orders placed with vendors - the whole thing showed me how dishonest and useless some vendors out there can be.

The worst was Dataviz.com, who claimed the machine was "in stock", then said they'd need 4 days to "verify my credit card", and of course by then the machine was no longer in stock.

Ordered mine from Amazon on the 23rd, and they were quoting two to three weeks. I was fine with that until I noticed on the 27th that Amazon was taking new orders with immediate delivery.

Called their customer service center and complained, and the rep "refreshed" the system, and now supposed to receive mine on the 4th (I am a Prime subscriber). As of a few minutes ago I have not seen a shipping notice email.

Many 1000HE buyers have commented on Amazon's site about this shipping queue screw-up. Logically one would think if suddenly a bunch of machines showed up on their loading dock, they would fulfill backorders first. Apparently this was not the case.

Ordered mine from Amazon on the 23rd, and they were quoting two to three weeks. I was fine with that until I noticed on the 27th that Amazon was taking new orders with immediate delivery.

Called their customer service center and complained, and the rep "refreshed" the system, and now supposed to receive mine on the 4th (I am a Prime subscriber). As of a few minutes ago I have not seen a shipping notice email.

Many buyers have commented on Amazon's site about their shipping queue screw-ups. Logically one would think if suddenly a bunch of machines showed up on their loading dock, they would fulfill backorders first. Apparently this was not the case.

Exactly what happened to me too.

I had one in "pre-order", and one afternoon I suddenly saw them available (black only). Then an hour later the blue one was available too - so I canceled all my orders and ordered the blue.

It's a shame when spending money becomes so complicated. For all the complaining retailers are doing, they sure do a piss poor job of welcoming my cash.

I swapped the HDD out of my "old" 1000HD and popped it in the 1000HE (I was too lazy to reinstall Windows 7). Refreshed the CPU setting in device manager, and all the hardware was instantly detected, including the 802.11n adapter and Bluetooth.

Runs very nicely with Windows 7.

How real is the 9.5 hrs battery life in practice?

E.g., if you sit on a plane and watch xvid DVD rips, how long does it last?

If you're using WiFi and surf the web/do email, how long does it last?

Users are consistently reporting 6.75 - 8.5 hours, depending on whether it's in power save mode, and hard drive accessing.

How real is the 9.5 hrs battery life in practice?

E.g., if you sit on a plane and watch xvid DVD rips, how long does it last?

If you're using WiFi and surf the web/do email, how long does it last?

Actually, I did pay the $374 at Amazon as JR only managed to ship a couple of them before they became backordered. I *really* wanted it, so decided to pay a little more.

I keep telling myself that I really *want* one also
but am having a hard time convincing myself to spend the additional funds over a refurb'd IBM T43 that buy.com has for $289. Here (http://www.buy.com/prod/IBM-ThinkPad-T43-Notebook-Intel-Pentium-730/q/loc/58207/210541411.html)

I keep telling myself that I really *want* one also
but am having a hard time convincing myself to spend the additional funds over a refurb'd IBM T43 that buy.com has for $289. Here (http://www.buy.com/prod/IBM-ThinkPad-T43-Notebook-Intel-Pentium-730/q/loc/58207/210541411.html)

It does seem tough - but I prefer the Eee over my Dell XPS M1330 or a host of other machines I have access to. A 9 1/2 hour battery is just so fantastic.

I'm actually getting to the point where I'm going to Ebay all my old laptops...

How long does it take to get used to the smaller keyboard?

How long does it take to get used to the smaller keyboard?

It took me quite long on the previous one, but the new chicklet style keyboard on the 1000HE is a massive improvement, and I was typing away on it very fast right away.

How long does it take to get used to the smaller keyboard?It took me about 20 minutes to go from a Dell D630 to my Acer AspireOne.

Did they improve the left mouse key click? The previous generation 1000HD had a left click button that required a bit of force to press down which steered me away from it.

