Electronics Gadget Reviews

Canon 2591B002 DM 100 Directional Stereo Microphone for HF HG Series Camcorders

DM-100 Directional Stereo Microphone for the VIXIA HF10 and VIXIA HF100 Camcorders. Compatible with the: VIXIA HF S10 Dual Flash Memory, VIXIA HF20 Dual Flash Memory, VIXIA HF100 Flash Memory, VIXIA HG20 Hard Disk Drive

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars This thing is huge
functionally this work well , but the size of it is huge its as big as the camera and just about needs a seperate case to carry it in

5 Stars GREAT Mic for Cheap Indie Filmmakers!
I’ve only had this mic for a little under a month and have been completely satisfied by my purchase. The sound quality (compared to the built-in mic) is unparalleled and the fuzzy “dead cat” wind sock eliminates any wind rumble that has previously plagued productions. The ultimate test that I have done thus far has been recording in a moving car going down the highway with the windows rolled down and music blaring. The recording came out clear and concise. In all, I would recommend this mic to anyone who has a tight wallet and needs a good mic for the money.

3 Stars This is supposed to be better than the built in?
Okay, so, I know that once again, I am buying the cheapest product and getting frustrated, so let me start out with that. I bought this in hopes that I could take my video camera to our church camp this year and record the kids for a video for our camp. I’ve done some experimenting with it on our local sports field during some of our church extracurricular activities (ultimate frisbee and football). I think the only thing I can really say is that the microphone does help offset wind noise when used, but aside from that, I can’t say I’m much impressed by the quality of the recorded sound. I will say that I am pretty much an amateur at this and will probably experiment more to see if I can get any better performance, but my hopes are not high. Wind noise is still there, audio quality is nothing to write home about, and even in shotgun mode I still get a lot of ambient background noise from around the target. Overall, I’m not impressed, but it IS better than the built-in mike … a little.

5 Stars Canon DM-100 Microphone does block the wind plus….
This Canon DM-100 Microphone does block wind noise and it’s directional feature works well, too. I’ve found it works best in the camera’s “EASY” shooting mode. Overall, I’d say it exceeds my expectations. Didn’t notice any reduction in sound quality. It may even be somewhat better. Expensive, but since I couldn’t find or make a wind screen to just fit over the camera’s built-in mic, I’m pleased with it. Very happy to get rid of that wind noise. Plus, I perceive a reduction in the volume of the camerman’s recorded voice when coming from the area behind the camera, which, to me, seems to be too loud when using the built-in mic. Probably, due to the effect of the ’shotgun’ mode.? Overpriced, probably, but I bit the bullet on this one.

5 Stars So much better than I thought
The sound quality of this mike for all purposes is so much better than the built in mike I use it all the time. There is good suppression of noises to the side and back but if someone is talking right behind you it will still drown out the people you really want to hear in front. The wind suppression is good.

Buy/More Info

ASUS Eee PC 900HA 8 9 Inch Netbook 1 6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor 1 GB RAM 160 GB Hard Drive 10 GB Eee Storage XP Home Black

The new Eee PC 900HA offers you more options for your mobile computing needs, providing the power of a full-sized laptop–with the latest Intel mobile processor and a 160 GB hard drive–in a compact body with an 8.9-inch screen. Designed specifically for mobile devices, the 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor uses a brand new design structure new hafnium-infused circuitry–which reduces electrical current leakage in transistors–to conserve energy, giving you more time away from the wall outlet. Coupled with the ASUS exclusive Super Hybrid Engine, you’ll also enjoy up to 5 hours of battery life with this Windows-powered laptop.

The Asus Eee PC 900’s 8.9-inch screen is easier on the eyes, and the integrated webcam makes video chats a snap.

Much more compact than a standard-sized notebook and weighing just 2.5 pounds, the Eee PC 900HA is perfect for students toting to school or road warriors packing away to Wi-Fi hotspots. In addition to the 160 GB hard disk drive (HDD), the Eee PC 900HA also features 1 GB of RAM, VGA-resolution webcam integrated into the bezel above the LCD, 54g Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g), multiple USB ports, SD memory card slot, a VGA output for connecting to a monitor, and up to 10 GB of online storage (complimentary for 18 months).

