Asus Eee PC 1008Ha

I'm getting back into my writing, and very often I am inspired to write when I'm out and about or while traveling. My iPod Touch is too small to type long entries, and of course my laptop is far too bulky too lug around anywhere. So I decided to invest in a little netbook. Y'all know how I love gadgets, and when I asked around about this, and spoke to a friend in the US (Vish - who has one), I was convinced that it was just what I needed.

I decided on an Asus model, who were the first to actually come up with the concept of netbooks. The 1008Ha is the latest model and comes in black, white and pink. Every single review complained that the glossy black was prone to fingerprint stains. I couldn't think of having a pink cover, so I settle for the white - which makes it look like a Mac, right?

The design is said to be inspired by nature, and so the 1008Ha is also known as the Seashell as the machine's shape is similar to it. It is said to have a 6+hour battery life - which is perfect for me. It arrived on Friday, and I was so excited! I love getting new electronics :-)

I really like the design and feel of it. It's lightweight and fairly easy to type on. I'm currently using Windows XP (Korean) on it, but am going to have my IT guy install the English version for me tomorrow, along with MS Office and an Anti-virus program as it's not included.

As you can see, the keys are pretty flat looking, and one has to get used to the Pg Up/Pg Dn key on the bottom right of the keyboard. If working on a surface, it's best to use a mouse (included in the package), as browsing and using the mousepad can be a bit trickey. Web pages can be enlarged or shrunk by either 'stretching' or 'pinching' the mousepad (as seen in the pic below).

In the left corner, there's also a button to turn on / off WiFi. The power button is simply in the top right hand corner. There are two USB Ports (external hard-drive/mouse)? One of the common features of this model is that it has a power-saving mode. Also included in the box is a micro-fibre cleaning cloth.

I'm ever so thankful that I have a reliable IT guy in my life over here. Trust me, if I were him, I'd block all calls from ME~! But he never fails to deliver and helps me out with virtually anything I need. He's just awesome!