Asus Eee PC 1001P: Our Favorite Netbook

In May 2009, Asus took the wraps off its new Eee PC 1005HA, the latest and greatest netbook model from the company that pioneered the segment. The 1005HA was the mainstream implementation of the Seashell design that garnered much praise in the form of the gorgeous but ultimately flawed 1008HA. The 1005HA set out to correct those flaws, with more ports and a larger battery in a slightly thicker but similarly sleek and attractive package. It delivered on those fronts and ended up as a resounding success for Asus.

Naturally, when it came time for Asus to update the Diamondville-based 1005HA to the new Pine Trail platform, Asus didn't want to mess with success. Beyond the new processors, the 1005PE was very nearly identical to the 1005HA, except with some minor changes to the keyboard and mouse.

Now, why is any of this relevant to the 1001P? The newest member of the Seashell line has strong roots in the 1005, sharing the same basic chassis and internal components as the more expensive model. Gone is the reflective, glossy finish of the 1005, replaced by textured, matte plastic. The screen also has a matte finish, thankfully one of the few computers to forego the trend of featuring a glossy screen. In terms of hardware, the two share the same basic components, headlined by Intel's new Pineview Atom N450 processor and a large 6-cell battery.

As noted in previous coverage of the new Atom chips, Pine Trail consolidates the entire platform into a two-chip solution—the Pineview processor and the Tiger Point chipset controller. Pineview moves the 45nm GMA 3150 core and memory controller onto the same package as the Atom CPU, reducing the overall power consumption of the platform significantly while offering a slight performance increase.

Spec-wise, the Eee PC 1001P doesn't do much to differentiate itself from the rest of the netbook crowd. It follows the same tried-and-true netbook formula, with an LED-backlit 10.1" WSVGA screen, the now-obligatory 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor and GMA 3150 integrated graphics, a standard 1GB of DDR2 memory, and Windows 7 Starter edition to top it all off. To that, the 1001P adds a 250GB hard drive, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.1, a 0.3MP webcam, and a 4.4Ah (48Wh) six cell battery rated for 11 hours of battery life in a slim and sleek 2.80lb chassis.

If this all sounds familiar, that's because it is. The 1005PE shares nearly identical specs, only adding wireless-n and a larger 5.8Ah (63Wh) battery worth 14 hours of runtime. In all fairness, when constrained to the 10"/Atom/Windows specs, there's only so much hardware variation that can be created, which is why many netbooks have such similar components. And, when you make as many different netbooks as Asus, such overlaps are inevitable.