Before I get into what I think about this device, here’s a quick guide for understanding the different flavors of the 1005HA:

1005HA-P (most expensive)
N280 1.66 GHz Processor, 667MHz Front Side Bus, 1.3MP Web Cam, 10.5 Hour Battery, Glossy Display, Bluetooth, Netbook Sleeve
Available Colors: Black, Blue
ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-PU1X-BK 10.1-Inch Black Netbook – 10.5 Hour Battery Life

1005HA-V (mid range price)
N270 1.6 GHz Processor, 533MHz Front Side Bus, 0.3MP Web Cam, 8.5 Hour Battery, Matted Display
Available Colors: Black, Blue, White, Pink
ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-VU1X-WT 10.1-Inch White Netbook – 8.5 Hour Battery Life

1005HA-B (cheapest one, sold at best buy)
N270 1.6 GHz Processor, 533MHz Front Side Bus, 0.3MP Web Cam, 4.5 Hour Battery, Matted Display
Available Colors: Black, Blue, White, Pink
ASUS Eee PC 1005HAB-BLK001X 10.1-Inch Black Netbook – 4.5 Hour Battery Life

Which one to get?

It’s hard to recommend the B series offered at best buy if you have to pay sales tax. After you add sales tax, you are then approaching the price of the V series which gets twice the battery life. Battery life is one of the biggest features of a netbook so I wouldn’t go cheap and get less battery.

Deciding between the V series and the P series really comes done to how much you care about a slight speed different (if any), a small battery life difference, a better web cam, Bluetooth, and/or the netbook sleeve. To me, the extra ~$40 for the P series is well worth it. A netbook sleeve alone costs $10-$20 bucks.

Pros:

• The 1005HA-P comes with all the features you want in a netbook. Some ppl may prefer a higher resolution screen but I don’t think it’s required.
• It’s thinner than the 1000HE, although it seems to be as heavy.
• I think the new keyboard rivals the great hp mini keyboards. The full size right shift key was enough for me to drop my 1000HE.
• The best thing about this unit is the battery life. Don’t hold your breath for getting 10 whole hours though. Expect 7-8 hours with wifi and Bluetooth on in power save mode. I expect to get 6-7 hours in high performance mode.
• Windows 7 works like a charm.

Cons:

• The long life battery makes this unit heavy. The weight is not a show stopper but it’s something to be aware of.
• Some ppl might not like how the touch pad is integrated with the body of the device. The touchpad is bumpy so u can find it in the dark. It took me a day to get use to it.
• The speakers are on the bottom front of the device so when I had it on the bed, the volume was low.
• Upgrading the hard drive requires a lot of work and may void the warranty.
• I don’t like the one long rocker button for the touchpad. I prefer 2 separate buttons.

Should you upgrade from the 1000HE to the 1000HA?

Since the battery life difference is minimum, the only reason to upgrade would be to get the better keyboard. To me it’s worth it since the right shift key on the 1000HE is annoying. I also prefer the trackpad on the 1005HA but I can understand if it gets mixed reviews.

1005HA vs 1008HA

I like the 1008HA but it’s hard for me to recommend it over the 1005HA. For $30-$40 more you get one less usb port, you get covered usb ports which is annoying, and you get less than half the battery life. Yes the 1008HA is slimmer and weighs less. I just can’t justify the extra cost of a device that looks good but does less.

Bottom Line:

The 1005HA is really the best netbook currently available. It comes with all the features you need in a netbook. It has the longest battery life of any notebook. The keyboard is now as good as the HP and Samsung netbooks. Unless you are really on a tight budget, or if you need a smaller or less heavy device, there really is no reason to buy another netbook.

Necessary Upgrades:

Make sure you get the correct memory for this device. Don’t think about running Windows 7 without 2GB of Ram
Crucial 2GB 667 Mhz CT25664AC667 DDR2 200-Pin SODIMM Laptop Memory

Netbooks do not come with DVD drives so consider get a cheap external one.
Samsung SE-S084B/RSBN External Slim USB DVD-Writer

UPDATE:

There seems to be a debate over using the 667MHz memory Amazon recommends versus 800MHz memory the 1005HA ships with. I’ve read that the 800MHz is beneficial but I also read that the 800MHz runs at 667MHz even if u overclock. There’s a heated discussion on the eeeuser form about this. Check it out for yoursef.

- GT

I got up at 7am, was out the door at 7:25, and was in front of my local Sprint store at 7:36 (and yes, I did shower!!!). I may have run a yellow light or two as the traffic lights where I live can be quite long.

When I pulled into the parking lot, a saw a bunch of ppl posted up in front of the store. It didn’t seem to be too many ppl so I parked. If there would have been 100 ppl, I would have moved on. Thankfully, I didn’t have to drive 15 minutes to the next store and possibly to a larger line.

As I put my car in park, some dude parked right next to me but was able to jump out of his car quicker than I could (B!@$#!!!). Did I just lose a spot in line while checking myself for eye boogers!?!??!1?!?!? (more on this later)

The ppl waiting in line were all very nice. They were chatting and joking around. Within moments, a sprint employee came from inside of the store to hand out numbers to the recent arrivals. I managed to position myself in a spot to be the first number recipient among the folks that didn’t have a number yet. I was number nine. The sucka that tried to brody me in the parking lot got number 12!!! (Haha) Serves hime right for trying to thug out a thug.  I prolly should have offered to exchange numbers but I swear that guy didn’t even come to a complete stop before hopping out of his car.  Sucka!!! (He actually seemed like a decent guy.  I actually feel bad now about thugging it out.  Oh well…)

The store promptly opened at 8am. The 24 minute wait outside actually flew by. The 25 minute wait to have my number called seemed much longer. Thankfully, the process for signing up with Sprint was mostly painless. I was back in my car at 8:45.