Did they improve the left mouse key click? The previous generation 1000HD had a left click button that required a bit of force to press down which steered me away from it.


Yes - it requires about half the force when compared to the 1000HD. That said, the mouse button on the HD does get better over time, and after about 2 weeks it was just fine.

The machine is scheduled for delivery tomorrow, and I plan to post a review on Thursday. My plan is keep it on the cheap and not update the memory right away, try the OpenOffice suite that comes with it, and load a free anti-virus.

My plan was to load AVG, but I've been reading that Avast might be a better choice. Anyone care to comment, and also hopefully chime in about an effective free firewall (I'm not a fan of Zone Alarm, BTW) that doesn't appear to slow down the machine? Someone I know suggested Online Armor as a free firewall.

Thanks,

Craig

Received my HE last week and really like it (ordered from mWave for $381 with shipping, ended up costing $306 thanks to a 20% "we want you back" offer from BillMeLater). I also immediately swapped out the 1GB ram module for a 2GB one that I picked up from Newegg for $22. Loaded Avast and Firefox on it first thing. Have also installed Slingplayer, which works fine - no stuttering. It works fine with my MajicJack as well. Haven't really tested the battery, but it definitely seems to last a LONG time.

Anyone order the EEE with the SSD? Any performance enhancements versus the regular hard drive?

Thanks!

What does the screen look like on this one
Shiny or matt?

Thanks

I don't think I've seen an HE offered with an installed SSD. It's more of a DIY project. You may want to check out the EeeUser PC Forum (http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewforum.php?id=55).

Scott, can you please provide a link to compatible ram at Amazon? Thanks.

Scott, can you please provide a link to compatible ram at Amazon? Thanks.

This is a cheap one (with free shipping) at newegg.com:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145172

Here is a similar cheap one on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Z70E36?tag=641539-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B000Z70E36&adid=08WARPTBXP37DMAABFNV&

A colleague had one of these at work today. She raves about it and it seemed very nice, quick, etc. The keyboard was fine for the few sentences I typed and the startup was very fast.

But, I was surprised at the thickness and weight -- not much different from my thinkpad X series, perhaps thicker.

Still, hard to beat the price!

This is a cheap one (with free shipping) at newegg.com:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145172

Here is a similar cheap one on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Z70E36?tag=641539-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B000Z70E36&adid=08WARPTBXP37DMAABFNV&

I decided to upgrade the memory, after all. While I ordered the memory from Amazon, is there any recognizable benefit to buying the overclocked Kingston PC-6400 board, versus the Crucial PC-5300? Price is essentially the same to me (due to having to pay sales tax on Calif. Newegg purchases, and using Amazon Prime for free 2nd day shipping).

Also, anyone have suggestions on how to run an empirical benchmark comparing the 1GB RAM to the 2GB RAM, since I'll have a couple of days playing with the Asus with the lighter RAM content aboard?

I decided to upgrade the memory, after all. While I ordered the memory from Amazon, is there any recognizable benefit to buying the overclocked Kingston PC-6400 board, versus the Crucial PC-5300? Price is essentially the same to me (due to having to pay sales tax on Calif. Newegg purchases, and using Amazon Prime for free 2nd day shipping).

Also, anyone have suggestions on how to run an empirical benchmark comparing the 1GB RAM to the 2GB RAM, since I'll have a couple of days playing with the Asus with the lighter RAM content aboard?

I don't think the clock speed of the ram really matters, the FSB of the 1000HE will only 667MHz anyway.

I'm not sure any benchmark will show real life speed increases, to me it all comes down to how well my machine performs when I have a lot of stuff open.

This is a cheap one (with free shipping) at newegg.com:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145172

Here is a similar cheap one on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Z70E36?tag=641539-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B000Z70E36&adid=08WARPTBXP37DMAABFNV&

Thanks, Scott!

you can actually get it even cheaper after rebate here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233062

the item is labeled as 'mac' memory but that is just branding

This is a cheap one (with free shipping) at newegg.com:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145172

Here is a similar cheap one on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Z70E36?tag=641539-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B000Z70E36&adid=08WARPTBXP37DMAABFNV&

I ordered mine from J&R with live cashback on Feb 22 and it came in today. I paid $325 after the cash back.

