-
"Stylish Performance" on by evilgoosey
Pros: Super svelt design, The keyboard on the 1018pb is surprisingly nicer and easier to use than the one on the Toshiba NB305, Outstanding battery life, Very light and sturdy.
Cons: Multi-touch gestures on the touchpad are a bit tough to use...but I don't use them much anyhow. Windows 7...good lord microsoft.
Summary: Setting up the system was a breeze, I had to go in and remove a few things (crapware) but all in all it was cake. Immediately tested out youtube...ran like a champ. Regular 360p videos didn't raise a single issue, the 480p only occasionally had a hiccup..even the 720p videos ran "relatively" smoothly but make no mistake, this machine isn't meant for HD enthusiasts. The sound on this netbook is great, far better speakers on this baby than found on my old Lenovo S10. Performance wise I was astounded by the 1018pb's ability to launch items quickly, and multitask efficiently. I had itunes, limewire and google chrome running simultaneously without a hitch. Now for children and teens alike yearning to play mass effect 2 on this netbook...forget about it. However! I tested out a few games (Garrys Mod, Counter Strike Source, The Ship, Trackmania Nations) and all of them ran extremely well on low to medium settings. To wrap it up, I've been running on battery for about 6 hours now and I've still got some juice left in this magical device. If you're a college student looking for a durable, portable alternative to a laptop and dont mind trading off some of the functionality of a core i7 for it, than this netbook is nearly a must buy.
-
"GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION" on by acro47
Pros: - Easy out-of-the-box setup
- Lightweight/ultraportable
- Long battery life!
- Real track pad
- Chiclet keysCons: - Wish it had backlit keyboard
- Slightly slower than expectedSummary: I've only had my 1018PB for about 10 days. Comfortable keyboard, easy setup & connect to my network, crisp display, good sound for a compact device. I like the "real" touch pad much better than the HP minis & others I looked at with the raised dots, those were annoying. This is my personal device (my work/home workhorse is a loaded Mac Book Pro, which I love but it's too heavy for travel) so I think the Asus will serve my need primarily as a writing tool & travel companion (a reasonable 2 lbs). Thus far I have used it on battery just over 4 hrs. & it has juice to spare, but I haven't yet pushed it to capacity.
After nearly two months, I am happy with the Asus 1018PB as far as the purpose for which I bought it, which is personal use/ writing/travel. The biggest down side is that it's very slow compared to a "real" laptop -- slow to open programs, painfully slow to install/uninstall software, slow for web pages to load (and I have good internet via Comcast Infinity) -- so you just have to factor in & be prepared to slow down your pace and wait for things to happen. Aside from that, it's fine for my needs, small & light, nice display, visually appealing, and I like the chiclet keys much better than the recessed keys on other models. If an ultraportable is what you need, and if you understand going in that this is not meant to be a workhorse computer, I think you'll be pleased with its overall performance.
I will update after 30-60 days but nothing sinister has popped up yet. I have liked using it a little more each day. Off to a good start....
Updated on Aug 28, 2010 -
"Solid Netbook for business or play" on by servnhim
Pros: The new brushed aluminum is great. It is incredibly thin which makes it a perfect fit for the business traveler.Typing is solid.The trackpad is a huge improvement over the Asus models with the touchpad bumps.The battery life is 8.5hrs.
Cons: Windows 7 Starter Edition is a joke. If you can, upgrade it or move to linux. I do wish this bestbuy model came with the same 2 year warranty that you would normally get from Asus.com.
Summary: This is a solid and durable netbook with a lot to offer. Users will love the functionality, size and dependability of the ASUS 1018PB. For those needing something light and rugged to take on the road, you will not be disappointed. I would highly recommend.
-
"HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT" on by trailrunner1956
Pros: - Attractive
- Decent picture & sound
- LightweightCons: - SLOW as molasses
- Very cramped keyboard
- Highly oversensitive trackpad
- Programs close mid-stream for no reasonSummary: I bought it just for travel, to have something ultra-light to check email and type brief summaries on the road for business, plus occasional surfing when I need something in particular. Yes, it's good looking and very lightweight.
BUT -- It's unbelievably slow to open programs, close programs, install or uninstall software, move from one thing to the next etc.
The super-sensitive trackpad -- even on the lowest slowest setting -- means your cursor is constantly jumping elsewhere without your knowledge. You'll be typing something and you look at the screen and it's one big mess because what you typed isn't where your cursor started.
Customer support is very limited, very difficult to get, and good luck connecting with somebody who actually knows anything.
Bottom line -- it's not a real computer. I didn't expect much for $350, but I did expect better than this. Don't waste your money. -
"You get what you pay for!" on by tuespm449
Pros: None I can think of.
Cons: Unreliable. Repairs end up costing more than the laptop. Plan on lots of them. 'd give it "zero" stars if it were an option.
Summary: Had to return the first 2 as they didn't work out of the box. The third one has been in the shop for repairs 4 times. After just getting it back on Thurs., Friday afternoon the hard drive died. I would NOT recommend this laptop to my worst enemy.
Write a Review
Compare to other laptops
Compare Selected
