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promo shotThe Asus Eee PC 1005HA netbook features an excellent balance of size and battery life. At a glance, the netbook looks virtually identical to the Eee PC 1008HA, but it’s both thicker and heavier. The added depth gives the 1005HA room for a full sized VGA port, and a high capacity removable battery, both of which are missing from the 1008HA. Yet the Eee PC 1005HA is still thinner and lighter than its predecessor, the Eee PC 1000HE which Asus will soon phase out.

But does the Eee PC 1005HA offer enough advantages over the 1000HE for existing users to upgrade? Read on to find out.

The unit featured in this review has a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, and a 6 cell, 63Whr battery. It’s available from Amazon for $390 or less. There’s also a version with a lower capacity “8.5 hour” battery that typically goes for between $310 and $350.

Design

The Asus Eee PC 1005HA is part of the company’s new “Seashell” product line, with a design that Asus says is inspired by seashells. When the lid is closed, the computer is wider at the back than in the front.

At its thickest point, the netbook measures 1.4 inches thick, but it’s much slimmer near the front. Unlike the Eee PC 1000H and 1000HE, though, the netbook features a hinge that lets the screen slide down behind the keyboard when you open it, giving the netbook the illusion of being smaller than earlier 10 inch Eee PC models.

angle-shiny

The netbook measures 10.3″ x 7″ x 1.4″ at its thickest point, and weighs 2.8 pounds with a 6 cell battery or 2.4 pounds with a 3 cell battery. It’s thinner and lighter than the earlier Eee PC 1000-series netbooks which could weigh as much as 3.2 pounds. The Eee PC 1005HA still isn’t as light as the 2.4 pound Eee PC 1008HA, but that model doesn’t have some of the features found in the 1005HA, including:

  • A removable battery
  • An access panel for replacing or upgrading RAM
  • A full sized VGA port

Aside from those features, the Eee PC 1005HA looks almost exactly like the 1008HA. Both netbooks feature a glossy display as well as a glossy lid and palm rest area which look nice at first, but which attract fingerprints like nobody’s business.

Because the Eee PC 1005HA has a removable battery which sits at the back of the netbook, there’s no room for any ports or status lights on the back. And that’s a good thing. The Eee PC 1008HA has an obnoxiously bright LED that flashes when the netbook is in sleep mode. The Eee PC 1005HA has just a small blue light near the front that serves the same purpose.

angle-back

While the Eee PC 1008HA has plastic covers for ports on the side of the netbook to give the laptop a cleaner look, the Eee PC 1005HA lacks these covers. That can be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. On the one hand, it means the ports will be more noticeable, on the other you don’t have to worry about those plastic bits breaking off.

Battery

Without a doubt, this netbook’s best feature is its battery. First, unlike the Asus Eee PC 1008HA, the 1005HA battery is removable. That means you can purchase a spare and swap batteries if you need to. Or if your battery dies you can replace it without sending the netbook back to Asus for expensive surgery.

It’s also possible that third party extended batteries for the Eee PC 1005HA could hit the market eventually.

battery-2

But I’m guessing that most users won’t need an extended battery. That’s because the Eee PC 1005HA runs for a ridiculously long time on a single charge. With WiFi on and the screen set to half brightness, I was able to get 8 hours of more of battery life.

I wrote part of this review on an airplane with the WiFi turned off, and the Windows power meter told me that I could get as much as 12 hours of run time, although I haven’t put that to the test (I don’t typically have much use for a netbook that’s not connected to the net).

I ran the same Battery Eater Pro test on the Eee PC 1005HA that I’ve used in a number of other reviews. In classic mode, the netbook lasted about 6 hours and 15 minutes. That’s about ten minutes better than the Eee PC 1000HE, which lasted 6 hours and 4 minutes in the same test. The test is designed to put a constant strain on the system, so I’d imagine it’s safe to say that you could watch about 5 or 6 hours of standard definition video before the battery would give out on you.

battery-3

The Eee PC 1005HA will be available with two different battery options. The version I tested has a 6 cell, 63WHr battery which Asus describes as a 10.5 hour battery. There will also be a 6 cell,  48Whr battery which Asus says is good for 8 hours. My guess is that will translate to about 6 or 7 hours in real world conditions, which is still pretty good for a 2.8 pound netbook.

Asus also says there will be a 3 cell, 23Whr battery option will probably provide about half the run time, but should reduce the size and weight of the netbook.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The Eee PC 1005HA keyboard is nearly identical to the keyboard on the Eee PC 1008HA. It stretches nearly from one end of the netbook to the other, making good use of the limited space available. While it’s not exactly a full sized keyboard, it does feature nice large keys that are comfortable to type on, and two reasonably large shift keys on each side of the netbook.

keyboard-2

In order to accommodate the large shift key on the right side of the keyboard, Asus shrunk the PgUp and PgDn keys and mushed them together with the Home and End keys. These keys also double as the computer’s arrow keys. I’m not a huge fan of the arrow key layout, but I got used to it after a few days.

