Laptop Club

The netbook market is dominated by laptops whose frames are thick slabs of unattractive plastics, and design is often sacrificed in the name of hitting cellar prices. In looks, the new ASUS EeePC 1008HA (Seashell) is basically everything that the EeePC 1000HE isn't. Though the frame is still made up of plastic, it's noticeably thinner and lighter than the 1000HE while maintaining the 10-inch widescreen and 92% keyboard. Replacing a removable battery with a non-removable one was the only sacrifice. Even then, the nearly 6 hours it scored in battery testing is more than acceptable.

• Price as Tested: $430.00 Street
• Type: General Purpose, Ultraportable, Value, Netbook
• Operating System: MS Windows XP Professional
• Processor Name: Intel Atom N280
• Processor Speed: 1.66 GHz
• RAM: 1 GB
• Weight: 2.4 lb
• Screen Size: 10.1 inches
• Screen Size Type: widescreen
• Graphics Card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• Storage Capacity: 160 GB
• Networking Options: 802.11a/g
• Primary Optical Drive: External