Asus EeePC 1008HA (Seashell)

The netbook market is dominated by laptops whose frames are thick slabs of unattractive plastics, and design is often sacrificed in the name of hitting basement prices. In looks, the new ASUS EeePC 1008HA (Seashell) is basically everything that the EeePC 1000HE isn't. Though the frame is still made up of plastic, it's noticeably thinner and lighter than the 1000HE while maintaining the 10-inch widescreen and 92 percent keyboard. Replacing a removable battery with a nonremovable one was the only serious sacrifice. Even then, the nearly 6 hours it scored in battery testing is more than acceptable.

The 1008HA is quite the beauty. There's less bulk in the middle of the frame than in the 1000HE, and the shiny white plastic creates more uniformity along the edges (where the lid meets the bottom). It measures an inch thick (10.3 by 7 by 1 inches, HWD), and weighs only 2.4 pounds. This makes it the lightest 10-inch netbook; the 1000HE is nearly a pound heavier, at 3.2 pounds. At launch, the 1008HA will also be available in black, while pink and blue models will ship at a later date.

In slimming the 1008HA down, ASUS managed to retain the 10-inch widescreen (with its drab 1,024-by-600 resolution) and 92 percent keyboard. The keyboard is very pleasant to type on, though the mouse buttons aren't as big (or as responsive) as those on the 1000HE. With all the attention focused on design, ASUS will need to pay more heed to the size of the keyboard. Netbooks like the Samsung N120 (12GBK), the Samsung NC20 (21GBK), and the Aspire AO751h are equipped with full-size keyboards. And it's only a matter of time before the 92 percent keyboard, like the 10-inch widescreen, becomes a thing of the past.

Although the 10008HA didn't sprout any worthwhile new features, ASUS did make some port modifications in order to slim down the chassis. In place of a normal VGA port is a mini-USB port, to which you'll need to connect a dongle—a VGA adapter on the end of 3 inches of cable—if you should want to connect to an external monitor. (The dongle is tucked away on the underside of the laptop when not in use). The Ethernet port has been moved to the back right-hand corner of the laptop, which is slightly thicker than the rest of the frame. In addition, you'll find two USB ports (one fewer than on the 1000HE), plus headphone and microphone jacks. Connectivity includes built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Inside, you'll find a 160GB (2.5-inch) hard drive.