Beginning with the petite Eee PC 4G, and gradually growing up to the 1000H, Asus created the Netbook category as we now know it. Sure, over the years manufacturers took a stab at creating a mini PC that would hit the sweet spot that exists where low price meets high performance, rugged durability, and portability. Of all products reviewed, the Eee PC 1000 is the best in those terms, but ultimately you must decide which Netbook best suits your needs.

The Eee PC 1000 could be considered the 4G’s younger, larger brother, given it blurs the line between the netbook and ultraportable computer categories. At nearly three pounds, the 1000 is almost a pound heavier than the 4G, but the increased keyboard space, power, storage, and screen size is worth it.

For a netbook, the Eee 1000 has one of the largest and most full featured keyboards available. Considered 95% of normal keyboard size, the 1000’s keyboard is larger than the previous generation 4G or 901. We liked how the keys felt while typing; they were responsive and not as flexible as some reviews claim.

The 6-cell battery is, by manufacturer’s claims, capable of powering the Eee PC 1000 for up to 7.5 hours. We found we could reach nearly 4 hours of heavy use (surfing, editing docs, watching movies), which is plenty for road trips and most continental plane rides.

Intel’s 1.6GHz Atom processor combines with 1GB of DDR2 RAM to make the Eee 1000 run smoothly and responsively. The 1000 ships with Linux Xandros underneath Asus’ proprietary interface, so if you’re interested in an Eee PC with Windows XP, you’ll have to go with the 1000H or 1000HD models.

While gamers and BitTorrent addicts would scoff at the 40GB of hard drive space in the 1000, it’s a perfect fit for netbooks and most netbook users’ needs. The 1000 comes with two hard drives: one 8GB Solid State Drive (SSD) and one 32GB Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC), making the Eee PC 1000 one of the most durable netbooks around. If you’re particularly worried about running out of space, Asus includes 20GB of secure online storage with every Eee PC 1000 – an extra found in this and just one other netbook.

The screen size of the 1000 is a robust 10.2-inches, and a max resolution of 1024x600. We found the colors vivid and overall the screen looked good from most viewing angles. This brings us to the Eee 1000’s unique power-saving features. If you need to conserve power, the 1000 has dedicated buttons above the keyboard for changing to a lower resolution and decreasing the processor’s clock speed from 1.6GHz (default) to 1.2GHz. If you need a little more power for say, playing a movie, you can even raise the processor speed to 1.8GHz.

The entire point of a netbook is to be able to get on the ‘net from anywhere. The 1000 lacks 3G, but makes up for it with built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n). The built-in webcam and microphone are also handy for using Skype while you’re on the road.

The Eee PC 1000 is a nice mix of power and portability. Even with the larger chassis, extra weight and higher price tag, it’s a worthy investment.