So far I like the look and feel, I fully charged it and am running off battery. The battery seems to be lasting a long time and i haven't even drained it all the way yet. I don't think I would ever want a screen smaller then this one, anything else is just too small. I also plan on upgrading to ft premium. the banner ads just take up too much space on a small screen. As for the keyboard i am getting the hang of it rather quick, i think it will take me a little longer to learn the number letter keys. So far my biggest problem has been streaming video, the audio is fine but the video is choppy. I have also had a few problems with it stalling when i tried to move windows. I still only have 1gb of memory in it, I am hoping the 2nd gig will improve some of the problems I have been having. The nice thing about buying from J&R is you have 30 days to 'test' the product. If i still find the stalling to be a problem with 2gb of memory I am going to have to reconsider keeping the computer.

on the positve side, i like the keyboard and the look and feel.

the item is labeled as 'mac' memory but that is just branding

no, mac memory is better than pc memory, because it already comes filled with important data.

-David

Attn Mr smb: This is a joke.

It does seem tough - but I prefer the Eee over my Dell XPS M1330 or a host of other machines I have access to. A 9 1/2 hour battery is just so fantastic.

I'm actually getting to the point where I'm going to Ebay all my old laptops...

I have had a Dell 700m for the past four years and been very happy with it together with the Dell service, and I am just considering a new laptop and was looking at a Dell XPS 13 inch, or a netbook, so very interested in your comment. Did you consider the Dell netbooks?

I have had a Dell 700m for the past four years and been very happy with it together with the Dell service, and I am just considering a new laptop and was looking at a Dell XPS 13 inch, or a netbook, so very interested in your comment. Did you consider the Dell netbooks?

Dell has made it difficult to upgrade the RAM in their netbooks, with no RAM upgrades possible it makes the whole system much less appealing. 2GB of RAM is big difference vs. 1GB.

Dell has made it difficult to upgrade the RAM in their netbooks, with no RAM upgrades possible it makes the whole system much less appealing. 2GB of RAM is big difference vs. 1GB.

They did? I didn't know that. I guess you might have told me that before I popped open the memory cover and replaced my so-dimms on my Dell notebooks with generic off the shelf DDR2 so-dimms.

Memory is so ridiculously cheap right now, even the base configurations come with a ton of memory.

-David

They did? I didn't know that. I guess you might have told me that before I popped open the memory cover and replaced my so-dimms on my Dell notebooks with generic off the shelf DDR2 so-dimms.

Memory is so ridiculously cheap right now, even the base configurations come with a ton of memory.

-David

I think he's referring to the new mini 10 - the memory and CPU are on a special board and can NOT be upgraded.

The Mini 9 is just too dated already. Small screen, crap keyboard and no HDD option.

I think he's referring to the new mini 10 - the memory and CPU are on a special board and can NOT be upgraded.

The Mini 9 is just too dated already. Small screen, crap keyboard and no HDD option.

I think you are right. He did say "netbooks". ok, sorry about that reply.

-David

Only got about three hours playing with it last night, as UPS did not show up until 7pm. I have been using pretty large laptops the last few years, including a company supplied 17" brick I affectionally :rolleyes: called "The Beast". The size of this netbook was smaller then I perceived, despite knowing fully well from specs what its footprint was. While some posters in other forums have whined that it is about 6-8 ounces heavier than some competitive machines, I thought it was pretty light. As a plus, the power supply is quite small (and thankfully is a two prong plug).

The screen is bright, although the LCD is not as crisp as would be on a $900 machine. It's not difficult to read mind you, but clearly some compromise was necessary for the price point. The speaker sound at maximum volume is not very strong, and the audio bandwidth is limited. I've been reading there is a firmware upgrade recently out (Version 6.0.1?), that users claim have improved the maximum audio level.

