Asus Eee PC 1005PR with HD display, HD video now shipping

The Asus Eee PC 1005PR netbook is now shipping in America. This model looks a lot like the Eee PC 1005PE, and for the most part, it’s the same computer. Both models have 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processors, 1GB of RAM, and a 250GB hard drive. They both have 6 cell batteries and run Windows 7 Starter Edition.

But here’s what makes the Eee PC 1005PR special: It has a 1366 x 768 pixel HD display and a Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator which should let you watch high definition video on that high definition screen.

The video decoder isn’t a full fledged graphics card, so don’t expect to use the Eee PC 1005PR for hard core gaming. But if you plan to spend a lot of time watching HD video, Asus says it’s now shipping. Most retailers I checked still list the computer as out of stock or available for pre-order, but it looks like it should be available soon for about $399 from the following retailers:

Posted on Tuesday, May 4th, 2010, 11:23 am by Brad Linder

http://liliputing.com/ Brad Linder

Unfortunately I haven't tested a system with an Atom N450 processor and 1366
x 768 pixel display yet.

I've had several folks at PC companies tell me that my theory that the high
resolution display is slowing down overall performance on models like the HP
Mini 311 doesn't make sense — but there was definitely *something* going on
there, because every Atom N270/N280-based system I tested with an HD display
(including a few all-in-one PCs) felt generally just a little more sluggish
at everyday tasks.

It might be something other than the pixel count that was the problem. But I
never pinpointed what it was.

I'll let you know more about the N450 performance as soon as I have a chance
to test this model or one like it.
Mike

Brad,

I have to ask. Have you used one of the new Atom 450's and do they drive 1366×768 screens better with their integrated graphics than the old N270 did at that resolution, or do they still feel like they're hesitating and slower when driving more pixels?

I guess what I'm asking, is the same thing I asked of the HP Mini 311, are you trading the ability to play movies on this device, for an even less powerful general computing experience?
Mike

It wasn't just you. I had the pleasure of playing with a HP Mini 311 and a Toshiba NB205 side by side, and the difference was notable. Which is sad, all those extra pixels would make using a netbook a much more enjoyable experience if the screen didn't seem to stutter slightly.
aftermath

Count the pixels, and do the math. 1366×768 = 1,049,088 pixels. 1024×600 = 614,400. The higher resolution in this case has approximately 70% more pixels to manage. This should make the graphics processing unit much busier, and in a shared memory system, there's more interference with the general operation of the system. Depending on where the system's limits are, this could be the culprit. Perhaps the faster FSB of the forthcoming Atom's that use DDR3 will remedy this to some extent.

Asus Eee PC 1005PR with HD display, HD video now shipping

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