It comes preinstalled with the Microsoft Windows XP Home operating system, which offers more experienced users an enhanced and innovative experience that incorporates Windows Live features like Windows Live Messenger for instant messaging and Windows Live Mail for consolidated email accounts on your desktop. Complementing this is Microsoft Works, which equips the user with numerous office applications to work efficiently.

For journalists, photographers and other professionals who need to use a computer in the field to create, to communicate and to collaborate with other colleagues, the Eee PC’s combination of power, extreme portability and rugged build makes it the ideal computing solution. The keyboard is 95 percent the size of standard notebooks, making it more comfortable to type for larger hands.

It’s also a great choice for young students, with a built-in Dictionary that’s great for homework, and it includes two modes of intuitive graphic user interface design to accommodate both experienced and inexperienced PC users. The Eee PC also handles your digital images, movies, and music as well as Internet radio.

Nicely light at just 40 ounces (2.5 pounds), the Eee PC 900HA has an 8.9-inch wide TFT LCD with a 1024 x 600-pixel resolution (WXGA)–making it more comfortable on eyes than its predecessor. In addition to its 54g wireless LAN (802.11b/g), it also offers wired Fast Ethernet (10/100) connectivity and a 56K modem. You get three USB 2.0 ports, a VGA output for connecting to external monitors, headphone and microphone jacks, and a Secure Digital (SD) memory card slot (compatible with MMC memory cards). It’s equipped with a 0.3-megapixel webcam (placed in the bezel above the LCD) and integrated microphone, allowing you to snap still photos of yourself while on the go for sending via email or join video chats with friends and family.

Battery-Sipping Processor
The Intel Atom processor uses a brand new design structure that packs in 47 million transistors into a single chip sized at just 22mm (0.87 inches), and it uses just 2.5 watts of power–less than 1/10 of the 35 watts used by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor–for excellent battery management. This 1.6 GHz Atom N270 processor also includes a power-optimized front side bus of 533 MHz for faster data transfer on demanding mobile applications and a 512 KB L2 cache (which temporarily stores data).

Together with the exclusive ASUS Super Hybrid Engine, you’ll enjoy a longer battery lifespan of up to 7 hours, allowing you to stay in touch and be connected for a longer period of time while on-the-go. It offers a choice of performance and power consumption modes for easy adjustments according to your computing needs. The Super Hybrid Engine toggles between the following three modes:

• High Performance Mode (high performance with some power savings)
• Super Performance Mode (maximum performance)
• Power Saving Mode (maximum power savings and minimum noise)

Online Storage from ASUS
With this Eee PC, ASUS also provides 10 GB of online storage (easily accessible via a desktop icon), which enables you to download up to 5 GB of data per day. It also provides secure file encryption and accessibility from both Windows and Linux platforms. Whether you want to share images with friends and family or store big business presentations, you can now access your data with ease and not worry about space constraints. The Eee Storage service is complimentary for the first 18 months, and it must be registered within the first 6 months after date of purchase.

Specifications

• Operating system: Windows XP Home
• Internal memory: 160 GB hard disk drive (HDD)
• RAM: 1 GB DDR2
• Processor: 1.6 GHz Intel Atom
• Memory expansion: Slot for MMC/SD(SDHC) cards
• LCD: 8.9 inches, 1024 x 600 pixels
• Networking: 54g Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), 10/100 Fast Ethernet
• Peripheral connectivity: Three USB 2.0
• External video: One VGA
• External audio: One headphone and one microphone port
• Webcamera: Yes, 0.3 megapixels (VGA)
• Battery life: up to 5 hours
• Weight: 2.5 pounds (40 ounces)
• Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.7 x 1.33 inches

What’s in the Box
ASUS Eee PC 900HA, AC adapter, printed operating instructions. It’s backed by a 1-year warranty on parts and labor.

