About nine months ago ASUS expelled the 12.1-inch Eee PC 1201N to most fanfare. It was the first “netbook” to container NVIDIA’s Ion height and the desktop-class Atom processor. Translation: it absolutely wrecked regular netbooks (and even alternative Ion netbooks) on the graphics and opening battlefield. Indeed, a 1201N confused a lines between netbook as well as unchanging laptop, though we in conclusion knocked it fairly tough for not lasting longer than 2.5 hours on the charge — it was dubbed the “netbook” of march.

Our apologies for the short history lesson, though it’s essentially quite important in understanding because ASUS’ second generation of the 1201N is such a large understanding. The 1215N has the Pine Trail 1.8GHz dual-core Atom D525 processor and NVIDIA’s Ion 2 with Optimus, which no longer requires a GPU to be using the complete time and saves battery energy. The $500 rig (though we’re seeing it on sale for as much as $599) is still upon the pricey side for a “netbook,” though promises 1080p playback, seven hours of battery life and the 250GB hard drive. So, does a 1215N correct all a wrongs of the 1201N as well as live up to a “netbook powerhouse” pretension that ASUS has since it? And some-more importantly can it compete with a little of the newer skinny as well as light laptops, like a Dell Inspiron M101z? We found out, as well as we’re presumption you want to as good in the full examination after a break. ASUS Eee PERSONAL COMPUTER 1215N examination

Look and feel

The 1215N doesn’t look all that much dissimilar than a 1201N, as well as that’s not indispensably the bad thing, generally since ASUS tossed the silken black lid for a single the matte, rubbery-feeling one. It’s no bamboo, but it’s nice sufficient for the $500 complement, that’s for certain. Still, there are left over trails of glossy plastic — the screen bezel as well as keyboard rug still gleam, whilst the palmrest is done of a same soft matte cosmetic as the lid. Just similar to a Eee PERSONAL COMPUTER 1018P, a laptop has a more veteran look than alternative netbooks, as well as the dull edges give it a informed cultured.

We’re utterly calm with the look of the 1215N, though the distance is the bit of another story. The 1.4-inch thick complement is nowhere near as svelte as the .7-inch Eee PC 1018P, and though ASUS claims it weighs 3.2 pounds it felt heavier in hand than the 11.6-inch Dell Inspiron M101z as well as Acer Aspire One 721. We’re not observant a laptop is as well complicated to lift with one hand or fit in a smaller shoulder bag, it’s only the bit chunkier and heavier than we approaching it to be. Of march, which equates to there’s some-more room around a complement for a ports; there are 3 USB 2.0 ports along with VGA, HDMI, mic, headphone and Ethernet jacks. The US chronicle of the 1215N does not have a USB 3.0 pier, yet alternative SKUs abroad will have a aloft speed jack.

Keyboard, touchpad and shade

We realize the 1215N’s chiclet keyboard is a same as the a single upon a 1201N and a many new Eee PCs, though a matte keys seem “clickier” than those upon a other laptops. Additionally there’s just the significant amount of bend to a whole row. While typing this review we noticed the entire row caving in at times — it’s not flattering and we’ve seen most better peculiarity ASUS keyboards, like that on a U33Jc. There’s no doubt that you cite the chiclet set of keys upon the M101z.

We have most kinder words about a 3.5 x 2.2-inch touchpad. Besides being utterly far-reaching, the cosmetic is soothing to the touch – no, really, your finger will thank you for a good feeling aspect. As common, the multitouch was a bit sensitive; dual finger scrolling was fairly accurate, but you infirm a pinch-to-zoom setting since you kept incorrectly zooming when we only wanted to get to the bottom of the web page.

It’s probably no warn that we’re not a biggest fans of the viewing angles on a 12.1-inch, 1,366 x 768-resolution arrangement. Besides being extremely glossy, sitting to the side of a shade caused serious color distortion. Vertical angles were a bit improved, though compulsory us to lean the screen to about 90 degrees when we wanted to lay back and watch a Scott Pilgrim trailer without causing Michael Cera’s eyes to mix in with a rest of his face. Despite a viewing angles, a shade was sufficiently bright as well as a 1080p trailer during full screen was the really minute. The speakers underneath a front mouth of the appurtenance essentially sounded quite loud for the 11.6-inch as well as 12.1-inch laptop. Similar to a Inspiron M101z, they sounded full when listening to Ra Ra Riot’s newest manuscript in iTunes.

