ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1005PE-MU27-BU 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook with Kindle for PC (11 Hours of Battery Life)

amazon customer rates:

This netbook does not last 11 hours. Maybe 4 tops but i didnt really care since i bought it for the size. I was looking forward to using this to take notes and write with me everywhere I go. The netbook is so light its a shame it was so slow. There is a button to change speeds; I maxed it out but yet the processor is way to laggy. You cant open more than one internet window or this thing lags like crazy. Applications like word, changing settings, and just simple computer functions were just agonizing to use.

I only bought this for facebook, notes, email, and just watching the occassional episode of dramas. But I couldn't even do those simple things without it lagging. Other college students don't waste your money on this, we have a limited income as is!

amazon customer rates:

A couple of months ago, I received one of the 1005PE alternatives to this netbook, and was fairly impressed with it. What happened to me is important for potential buyers of the current item, as well. Bear with me, as any potential purchaser should be aware of what may happen should there be any defect in the ASUS item they receive.

At the beginning of my review, let me recommend the review by "Turtle James," which is currently the top review for ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1005PE-PU27-BK 10.1-Inch Black Netbook (Up to 14 Hours of Battery Life). He includes much helpful information about the setup of this netbook, and I find his information to be quite flawless, though I'm not sure it is necessary to combine the partitions of the hard drive. The computer itself seemed to run well, and was not nearly as slow as some people make it out to be, but it is with regret that I must tell the tale of the defective charger, which turned the computer into an expensive paperweight.

I followed the instructions in the manual (which matches Turtle James's review well) regarding the charging of the netbook, and I think I would have discovered a quite long battery life as a result, if I would have kept it long enough to evaluate that part. However, I encountered a problem with a small defect that made the netbook unusable.

The charger, the AC adapter that plugs into the power outlet was unusual from the beginning. After the first charge, I noticed that the blue light that lights up on the charger would stay lit for a while after unplugging from any power source. Not having any experience with this particular adapter before, I was not sure if that was normal, and in fact am still not sure.

After going through two cycles of charging and depleting the battery, as instructed, I attempted to charge the netbook for the third time, and behold, the charger did not work at all. When this happens, one cannot charge the netbook, and therefore cannot use it until one obtains a new charger. Buying a new charger after only two charges is in my opinion ridiculous, and to be avoided on principle.

So, I set about to rectify the situation, first calling the manufacturer, ASUS (pronounced ay-soos' by the service personnel). After messing about for some time trying different things with the technician, it became apparent that the charger must be defective. They said I could begin the process for an RMA, if I like, and I did like that idea, until I got further into the details.

It came as a surprise to me that ASUS would require me to send the defective part back to them first, upon receipt of which, they would begin the process to send me a new part that functioned correctly. I was informed that the RMA process at that point would take 10 - 14 business days. I asked what shipping method would be used to send the new part to me, and was informed it would be Fed-Ex...Ground.

The entire process, therefore, would take about a month to get what was rightfully mine in the first place for having purchased the device, after which I would not be able to return the device.

So, I chose to return the device to Amazon instead, because I learned the valuable lesson of what it is like to deal with the ASUS service department. I cannot thank ASUS enough for clarifying to me what type of company I was dealing with when purchasing their magnificent piece of . . . gadgetry.

I also made the mistake of ordering RAM and a case for the netbook at the same time, accessories I had no further need of, so I returned those as well. Amazon, being a company with integrity, refunded the entire amount. This has also been a valuable lesson on the folly of purchasing accessories before being certain the main product is stable.

amazon customer rates:

I received my netbook on Wednesday but wanted to wait for a few days before voicing my opinion. I'm glad I did.

Like many, I changed the RAM to 2 GB, though I did this prior to turning the computer on for the first time. Following that, I pressed the wrong "power" button and found myself in Asus' Express Gate, which immediately frustrated me because I thought that that was it - I was stuck with those four programs, with no way of accessing the large hard drive, etc.. One short panic attack later, I did some Googling and realized that you're supposed to press the button on the right to access Windows 7. So I did.

I spent the next few hours attempting to customize, but installing an antivirus program, backing up the computer, dealing with the "your antivirus programs are off" flag and not realizing that the netbook was attempting to update its own antivirus program in the background made everything lock up. I was only able to do things once every few minutes, and I was worried that the problem was either with the memory or with the netbook or with Windows 7. In any case, not happy.

One day later, with a much cooler head, I played around a bit with it, adding in Asus' System Setting utility so that I could change the background. It turned out that once I stopped being an idiot trying to run too many installers at once, the 2GB memory was more than enough to keep everything running smoothly. Go figure ;)

There were a lot of complaints about Windows 7 Starter, but now that they've removed the three-app restriction, I find that it's really easy to work with. I installed Office 2007 and haven't had any issues as I work on my book or browse the internet. A lot of the upgrades in Windows 7 Ultimate had to do with movie playback/recording and DVDs, none of which are functions that I intend to use on this tiny little thing. I even tested it out and found that I can use a VGA cable and hook up my television as a monitor. I'm hoping that this translates into a projector-friendly function.

It does take a little while to get used to the keyboard, and I find that my hands rest with my palms on the wristrest and my arms on the table. My actual wrists are hovering in midair, which is annoying but not wholly uncomfortable. Just have to get used to it, I suppose.

If you read through this whole review, thanks. I think that the ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1005PE-MU27-PI 10.1-Inch Pink Netbook with Kindle for PC (11 Hours of Battery Life) is a great purchase. I wouldn't use it for Photoshopping, but for a day-to-day alternative to the heavy-duty laptop, it does quite well. (Please note that it was a bit pinker than I expected. Must be a trick of the lighting.)

amazon customer rates:

The netbook arrived a full day sooner than Amazon estimated, which was nice. Great looking netbook. I plugged in the battery unit, plugged in the AC, and gave it a full 18 hours to charge (8 was recommended).
I was very disappointed to discover that the netbook would not boot. No hard drive spinning, nor anything the screen. The power light came on, but that was it.
Spent an hour and a half (after a half hour wait) with Asus technical support trying this and that to no avail. At the end, all they could recommend was that I ship it back to Amazon, which I am now in the process of doing. I hope this story will have a happy ending eventually, in which case I'll modify this review. For now, however, this netbook has been a complete waste of money and time.

amazon customer rates:

This Asus fills exactly niche intended. It sits on kitchen desk ready to do quick search for movietimes, email check, recipe check, mapquest. My only complaint is that I did follow advice of other customers and purchase 2G memory chip. Installation was hampered by casing. The lid on bottom of netbook which covers memory chip was nearly impossible to remove. It became quite scratched as we struggled to lift the plastic.