ZBD from ASUS
All Eee PC’s come with ASUS’s ZBD (Zero Bright Dot) guarantee. If the purchaser discovers one bright dot within 30 days of purchase, ASUS will replace the panel without cost to the purchaser.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars ASUS Eee PC 900HA 8.9-Inch Netbook
I bought this ASUS Eee PC 900HA 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, 10 GB Eee Storage, XP Home)to use while I’m traveling on my motorcycle.

It’s small and that’s just what I needed as luggage space is at a premium on a motorcycle.

The unit works well for what it’s designed for.

I wouldn’t want it as my main computer. The keyboard although small works well but I wouldn’t want to do a lot of typing with it.

I use it mainly for e-mail and Internet access and loading routes into my GPS while on the road.

Since there’s no CD in this unit you’ll need to use a network or memory cards to add new programs that come on a CD/DVD. I did not find this to be a problem.

I upgraded the memory to 2gb and it’s performance is very acceptable.

If you’re looking for a small computer that’s very mobile this unit will do the job.

5 Stars Works well
So far so good. Small keyboard is hard to get used to. It is fast and portable. Battery works for a few hours. Great computer

1 Star Screen Flaw – Returned it
The one star is mainly because the screen was flawed. Along much of the left side the screen was black in a very random way – covering up anything on the screen that should have been visible. I spent only 10 minutes using it, only long enough to get WINXP going so i could be sure the flaw stayed beyond the boot up screen (it did). But in those 10 minutes I learned a netbook is not for me. With a cell phone the tiny screen and keyboard is a fair trade off for being able to put it in my pocket. But the small screen on the netbook would be grueling after awhile. I touch type and the keyboard was just too small for proper finger position. Maybe I could have gotten used to it, but I would not want to try. I would rather lug my laptop around. So I guess the screen flaw was a good thing.

5 Stars NICE Netbook
This is a very nice netbook. Lots of disk space, storage space. Intel ATOM is recommended for netbooks. Has sufficient RAM. Is very light and portable. I recommend this netbook to anyone. Very satisfied with it.

4 Stars Best in class
I have had my asus for about a month now. I am a power user and have no less than 4 notebook computers I use ranging in size from a gaming 13.3 to this 8.9 screen. When I bought the Asus I purchased a 2GB Ram module at the same time so when I unboxed it started 2 GB instead of 1GB Ram. That being said here are my likes and dislikes about it.

Likes:

Screen is great. I have read reviews that say the screen is not bright enough but I have used my Asus in the car extensively under full sun no problems.

Size is great. I find of all my notebooks if I don’t have a gaming situation or media intensive applications, i.e., I just want to write, surf or edit some photos in Photoshop; the Asus is the one I go for. It’s a great compliment to my Blackberry.

Keyboard is great. Yes this is a great keyboard. Click thru, feel, and function are the best in class. The keyboard is also its biggest fault but only by inherent design.

Performance is great. The Asus has outperformed my Gateway running a Duo Core. Boot up time is fast and I have had no issues with multi tasking apps. I have loaded Adobe Photoshop and MS office suite.

Here is a tip: don’t load your machine with a resource intensive anti-virus program like Norton or McAfee. These anti-virus programs use lots of Ram and Computer resources and are the number one reason your computer slows down or crashes. Find a lean anti-virus program; there are some good ones out there.

Battery is great. If I’m using wifi, Bluetooth and a couple apps I get 3 hours, if I have wifi and Bluetooth turned off and only work on editing in word, I get over 5 hours of use.

Dislikes:

Keyboard. As mentioned above the keyboard is the best in class but as is the nature of the beast, when you want an ultra portable you have to make sacrifices and space is one. It is only a matter of training your fingers to be familiar with the small keys and slightly different layout. You will make more errors regardless but again don’t blame the beast for what it is.

Hard drive. I really wanted a solid state hard drive in the size of 32GB or bigger but Asus does not offer this.

Bluetooth. Again Asus does not offer a Bluetooth option and I had to buy a separate dongle that I must tote around.

