Conclusions
We don't expect much from netbook performance, and the Eee PC 1000 40G delivers on those modest expectations. Intel's Atom processor isn't the quickest chip on the block, but it's fast enough for web browsing, IM chatter, email, word processing, and a little spreadsheet work. You could dip into photo editing and other tasks, too, but that's where the Atom's limited horsepower really starts to hurt. Of course, these limitations aren't unique to the Eee PC; most of the new netbooks on the market use the same 1.6GHz N270 processor and its associated 945GSE chipset.

The Atom is an obvious upgrade over the original Eee's underclocked Celeron, but the 1000's bigger screen and higher display resolution are much more important improvements. Having 1024 horizontal pixels makes web browsing a breeze, particularly when coupled with two-finger scrolling. The larger screen also stretches the form factor to accommodate a larger keyboard. Typing on the original Eee PC was an unpleasant chore, but surprisingly comfortable on the 1000, whose keyboard is roomy enough for high-speed typing even with those with larger hands.

Of course, the keyboard isn't perfect; the placement of the right shift key is all wrong, and that creates some serious problems if you do a lot of writing. But in return you get a proper directional key layout, and for some folks, that might matter more than easy capitalization.

As a writer, the right shift key almost ruins the Eee PC 1000 for me. But only almost. The Eee's saving grace is its incredible battery life. Achieving six hours of run time is an impressive feat to say the least, and it's by far the best battery life we've seen from a netbook. Asus also scores points for not skimping on extras, bundling in Bluetooth and 802.11n wireless connectivity that you have to pay extra for with most notebooks.

Those critical of netbooks will be quick to point out that the 40G's $673 street price is really quite expensive, and nearly twice the cost of the original 4G Surf. Calling the system over-priced would be a stretch, though; keep in mind that you're getting a much bigger screen, a comfy keyboard, better Wi-Fi, a six-cell battery, and 40GB of solid-state storage. SSDs aren't cheap, folks.

Fortunately, Asus also offers an Eee PC 1000H (not to be confused with the Celeron-based 1000HD) that's virtually identical to the 40G. This 1000H variant trades solid-state storage for an 80GB mechanical hard drive, ditches Linux for Windows XP, and can be had for as little as $540. That's one heck of a deal, and if I were shopping for a netbook today, the 1000H is the one I'd pick up. In fact, if I were a cash-strapped student or had otherwise simple mobile computing needs, I'd be taking a long, hard look at a Eee PC 1000H as a notebook replacement, too.