ASUS Eee PC 1001p Seashell review

Over the last few years ASUS has developed an enviable reputation with the Eee PC series of netbooks, by managing to get the fusion of design, function and cost just right.

The Eee PC Seashell range, so called because of its wedge-like shape and opalescent glossy casing, encapsulates everything that ASUS has been trying to achieve with its Eee PC range. The consensus amongst laptop reviewers and technology journalists is that they represent some of the very best value netbooks available on today’s market.

The Eee PC 1001P is the entry level version, and if you’re looking for an exceptionally good quality netbook at an entry level price tag then this could well be the one for you.

What we like

Well, what’s not to like for under the £250 mark? You’ll get an energy efficient Intel N450 CPU, 1Gb RAM and 160Gb hard drive all working on Windows 7 Starter.

One of the great things is that all this comes with a handy 11 hours of battery life, according to the manufacturer. We had ours on for four hours, with the wireless running, and it still showed another four hours remaining. So while 11 hours might be stretching things you can still get a full day’s usage out of this laptop without needing a plug.

The touchpad on the 1001p is excellent. Responsive, smooth and with multi-touch functionality, it’s the kind of touchpad that would have only come with an expensive Apple Mac up until about a year or two ago. The single bar across the bottom, which works as the mouse buttons, has rocker functionality and may not be to everyone’s taste.

It is also light and portable. At just 1.4 Kg you really aren’t going to feel it when walking down the street with it in a shoulder bag.

Finally, you have to give ASUS kudos for making a netbook that’s cheap and still looks attractive. They’ve taken the idea that a cheap netbook has to be an ugly grey box and kicked it into touch. For this they should be highly commended.

What we don’t like

The keyboard is ok, with tightly packed flat-topped keys, but I personally prefer a bit more space to type with.

The screen is 10.1 inches with anti-glare functionality. Ok so at 1024 x 600 pixels for under £250 on a slightly small screen, this isn’t setting the world on fire. For an extra £100 you could get yourself a much better screen with HD, but I guess the compromise has to be made somewhere.