There hasn’t been much happening in the world of netbooks lately, with few releases and even fewer that are actually worth talking about. Have ASUS come to the party with the first ever netbook to feature USB 3.0 – the new Eee PC 1018P, or is this just another uninspiring netbook to add to the list.
The ASUS Eee PC 1018P features a 10.1 inch screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600, which seems to be the default spec for most netbooks in 2010. First impressions of the Eee PC 1018P are better than average however, due to the unit’s brushed aluminium exterior and that thin, light, cute-little-netbook feel. Coming in at only 2.4 pounds, this is one of the lightest netbooks currently on the market – and it even comes in white.
However, while it is relatively easy to make a small netbook look good, it is much harder to actually enjoy using one. It seems that the market often expect these little machines to function like full sized laptops, and in this respect the ASUS Eee PC 1018P is certainly doing it tough. With a cramped keyboard, stiff touchpad buttons, and jumpy touchpad cursor control, extended typing and web-use is likely to be a chore on this computer.
The Eee PC 1018P performs well however, with specs that are similar to much of its competition. It comes with an Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, and Intel Integrated GMA 3150 graphics, and comes in at a little under average in performance tests when compared to similar designs like the Acer Aspire One 532h and Toshiba NB305. To be fair though, it is also a little less expensive than both of these computers.
The display on the Eee PC 1018P is sharp and colourful, with good viewing angles and fairly smooth operation. Overall graphics performance is also rather good, although the depth of image is – unsurprisingly – not as good as a full sized laptop. The four-cell battery also gives this netbook a great battery life at about 7 1/2 hours, and this is one of the most important aspects of any netbook design.
Overall, the ASUS Eee PC 1018P is a fairly good netbook, although the inferior performance of its keyboard and touchpad make it far from outstanding. It is also not expensive however, with different configurations available starting from only $379. If you are willing to spend a little more than this, some of the options available include the above mentioned USB 3.0 ports, Bluetooth, and an upgraded Atom N455 CPU.
Specifications
Intel Atom N450
up to 2GB of RAM
250GB SATA HDD
10,1 inch screen
1024 x 600 resolution
Intel GMA 3150
802.11 b/g/n
Atheros WiFi
3 x USB 3.0 option
Windows 7 Starter