The arrow keys aren’t the only dual-purpose buttons on the keyboard. Pressing the Fn key while hitting the top row of keys can toggle the wireless, put the computer to sleep, brighten, dim or turn off the display or audio, or launch the Windows task manager. Hitting the Fn key with the spacebar toggles the Asus Super Hybrid Engine which lets you underclock or overclock the PC’s processor when you want conserve power or boost performance.

The touchpad is reasonably wide, and sits flush with the computer’s palm wrest. You can detect the edges of the touchpad easily without looking because it has a textured/dimpled surface. I could be wrong, but I feel like the dimples aren’t quite as large as those on the Eee PC 1008HA, which makes this touchpad a little easier to use.

touchpad

There’s a single large button below the touchpad with a rocker in the middle which lets you make left or right clicks. The touchpad supports scrolling and multittouch gestures. In most applications, you can move your finger over the far right side of the touchpad to scroll up and down, or the bottom to scroll left and right. When using supported applications, you can also use two-finger gestures to zoom or rotate.

Above the keyboard there are two buttons: a power button, and a button that lets you turn off the touchpad if you don’t want to accidentally bump into it while using a mouse. The user customizable buttons for launching applications that were found on early Eee PC models are nowhere to be found.

Graphics and Display

The netbook has a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel glossy display. It’s bright and displays colors well indoors, but looks like a mirror when used in bright sunlight. While many users prefer matte screens for outdoor use, the truth is if you mostly expect to use your netbook indoors, the glossy display shouldn’t be much of a problem.

front-shiny

While the Eee PC 1005HA uses the same Intel GMA 950 integrated graphics as many other netbooks, this model uses the newer Intel Atom N280 CPU which has a slightly higher clock speed and bus speed than the Intel Atom N270 CPU used in the Eee PC 1000H and many other netbooks that were released in 2008. This gives it a little bit of an edge when it comes to playing HD video. But the truth of the matter is that while the Eee PC 1005HA can handle 720p video in a number of formats, it will choke up on 1080p video.

Web video from sites including Hulu and YouTube plays back smoothly on this machine.

Performance

Like many other netbooks the Eee PC 1005HA runs Windows XP Home Edition, has 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive. It has a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 CPU and the Intel Mobile 945GSE chipset with GMA 950 integrated graphics. It’s not exactly a speed demon, but thanks to the Atom’s decent performance and hyperthreading support, you should have no problem performing light weight computing tasks like web browsing, watching videos, or using office software.

The netbook also handles multitasking reasonably well and I was able to surf the web with several browser tabs open while listening to music and editing photos without any noticable slowdown.

The Eee PC 1005HA has a rather noisy fan, which does help keep the underside of the computer from getting noticably warm. But it can be fairly noticable if you’re using the netbook in a quiet setting.

Software

Asus has a handful of tools that it’s been packing onto Eee PC netbooks for the past year or so, including the Super Hybrid Engine which lets you overclock or underclock the CPU and the Eee Tray utility which lets you adjust the screen resolution and enable or disable various wireless options with just a click.

But Asus has also added some of its newer Eee PC applications, including:

  • Eee Storage: Asus gives new Eee PC users up to 10GB of online storage space for their files. This program lets you access that space from Windows Explorer. You can also download some software and media files from Asus.
  • Data Sync: This utility lets you synchronize files across multiple computers.
  • EzMessenger: This application lets you send messages to other computer users on your network.

eee splendid

  • Eee Splendid: Asus has developed this utility to let you adjust your computer’s display settings with just a few clicks.
  • Eee Docking: This is an Asus “dock” utility that lets you access a handful of Asus apps when you scroll your mouse over the top of the screen.

font resizer

  • Font Resizer: Netbooks have small, sharp displays, and some users may find it hard to read the text. This program makes it easy to change system font sizes with just a click or two. It would probably be even more useful on a netbook with a higher resolution display.
  • Parental Control: Asus has included a utility which lets parents restrict access to certain programs, web sites, or other activities.
  • Asus VIBE: This service doesn’t appear to be active yet, but eventually Asus will offer Eee PC users access to online TV, radio, games, multimedia, and software downloads
  • Voice Command: The Voice Command utility lets you launch certain applications by speaking into the microphone. This program is also bundled with an international currency converter and a world time clock.

Asus has also included a suite of Microsoft Windows Live applications, a full version of Microsoft Works 9 and a trial version of Microsoft Office 2007. There’s also a standalone PowerPoint viewer which you can use to view, but not create PowerPoint presentations. Earlier Eee PC netbooks had shipped with StarOffice, which is the application that the open source OpenOffice.org was based on.