Power adapter. If Asus had come out with a mini folding adapter it would have been perfect. Fact is the adapter is going to have to travel with you because at some point you need to recharge and all adapters are the Achilles heel of notebooks/ netbooks.

Overall:

for the money and quality Asus wins. I looked at HP Mini, Aspire and Dell. Both the Dell and HP models where considerably more expensive and the Aspires overall design turned me off plus upgrading the ram was difficult at best. The Asus works well for its intentions and I find myself using it more than any other notebook I own. Easy to carry around and gets the job done.

Buy/More Info

Sony DCR SR47 Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder Silver

Record those special occasions with the DCR-SR47 Handycam(R) camcorder. A built-in 60GB hard disk drive offers extended, hassle-free recording and a professional-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens delivers sharp, high resolution images. For close-ups, you will appreciate a powerful 60x optical zoom and in addition its ideal for sporting events, wildlife, or distance shooting so you can capture extremely tight shots, even from far away. Sony’s SteadyShot(R) image stabilization helps reduce blur caused by camera shake and the hybrid technology even allows you to record video to the hard drive or optional Memory Stick(R) Duo media. Aperture – F1.8 – 6.0 Filter Diameter – 30mm Focal Distance – 1.8 – 108mm Shutter Speed – Auto, 1/4 – 1/4000 Recording Media – 60GB Non-Removable Hard Disk Drive, Memory Stick(R) Duo Media, and Memory Stick(R) PRO Duo Media Dimensions – 2 3/8 x 2 3/4 x 4 1/2 inch Weight – 11 ounces with Battery

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Love it.
Great quality shots both in light and dark situations. When I first started using mine I thought the quality was just okay. Then I realized that it was set on SP. When I changed the setting to HQ, wow, what a difference. I don’t get all the bad reviews on the picture quality. I can’t imagine any other SD camera having any better picture. It’s SD. If you want perfection, spend the extra money on an HD camera. Also, the videos transfer to your computer easily. Also love the 60gb hard drive and the touch screen. The battery last longer than I thought – about 90 minutes. Would buy it again in a second.

5 Stars Good Camcorder for the Price
Easy camera to use, does exactly what it is supposed to do. In anticipation of my daughter’s dance recital, we purchased this camera at a local electronics store just before the recital. I was hoping that getting it up and running would not be too difficult given the short amount of time I had to familiarize myself with it. Upon arriving home, I had it unboxed, and the battery charging while I changed and got ready for the recital. Once at the recital, I opened the viewfinder, it came on, and I was able to start recording without first reading the manual. During the intermission, my wife and I marveled at how small the camera actually is, and how it felt natural in both mine (large) and her (small) hands; it was also lightweight with just enough heft.

Before the purchase, I had read online reviews here and elsewhere claiming that when the camera was connected to a TV, the video quality was less-than-acceptable. I did not find this to be the case. Back at home after the recital, we were anxious to show the performance to some neighbors. We have a 43″ high-def plasma, and the video quality looked like normal “standard definition” when played on a “high definition” TV. That is, it was not crystal clear, but it looked how any normal standard definition video should look. Having said this, if you want crystal clarity when played on your high-def TV, consider purchasing the high-def camcorder. Hooking the camera up to the TV was easy, as was connecting it to our computer, which runs Windows XP Professional. I had to update XP to Service Pack 3 in order for the included software to be installed, but once installed, it was able to pull the video from the camcorder to the computer without fuss and was able to immediately start editing and such.

Given my brief experience with the camera, I give it 5 stars. It records movies/audio very well, the picture looks fine on both the TV and computer, and the software allows organizing and editing (only minor editing, albeit) of videos and still photos. All things considered, I am happy with this camera.

3 Stars Not terribly pleased
Looking at the video on the little camcorder screen is one thing, looking at the video from a 43” flat screen is a completely different story. I have never owned a camcorder before this one but I was expecting some pretty nice picture quality on a normal TV but the picture quality is not very crisp. In an indoor setting you can see the facial features of people from the camcorder screen but those same features don’t show on the TV. Its very fuzzy. My next step will be to see the picture quality from a computer screen, perhaps the quality will be different. On the positive side, the camcorder is very small, easy to use, and you pretty much don’t need to buy anything else to use it, other then additional batteries.

