Asus 1215N review summary
Netbooks are usually compact machines, great to have when traveling. Unfortunately, most of them offer poor performances. That’s not the case with this Asus 1215N we have here, a 12 incher boosting new generation dual-core Atom processor and the latest Nvidia ION with Optimus.
These specs make it a compact multimedia machine, capable of running all kinds of video content, output it on a bigger screen or play some of the modern games.
I must say that the 1215N EEE PC is the most impressive netbook I’ve seen so far. Besides the extra performances, there are some improvements on the exterior also. And all these with a decent price of around $500 in the US.
Pros:
- Very good overall build quality
- new materials used for the exterior casing, with a smooth matte plastic for the lid cover and a textured plastic for the bottom part
- great hardware: Intel Atom D525 1.8 GHz dual core processor, nVIDIA Ion graphics, 4 GB of memory, 320 GB storage
- nice Full-size chiclet keyboard, although it has some layout problems
- wider trackpad with multi-touch gestures, now separated by the rest of the palm rest
- palm rest area is now matte too
- display is OK, with good viewing angles and decent brightness
- sound quality is very good for a netbook
- pretty light (around 2.9 pounds)
- offers Windows 7 Home Premium as standard
- final versions will offer 2xUSB 3.0 slots
- battery life is good considering the performances: around 4-5 hours on a daily basis use
- price is good (around $500) for what it has to offer
Cons:
- display and the area around it are still glossy
- screen only tilts back to about 120 degrees
- keyboard has some flex and some poor picks in terms of layout (only for the European version, US version will be OK)
- trackpad’s click button is awful
Conclusion:
If i were to go for a compact computer with good multimedia performances, the Asus 1215N would be that one. It is good looking, well built and powerful, so definitely a good pick. It is true that for about the same price you can get laptops with ULV hardware; those will be faster in everyday tasks, because of the better processors, but will not be a match for this one in terms of graphics.
Asus 1215N mini laptop - powerful and good looking
Overall, the Asus 1215N is one of the best netbooks you can get these days and definitely the snappiest of all the others I’ve tried in the past. Differences from the older 1201N are there and since this one sells for the same price as its predecessor, there’s no reason not to choose the 1215N.
Prices, versions and where to buy
Like I’ve said before, Asus announced that the 1215N will be available in stores for $499. For this kind of money, you will get all the features and specs listed below, but only 2 GB of memory, not 4 like this test version offers.
Update: You’ll hardly find the 1215N in stores anymore these days, as it is after all a 2 years old machine. However, Asus has the 1225B, not really the same in terms of hardware specs, but overall faster and better looking, starting at around $430. See this link for my full review of the Asus 1225B series.
The Asus 1215N is one of the most awaited mini laptops of 2010, mainly because it promises way better performances than regular netbooks can offer. I had the chance to get my hands on one of these devices a couple of weeks before it actually became available in stores. You can read the detailed review bellow.
The version tested is in fact similar to the one that will hit the stores later this summer, but it comes with extra memory (4 GB instead of 2 GB).
Specs:
In terms of specs, there’s almost nothing you could ask more from the Asus EEE PC 1215N. Here’s what this test version has to offer:
- Intel Atom N525 processor, clocked at 1.80 GHz, with 2x512KB cache L2 and 800 Mhz FSB
- Nvidia ION graphics: Intel GMA 3150 + Nvidia GT218 dedicated chip (Managed by Nvidia’s Optimus technology)
- 4 GB DDR3 memory
- 320 GB storage drive + EEE storage space available online
- 12.1 inch glossy display, 1366 x 768 px
- decent connectivity: Wi-Fi N , fast Ethernet, but no Bluetooth
- chiclet keyboard and wide multi-touch trackpad
- Webcam, 3xUSB slots (this test version came with 3xUSB 2.0 slots, but the finalr elease will have 1xUSB 2.0 and 2xUSB 3.0), mic and audio out, card-reader, HDMI and VGA outputs
- 6 Cell 5200 mAh 56 Wh battery
- Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit
So, there’s actually nothing missing, but Bluetooth connectivity (final release version will actually come with Bluetooth 3.0 as an option).