I’m guessing that the inclusion of Microsoft applications is part of a deal with Microsoft that may help Asus keep the price of this model down. Of course, if you’d rather use StarOffice, OpenOffice, or another office suite, you can always uninstall or just ignore Works and Office 2007.

Verdict

The Asus Eee PC 1005HA isn’t the thinnest or lightest netbook around. But it is has a few features you won’t find on the ultrathin Eee PC 1008HA, including a removable battery and full sized VGA port. I’m also glad to be rid of the bright blue LED in the back of the Eee PC 1008HA, which was a personal pet peeve.

front closed

The Eee PC 1005HA is also cheaper than the 1008HA, with a starting price of around $389. And it’s thinner and lighter than the Eee PC 1000HE which it’s designed to replace. It also replaces the 1000HE’s matte display with a glossy, glare-reflecting screen. But if you can look past that, the Eee PC 1005HA has a decent keyboard and touchpad, average performance, and one of the best batteries I’ve seen on a netbook to date, which makes the 1005HA a welcome addition to the Eee PC family.

I’m not sure there are enough new features to warrant upgrading from an Eee PC 1000HE, but if you’re in the market for a new machine the Eee PC 1005HA is certainly worth checking out.

And you can find more images below (click the thumbnails to see larger versions), or check out my gallery comparing the Eee PC 1005HA and the Eee PC 1000H, which was the first 10 inch netbook from Asus.

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113 replies on “Asus Eee PC 1005HA review”

  1. Im still using my 1005ha…..anyone notice Asus Vibe will not run? Opening screen works but then you stare at a spinning circle.

  2. please help me!  my light on the power adapter went out and i cannot fix it!  i’ve tried the freezer for 10 min. trick, the banging on the ground, (hard surface), trick but nothing happens! please help me!

    1. You can just buy a replacement Power Adapter…  Btw, you should go to a site like forum.EeeUser.com if you want to ask for help with a Eee PC.

  3. i bought my eee pc 1005HA last year and now its been 9 months since i bought it my battery doesnt charge anymore and the store wer i bought it told me it only has six months warranty…. and they want me to buy 4500 peso new battery pack that drive me crazy it totally freak me out coz i really take gud care of it and i dont know what happend…… are asus battery wer faked ones?

  4. Umm, my Eee 1005HAB. Why does it sound like I’m streaming audio at 56kb/s when I’m trying to just watch a DVD or listen to music off my hard drive? It sounds like I have a cathedral effect on, but I don’t. Music plays louder than vocals, and movies, you can barely make out a word, but the music is loud and i’m going nuts looking online for a review from someone with the same issue. No luck. Is the audio card defective or are all the Eee PC’s this retarded?

  5. Hi. Sorry for my english, I’m from Argentina. I bought this Asus 1005Ha and I have a question:

    In the back side, in the connectors of battery, there is a small slot for a card, maybe a SD. What is it for?

    Thank you!

  6. I just got this computer the other day and so far i love it. the battery lasted on my flight from california to DC. I t was perfect watched two movies and did a little work and still had battery when I got off. As for the features they are like most computers on the market if you are looking for something special I would buy it aftermarket you can usually find a better deal. And as a note the Asus Vibe is up and runnning and it is ok I havent really looked at it that much but is seems like a apps area like any phone really where some it free and some is paid but all the games come with a free trial.

  7. For all who have problems with a broken power supply. I did the Freezer trick also. First time it didn’t work. Tried it again today and now it’s working again. FYI. Be gentle though with plugging it in. Wonder if start taking the plugs out later if it still will work. Don’t want to walk to the freezer every time I need to load the battery….

  8. Are the function keys for the Asus EEEPC 1005Ha the same as for the Asus EEEPc 1000HA?

    Thanks.

  9. i do encounter some problem with my aus 1005HA… there are times that when i turn-on the computer it doesn’t start-up.. what i am doing is to remove the battery and put it back again..then suddenly it can proceed to its normal start-up… what may be the cause of this problem??

  10. If I’m allowed one dumb question a day, here it is. Got my new Eee1005, love it, and I think I’m thrilled that it has a camera. Now the dumb part – how does one take pictures or use it as a webcam?

    1. Hi. I have the exact netbook as you..To use the webcam you can either download a program like Cyberlink YouCam Or go to My Computer and then click on USB Video device

  11. Wonderful review & love my Asus HA 150 with Win 7 starter. Is like lightening. But I am hoping to use my VGA port which you cover by comparing it to the 180 only by saying the 180 has a ‘full size’ vga port and by comparision the 150 doesn’t……..what does that mean?
    My VGA doesn’t have ‘screw downs’, is that what you mean? Does the vga cord fall out or fail to hold when connected? What problems did you encounter when using the vga to a separate monitor?

