EEE PC 1000HE vs 1000HD: What you get for $400 more in a recession

Stan Beer
Tuesday, 10 March 2009 16:02

Opinion and Analysis

I'm writing this on my full sized desktop computer but sitting next to me on my desk is a brand new Asus Eee PC HE, idling away on battery power in between the paragraphs I'm writing. I'm yet to see evidence of the much touted 9.5 hours of battery life but we'll get to that later.

The shiny white review 1000HE I've been given for a week or so in many respects lives up to the reputation that Asus has carved out for its Eee PC range. However, as the owner of a 1000HD bought a few months ago for AUD$500, I have to ask whether the 1000HE is worth AUD$895.

What would I get for the extra $400 that I have to pay for the new model?

I have the review 1000HE on one side of my desk and my own 1000HD on the other side. Other than the colour (mine's black), with the lid down they look almost identical. Some reviewers have noted there's less battery bulge on the newer model but in my view the difference in form factor, including thickness, is marginal.

On a set of kitchen scales, both machines weigh roughly the same - about 1.4kg - although the 1000HE may be about 20g heavier.

Of course the real differences, such as they are, become apparent when you open up the clamshells and fire up both boxes. The 1000HE is definitely an improvement on its predecessor but in the world of commodity computing $400 should buy a lot.

The first difference of note is between the keyboards. The 1000HE keyboard is beautiful with flat chiclet shaped keys that are easy to read and difficult to miss. It's a definite improvement over the 1000HD keyboard but to my heavy handed touch it doesn't feel particularly solid. A touch typist would disagree, but I find my 1000HD more comfortable to pound.

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