Design and build quality
The Asus EEE PC 1215N is part of the famous Seashell line. Thus, it brings the same design of its predecessors, from whom it also inherits the solid build quality and attention to details.
But there are some changes from the 1201N model. First, the exterior in no longer glossy, but matte. The lid case was replaced with a new one, made from a smooth and silky matte plastic. The bottom part is also made of plastic, but it’s not the rugged and ugly one used before, but one with a nice dimpled texture. Layout of the bottom part is changed too, with a new design for cooling vents.
There’s also a new side-port layout. Details bellow.
Matte plastic lid cover
Left side - headphone, mic, 2xUSB ports, LAN and Kensington Lock
Only the battery and the hinges on the back
Right side - DC-in, VGA, HDMI, USB, Cooling vent and card-reader
Bottom with a new layout and materials
Although the device is matte, it still catches fingerprints and smudges like crazy. They are bothering on the Black finish but almost invisible on the Silver one, so right now, if I were to pick between one of them, i would definitely go for the second.
Available in Silver or Black
Details on looks and build quality are also available in the clip below.
Sry for the rubbish video quality, had some problems with my HD camera and had to shoot regular content this time.
Keyboard + Touchpad
The keyboard is more or less the same on the 1215N and 1201N. In fact, the layout on this test model is somewhat different, but I’m pretty sure this is an European version and the one available in the States will come with an identical layout as the 1201N had.
Now, I particularly don’t like the row of keys on the right that will take some time getting used to. When trying to hit BackSpace or Enter you might end up hitting Home or PgUP/PgDN and this is frustrating. Even worse is the small Left Shift key: you’ll surely end up pressing the “\” next to it when trying to capitalize some letters.
Keyboard is good, but has some layout problems
Besides these problems, the keyboard on this device is a good one, with chiclet design and nicely spaced keys. It is Full-size and you won’t have problems with it if you have bigger fingers, but it also comes with some disturbing flex.
Now, it is important to know that the version I reviewed is the one meant for European market. The one that will land in the States will have the classic keyboard, with a smaller Enter and the bigger left Shift. Other things will remain the same.
The trackpad on the other hand is completely redesigned on this one. Comes with a smooth finish and is pretty snappy and accurate. It is separated from the rest of the palm rest (which is also matte) by two silver bars and it is also slightly positioned towards the left of the device, like on the Vaios or on some Toshibas.
New trackpad is wider and better positioned, but click button is awful
The single-press click button though is rubbish: very stiff and hard to press. It might get better in time though, but a solution with individual click buttons would have been a lot better for sure.
Display
There’s not much i can say about the screen on this 1215N. It’s a standard 12.1 inch 1366 x 768 LED display, with good viewing angles and brightness. And it’s also glossy, like displays on most Asus laptops, which makes it useful only as a mirror in strong light conditions. But as long as you don’t plan on watching movies or playing games outside, you should be fine with it.
Software and performance
Like I’ve said above, this Asus runs Windows 7 Home Premium OS, the 32-bit version, with the latest drivers available right now. However, since this laptop is not yet available in stores, i would expect improvements in terms of drivers in the near future, which might boost performances even more.
Now, we know that most netbooks can’t properly multitask, because of their low-performance single-core processors. The 1215N EEE PC does boost a dual-core ATOM processor, with HT, so it can actually run decently a couple of different applications. If a browser with a couple of tabs, an instant messaging program, a music player and a text-editor managed to make N450 powered computers sluggish, that’s not the case here. And I’m not saying this is a power-horse, but it will be able to run your daily applications nicely.
I’ve said before this is a mini-multimedia device, because of the Nvidia graphics it brings. In practice this means it can run all kind of content, including 1080p self-stored or Flash clips, plus all kind of Flash games. You can see proofs in the video below.
10180p clips are a breeze if you have the right codecs
However, I have to say I’ve initially had some problems running 1080p self-stored content. I’ve tried playing it with VLC Player, KMPlayer and Windows Media Player Classic and it lagged, until I’ve installed the codecs pack from CoreAVC (they are not free, but only cost $9.99, money well worth spending). After that, everything went smoothly. I’m not saying 1080p will only work with these codecs, I’m just saying that was the solution I’ve adopted.
Having Optimus on-board means the system actually changes between the two graphic solutions instantly and seamlessly. The same video will show you how fast and invisible the process actually is.