  12. There is a problem with EEE PC 1005HA as the screen resolution is limited to 1924×600 and the Windows 7 speech recognition programme needs 1024×768 or higher. This means you can’t train the computer to use the speech recognition which seems a bit stupid.

  13. I just bought one and it sometimes do not respond after when I watch a movie or playing a game. when not responding well, the only thing displayed on the notification area is the wireless network connection. and sometimes the sound disables. I am very disappointed. ;(

  14. Hope you never have any problems. I purchased the machine from BestBuy and ASUS refuses to support it short of me mailing it back to them. For a machine marketed towards business travels, with a VIP support plan that will cover “anything” for 60 days, plus 1 year on the machine itself from fault, they will do nothing for you.

    Customer service for business customers means prompt, reliable support to get you back to work asap. Customer service from ASUS means they assume you’re liar and will expect you pay for priority, insured mail to and from them from FEDEX/UPS.

    Its a new product, so no third party support or accessories will work. Save your self the headache and buy a machine from a reputable company with a good support history.

  15. I just bought this for my gradson and was more than dissapointed that you cant put in a disc. There is no where to put it in. I am sure that I can’t return it to Best Buy now so I am screwed, 300.00 for nothing.

    1. No netbooks have dvd drives. You can simply spend another $50 for an external drive. That would be a 17% increase in cost to make the rest of your investment worth something =D. Best Buy have a 14 day return policy for netbooks but charge a 15% restocking fee…so you pay 2% to keep the netbook

    2. There is an inexpensive external disc drive that plugs into the asus eee pc. Works great:)

  16. Hey I found this article very helpful as I just ordered my first netbook. I found the 1005hab from bestbuy’s online store, however the model I found listed it as having 250gb hdd, 1.3mp camera, and a 6 cell battery for $279. Should be in tomorrow so i’ll confirm the specs in case anyone else is interested.

    https://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+Eee+PC+Netbook+with+Intel%26%23174%3B+Atom%26%23153%3B+Processor+-+Deep+Red/9579128.p?skuId=9579128&productCategoryId=pcmcat164200050013&id=1218127624772

  17. Can I increase the screen resolution to 1024×1000. Its low resolution deems it unusable for me. I cannot work with it while seeing only half the screen.

      1. It should be possible to go higher than the native resolution and then use “panning” (using the mouse to move the screen around). I can not find how to get this though.

  18. how if the touchpad button(the one that turns off the touchpad) doesn’t work? are there other ways to turn the touchpad off?

  19. I have a 1000HA and had to many Beers New Years Night and dropped my notebook! The screen is done!!! Any help on a replacement??

    1. Bought one on Ebay with shattered lcd…looking for one too. If you find one before I do, I’d appreciate a heads up.
      Thanx
      Mike

  20. I need to amend one of my last statements. I have only had good luck with Vista Ultimate. Another concern I have is that when (and if) Microsoft stops supporting XP replacing the OS is going to be a hassle as this notebook does not have a cd/dvd drive capability that I’ve seen anyway, which is going to require an external drive to load a new OS.

    1. Not really, you can boot windows 7 or vista from a USB Drive, if you know how 😉

  21. I was wondering, with the advent of Vista and now 7 why is it that new computers are being sent out with xp home edition?
    XP is going the way of windows 98 as far as Microsoft is concerned. At least that’s the buzz I’m getting. a 1.6 gig processor will have a hard time running Vista Premium (Ehich is the only version if Vista I’ve found usable and unless the computer is dual core 7 is not going to be able to load on.
    I have a Compaq evo n800c and have run Royal Business Vista on it but it will not run 7 (Eternity) and it is a 2.2 ghz processor. Perhaps it will run a no frills version of 7 :-/

  22. Has anyone had a problem with the charging cord besides me? Got my Asus Eee 1005HA in August of 2009 and had to send the cord back twice. I have been without a working cord for 6 weeks! Customer service says they are coming from oversees. I also caught them in a few lies after insisting to talk to a manager. Love my computer… when it works! Just bought my husband a netbook for Christmas but would not go with Asus again.

      1. I’ll say a large number.  I feel duped. After all the research I did I ended up with a lemon! thanks for your response.

        1. I had this problem with mine. In anger at tech support answer from asus I took the cord and repeatedly beat the wall with it(lol im not an angry person) but it works now!! 😀

          1. That’s a funny one, but I believe it.  Before I got my new cord, (my third one)  I dropped the old one and it worked for a couple more weeks!
            JD

      2. The problem with the power adaptor is the Amperage is 2.1 Amps, which is okay for the smaller battery, but the 63 W battery needs 3.5 Amps.

