Asus Eee PC 1201PN reviewed – better runtime, poorer performance

The first review of the Asus Eee PC 1201PN has popped up courtesy of Laptop Mag. The 1201PN is the latest model to use the same 12.1-inch 1201 netbook chassis and this particular model comes with a single-core N450 Atom and next-generation ION without Nvidia Optimus technology.

They found that the Eee PC 1201PN improved on its predecessor (the dual-core 1201N with first-gen ION) in two ways. The first being the fact that it lasts 40 minutes longer (4h 33m) and the second being better 3D performance. They continued to like the comfortable keyboard and the fact that it has a HDMI output. On the negative side, they found that performance was sluggish compared to the 1201N, the mouse touch buttons were a tad stiff and the 0.3MP webcam was a bit poor given the current 1.3MP standards. Click here to read the full review.

Asus Eee PC 1201PN (single-core CPU, ION) now shipping in US

The Asus Eee PC 1201PN ION-powered netbook is now shipping at Amazon.com. As of writing both the Black (1201PN-PU17-BK) and Red (1201PN-PU17-RD) models are in stock for $484. The Silver model, however, is still at pre-order for the same price.

As a quick recap, the Eee PC 1201PN comes with a 12.1-inch (1366 x 768) display and is powered by a 1.66Ghz N450 Atom processor and next-generation ION. It is believed that this model does not come with Nvidia’s Optimus technology, although we’ll have to wait for official confirmation of this. Other specs include 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD (5400RPM), HDMI, W7 Home Premium, Wi-Fi (b/g/n) and a 0.3MP webcam.

Via Netbooked.

Asus WebStorage for Eee PC netbooks gets Android app

Most new Asus Eee PC netbooks come with a complimentary 1-year 500GB trial to the company’s WebStorage service. This basically gives you extra storage in the cloud that can be used for documents, media etc. To make the most of this Asus has introduced a new Android application available on all smartphones running Android 1.5 and above.

The app allows you to access your files on your smartphone as well as streaming movies and music over the cloud. You can also sync data between devices including photos taken on your phone. Popular document formats can also be transcoded on the fly to make it readable on the phone. The app is available now (search for ASUS WebStorage by eCareme) in the Android Market.

Asus Eee PC 1201K packs an AMD Geode processor

Asus has unveiled yet another 12.1-inch netbook today called the Eee PC 1201K. The model comes with a 1.4GHz AMD Geode NX 1750 processor (14w power consumption). The design is the same as all of the other 1201X Asus netbooks and this model will come with Windows XP.

Other features include 1GB RAM, Wi-Fi (b/g/n), a 0.3MP webcam, two USB ports and a 6-cell 47Whr battery good for only 2 hours of runtime. There´s no word on where Asus plans on marketing this machine or details on pricing right now. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1015T: AMD-powered 10-inch netbook

Another new 10-inch netbook the Asus Eee PC 1015 series cropped up today at Computex. The Eee PC 1015T looks very similar to the 1015P/PE range but will be powered by the AMD V105 processor and ATI Radeon HD 4200 graphics.

It comes with a chiclet keyboard, large touchpad along with a matte lid and glossy 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) screen. As with the ION-powered 1015N there is only a single access panel to upgrade RAM. It will come with a 6-cell 56Wh battery good for 6 hours and USB 3.0 too. There are no details on price and availability right now.

Via Netbooked.

ASUS-Lamborghini VX6: 12.1-inch with dual-core D525 Atom and ION 2

Asus has announced one of the most desirable 12.1-inch netbooks I’ve seen in a while. The ASUS-Lamborghini VX6 certainly won’t be cheap but thankfully you’re not just paying for the logo and design. They’ve also managed to pack in some leading edge components. First off the VX6 will come with a 12.1-inch (1366 x 768) display and will be powered by the upcoming 1.8GHz dual-core D525 Atom processor that is DDR3 enabled.

It will also feature next-generation ION, up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, USB 3.0, Bluetooth 3.0 and will come with Windows 7. If that wasn’t enough, you’ll also get a Bang & Olufsen ICEpower sound system, combined with SRS Premium Sound. I think I’ve just fallen in love. Check out some pictures after the break. Read more

Asus Eee Tablet: Notepad with 2450dpi touchscreen

Asus has revealed a third tablet at Computex Taipei, although this one appears to be more of a digital notepad rather than multimedia device. It comes with a 2450 dpi touch resolution screen and is designed with students and business professionals in mind.

The size of the display is unknown but it will come with a 10-hour battery and a 2MP camera that the company says can be used to capture lecture slides and write notes on them instantly. There will be options to store, sort, tag and organise your notes. Page turns will take just 0.1 second, 9x faster than normal e-readers says the company. Click through for a larger image of the device. Read more

Asus Eee Pad EP101TC and EP121 tablets announced

Asus has announced two new Eee Pad tablets at Computex Taipei. Both are Windows based, one coming with a 10-inch screen and another with a 12-inch screen. The smaller 10-inch Eee Pad EP101TC will be superslim at just 12.2mm in thickness and weighs 675g. It will run Windows Embedded Compact 7.