The wireless card built-in is fabulous. I was downloading Avast and a few other similar sized programs in a corner of the house that's one floor below, and about as far away as you can get from my three year old wireless router. Through-put speeds seemed dramatically faster then what I remember from using my Dell 14".

I ran a couple of YouTube videos and one from Hulu (480p), with no stuttering, but this was by no means a valid test. The resident resolution is only 1,024x600, so there will be compromises. It can be boosted to 768, but it compresses the content too much. Consequently some web pages were harder to read at either resolution, then what my 51 year old eyes are happy with.

The keyboard was easy to type on, but I need to note that I am not a true touch typist. I can type about 55 wpm on a normal keyboard, and my guess is until I get used to the Asus, my speeds will be 20% down. My only gripe about the keyboard area is the touchpad. The multitouch pad itself seems fine, but the buttons are very stiff. Users have been reporting they will loosen up over time, but for now they are way too firm. I'll probably be tapping the touchpad more for now.

Once I had fully charged the unit, I ran it for somewhere around an hour on the battery. I did not note any diminished performance. When I shut it down, the battery meter said I had 88% remaining (7hr:21min).

One slightly OT comment. I have never used the included OpenOffice suite before, and imported a couple of fairly innocuous MSWord 2003 documents to see how they behaved. No problems opening them, although some of the fonts embedded reverted to a "Universal" default on one document. The Asus came with a pretty big included collection of fonts, but it is conceivable that whatever was resident on the document, was not included. Frankly I did not care, as it converted fine, and the user interface was very intuitive.

I'll be playing more with the machine over the weekend after I upgrade the RAM to 2GB, and will annotate my review as warranted.

I have never used the included OpenOffice suite before, and imported a couple of fairly innocuous MSWord 2003 documents to see how they behaved.
Just a note that the included suite is StarOffice 8, not its freeware cousin OpenOffice.

As for the low sound levels, I was able to improve it using the Realtek HD Audio Manager, found on the taskbar.

Apparently it runs for $35. http://www.sun.com/software/staroffice/get.jsp

Regardless I uninstalled it and installed MS Office when i first turned mine on.

Just a note that the included suite is StarOffice 8, not its freeware cousin OpenOffice.

As for the low sound levels, I was able to improve it using the Realtek HD Audio Manager, found on the taskbar.

Just a note that the included suite is StarOffice 8, not its freeware cousin OpenOffice..

My bad, you are of course correct.

As for the low sound levels, I was able to improve it using the Realtek HD Audio Manager, found on the taskbar.

Thanks, I'll play with the controls.

$370 inc shipping at buydig.com (http://www.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?omid=122&utm_id=17&ref=pricegrabber&utm_source=PriceGrabber&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=AS1000HEBLK005X&sku=AS1000HEBLK005X)

How real is the 9.5 hrs battery life in practice?

E.g., if you sit on a plane and watch xvid DVD rips, how long does it last?

If you're using WiFi and surf the web/do email, how long does it last?

$365 AI at bhphoto

I purchase one of these last week for $374 from newegg. It's on the truck for delivery now :)

One question - I ordered an extra gig of memory (the $20 version) and need some advice.

Is it difficult to find where to open it to swap out the memory? I assume I pop out the 1 gig and replace it with the 2 gig. Correct? I haven't open a computer to replace something in years. I only hope I can find the correct screw driver :)

Does it matter if I use the computer first and then swap out the memory? I'm thinking no, but like I said, I haven't done this in years :)

Oh, I also got the travel kit for $10, after a $10 instant rebate, and it arrived yesterday. It looks like it will come in handy.

Today - ZipZoomfly for $350+free shipping (http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10010057&prodlist=dealnews)

It's very easy to open the bottom of the 1000HE - just 2 little screws - and yes, you just pop out the old module and insert the new. Took me all of 2 minutes. (There's a video on youtube showing how to do it.) Snapping the bottom back in place required a little oomph, though. You may need to enter and exit the bios setup (fn+F2) to get the computer to recognize the 2gb.