    1. I’m so glad that I’ve come across this website the adaptor has been driving me to despair what really grates is that they (Asus helpline) are acting as though I’m the only one having a problem my adaptor only works on an intermitent basis.

      1. Liz, You have to yell and scream at them (customer service) and ask for the manager. I was not effective, but my husband was. We asked for money because we did not have use of the internet, overnight shipping…n other words, BLOOD. It seems they are getting the adapters in regularly from overseas, but only the most disgruntal people are getting them, until they run out again. Supply and demand is not adequate!!! The batch of adapters we got were all defective. I did get a new one and it works beautifully.
        Dont’ let them tell you it’s coming in at the end of the month, you won’t get one. Too many bad ones are out there. SCREAM!!!
        Janet

    2. I am so worried about mine. I have heard this story over and over before buying mine.

      1. 1005HA. I’ve discovered that if adaptor stops working putting it in the freezer for half an hour jolts it back to live.

  23. Hello,

    I purchased this laptop about a month ago and upgraded to windows 7. I moved over to Thailand and it has been a great laptop to have over here, but internet is not as good and I have a problem so playing a lot with downloading tons of things isn’t working too well for me..

    Problem: My microphone driver seems to be not working properly, even though windows says it is. Using the windows test, as well as the skype test, there is no sound coming from my microphone, so I went to buy an external one… But the SAME problem…

    I am running windows 7 as I said, which runs great except for this problem… Does anyone have any idea what I can do to fix this?

    Any feedback would be great!

    Thanks,

    Zach

    1. zach,
      mine is eeepc 1005ha and convert it in to windows 7 and has no problem. but even though, i still did download windows 7 drivers for eeepc 1005ha and installed it. try going to their website thats were i got the drivers.

      cheers,

      alvin

      1. maybe something is actually wrong with the hardware in the computer sadly, no one else seems to be having this problem 🙁

        I cannot make it work by doing any of these things

    2. Hi Zach,

      I know it’s a little to late for this thread, but I have the same problem as you do! So did you find any solution? Thanks a lot!

      Keks

  24. I bought one of these 1005HAG is my model name,
    Atom N270
    Bluetooth
    Wifi (N)
    3G Modem (Mobile internet)
    Glossy Screen
    So maybe another model available making it 4 in total.

  25. I’ve had the 1005HA VU1X since July and have been generally pleased with it. The VU1X model has less battery time (8.5 hours) compared to the Atom N280 containing PU1X model but with a matte screen and the cheaper price I think its a fair trade off. Who wants a glossy screen anyways? There are some things though that if improved would make this superb. The bumpy touchpad gets a little old but the multi-touch feature redeems it somewhat. I downloaded a two finger scroll application that’s great for web browsing however the two-finger zoom function occasionally enlarges my window when I mean to scroll and it can be a pain to resize it back to normal. The single rocking button below the touchpad started out difficult to press but is wearing and becoming easier. I can’t click both buttons which is my favorite way of opening new tabs. I’m not a fan of the way the up and down arrow keys are squeezed between the left and right. The fan makes a lot of noise and is pretty impressively loud. Right now its spinning and all I’m running is Chrome with eight tabs. I think the perfect netbook would combine the good qualities of this and the Toshiba NB205. Namely, I would have loved a chicklet keyboard and a larger, smooth touchpad. It doesn’t seem unreasonable to ask for these features on a netbook with a flush battery like the 1005HA.

  26. Looks like a nice netbook, I’ll be considering this in the next couple of days

  27. Hello. Can you help me?
    The model you’re talking is 1005HA-P rite?
    May you run this coretemp software and tell the temperature? In a degree celcious.

    My friend want to sell it because he interested in sony vaio.
    May some body, check it for me?

    Here is the link for the software:
    https://alcpu.com/CoreTemp/CoreTemp32.zip

    1. Tenmperature on my Atom CPU N270 is in range 23-33 degrees celcious, while working with music, film, office.

  28. Just found out the 1005HA does not have a modem. Can anyone out there advise why this is so? I’ve been trying to connect to the internet and it is saying modem not installed.

    1. This Asus HA 150 is my first computer and I mostly do cloud computing. I too was a little confused about a ‘modem’ & ‘router’ but my internet provider (using at home & not using WiFi using elec) AT&T wanted to charge me for ‘recognizing’ my computer even tho I am paying $$ monthly for access just because I bought my own modem/router. Is Actiontec modem (plugs into phone outlet to access your internet DSL ) and router (takes plug in cable from modem to computer. I did not want a ‘wireless” router as too many problems but the cable works just fine & modem has extra outlets for other router cables allowing you to add another computer. Works for me. Now wanting to do wireless keyboard (bluetooth I added Kensington mini) so can sit back & use wireless keyboard with computer on large monitor via VGA.