I didn’t drive off right away of course. I spent a little time playing with the device. I tired to make a call but discovered that I had to activate it first. I was on hold waiting to talk to a Sprint rep for the entire trip home.

So… what do I think about the phone? I’ll post some Initial Impressions after I’ve played with it for a while. Within a week or so I’ll post a full blown review. I do have to say that, out of the box, this device looks like a winner.

Verizon customers rejoice!

The most anticipated phone since the iPhone is coming to Verizon!!! Reuters is reporting that the Palm Pre will make it’s way to Verizon Wireless customers within six months. Thus, if you were thinking about switching to Sprint, you may not have to (unless you are like me and you need the Palm Pre yesterday). Click here for the article.

This is my second Eee as I also own the Asus 1000HE. While I love the 1000HE, I was really looking forward to the 1008HA because of the slimmer design and full size right shift key. After a couple of days with the device, here are my thoughts:

Pros:

• It has a full size right shift key!!! Touch typist will appreciate this over the tiny, misplaced right shift key on the 1000HE.
• The 1008HA feels much lighter than the 1000HE. When people would pick up my 1000HE, they would be surprised by how heavy it is. The 1008HA feels great.
• Even in a slim package, the 1008HA still has all of the features you want in a Netbook: wireless N, Bluetooth, N280 processor, SDHC card slot, and decent battery life.
• I’m getting over 4 hours of battery life so far. Not bad for a 3 cell battery!!!
• It includes a slim VGA port but it includes a standard VGA adapter that is tucked away under the device.
• The 1008HA is a beautiful piece of equipment. I know this isn’t a technical benefit but it doesn’t hurt. The 1000HE is “husky” in comparison.

Cons:

• Having only 2 USB ports kinda sucks since I sometimes need to connect my phone, retractable mouse, and USB storage drive.
• As another reviewer mentioned, if you need to keep a wireless receiver plugged in for your non-bluetooh devices, the port covers will annoy you. Perhaps you can remove one of the covers?
• I prefer two separate mouse buttons instead of the rocker button. I don’t know why they switched to the rocker.
• The memory, hard drive, and battery are not user replaceable. I read that you can have these replaced at an Asus service center though. I find that 1GB of ram is fine for XP.
• Windows 7 doesn’t work yet because of video issues. I read on an Eee forum that there’s an auto login workaround if that interests you.
• It doesn’t have the legendary battery life of the 1000HE but 4 hours isn’t bad for a device this small.

Conclusion:

Whether you buy the 1008HA over the 1000HE, or the upcoming 1005HA (which is basically a 1000HE with more battery life and a full size right shift key), it comes down to this- are you willing to sacrifice battery life, a usb port, and additional cost to get a lighter, slimmer device. I like the 1008HA and highly recommend it to anyone that will appreciate this compromise.

For those that prefer function over form, the 1000HE or the upcoming 1005HA should fit the bill. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the Eee 100X series netbooks. They continue to offer all of the features at the best prices. Don’t get those cheaper, crippled netbooks. You’ll kick yourself.

UPDATE (6/30):

After using the 1008HA for a few weeks, I decided that battery life is more important than size and weight. With a fully charged 1000HE, you rarely have to look at the remaining power. You simply will not use it all before running out. While I like the 1008HA, I have the give the edge to the 1000HE. I plan to pick up the 1005HA when it ships. I suspect it will be the king of them all.

I can’t say I like these 1008HA promotional videos but at least I’ll have my 1008HA soon.

Asus 1008HA Netbook now Available

ASUS Eee PC 1008HA Seashell 10-Inch Pearl White Netbook (1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 Processor, 1GB RAM, Bluetooth, Slim 1-inch Thin Design, 2.4lbs light, XP Home)

Logitech is finally shipping its Harmony Adapter for Playstation 3 This device gives PS3 users the ability to control the PS3 with Logitech Harmony remotes, including on/off functionality. PS3 users rejoice!!!

Welcome to GadgetThug.com, home of gadget enthusiasts and gadget lovers. The goal of this site is to feature news on the latest gadgets, as well as deliver some original content. We plan to put together helpful product demos, product reviews, tutorials, and how-to’s. We will also list current deals on gadgets, money saving coupons, and price mistakes.

Original Content

Rather than be just a Me-Too news site, GadgetThug will feature its own content.  We are developing a slue of video demos, product reviews, and tutorials.  We typically get gadgets when they first come out so we will provide and early, in-depth look at the most anticipated gadgets. We will also feature reader requested hacks and modifications. This includes bios upgrades, chipset updates, overclocking guides, and more.  Our goal is to provide something unique and informative.

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If there’s something you want us to test or try out, let us know.  If you have gadget news that you think we can use, please share it. Mi website, su website.  Make GadgetThug.com a top destination for gadget enthusiasts.

Get Thugged Out

Occasionally we’ll feature articles, pics, or clips we find to be thugged out.  By this we mean crazy hacks or modifications to electronic equipment.  We may even throw in some gadget related epic fails, ala failblog.org.

Peace

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GadgetThug out.