5 reasons why Asus EEE 1000 is perfect for backpackers

by Michael Tieso on January 12, 2009

in Gear

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Just last week I purchased an Asus EEE 1000HD. Before I made the purchase I was reading an endless amount of reviews for several different makes and models. It was a battle between HP Mini, Dell Mini, and Asus 1000. I couldn’t decide which one to get but my final decision ended up being the Asus EEE 1000 and I’m glad I choose it.

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Here are 5 reasons why I think the Asus EEE 1000 is perfect for backpackers.

  1. Small and Light – After all, this is what it’s known for! Weighing at only 1.45kg or 3.1lbs. The size is perfect as well. The keys are not too difficult to press but does require some getting use to due to the layout of the keys. Weight is of course important for backpackers and this is definitely a machine you won’t have to worry about carrying around.
  2. Inexpensive - I wont be crying about how much it cost me if it gets broken, lost, or stolen. They really don’t get much cheaper then this. Different stores sell different models whether you want windows or Linux, web cam or not, there is a budget for you out there.
  3. Hard Drive Space – The model I bought has 160gigs.  Compared to HP Mini and Dell Mini with very small 8gig hard drive. I was able to fit most of my music and pictures. While traveling, I don’t always have internet connection to upload pictures so a bigger hard drive helps. Carrying a external hard drive is an option however I don’t want to carry extra equipment around when it could just  be included in the laptop.
  4. Battery Life – The 6-cell battery means that it will last between 4 to 8 hours depending how you are using the laptop. Backpackers will find this especially helpful because there  aren’t always places to connect the laptop.
  5. Speed - I’ve tested a few software’s and it’s definitely powerful enough for most backpackers. Office and Adobe runs with no issues. Computer problems on the road is not something you want to deal with and I find this laptop will not give me many problems.

You’ll be seeing most of my updates being done from my tiny netbook. I’m very happy with it and I really can’t complain.

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Michael Tieso travels around the world writing, photographing, and filming his adventures. He left the cubicle life to travel the world in May 2009 and he still continues the journey to this day with no end to it. He loves adventure, food, and music. He is the Editor-in-chief of Art of Backpacking. Follow him on Twitter and .

Michael has written 285 awesome articles for AOB.

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  • http://deborah.ws deborah

    Why do I need a laptop when I’m backpacking? While netbooks are certainly cool and have their place, they don’t strike me as the kind of gear I need in the backcountry.

  • deborah

    Why do I need a laptop when I’m backpacking? While netbooks are certainly cool and have their place, they don’t strike me as the kind of gear I need in the backcountry.

  • Pingback: Should you bring a laptop while backpacking? | Art of Backpacking

  • http://t3mujin.tumblr.com/ João Almeida

    At least in Europe most of the hostels have free wifi but paid internet kiosks, so having a laptop means not spending money for a limited time of internet access and gives you more freedom (I really could use one last year in Iceland)

  • http://t3mujin.tumblr.com João Almeida

    At least in Europe most of the hostels have free wifi but paid internet kiosks, so having a laptop means not spending money for a limited time of internet access and gives you more freedom (I really could use one last year in Iceland)

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  • http://artofbackpacking.com/ Dolce

    It all depends the nature of your trip. If you’re going to be kind of near cities where the internet is easy to get to, then yes, the laptop will benefit. But if you’re spending you’re entire time taking the backcountry, trekking or doing activities in outskirts, then one might reconsider. But, its not only for entertainment, its good for storing photographs, and like Skylab, updating the blog.

  • http://artofbackpacking.com Dolce

    It all depends the nature of your trip. If you’re going to be kind of near cities where the internet is easy to get to, then yes, the laptop will benefit. But if you’re spending you’re entire time taking the backcountry, trekking or doing activities in outskirts, then one might reconsider. But, its not only for entertainment, its good for storing photographs, and like Skylab, updating the blog.

  • http://priyank.com/travel/ Priyank

    Hi Michael,
    I have a Asus eee 2gb surf and I couldn’t agree more to what you said! It’s so handy!

  • Burg Virg

    i can fully agree. I have had a lot of laptops living in the jungle. i need it to work. we have internet and i use it to organize things abroad. I have managed to kill a lot of different ones from sony, to hp, to acer to apple i pad which does not have such a long battery as they maintian. the price and the battery length made the descision. needing to purchase a new one every 11 months or so, i do not want to invest a lot in one. the humidty kills them sooner than later and this is in no warrenty. I also have to admit i am not really careful with it. it has proven to be extremely robust

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