  29. does anybody know if these netbook would be prone to overheating when using it for like 12-16 hours a day?

    would appreciate it if anyone could reply…

  30. Bought one of these units from Memory express. Motherboard/USB ports were flaky, it locked up the laptop as soon a USB device was plugged in. Exchanged it for another one, replacement had bad LCD screen, it was distorting images. Before I bought this Netbook, I had heard good things about ASUS. This will be ly first and last ASUS purchase. Took both of them back and got my money back

  31. I’m so new at this and just bought this on the run based on a suggestion, as I leave for business travel. I have a very basic question: what is the deal with microsoft regarding the free trial, purchase, etc. Ie, do I need to use the trial and then purchase microsoft in order to create documents? If so, does anyone know the cost? I was under the impression that the eeepc came loaded with word, excel, etc. I am okay with purchasing if I have to, but do you know the cost? (I will use this mostly for word docs, email and internet) Thanks!

    1. you are just in tine for win 2010 which is FREE and not requires dvd drawer; is for cloud computing. Save your $$ download free win 2010 office.
      I create docs in Google, very handy like win except no clip art.

  32. Bought the netbook yesterday pearl white color.

    Good : Long battery life, more than 6 hrs after first charge.
    Bad : Down arrorw key not sensitive, has to press on the middle position to trigger the button.

    Overall not bad, worth for the price.

  33. Thanks for the review. I think the placing of the home and end-buttons is very annoying – I use these a lot while editing text, and when I tried out this netbook I immediately noted their ‘absence’- their use is effectively reduced to zero this way.

    Also, now that you have mentioned it, I worry about the noise. I will mainly use my netbook to take notes in university (fairly large lecture halls), and I worry about making too much sound and annoying the guy next to me (who still has to be able to concentrate on what is being said) – so the noise both the keyboard and the fan make are very important to me. I read a comment saying the fan fires up mainly on video – that would be a plus, as I probably will almost never do that. But is it still noticeable? And how noisy is the keyboard?

  34. i just got one 2 days back. the battery life is the main reason i chose it. and the keyboard was good compared to other netbook, but still i think dell mini 10 has the best keyboard minus the noisy space button.

    this netbook hasn’t got the best look, but it’s not a deal breaker anyway. with it’s superb battery life and good keyboard, it’s able to make up for the looks. besides, netbooks are meant to keep you unplugged for as long as possible. =)

  35. I have a problem with my Eee PC 1005HA.

    I previously acquired an Eee PC 1000. The unit was ok with me only that the right shift key is is small and the finger usually misses it and presses on the up arrow. HP mini has that advantage until I found the 1005HA model. When I started copy files from an external HDs with 250 and 360 Gb, I encountered trouble. The computer hangs. I never had this experience with PC 1000. I would like to ask for some troubleshooting advice on this.

  36. In my country, we’ve got the model 1005HA-V, which ships with CPU N270, 0.3Mpx camera, 6cell 4400 mAh battery, and matted display. I’m completely satisfied with this netbook.

    The opening angle of display is really not too big, about 130 degrees.

    1. hi everybody, i just seen the asus eepc 1005 ha, a big issue for fingerprints facia glossy.

  37. Thank You! Highly useful information. However, I wish that you had specified the fastest overclocking processor speed that could be achieved with the super hybrid engine switch.

  38. Does anyone know if the keyboard on the 1005HA is swappable with the chiclet-style keyboard from the 1000HE?
    I just bought the 5HA and I HATE the new keyboard, I want my chiclet one back!

  39. Can someone teel what is maximum open angle of this netbook? Can it go to 150-160? All the pictures that I saw show only something like 110-120 degrees.

  40. Hi. My first post to Liliputing. Very thoughtful review, and equally civil comments.

    I am looking at the 1005 as a travel computer. I’m a marketing rep and want it primarily for data entry & email in the field. The secondary use will be for my travel photography habits; I don’t plan to do full-blown Photoshop editing, but would like to review RAW images so I can throw out the awfuls, and tag the rest, maybe convert a few to JPEGs to post online, without the risk of toting around a $2000 Macbook Pro.

    I am just about ready to buy the VU1X version for it’s matte screen. 2 questions: for those of you who have been using an N270 version, is the graphics handling reasonably fast? Also, if I need Bluetooth down the road, will one of those USB-based adapters work? I can’t imagine why I would need it, but…

    Thank you in advance.

  41. The Asus 1005HA series is comprised of 3 models. Best Buy offers the 1005HA-B for $299 (plus tax). It features the N270 (1.6GHz 533FSB) cpu, glossy display, 3-Cell 23Wh Li-ion Battery (4 hrs), and a 1.3MP webcam. Excluded are the Bluetooth module, 10GB online Eee storage, and netbook sleeve. This is obviously the “Basic” model. I was able to demo this unit at Best Buy on June 27th, and IMO you are giving up quite a bit for the ~$65 savings over the ‘P’ model. Not to mention as of now Asus will not sell you a spare 3 or 6-cell Li-Ion battery.

