Hasta La Gadget!

About nine months ago ASUS released its 12.1-inch Eee PC 1201N to much fanfare. It was the first “netbook” to pack NVIDIA’s Ion platform and a desktop-class Atom processor. Translation: it absolutely wrecked regular netbooks (and even other Ion netbooks) on the graphics and performance battlefield. Indeed, the 1201N blurred the lines between netbook and regular laptop, but we ultimately knocked it fairly hard for not lasting longer than 2.5 hours on a charge — it was dubbed a “netbook” of course.

Our apologies for the brief history lesson, but it’s actually quite important in understanding why ASUS’ second generation of the 1201N is such a big deal. The 1215N has a Pine Trail 1.8GHz dual-core Atom D525 processor and NVIDIA’s Ion 2 with Optimus, which no longer requires the GPU to be running the entire time and saves battery power. The $500 rig (though we’re seeing it on sale for as much as $599) is still on the pricey side for a “netbook,” but promises 1080p playback, seven hours of battery life and a 250GB hard drive. So, does the 1215N correct all the wrongs of the 1201N and live up to the “netbook powerhouse” title that ASUS has given it? And more importantly can it compete with some of the newer thin and light laptops, like the Dell Inspiron M101z? We found out, and we’re assuming you want to as well in our full review after the break.

Continue reading ASUS Eee PC 1215N review 

ASUS Eee PC 1215N review  originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As promised, we’ve been keeping an ear to the ground on Intel’s new mobile, dual-core Atom processor, and as luck would have it a number of netbooks are popping up with the new CPU baked in…well, at least in the land down under. Australian e-tailer Pena.au has 10.1-inch netbooks from both Gigabyte and Lenovo listed on its site with the fresh 1.5GHz Atom N550 processor. The Gigabyte T1005M convertible — or netvertible, as we like to call it — is much like the T1000, and still has a 1,366×768 pixel capacitive touch display, USB 3.0 ports, and an eSATA jack. It sounds like a pretty impressive little system, but it’s listed for 905 Australia dollars, which translates to about $800 US. That’s a bit steep, but Aussies looking for something more affordable have the N550-powered Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3 to choose from as well — although that too is listed for a pricey $699 Australian (about $617 US). We’re assuming the dual-core CPU adds about $50 to $75 to the average single-core netbook selling price, but here’s hoping that the prices are a bit lower once they hit this side of the hemisphere.

Dual-core Atom-powered Gigabyte and Lenovo netbooks up for sale in Australia originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re still waiting on leaked (or official, we’re not partial) images to confirm, but based on a presentation slide and a bit of insider information passed on to Notebook Italia, ASUS is gearing up to replace its aging EeeBox EB1501 with the EB1501P. Reportedly, the box will be based around Intel’s dual-core Atom D525 processor and will feature NVIDIA’s Ion GPU, a 250GB hard drive, 2GB of DDR3 memory, 802.11n WiFi, an HDMI output, six USB sockets and Bluetooth. That aligns quite nicely with the EB1501U (shown above) that we spotted back at CeBIT, which has yet to launch in any capacity since. A proper introduction at IFA, perhaps? We’ll be watching, ASUS.

ASUS’ EeeBox EB1501P leaks out with Atom D525, Ion GPU originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 23:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Once again, China has proven to the world that it’s the place to be for all sorts of gadgetry miracle. Just look at this 10-inch Windows 7 tablet here — it may not be a full clone of the forthcoming 8.9-inch HP Slate, but it does come with a couple of interesting features: a 1366 x 768 resistive multitouch display (ideal for tackling the complicated Chinese characters with a stylus) and a webcam. You’ll also find a handful of regular tidbits on this 1.66GHz Atom N450 device: a regular USB port coupled by a mini version, 3.5mm headphone jack, VGA port, LAN port, accelerometer, Bluetooth, WiFi and 3G. Oh, and you’ll get a free stand, too, but we’ll be minding our own business until this no-frills tablet gets a price.

HP Slate lookalike spotted in China, might beat the real thing to the market originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another pretty little seashell has washed up on the Eee PC shore, and ASUS is making this one official — sort of. A listing for the 1005PX has appeared on the company’s site, but it’s sadly a broken link for the moment. No worries, as Notebook Italia has all the details about this little chromatic lappy, which is available in white, black, red, blue, and that pastel pink above that has us really craving a tall glass of strawberry milk. Beyond the clean aesthetics there’s nothing particularly exciting here, your typical 1.6GHz Atom N450 CPU, 1 or 2GB of RAM, up to 320GB of storage, and a 10-inch matte 1024 x 600 LED-backlit LCD. Longevity is said to be a healthy 8.5 hours with a six-cell battery, though we don’t know just how much this one will cost ya — nor when ASUS will fix that link.

ASUS Eee PC 1005PX looks lovely in your choice of colors originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 10:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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