4 Stars Great camcorder
I bought this camcorder based on the better zoom compared to others in its price range. I was able to start recording with this camcorder right out of the box. It is very simple to setup and quick review of the manual will answer all your questions. I have not used the software but was able to use the USB cable to transfer the video to my computer in a matter of minutes. The sound was fantastic and the video looked better than expected. Overall this is a great camcorder, easy to use, easy to setup. I would recommend one extra battery as the one that comes with it last 90 min.

2 Stars Not Impressed
The missus bought it, and I have used it, and downloaded the videos. The colors are washed out. Doesn’t seem to excel at any one task. Indoor looks washed out, outdoor same.

If you do purchase the camera, buy a second battery, and maybe even a third, you will need them.

We use to have a regular/tape video camera, and the image quality and colors on it were far & away superior to what this camera offers. I don’t know, something about new technology should provide superior performance than a camera that was 12 years old.

Oh well, it was the missus that threw her money away on this one.

Buy/More Info

Canon BP 827 Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Vixia HG 20 21 HF11 10 and 100 Camcorders

Canon Battery Pack BP-827 for the HG20 and HG21 Camcorder. Also works with VIXIA HF S10 Dual Flash Memory and the VIXIA HG20 Hard Disk Drive

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars awesome battery
i’ve been bumping up my canon HF10 and its strange but this battery is one of my favorite things in my camera bag because this thing last forever. i was using my camera from 8am till 6pm, on and off. but it lasted all day.

5 Stars Everything as it is supposed to be
Fine battery, works well and everything is as it is supposed to be. Love it.

5 Stars Great Battery Life
This battery is a must have if you have a video camcorder. It has about 4-hrs of usage time and so I don’t have to worry about a dead battery. Plus you can review videos and keep the camcorder on pause rather than having to turn off the power all the time.

The original equipment battery is now a spare/backup.

5 Stars Battery Pack for Canon of great benefit
During extensive filming, this battery pack provided reliable use of the Vixia HG20 for many hours. While the battery pack extends beyond the end of the camera when attached, it does not cause a problem in handling the camera nor does it look objectionable. The battery that comes with the HG20 is very short lived and the camera would be of limited value without this option.

5 Stars Must have item!!!!
This battery is great and a must have if you plan to record long sporting events.

Buy/More Info

ASUS Eee PC 900HA 8 9 Inch Netbook 1 6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor 1 GB RAM 160 GB Hard Drive 10 GB Eee Storage XP Home Black

The new Eee PC 900HA offers you more options for your mobile computing needs, providing the power of a full-sized laptop–with the latest Intel mobile processor and a 160 GB hard drive–in a compact body with an 8.9-inch screen. Designed specifically for mobile devices, the 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor uses a brand new design structure new hafnium-infused circuitry–which reduces electrical current leakage in transistors–to conserve energy, giving you more time away from the wall outlet. Coupled with the ASUS exclusive Super Hybrid Engine, you’ll also enjoy up to 5 hours of battery life with this Windows-powered laptop.

The Asus Eee PC 900’s 8.9-inch screen is easier on the eyes, and the integrated webcam makes video chats a snap.

Much more compact than a standard-sized notebook and weighing just 2.5 pounds, the Eee PC 900HA is perfect for students toting to school or road warriors packing away to Wi-Fi hotspots. In addition to the 160 GB hard disk drive (HDD), the Eee PC 900HA also features 1 GB of RAM, VGA-resolution webcam integrated into the bezel above the LCD, 54g Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g), multiple USB ports, SD memory card slot, a VGA output for connecting to a monitor, and up to 10 GB of online storage (complimentary for 18 months).

It comes preinstalled with the Microsoft Windows XP Home operating system, which offers more experienced users an enhanced and innovative experience that incorporates Windows Live features like Windows Live Messenger for instant messaging and Windows Live Mail for consolidated email accounts on your desktop. Complementing this is Microsoft Works, which equips the user with numerous office applications to work efficiently.

