ASUS Eee PC 1008P Karim Rashid Collection arrives in two versions - Pink and Brown. As all announcements favoured the Pink variant, we had the impression that this was a netbook aimed at the gentler sex, but we were proved wrong. The coffee-brown coloured model, as defined by ASUS, fits this kiddo perfectly, and we’re sure that no male will object to carrying it around should the opportunity arise. In order to additionally separate these two models, ASUS opted for a glossy finish on the Pink model, while Brown has a matt surface. The key to this model’s beauty doesn’t lie in its colour, but its uniquely shaped casing surface, which is difficult to put to words in a precise manner, but we have to at least try. If you try to imagine a mildly wavy surface composed of a number of tiny rectangles, you’ll pretty much get the picture of what this netbook looks like. A large pro for ASUS lies in the fact that the upper and lower surfaces were identically designed, which is a very rare case. Manufacturers tend to put all the effort into the appearance of the upper surface, while the lower often ends up neglected. This netbook, however, is sure to attract views from whichever angle it’s being displayed.

We’ve seen a lot of netbooks with an unimpressive lid opening angle, and we had feared that it might be the case here as well, but luckily, we were wrong. The display is of “glare” type and frameless, which means that the display surface itself and the surrounding plastic frame are in exactly the same level. The image is above average in quality, and were the backlight a bit stronger at maximum level, it might even be deemed excellent.

The keyboard is of Chiclet type, and there is a healthy amount of bending in certain sections, although largely unnoticeable in everyday conditions. The touchpad possesses multi-touch capabilities, and it can only be distinguished from its surroundings by tiny bumps around it. The buttons under the touchpad are very quiet, which we fancied in particular. All connectors are concealed by covers, so that they don’t disturb the appearance of the netbook, all the while being protected from dust intrusion as well. Minimum thickness conditioned the use of a mini VGA connector to be included instead of the standard-size VGA. An appropriate mini VGA -> VGA connector is hidden in a compartment on the bottom of the casing.

As far as hardware configuration is concerned, this is a netbook based entirely on the classic Pine Trail platform, detailed a few weeks ago. In short, in comparison with the previous Atom platform generation, it is more efficient, consuming less power and therefore extending battery life. In order to keep the total mass low, ASUS had to install a battery of modest capacity in this model, but battery autonomy proved to be decent nevertheless. Should this not be enough for you, another, reserve battery is supplied with the netbook, so that you can make a crafty combination which will enable you to work for more than ten hours continuously in normal everyday mode or a bit over six hours under full load. An additional battery unit is a noble gesture which excuses the higher price of this model to a certain extent.

Speakers are among the best in the netbook world, but the same cannot be said for integrated webcam. The operating system provided with the Eee PC 1008P Karim Rashid is Windows 7 Starter, optimized for use on netbooks, which guarantees smooth functioning.