    1005HA-P (most expensive)
    N280 1.66 GHz Processor, 667MHz Front Side Bus, 1.3MP Web Cam, 10.5 Hour Battery, Glossy Display, Bluetooth, Netbook Sleeve
    Available Colors: Black, Blue

    1005HA-V (mid range price)
    N270 1.6 GHz Processor, 533MHz Front Side Bus, 0.3MP Web Cam, 8.5 Hour Battery, Matted Display
    Available Colors: Black, Blue, White, Pink

    1005HA-B (cheapest one, sold at best buy)
    N270 1.6 GHz Processor, 533MHz Front Side Bus, 0.3MP Web Cam, 4.5 Hour Battery, Matted Display
    Available Colors: Black, Blue, White, Pink

    Overall I am extremely satisfied with the 1005HA-P, and it is arguably the best 10″ netbook on the market. Be sure to check out the Amazon community forum for this product located towards the bottom of this page if you require additional enlightenment. You’ll find a lot of tips & tricks as well as a lot of general FAQ’s.

    1. When you say the available colors for the 1005HA-P are blue and black, are you quoting an ASUS release? Do you know if it will be avaiable in White or Pink in the near future?

  42. classy. my very first netbook. i was actually planning to purchase the 1000HE but i hope this one is really better. 🙂

  43. This is the most comprehensive and user friendly review I have seen. Thankyou. You have sold me on the merits of this Netbook whilst being aware of its minimal downfalls.

  44. Writing this on my new 1005 HAP (10 hour battery etc). Have to say it’s pretty great, though the fan noise does really become noticeable (but only certain times). I.e when watching youtube / web videos, etc. it sounds like a hurricane, but most of the time it is almost totally silent.

    Anyways, love it, love the battery life, keyboard hasn’t given me any problems. If the screen were non glossy and the touchpad didn’t have the little bumps on it, it would be perfect.

  45. Thank you Susan, for volunteering to proofread the blog for free. On behalf of the whole internet, we wouldn’t have figured out what he meant if it weren’t for you.

  46. > The netbook has a 10.1 inch glossy, 1024 x 600 pixel glossy display

    It’s glossy glossy????

    (Why does this site always fail to proofread its articles???)

  47. I see you can change the RAM with removing a small screw, but can you change the hard drive by removing the same screw or do you have to take the whole back panel off? Thanks

    1. 1005HA for hard drive replacement require to take out the whole back panel. I would not suggest of doing it unless you are very technical.

  48. I just picked one up from Best Buy for $249, so it’s much cheaper than the price listed in the review.
    I’ve only been playing with it for a few hours, but as far as a netbook goes – it’s pretty good.
    As for the noise – I’ve hardly noticed it at all. But on a related topic – the placement of the speakers isn’t awesome. Using it as a laptop – i.e. on my lap – the sound is a bit muffled because the speakers are on the bottom, near the front, so if one’s hands are also on the keyboard, there’s very little space for the sound to escape. It’s not unique to this model – a lot of my previous laptops suffered the same problem.

    The gloss of the screen isn’t a big problem if what you’re looking at has a white background, but anything dark, and you just see yourself.

    1. Which Best Buy did you buy it from at $249.? I searched the internet for this price and not only I couldn’t find this price or close to, most places don’t even have this model in stock yet.

      I highly suspect that this report is unlikely so I want to see more info.

      1. oops – typo – that should have been $299 – still, that’s a bit less than the $350 in the article.
        The store is:https://stores.bestbuy.com/479/

        And now – having played with it a bit more, the fan seems to be annoying me more, but perhaps that’s because I’m focusing on it thanks to this review…

        1. I got suckered into buying one of those $299 units from Best Buy, also.. They told me the unit which is a 1005HAB, not HA had a 6 cell battery, which it doesn’t. It also doesn’t have the N280 chip, but a N270, and doesn’t have the SRS sound system. The speakers are very tinny on this model. I thought I was getting a great deal on a new model like they told me and actually did not. It may very well be going back to the store.

          1. First floored said it was $249. Now he said it is $299., referencing it as “I just picked up one”, which referenced to the article here which described the 1005HA and not the 1005HAB.

            Now MFurlong, plus I checked another website saying that BestBuy is going to sell the 1005HAB officially on June 29 (but I also read that some BestBuy stores did start selling before it is officially available). So I think it is 1005HAB, and not 1005HA, but the problem is that Floored hasn’t clarified the model, only the price.