Great - many thanks. It just came and I will begin playing with it shortly :)

Also as a general rule if you open a computer and touch memory, try and do it sitting down on a wood or tile surface. It is very important that there is no static electricity that can damage the memory.

Great - many thanks. It just came and I will begin playing with it shortly :)

Many thanks.

I haven't opened it yet and probably won't for another week. I need to travel with it and don't want to mess around too much.

A brief review and 1 little problem :)

I think I'm going to grow to love it :) For my personal purposes, it speedy enough and will be more than adequate. It may even work well for work, but I really do need a bigger screen if I'm going to stare at it for hours. :)
It's light small enough to fit just about anywhere I need it to.
The right shift key is a bit too small for me, but I'm sure I"ll get used to it.
Can I install Office or is it too much of a memory hog?


Now for my problem - It won't connect to my home wireless. Background - the WAP is about 6 or 7 years old and is connected to a wired router which is connected to the cable modem. We very very rarely use wireless in the house because we ran a cat-5 cable to just about every room when it was built. I'd rather be wired anyway. It connects without issue when wired.

I'm not sure what to do next. My husband says we need a new WAP but I"m wondering if I should just go looking for somewhere with an access point and try to connect from there.

Any Hints? I tried to do just about everything I could in the wireless settings. It can see the wireless, connects to it, and the strength is from good to excellent, depending upon where I am in the house.

Note: I have no problem connecting to it using my company issued laptop which is 3 years old.

Today - ZipZoomfly for $350+free shipping (http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10010057&prodlist=dealnews)

It's very easy to open the bottom of the 1000HE - just 2 little screws - and yes, you just pop out the old module and insert the new. Took me all of 2 minutes. (There's a video on youtube showing how to do it.) Snapping the bottom back in place required a little oomph, though. You may need to enter and exit the bios setup (fn+F2) to get the computer to recognize the 2gb.

Does doing this compromise the warranty in any way?:confused:

Does doing this compromise the warranty in any way?:confused:From everything I've read, the warranty is not affected. Wasn't it only the MSI Wind (?) that had this issue? Looking at the eeeuser.com forum (http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewforum.php?id=55) discussions, there aren't many who HAVEN'T upgraded the memory since it only costs about $20-$25 more.

Now for my problem - It won't connect to my home wireless. Background - the WAP is about 6 or 7 years old and is connected to a wired router which is connected to the cable modem. We very very rarely use wireless in the house because we ran a cat-5 cable to just about every room when it was built. I'd rather be wired anyway. It connects without issue when wired.

I'm not sure what to do next. My husband says we need a new WAP but I"m wondering if I should just go looking for somewhere with an access point and try to connect from there.

Any Hints? I tried to do just about everything I could in the wireless settings. It can see the wireless, connects to it, and the strength is from good to excellent, depending upon where I am in the house.

Note: I have no problem connecting to it using my company issued laptop which is 3 years old.

Do you have any security set up on the wireless network? That could be getting in the way. When you say it connects, do you get an IP Address? Go to a command prompt, type "ipconfig /all" and get the results (no quotes when you type it in the cmd prompt window).

If another system is connecting to the WAP then the access point probably isn't the problem.

I'll go turn it on (we keep it off) and will send you a PM with details :)

Many thanks.

I just got mine and I love it. It's a sweet little machine. I got the extra gig of RAM at the same time. I didn't have to do anything except physically install it. On the next boot, the ASUS recognized it.
I didn't realize there was no jack for dial tone. That might be an issue with some people.

I just got mine and I love it. It's a sweet little machine. I got the extra gig of RAM at the same time. I didn't have to do anything except physically install it. On the next boot, the ASUS recognized it.
I didn't realize there was no jack for dial tone. That might be an issue with some people.