The computer will also manage to play some games. I for one tried Fifa 10, a modern football (soccer) game, and you get playable fps on 1024 x 768 with medium details. Other games should run OK too. I’ve also tried Sims3 and Anno 1404 (this one is kind of sluggish). Online games like Wow will work OK too. Of course, the 1215N is not a gaming mini laptop like the M11x from Alienware, but it can run some games if you want to have fun from time to time, as long as you’re willing to cut off details and use a lower than standard resolution.
Since this is the first laptop equipped with dual-core Atom D525 GHz processor and Nvidia ION, I’ve run some benchmarks and you can see the results in the pics below. They mostly say this CPU is better then the last-generation dual core Atom D330 and way superior to the N450. Graphics performance are better than on the previous generation ION too.
WPrime 32 results
Super PI
PCMark 2005
3DMark 2006
Sisoftware Sandra
An article compering the performances of this configuration with the ones of Atom D330 and Atom N450 powered devices will follow in the next days can be found right here: Asus 1201N vs 1215N .
Also, Ive’ tried a couple of extra games, including StarCraft 2, Anno 1404, Bad Company and Modern Warfare 2 in this other post.
In terms of Software, you will find the usual bloatware preinstalled on this netbook, like all kind of applications from Asus and some trial software. The first thing I would advice you to do is get rid of them and then install a proper antivirus (I for one use the Free Avast version and am satisfied with it). Still, the amount of crappy software you’ll get on a Asus is way less than on others, including the Acers or the Sony Vaios, so it should not take you more than an hour to clean it out.
Battery life
This Asus comes with a 6 Cell 5200mAh 56Wh battery. Now, depending on what you’re going to do with it, you would get an autonomy of around 2.5 to 6 hours, although on paper Asus will claim more. Here are some details:
- playing an 1080p HD clip with screen brightness set to 100%, High performance Mode, maximum speaker volume and Wi-fi On will get you around 2.5 hours of life
- playing a 720p HD clip with screen brightness around 70%, Wi-Fi Off, balanced Mode and while using headphones will get around 3.5-4 hours of battery life
- surfing via Wi-Fi while listening to music, editing texts and some photos and with YM on and screen brightness to around 70% will get you around 4.5 hours of life (you should know that having Yahoo Messenger on automatically starts the Nvidia graphic chip)
- using it in office mode with Wi-Fi Off and screen brightness to 50%, with a couple of applications opened but no music, will take you up to 6 hours of battery life
In the end, having Optimus on this Asus does help increase autonomy, but only if you don’t run applications that will turn the Nvidia chip on. So as long as you use the device for basic stuff, you will have decent battery life.
Decent battery life for the performances and price
Now, for using it daily, an autonomy of around 4-4.30 hours is what you should expect. Other netbooks will offer more, but considering the capabilities of this mini laptop and its price, I declare myself satisfied with what it can provide here.
Other things
This device runs pretty cool most of the time, even in games or when playing HD movies. There is some warm air coming from the left cooling grill and processor’s cooler do starts from time to time, but there’s nothing disturbing in terms of heat or noise. I don’t know if that has anything to do with the new cooling vents layout.
The Asus 1215N comes with a 1.3 Mpx webcam, not the best you can get, but decent for Skype or other similar messaging software. Haven’t given it much thought as that’s not something i really care about on a computer.
Webcam with privacy cover
Also, speakers on this device are good, like on most Seashells and definitely better than what I’ve seen on other netbooks, including all the Acers and Toshibas. Still, that doesn’t mean I’m going to give away my headphones for them.
Prices and where to buy
As you’ve seen in the rows above, the 1215N EEE PC is an interesting device. Packs good hardware inside a 12.1 inch form factor, but also decent looks and build quality. All these for around $500, which is the same as its predecessor sells these days.
This Asus will be available in stores in the United States from the end of this summer. It will be available in Black and Silver and you will be able to preorder the device if you want to get it just in time for this year’s school debut.
Update: You won’t find the Asus 1215N in stores anymore, but you’ll find the 1225B, a close and modern successor, with better hardware, features and a redesigned body. The thorough review for the 1225B EEE PC should tell you more about this one.
