Asus Anticipation: Preee-Order Support Group

Thanks to ZicklePop@twitter, I got the idea to set up a Preee-Order Support group for the Asus eee PC 1000HE. Please feel free to post especially if you have pre-ordered and feel lost, anxious, excited, and obsessed.

Thanks to my friend, Quyen I was able to use a $50.00 gift certificate toward a pre-order of this baby in blue (plus a 2gb RAM upgrade). All Asus said about the release was late February, but it is February 16 and at this point you would think an ETA would be set if the release date is going to be in February. Googling 1000HE Ship date, I found ZicklePop's twitter that the Amazon iphone app said the release was mid-April. I dispaired. It turns out ZicklePop's twitter source said that the ship date is actually 2-20-09. I also read a rumor that they may have shipped last Friday and that they should be arriving this week. I asked for confirmation at the Official ASUS eee PC Facebook site, but no word yet only anxious folk.

From Amazon:

The Eee PC 1000HE by Asus comes in a Blue style that has a much longer battery life than previous models, up to 9 hours with the help of the new Intel N280 processor and Asus Super Hybrid Engine battery technology. The Eee PC has a sturdy LED backlit display with a high-resolution screen. At 1024 x 600 pixels, images are clear and sharp, making it more comfortable on the eyes reading and editing documents. Typing has also gotten easier with the new chicklet keyboard, which gives you wide keys that are spread out to help prevent mistyping. On the top of this screen is the 1.3 Megapixel Webcamera that works synchronously with the 802.11N wireless to provide web conferencing anywhere, anytime for easier web communications and increased work efficiency. To complete the wireless package you also get Bluetooth that allows you to easily connect wireless with Bluetooth headsets or mouse for added comfort and use. Store all your favorite music, video and personal files on the 160GB hard drive and when you need additional space or some way to backup, you can do it with the additional 10GB Eee Online storage. Preinstalled on the Eee PC to provide you a familiar interface is Microsoft's Windows XP Home, Windows Live Messenger and Works for numerous office applications, that allows anyone to learn, work and play. With all of these features the Asus Eee PC makes for a fantastic purchase as a well-equipped second notebook or a Web access tool, so beat the crowds, and get yours today before they sell out! 10 LCD WSVGA (1024 x 600) LED Backlight Display Intel UMA Graphics Card 1.3 Megapixel Webcamera and Digital Array Microphone WiFi 802.11b/g/n Wireless Bluetooth 10/100Mbps LAN Stereo Speakers Memory Card Slot - MultiMedia Card (MMC), Secure Digital (SD) Card, SDHC Connections - 3 x USB, VGA, Headphone, Microphone, RJ-45 (LAN) Approximate Unit Dimensions - 10.47 (W) x 7.53 (D) x 1.12 ~ 1.50 (H)

When my 17" Dell Inspiron 1705's screen and video died, I could spend 300-500 (or more with no guarantees it would be fixable) to fix it, or use that money to get a new machine. This budget put me in the market for newfangled netbooks. I was open to it because I had found that the 17" was way too bulky to carry around the house much less to a cafe, work, or travel. The battery life on the 1705 was abysmal. The power cord would go unplugged and it would be out of power in less than an hour, so I had to have it plugged whereever I went which defeated the whole concept of portable.

I give up screensize, processing power, and resolution for portability and price. I will let you know if it is worth it. Meanwhile, I anxiously wait.