Asus' New $1,399 Eee PC features DVD burner - have netbooks officially jumped the shark?
When is a netbook no longer a netbook? Adam Turner thinks it's when it costs and weighs as much as a notebook.
Okay, we have to draw a line in the sand somewhere and I'm drawing it here. Once a netbook features a DVD burner, costs almost 1,500 Aussie pesos and weights almost 1,500 grams, you can't call it a netbook. That's the case with the new Asus Eee PC 1004DN.
Going back a step, I thought Asus' recent Eee PC S101 was an impressive effort for the new generation of Eee PCs.
The weight is down to a crazy 1.045 kg, the trackpad buttons have improved dramatically and the unit looks a lot sexier than the frumpy first-gen Eee PCs.
You could sit down in a meeting with the S101 and not worry about people thinking you were a cheapskate using a budget netbook. It's expensive at $1,029, but I'll let it sneak in as a netbook because it's so slim and sexy.
While the 10 inch S101 feels like the next step forward in netbooks, the 10 inch 1004DN feels like two steps backwards. The weight is back up to around 1.5 kg - the same as the frumpy old 1000Hx range - although you've now got additional features such as a DVD burner and an Express Card slot.
Unlike the S101, the 1004DN also features a decent 1.3 megapixel webcam and a decent-sized right shift key. Unfortunately it doesn't feature a solid state hard drive, but I'm guessing that would have driven the price north of $1,500.
Don't get me wrong, the 1004DN looks like an impressive piece of kit - just at that price and weight, don't call it a netbook.
Other Blog Entries written by Adam Turner:
Thoughts on this article? Add a comment below.
Comments: 2
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PaytonLiu
Apr 2, 2009 2:34 PM
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$1,399...um...I wonder who will buy it...plus 1.5kg weight... |
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sheriejason
Oct 6, 2009 6:09 PM
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www.eshopviva.com.au has the cheapest one on the net (that i found after many hours of searching) at $870, i just ordered mine 2 hours ago with double ram, 1GB extra at $85, and shipping to me at $45 (there in Melbourne and i'm in Central Queensland)... =$1000 |