All that said, the rest of the machine is superb. The keyboard is great, truly a pleasure to use – especially when compared to other netbooks.

The battery life is excellent (my reason for purchasing), and is every bit of 8-9 hours when used frugally. With WiFi and Bluetooth turned on and heavy use, it’s closer to 6-7 – still far above the best.

The processor is up to everything I’ve thrown at it, though I do keep in mind it’s a netbook not a speed machine. For all the basics (office apps, videos, internet, basic photo viewing and light editing, it’s perfect and doesn’t skip a beat or slow me down.

The speaker is a bit under-sized, but I expected that with a machine designed for small size and light weight, and I have headphones that work great.

The total package seems very rugged. The outside case is solid, and the keyboard doesn’t flex a bit. The battery kind of sticks out in the back, which may beco