Not all netbooks are created equal and the Eee PC 1018P happens to be one of the nicest netbooks to come out from ASUS this year. It boasts a ton of functionality, superb design, and a refinement of netbook features that makes it utterly usable and delicious.
To start with I was impressed with the fact that the 1018P is covered from head to toe in brushed aluminium. I am one of those faintly disturbing people who utterly hates prints and marks on my technology. You can often find me feverishly rubbing at cases and screens with special cloths to remove the stains and smudges left behind by human hands.
So, when you have a netbook covered in brushed aluminium, what you have is a netbook that defies smudges and smears. When you whip this baby out at meetings, you won’t be embarrassed by the fact that your ten year old happened to use it this morning and left a fat handprint on the cover.
The 1018P also boasts a 10.1 inch screen – definitely big enough to appreciate media and documents – a 1024×600 resolution and brilliant colour reproduction. You can seriously enjoy this as a multimedia machine without compromising on quality – and this functionality can easily be turned to presentations too.
While some netbook keyboards can cause you to cry with frustration, I found that the 1018P offered an acceptable performance in this department. It is solid and firm, you feel as if your fingers are making a satisfying impact, and the keys are spread widely enough that you don’t end up smashing the wrong keys on a regular basis.
It also happens to sit beautifully in the weight department. The Eee PC 1018P weighs only 1.1kgs – this is light, very light, and won’t leave you with an aching shoulder after a long commute. It is also very impressive when you consider that it has a good battery life, a 250GB hard drive, an Intel Atom N475 processor, Wi-Fi, USB 3.0, Bluetooth 3.0, and a finger print reader, all included in this tiny frame.
The Eee PC 1018P comes in at a very acceptable price point, has a wealth of features, and works a charm. It also happens to look fabulous. I really like this netbook and think that it looks set to be one of the leaders in the market over the course of 2011.