Eee PC 1005HA: Netbook or cheap laptop?

On Friday I bought myself a new netbook, the new 'Seashell' Eee PC from Asus. Netbooks have changed a lot since I bought the original Eee PC 701 in November 2007, increasingly blurring the netbook/laptop boundary.

My first Eee PC failed back in December, and since then I've been struggling without it. 'Struggling' because the netbook perfectly fills the giant gap between the mobile browser and the PC, a gap that can't be filled by a laptop as a laptop is too large to carry everywhere without a second-thought. Getting a slightly larger than expected pay packet last month I decided that it was time to get a new netbook, luckily coinciding with the launch of a new Eee PC model.


First impressions of the 1005HA are generally positive, although there are two features I prefered on the 701: the slightly larger keyboard means I now hit '#' and '\' rather than 'Enter' and 'Shift'; whilst the touch pad is regularly zooming in and out accidently. It would also have been nice if the 1005HA included a case as the 701 did.

Whilst the 1005HA has a larger screen and harddrive, as well as a better chip and battery (mine lasted for 6hrs 3mins of wi-fi enabled web surfing), it is pushing the boundaries of what is and isn't a netbook. Not only does the increased size and weight mean that I am less likely to want to carry the 1005HA everywhere, but the increased harddrive space means I am more more likely to store information on it that I don't want to risk losing. When you start to debate whether to take your netbook out with you it has become a laptop.

It is too early for me to conclude whether my 1005HA is a netbook or laptop, but I fear I may have bought a cheap laptop. Only time will tell.