The Asus Eee PC Seashell 1005HA is one of the sexiest netbooks we’ve ever clapped eyes on, and it should be, being so closely related to the original Seashell. So what’s the difference? Well the Asus Eee PC Seashell 1005HA has a super-sized removable battery. But is that enough to warrant an upgrade? Find out in the Asus Eee PC Seashell 1005HA’s full review after the jump…
The Asus Eee PC Seashell 1005HA takes all the best bits from the Asus Eee PC Seashell 1008HA and adds a whopping great big removable battery. Sizeable (for a netbook) ten-inch screen? Spacious, tap-happy keyboard? Check. Super-sexy, slender styling? You bet. Same old netbook performance? Er, yes.
So what else, apart from the above, is there to entice you away from the rest of the netbook throng? How about a VGA port that’s not hidden on the underside of the Asus Eee PC Seashell 1005HA? USB ports that don’t require you to force open little plastic doors with a screwdriver to get at? Or maybe, that piece de resistance, the 8.5 hour battery that actually comes close to Asus’ quoted battery length. Even when you switch on the Wi-Fi, it has more stamina than most netbooks. All this makes tis quite possibly the best Eee PC yet. Which is saying something given the rate that Eees pop up nowadays.
Check out the Asus Eee PC Seashell 1005HA’s full spec
On the downside, you get the same old spec on the inside: an Intel Atom processor, 1024MB of memory and 160GB HDD fitted as standard. And because of that hefty battery, the Asus Eee PC Seashell 1005HA has added a bit to the waistline since its days as the Asus Eee PC Seashell 1008HA. It is heavier too, weighing 1.3kg compared to its predecessor’s 1.1kg. But for a few extra hours use, wouldn’t you forgive a few extra millimeters? We would.
Elsewhere, there were only a few minor niggles, such as not being able to see where the trackpad begins and ends. It’s only a minor quibble, and you do get used to it after a few goes, but why make it like that in the first place? Oh and the mains adaptor pin is so small we felt as if it could snap at any point.
Those minor defects aside, though, and you have one of the best netbooks on the market, offering awesome battery life at a price that won’t leave your your wallet feeling abused.
Verdict
The Asus Eee PC Seashell 1005HA is right up there with Asus’ best netbooks. That hefty battery makes it slightly bulkier than the norm, but it’s worth it for the extra hours. Great value.
Best Features
Stunning looks
Awesome battery life
Spacious keyboard
Not so good
It’s put on a few pounds
Annoying trackpad
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