Bottoms up
In the end, I can say I like this Asus mini laptop. I particularly like that it manages to pack some power, enough for it to act snappy in everyday tasks and run fine my daily applications. Plus, it can handle all kind of video content, self stored or Flash and a bunch of modern games. Thus, the 1215N is a compact, light and affordable multimedia notebook.
Asus 1215N EEE PC - a good pick
It is true that for $500 bucks you can get devices boosting Intel’s ULV platform, which will bring faster processors, but graphic experience won’t be as good. Also, you might even find some decent full-size laptops within this price range.
In the end it’s up to you to choose from these options. The 1215N definitely has its strong points and is definitely a solid pick. But that doesn’t make it automatically the best for each one of us.
simon
July 21, 2010 at 8:01 pm
Thanks for the awesome review of the 1215N.
I assume you can install 64 bit windows on it if you want? Does it come with the disc?
Bryan Casler
July 21, 2010 at 7:16 pm
How do you think having an SSD in the 1215n will effect performance and battery life?
The 1201n is said to have a massive performance increase, but I haven’t seen a mention of its effects on battery life.
Andrei Girbea
July 22, 2010 at 2:00 am
@ Bryan I’m not sure of the impact an SSD drive will have on battery life. Will make the device faster that’s for sure, but…
@Simon You can but there is no disk included. The retail versions will only come with 2 GB of memory so that would mean it will have the same 32 bit OS
@ vig1lant3 standard resolution. I’ll update today with another post on performances, comparing them to the ones of the 1201N and standard netbooks.
@Bruno Windows Index in 3.3 . I’ll update with a picture today, but it is mentioned in the clip
@James I’m definitely not as experienced in testing these devices as the guys at Anandtech but I could run more tests. I still have the device for a a day or two. Also, Please tell me what kind of details would you need regarding the tests and I’ll add them.
Richie
July 21, 2010 at 7:37 pm
Thank you for the excellent review. I was considering buying the 1201n this week but I’m going to wait for the 1215n to be released. Seems like a great deal.
vig1lant3
July 21, 2010 at 9:33 pm
Curious to know what resolution the 3DMark06 bench was run at?
Bruno Campos
July 21, 2010 at 11:00 pm
Great job, nice review. A single question, what about Windows 7 Experiencie Index?, could you put here one screenshot of it, please.
Ps. my english is poor, sorry me.
James
July 22, 2010 at 12:14 am
Have you done any test to see if there is any significant bottleneck like Anandtech’s review on the Zotac HD-ID11 ION 2 nettop showed for GPU performance compared to the original ION?
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3702/zotacs-zbox-hdid11-review-next-gen-ion-better-worse-than-ion1
Would also be interested in more detail on the test settings you used?
Netbook Guru
July 22, 2010 at 2:02 am
The interesting thing to note here is the fact that it still does not permit users to tilt the screen more than 120 degrees.
Meaning, it is restricting users from their full view experience.
Nice review, and it definitely shows that this version is the boss for may netbooks available today.
Andrei Girbea
July 22, 2010 at 2:18 am
I have a problem with that because I’m used to have the screen leaned back to 180 degrees on my tablet PC whn using it on the sofa. Perhaps for others won’t be such a problem, but for me it is.
James
July 22, 2010 at 3:43 am
Okay, how about a Badaboom 1080p H.264 to iPhone Conversion? And/or Flash 10.1 HD tests?
They should show up the PCI bottleneck if its as limited as the Zotac system that Anandtech tested… though Nvidia was suppose to provide a driver fix to better handle the data bandwidth for Flash back in June…
Andrei Girbea
July 22, 2010 at 4:35 am
Not familiar with Badaboom but I’ll check it out.
As for HD Flash playing , i had absolutely no problem running 1080p Youtube clips. You can see details in the clip that speaks about performances. So i reckon the problem was solved or only existed on that Zotac… ?
Arash
July 22, 2010 at 4:48 am
Thank you for the review. The 1215N looks promising.
How where you able to get a test product?
I wonder what the price of this netbook/notebook will be in Europe. If it’s 500 euro, then it might feel the competition of the Acer 1830 with a more powerful i3 CPU, but a weaker graphics card.