You mean a modem? I'm not sure anyone really uses a modem nowadays, and those that really need it can pick up a cheap USB modem instead.

Yes, a modem. I find that I need one two or three times a year. Sometimes, usually in Las Vegas, WiFi cost $15 or $20 in the room. So I just use a quick 'local' call to download Email or something. I'll get around it OK, I just thought I'd mention it.

FYI, zipzoomfly (https://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10010057) is offering the black 1000HE bundled with 2 GB of Corsair RAM for $359 shipped through 31MAR09.

FYI, zipzoomfly (https://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10010057) is offering the black 1000HE bundled with 2 GB of Corsair RAM for $359 shipped through 31MAR09.

Well, I wish you posted this a week ago.:)

I've used mine just a little bit to get it configured. Seems fine for most of what I do for leisure, and the weight difference is signficant compared to my Dell 620. I also like the 2-prong plug, as I'm going to be taking it overseas.

Just noticed my 'brick' seems very hot. Anyone else notice this?

Just noticed my 'brick' seems very hot. Anyone else notice this?

Just got my machine today and I noticed the same thing after it had been charging for 20 minutes. No issues so far though.

Overall I'm pretty impressed with the thing. I notice the touchpad buttons are stiff as others have reported, but I found myself just tapping the touchpad instead.

I took mine out on the road for the first time last weekend. I found that a tiny $8 USB travel mouse from Fry's made a huge difference and made the EEE perfect for web browsing at the airport or at a cafe. My plane each way was full, so I did not try using it on the flights in coach.

While waiting at MCI for my flight home, I found the firmware upate for the sound driver at the Asus site and installed it. It is still on the quiet side, however.

I've now taken 2 trips with this little machine and love it. While I haven't tested the true battery life I know that I used it for several hours (4-5) over 2 days with the wireless running and still had nearly 50% battery life left.

I've installed Office on it without any issue with the same 1 gig of RAM. I have the additional RAM, I just haven't installed it yet.

I have 2 issues that are slightly annoying to me - the 'shift' key on the right hand side is small and I often miss it, and one needs to press Fn to use the 'home' and 'end' keys, which I use very very often.

But, like everything else, after using it for a bit I become accustomed to it's little quirks and start dealing with them.

I've now taken 2 trips with this little machine and love it. While I haven't tested the true battery life I know that I used it for several hours (4-5) over 2 days with the wireless running and still had nearly 50% battery life left.

I've installed Office on it without any issue with the same 1 gig of RAM. I have the additional RAM, I just haven't installed it yet.

I have 2 issues that are slightly annoying to me - the 'shift' key on the right hand side is small and I often miss it, and one needs to press Fn to use the 'home' and 'end' keys, which I use very very often.

But, like everything else, after using it for a bit I become accustomed to it's little quirks and start dealing with them.

The only netbook I have seen with dedicated Home/End/Page Up/Page Down is the LG X110. I had one for a while with integrated 3G, but decided to let it go while waiting a new chipset with a little moore oomph. If the X120 ships with a 6-cell and activated GPS for the Ericsson 3g-module I will probably end up getting it. I need my keys and therefore I will probably never again buy a Apple portable again (sadly). The need to dual press for the function keys is murder on the wrists and I have too long left to live to make them suffer like that.

I have 2 issues that are slightly annoying to me - the 'shift' key on the right hand side is small and I often miss it, and one needs to press Fn to use the 'home' and 'end' keys, which I use very very often.


Do you know you can remap any key (except the function key, by itself) in windows? It's all done in the registry, and you can find and download one of many utilities that will present a graphical user interface and add/manage the entries in the registry for you.

Here's one: http://www.randyrants.com/2006/07/sharpkeys_211.html

-David

hummm... now that you mention it, I now remember about the remapping.. not that I actually ever did it :) I try to spend as little time as possible in the registry.

Thank you for the link. Now, let's see if I can blow up the computer :)