The larger 12-inch Eee Pad EP121 will be more fully featured which the company claims will also serve as an e-reader. It will be powered by an unspecified Intel Core 2 Duo processor and come with Windows 7 Home Premium. Battery life should be good for 10 hours and it will come with a special docking station for character input (a virtual keyboard will also be present). Check out some pictures after the break. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1015N: 10-inch ION 2 netbook with Optimus

Computex is underway and we are expected to hear about a host of new devices from a number of Taiwanese companies including Asus, Acer and MSI. To kick things off, Asus is showing off the Asus Eee PC 1015N netbook. The 1015N is the company’s first 10-inch next-generation netbook and will come with Nvidia’s Optimus technology.

Judging by the pictures it comes with a matte (smudge-free) lid, matte display, chiclet keyboard, large touchpad with single rocker bar, HDMI, three USB ports and a 6-cell battery. You will only be able to upgrade the RAM as no access panel has been provided for the hard drive. Pricing is expected to be around the €400 mark when it launches in H2 2010. Other specs are unknown right now, but we’ll update this post as soon as we have them. In the meantime, check out some pics after the break. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1201PN netbook now available Down Under

Whilst there are still no signs of the ION 2-packing Asus Eee PC 1201PN launching in the UK, it has seen its release in New Zealand. This single-core 1.66Ghz N450 Atom powered netbook is selling for AUD$799 in the region and users are already getting hands-on.

This particular model has 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD, Wi-Fi (b/g/n) and Windows 7 Home Premium. Hopefully this means the 1201PN will be landing in other regions very shortly.

Via Netbooked.

Spec refresh: ASUS Eee PC 1008P-KR M and Samsung NB30 Pro netbooks

Every once in a while netbook manufacturers tweak existing models with slight changes in specs. Today we’ve got two such cases. First off, the Asus Eee PC 1008P-KR M is similar to the other Karim Rashid model but comes with lower specs along with a lower price tag. This particular model comes with 1GB RAM, 250GB HDD and Windows 7 Starter and costs $439.08 at Amazon.com.

Samsung has also announced the NB30 Pro. This rugged netbook is targeted to business professionals, hence the inclusion of Windows 7 Professional and an extra 1GB of RAM (2GB total). Other features remain the same and you still get the rugged design including HDD protection, carry handle and spill-resistant keyboard.

Update: Another one for the list. The Dell Mini 11z has been updated to include dedicated left/right mouse buttons, rather than the integrated solution it used before. Click here for more info.

Via Netbooked and LaptopMag.

Amazon Kindle pre-installed on Asus Eee netbooks

Amazon has teamed up with Asus to pre-install its Kindle for PC application on netbooks/laptops that are sold through Amazon.com. The e-book application will only come preloaded on select devices including the Eee PC 1005PE.

Whilst I agree the idea makes sense, personally I’m not too fond of pre-installed apps when I buy a new netbook / laptop. In fact to keep things fresh, the first thing I usually do is re-install the OS to get rid of the clutter. Also, the thought of actually reading a book on an LCD display for long periods fills me with pain. Now bring this onto a Pixel-Qi equipped device and it becomes a different story altogether.

Via Engadget.

Asus Eee PC 1005PR reviewed – Broadcom chip worth it?

The Asus Eee PC 1005PR is like the 1005PE in most respects, however it differs by offering a high-resolution (1366 x 768) display and Broadcom Crystal HD media accelerator card. It is powered by a 1.66GHz N450 Atom processor and comes with 1GB RAM, 250GB HDD, Windows 7 Starter, Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi (b/g/n), 0.3MP webcam and three USB ports.

LaptopMag has been putting 1005PR through its paces and found that the Broadcom chip wasn’t as convincing with HD video content as Nvidia ION is. With no real benefit from HD web video, it falls short of Nvidia’s dedicated graphics. Given some of the issues that many users are facing with the Broadcom chip (see Amazon comments here) it may be best to steer clear until resolved. Read more

Asus’ dual-core ION 2 Eee PC 1215N netbook benched & snapped

Asus’ upcoming 12-inch flagship netbook, the Eee PC 1215N, is set to include a dual-core Pine Trail processor, next-generation ION as well as Nvidia Optimus technology. We knew that much already, but now NetbookNews has managed to get hold of a pre-production sample and spilled the beans on additional specs, benchmarks as well as a good look at the unit itself.

The Eee PC 1215N tested came with the 1.66GHz dual-core D510 Pine Trail processor that is normally found in nettops. It was initially thought that the netbook would come with the upcoming 1.5GHz N550 dual-core processor that would have had greater power efficiency, but maybe Asus have decided against waiting for the new chip. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1015P and 1015PE netbook product pages up

The upcoming Asus Eee PC 1015P and 1015PE netbooks have just got their own product pages up on the global Asus site. The 10-inch models are powered by the 1.66GHz N450 Atom processor, up to 2GB RAM and 160-320GB HDD. They also feature Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1, a 0.3MP webcam and 3-cell or 6-cell battery options.

I’m not entirely sure on the differences between the 1015P and 1015PE. The latter appears to have a chrome effect surrounding the left/right sides of the touchpad. It also appears to have a rubber moulded lid rather than a textured/ribbed surface on the 1015P. Hopefully the difference will become clearer closer to launch.

Via Netbook Italia.

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