Eggi
July 22, 2010 at 6:16 am
Thanks for a nice review Mike. I have a few questions I hope you will be able to answer.
1. You say that your version has 4GB. Are there two RAM slots, or do you need to replace a 2gb with a 4gb?
2. Is there any overclocking options in the Bios?
Thanks in advance for your response 🙂
Andrei Girbea
July 22, 2010 at 6:35 am
@Arash I think it will go for around 500 euros in Europe, probably by September. In my country it will cost the equivalent of 530 euro, so i would reckon on Western markets it might be a tad cheaper, maybe 480…
@Eggi There are 2 RAM slots. Based on Sisoftware Sandra there are 2x2GB modules on this device. I am not allowed to open the computer to make a picture of the slots though 🙁
There are no overclocking options in BIOS, at least not for this test version I have. The SHE Overclock option is missing.
@All Guys, I’m only going to have this for a couple of extra hours, if you need more tests, you’d better ask fast 😛
John
July 22, 2010 at 6:57 am
What is the weight?
The size dimensions? H/D/W
Great review. Thank you
Andrei Girbea
July 22, 2010 at 7:36 am
Weighs around 2.9-3 pounds . Don’t have a scale to measure it exactly though 🙁
As a clarification, that 3dmark06 score was on default resolution, 1280 x 768 px . I’m conducting other tests now, on other resolutions
Brian
July 22, 2010 at 7:51 am
Hey Mike – thank you for such an in-depth review 🙂
I’m not hugely aware, techie-wise, but I know I want a 12inch netbook and can just about afford the pricetag. i’d play the odd game as well too, so….. considering all that, if you were me, would you honestly say this is the best on the planet right now in those categories and go for it? cheers!
Andrei Girbea
July 22, 2010 at 7:57 am
Brian, I cannot say that. It really depends on what you want. I for one would not buy a laptop without a touchscreen ever again, that’s why I’m very satisfied with my Acer 1825PT. But i don’t play games.
Now, if you want to play games on you mini laptop, the M11x Alienware is way more powerful than this Asus.
However, i consider the 1201N to provide very good balance between performance, looks, quality of construction and price.
Brian
July 22, 2010 at 7:58 am
Sorry – also meant to ask… maybe this is a general question though. Considering netbooks are relatively poor processing wise, would it be worth considering wiping the hard drive and installing windows XP? I say this as i assume (although i’m probably wrong!) that XP takes less toll on a computer of any kind compared to windows 7, plus also – windows 7 is new and will have bugs for a while before fixes are found, whereas XP is pretty damn stable. thoughts? cheers again!
Andrei Girbea
July 22, 2010 at 8:44 am
Windows 7 works perfectly on this one. Also, I’ve been using it for more than a year now, on tens of different computers and had no problem with it in terms of stability or any others. So I would definitely not advice getting XP (and older and less secure OS) on this one, there would be no good reason for that.
Brian
July 22, 2010 at 8:46 am
Fantastic Mike – you’re an absolute gentleman and thanks to you i’ve now made my mind up!
i’m not interested in a touchscreen, i’d only play games every now and then (and not at high detail levels), and the alienware is too heavy and expensive. looks like a 1215N (and keeping windows 7) is the way to go for me – thank you again kind sir! 🙂
vig1lant3
July 22, 2010 at 10:19 am
Was also curious about the D525. According to Intel specs it only supports RAM in single channel mode. Can you confirm this?
vig1lant3
July 22, 2010 at 10:26 am
Oh! I also noticed that PCMark05 only shows 2800MB on the main page. How much memory is allocated to the OS? I’m wondering if the 1215N has the same 3.25GB limitation that the 1201N had. Thanks!
Andrei Girbea
July 22, 2010 at 10:33 am
Both Pcmark05 and Sandra show around 2.8 GB of memory in use. If you want to use all 4 GB, you’ll have to go for the 64 bit OS.
As for that single memory channel demand, i’m not sure how can i check it out but i’ll try digging with Sandra.
vig1lant3
July 22, 2010 at 12:01 pm
That is very curious then. Nvidia has no license for the DMI lane so none of the system resources should be dedicated to anything but the OS. According to Intel specs the D525 only supports 32 bit physical address extensions so even with a 64 bit OS you probably would cap out somewhere around 3.5GB RAM, but you should definitely have more than 2.8GB right now. How much memory does Windows recognize? CPU-Z should tell you if the RAM is running in single or dual channel. Thanks again, very curious indeed!