For journalists, photographers and other professionals who need to use a computer in the field to create, to communicate and to collaborate with other colleagues, the Eee PC’s combination of power, extreme portability and rugged build makes it the ideal computing solution. The keyboard is 95 percent the size of standard notebooks, making it more comfortable to type for larger hands.

It’s also a great choice for young students, with a built-in Dictionary that’s great for homework, and it includes two modes of intuitive graphic user interface design to accommodate both experienced and inexperienced PC users. The Eee PC also handles your digital images, movies, and music as well as Internet radio.

Nicely light at just 40 ounces (2.5 pounds), the Eee PC 900HA has an 8.9-inch wide TFT LCD with a 1024 x 600-pixel resolution (WXGA)–making it more comfortable on eyes than its predecessor. In addition to its 54g wireless LAN (802.11b/g), it also offers wired Fast Ethernet (10/100) connectivity and a 56K modem. You get three USB 2.0 ports, a VGA output for connecting to external monitors, headphone and microphone jacks, and a Secure Digital (SD) memory card slot (compatible with MMC memory cards). It’s equipped with a 0.3-megapixel webcam (placed in the bezel above the LCD) and integrated microphone, allowing you to snap still photos of yourself while on the go for sending via email or join video chats with friends and family.

Battery-Sipping Processor
The Intel Atom processor uses a brand new design structure that packs in 47 million transistors into a single chip sized at just 22mm (0.87 inches), and it uses just 2.5 watts of power–less than 1/10 of the 35 watts used by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor–for excellent battery management. This 1.6 GHz Atom N270 processor also includes a power-optimized front side bus of 533 MHz for faster data transfer on demanding mobile applications and a 512 KB L2 cache (which temporarily stores data).

Together with the exclusive ASUS Super Hybrid Engine, you’ll enjoy a longer battery lifespan of up to 7 hours, allowing you to stay in touch and be connected for a longer period of time while on-the-go. It offers a choice of performance and power consumption modes for easy adjustments according to your computing needs. The Super Hybrid Engine toggles between the following three modes:

• High Performance Mode (high performance with some power savings)
• Super Performance Mode (maximum performance)
• Power Saving Mode (maximum power savings and minimum noise)

Online Storage from ASUS
With this Eee PC, ASUS also provides 10 GB of online storage (easily accessible via a desktop icon), which enables you to download up to 5 GB of data per day. It also provides secure file encryption and accessibility from both Windows and Linux platforms. Whether you want to share images with friends and family or store big business presentations, you can now access your data with ease and not worry about space constraints. The Eee Storage service is complimentary for the first 18 months, and it must be registered within the first 6 months after date of purchase.

Specifications

• Operating system: Windows XP Home
• Internal memory: 160 GB hard disk drive (HDD)
• RAM: 1 GB DDR2
• Processor: 1.6 GHz Intel Atom
• Memory expansion: Slot for MMC/SD(SDHC) cards
• LCD: 8.9 inches, 1024 x 600 pixels
• Networking: 54g Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), 10/100 Fast Ethernet
• Peripheral connectivity: Three USB 2.0
• External video: One VGA
• External audio: One headphone and one microphone port
• Webcamera: Yes, 0.3 megapixels (VGA)
• Battery life: up to 5 hours
• Weight: 2.5 pounds (40 ounces)
• Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.7 x 1.33 inches

What’s in the Box
ASUS Eee PC 900HA, AC adapter, printed operating instructions. It’s backed by a 1-year warranty on parts and labor.

ZBD from ASUS
All Eee PC’s come with ASUS’s ZBD (Zero Bright Dot) guarantee. If the purchaser discovers one bright dot within 30 days of purchase, ASUS will replace the panel without cost to the purchaser.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars ASUS Eee PC 900HA 8.9-Inch Netbook
I bought this ASUS Eee PC 900HA 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, 10 GB Eee Storage, XP Home)to use while I’m traveling on my motorcycle.

It’s small and that’s just what I needed as luggage space is at a premium on a motorcycle.

