Asus Eee PC 1000 netbook computer

With rumours of so many competitors bringing out netbooks with 10in screens, Asus clearly doesn’t want to get left behind and has released a 10in version of the Eee PC.

There are two basic versions of the Eee PC, the 1000 Linux-based model and the 1000 Windows-based alternative.

Thanks to the large screen, Asus has been able to fit the Eee PC1000 with a bigger, easier-to-use keyboard.

Some slight compromises have been made with the keyboard layout, though.

The undersized Shift key on the right-hand side of the keyboard means it’s easy to hit the Page Up key by mistake when typing quickly, and the keyboard is mounted slightly lower in the chassis, so accessing the bottom row of keys isn’t as easy as it should be.

But, quirks aside, it is comfortable to type on with just the right response from the keys, making it the easiest to use Eee PC yet.

Above the keyboard are four buttons, two of which turn the screen off and change its resolution, while the others are user-configurable; if left to the default settings, they provide quick access to the included Skype software and Asus Super Hybrid technology.

As with the 901, the 1000 is powered by Intel’s 1.6GHz Atom processor backed by 1GB of Ram and you get 802.11n, Bluetooth, 10/100Mbits/sec Ethernet and a 6,600mAh battery. You also get a decent amount of internal storage, with this Linux-based 1000 coming with a 40GB SSD drive for storage while the cheaper Windows-based 1000H has a standard mechanical 1.8in 80GB hard drive.

The 1000 is the most comfortable Eee to use, but the price is creeping away from what most people consider to be netbook territory.