The Eee 1000HV is an odd combination of HD capable GPU with the lack of an HD capable screen or HDMI out.
A new Asus netbook has tipped up online called the 1000HV. I know what you are thinking; do we really need another Eee model? Can we even tell the difference in this one and the other Eee's already available? Actually, yes we can.
I mentioned earlier today that the
1000HE was a
dead man walking, at least in France. The
1000HV is a virtual doppelganger for the 1000HE with the exception of one key addition -- the 1000HV gets an ATI HD 3450 GPU. Considering that the other specs are virtually identical to the 1000HE, including an Atom N280 CPU, 10-inch 1024 x 600 display, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB HDD, there is a good chance that what we are seeing in the 1000HV is the reason for the 1000HE's demise in France.
Above: Asus Eee 1000HV -- the platypus of the netbook worldThat new GPU should mean that the little netbook is adept at decoding HD video, even if the screen won’t support HD resolutions. What's even odder than a HD capable GPU without an HD capable screen is that there is reportedly no HDMI out making me wonder what the point of the GPU is.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built-in and the 6-cell stock battery promises five hours of run time per charge. Asus hasn’t announced official pricing yet, but
SlashGear calls the price about $US423 to $US624 ($AU540 to $798) -- a heck of a price range. The thing seems to be an odd duck to me, here's hoping there is an HDMI out hidden away on the rear of left side of the machine we can’t see in the picture.