The unit works well for what it’s designed for.

I wouldn’t want it as my main computer. The keyboard although small works well but I wouldn’t want to do a lot of typing with it.

I use it mainly for e-mail and Internet access and loading routes into my GPS while on the road.

Since there’s no CD in this unit you’ll need to use a network or memory cards to add new programs that come on a CD/DVD. I did not find this to be a problem.

I upgraded the memory to 2gb and it’s performance is very acceptable.

If you’re looking for a small computer that’s very mobile this unit will do the job.

5 Stars Works well
So far so good. Small keyboard is hard to get used to. It is fast and portable. Battery works for a few hours. Great computer

1 Star Screen Flaw – Returned it
The one star is mainly because the screen was flawed. Along much of the left side the screen was black in a very random way – covering up anything on the screen that should have been visible. I spent only 10 minutes using it, only long enough to get WINXP going so i could be sure the flaw stayed beyond the boot up screen (it did). But in those 10 minutes I learned a netbook is not for me. With a cell phone the tiny screen and keyboard is a fair trade off for being able to put it in my pocket. But the small screen on the netbook would be grueling after awhile. I touch type and the keyboard was just too small for proper finger position. Maybe I could have gotten used to it, but I would not want to try. I would rather lug my laptop around. So I guess the screen flaw was a good thing.

5 Stars NICE Netbook
This is a very nice netbook. Lots of disk space, storage space. Intel ATOM is recommended for netbooks. Has sufficient RAM. Is very light and portable. I recommend this netbook to anyone. Very satisfied with it.

4 Stars Best in class
I have had my asus for about a month now. I am a power user and have no less than 4 notebook computers I use ranging in size from a gaming 13.3 to this 8.9 screen. When I bought the Asus I purchased a 2GB Ram module at the same time so when I unboxed it started 2 GB instead of 1GB Ram. That being said here are my likes and dislikes about it.

Likes:

Screen is great. I have read reviews that say the screen is not bright enough but I have used my Asus in the car extensively under full sun no problems.

Size is great. I find of all my notebooks if I don’t have a gaming situation or media intensive applications, i.e., I just want to write, surf or edit some photos in Photoshop; the Asus is the one I go for. It’s a great compliment to my Blackberry.

Keyboard is great. Yes this is a great keyboard. Click thru, feel, and function are the best in class. The keyboard is also its biggest fault but only by inherent design.

Performance is great. The Asus has outperformed my Gateway running a Duo Core. Boot up time is fast and I have had no issues with multi tasking apps. I have loaded Adobe Photoshop and MS office suite.

Here is a tip: don’t load your machine with a resource intensive anti-virus program like Norton or McAfee. These anti-virus programs use lots of Ram and Computer resources and are the number one reason your computer slows down or crashes. Find a lean anti-virus program; there are some good ones out there.

Battery is great. If I’m using wifi, Bluetooth and a couple apps I get 3 hours, if I have wifi and Bluetooth turned off and only work on editing in word, I get over 5 hours of use.

Dislikes:

Keyboard. As mentioned above the keyboard is the best in class but as is the nature of the beast, when you want an ultra portable you have to make sacrifices and space is one. It is only a matter of training your fingers to be familiar with the small keys and slightly different layout. You will make more errors regardless but again don’t blame the beast for what it is.

Hard drive. I really wanted a solid state hard drive in the size of 32GB or bigger but Asus does not offer this.

Bluetooth. Again Asus does not offer a Bluetooth option and I had to buy a separate dongle that I must tote around.

Power adapter. If Asus had come out with a mini folding adapter it would have been perfect. Fact is the adapter is going to have to travel with you because at some point you need to recharge and all adapters are the Achilles heel of notebooks/ netbooks.

Overall:

for the money and quality Asus wins. I looked at HP Mini, Aspire and Dell. Both the Dell and HP models where considerably more expensive and the Aspires overall design turned me off plus upgrading the ram was difficult at best. The Asus works well for its intentions and I find myself using it more than any other notebook I own. Easy to carry around and gets the job done.

Buy/More Info