            $249. for a 1005HA is certainly not the same as a $299. for a 1005HAB., you think? Floored commented that he bought it at a much cheaper price than listed in the review, but are we comparing apples to apples?

          2. Asus 1005HA series has 3 models. Best buy is selling the 1005HAB models which is the basic model only with 3 cells battery and 4 hours 20 mins battery life. Best the webcam build in is 0.3Mbp rather than 1.3Mbp on 1005HA-P (N280 cpu & 10.5 hrs battery). The middle price model of 1005HA-V ($349 is N270 cpu but with 8.5 hrs battery). 1005HA-P & 1005HA-V only available from channel reseller or on line store such as Amazon.com, Neweggs, etc.

          3. Best Buy model 1005HAB I purchased does have 1.3 Webcam – was going to take unit back at first because i wanted longer life battery, but chose to keep because almost 4 1/2 hrs is plenty and didn’t want the extra weight or the extra price. So far have been quite happy. Am going to upgrade to 2G ram, though.

          4. Furlogn: Did you upgrade to 2GB RAM? If so, how much did it cost for a 2GB RAM? How this 2GB RAM differ from laptop RAM?
            Thanks

    2. Problem with speakers/sound when putting it on your Lap (laptop) is that you should be putting in on a Net (netbook). Nets have holes, and this helps with the sound transmission from the speaker!

  49. What’s with all the super-shiny stuff everywhere? Did some focus-group testing find that shiny stuff sells better in stores? I dislike all the smudging and the incredible reflections off these screens.

  50. Hope you can answer this for me really quick…. As far as upgradeablity, how is it to get to the RAM? Thats whats keeping me from the 1008HA

  51. Thanks for a great review. I was looking into getting an 1008ha and was eagerly awaiting the NA release of the 1005ha to see if it did in fact have replaceable battery and upgradeable ram. The thing I wanted most, however, was the much improved right shift key design from the 1008 to appear on the 1005.

    Thanks again!

  52. You note that the fan is very noisy – would you say it’s a lot noisier than the 1008HA? or about the same?

    That and the heat would be a big issue for me in deciding between the two…

    1. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t notice the fan on the Eee PC
      1008HA.Unfortunately, I can’t say if that means it really was quieter,
      or if I just didn’t spend enough time with it in a quiet room to
      notice.

      I did notice the fan on the 1005HA, which is why I mentioned it here.

      1. Brad…compared to the 1000he how is the sound? Im asking because the fan noise on my current laptop is the only reason why i was thinking about getting this 1005ha. thanks.

        1. dont waste money me and my coloc have respectively 1000he and me , 1005ha and the noise is the same thing and when my temp. goes over 75 celsius it shutdown… and not the 1000he it’s only slower

    1. I Have it and it has srs premium sound with HD audio realtek audio card

  53. I disagree – I think that the keyboard is better on this one. I used the keyboard on the 1000HE and, while the chiclet keyboard was better than the keyboards on the 9″ netbooks, I happened to like the tile-style layout much better. In fact, while I’m not a fan of the netbook itself, the Dell Mini 10 had an excellent keyboard that felt almost exactly like a full-size. I imagine the keyboard on this one will be better as well.

    The screen is glossy, but the glossy makes for better video viewing, whereas the matte is better for viewing in direct sunlight. So it really depends on where you’re going to use your netbook. I think they did a great job with this one, and I may go pre-order mine today.

    Brad, what do you think about this netbook when compared to other makes? I think it’s probably the best compromise between form and function of the Eee clan right now, but what about others?

    Also, does anyone know whether the cool functions added by all of Asus’s software can be emulated or provided when running Linux instead? WinXP installed on it has lots of good tools for maximizing performance or battery life, but can you do similar things on Linux?

  54. Hmmm, except for the good looks and slightly improved size and battery life, every thing else seems like a downgrade from the 1000HE. The keyboard isn’t as good, the screen is so glossy it’s like a mirror (slight exaggeration here ), there’s only one two sided mouse button (can’t use 3rd mouse button emulation).

    It’s a clear case of sacrificing usability for looks… not a good move in my book.

  55. I want to see the SnapDragon netbook with the videos showing it as exposed at the bottom of this article:

    see:
    https://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20090619161307529

    See the great videos, by those we know who attended Computex at the end of the article – both the ones about EeePC ARM and Qualcomm, and the Pixel Qi videos. Isn’t this what we all want? I want one today. All day battery, fast, runs what we want to use… like Jkk (from Jkkmobile said in the video in the article) “It’s perfect”.

    Computex 2009 with ARM and Qualcomm

    Snapdragon Eee PC First Hands on

    Snapdragon Eee PC at Computex 2009

    Qualcomm Press Conference – Computex 2009

    End of story:
    This unit in those videos… is the unit that we want.

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