Performance, graphics and battery holdup

Although Intel’s just expelled the first dual-core Atom processor for netbooks, the 1215N was slated prior to the new chip arrived so it’s powered by the desktop-grade 1.8GHz Atom D525 CPU and 2GB of RAM. And unlike many netbooks, it runs Windows 7 Home Premium – see because we’re of a thoughts which this thing is some-more a skinny and light laptop or ultraportable than the netbook? Regardless, the additional processor horsepower is noticeable in bland performance. The 1215N only felt speedier when opening applications as well as didn’t pant as well as puff to play the 720p video whilst simultaneously using Chrome with the handful of tabs open, Microsoft Word, Tweetdeck as well as Trillian.

Obviously, which bit of tall clarification video muscle comes from NVIDIA’s second era Ion platform. We’ve been told which NVIDIA’s essentially using the lower-end GeForce G210 GPU, but upon a laptop it appears as only “Ion.” Regardless, the 1.2GHz, 16-core GPU gives Atom a little critical graphics power. Before we review it to the alternative platforms out there, we can tell you a GPU fired up – interjection to NVIDIA’s Optimus – when personification behind a 1080p YouTube shave as well as outlay a little unequivocally smooth picture when you bending the laptop up to our 40-inch HDTV. But over local and streaming HD calm, a GPU is able of handling some games as well. At a native resolution, our World of Warcraft homunculus was prancing about a enchanting forest at a steady 26 frames per second. Comparatively, as you’ll see in the chart below, NVIDIA’s Ion 2 supposing about dual the performance of the prior generation as well as even ATI’s Mobility Radeon 4225 graphics. Still, it should be noted which ATI’s height is ideally capable of full HD playback.

 PCMarkVantage 3DMark06
 Battery Life 

ASUS Eee PC 1215N 1942 181/2480 5:42 

ASUS Eee PC 1201N N/A
 1555 2:26 

Dell Inspiron M101z (Athlon II Neo K325) 2572 1311 3:35 

Acer Aspire One 721 (Athlon II Neo K125)
 1814 1235 3:30 

Lenovo IdeaPad U160 (Core i7 ULV) 3863 1175 3:10 

ASUS UL50Vf (Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300) 3724 827 / 3438 6:10 

Alienware M11x (Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300) 2689 654 / 5593 4:3 

So, does all that extra performance energy impact a battery life? Well, the great news is which NVIDIA’s Optimus has absolutely helped in which area, as well as when a GPU is off a battery life is pretty impressive. On the video outline exam, that loops the same standard definition video during 65 percent lightness, the six-cell 56Wh battery pushed out nearly 6 hours of extract – 5 hours as well as 42 minutes to be expect. That’s some-more than double a run time of the 1201N! With the GPU upon we got 2:45 hours. Still, that’s significantly improved than any of the AMD Nile systems we’ve tested newly and only as long as a little single-core netbooks. We think which a new N550 processor will concede the system like this to get a bit more extract, but we’ve yet to test the processor performance nonetheless.

Software
Like the lot of the new ASUS machines we’ve looked during, a 1215N comes jam packed with exclusive software and some other things, together with the shortcut to Bonigo’s WiFi use. Along with ASUS’ typical EeeDock, which is sealed to a top of the shade, a machine comes with ASUS’ Splendid photo modifying program and a little new Locale program which seems to want to locate where you are regulating Bing maps, though didn’t appear to pinpoint our top-secret whereabouts. Also, it will boot into a ExpressGate instant-on OS by dire a tiny symbol located upon tip of the set of keys.

Wrap-up

Without the disbelief, a Eee PERSONAL COMPUTER 1215N is the major step up from a preceding 1201N. The graphics performance is significantly better as well as the battery holdup is dual what it was prior to. But even beyond which, its Intel Atom / Ion 2 combo seems to top a little of the recent AMD Nile-powered ultrathins or netbooks we’ve seen lately in both of those pass areas. That said, you actually happen to prefer the dual-core AMD K325-powered Dell Inspiron M101z in conditions of altogether build quality to a 1215N — a production peculiarity just feels sturdier as well as a keyboard is miles better than a one ASUS is using. But if you’re a type which cherishes graphics opening and battery life over hardware feel afterwards the ASUS Eee PC 1215N is your best bet right now for the affordable ultraportable or reward netbook under $500.

Via Engadget