James McButthole
July 22, 2010 at 12:28 pm
This netbook doesn’t look quite the same as the one shown in an earlier video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sAfW8193Ws
They are supposedly both the asus 1215n, but this one does not seem to have USB 3.0 on the right side. The keyboard layout is different on the right side as well (enter key should be long on a single row, not spread across two rows). Also I thought the 1215n was supposed to have a 1.3 megapixel webcam, and the review states its .3 megapixels
Also it sucks that the mouse button is not split into two, why does Asus think that people want that?
I’d also prefer a nonglossy display, but still this will probably be the netbook for me.
M H
July 22, 2010 at 12:39 pm
I’m a little curious about the performance of this Atom D525 vs. the AMD Athlon II Neo K625. Also the Nvidia Ion 2 vs. ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4225. Would you be able to give me any insight into these two differences? I’m debating if I want to buy the HP DM1Z. Not sure if you’re familiar with it at all.
waitin4a1215n
July 22, 2010 at 3:14 pm
Mike,
Thanks for the great review. I’ve been eagerly waiting for an ION 2 w/ Optimus netbook to hit the street for months now, and it looks like this will be the one.
However, I’m a bit confused with the specs. Another video review I’ve viewed on YouTube shows that the 1215n comes with 2 x USB 3.0 and 1 x USB 2.0 ports. Additionally, the other review showed it having a higher resolution webcam (I think 1.3 MP). Any word on why there are different specs. on the others reviewed?
Thanks again.
Andrei Girbea
July 22, 2010 at 5:39 pm
@all I’ve spoken to the guys at Asus and they say the final release version will indeed have 2xUSB 3.0 ports , but this test version did not. I’ll add this to the review
@james Yea, I’ve found the site and I’ve tried running a 100MB 1080p clip true it, but estimated around 3 hours to convert for iPhone like you suggested and I did not have so much time left. Like I’ve said, the guys at Asus were going to take back the 1215N today and so they did, unfortunately i did not manage to run this test. However, I’ve given it a more thorough looks in terms of 1080p flash capabilities. There are some problems, that’s all i can say right now (more details in another post early tomorrow 😛 )
@James McButthole I’d reckon that was an even realier version, hence the differences (that one has USB 3.0, this one doesn’t). Also, the version i had is meant for Europe, thus the differences in keyboard layout (I’ve mentioned that in the review already…). Camera is actually a 1.3 MPx one, it seems a typo got messed in the review.
@M H Sry, I did not had the chance to play with any device equipped with the low power AMD platform so there’s no way i could have a valid opinion on this matter 🙁
@vig1lant3 Windows also recognized around 2.8GB . As for running CPUz, I’m sry, I no longer have the device. But i might get it back for a couple of hours next week, so I’ll check this thing out then
DaemoS Core
July 22, 2010 at 6:57 pm
2nd Video, 1:01 mark.
If you zoom in you can just make out that the system control panel indicates “System Type: 32-bit Operating System”. As such, even if the hardware does support 64-bit addressing, the OS doesn’t.
The physical limitation of 32bit addressing is about 4GB total, this includes addresses reserved by hardware, such as video cards. In general, 32bit Windows OSs will see 3.5GB or less of usable RAM.
Now to add up what is in the system:
ION2 -> 512MB Dedicated
Intel GMA -> 256MB Shared (speculation)
Other Reserved Addresses -> 528MB (speculation again)
Maximum Addressable Memory (2^32 Bytes) -> 4096MB
Remaining Addressable System Memory -> 2800MB
As for the hardware limitation of the system, that would depend on whether the motherboard is based on the Atom D525 specs listed by Intel, or if the board is some sort of custom ION2 chipset. It doesn’t help when Intel lists that the D525 supports 64-bit instruction sets, but then also lists it’s Physical Address Extensions as 32-bit…
Anyways, many thanks for the informative review of the system Mike, made even better by your followup comments. I look forward to your comparison of the 1215N to the 1201N.
waitin4a1215n
July 22, 2010 at 8:31 pm
Mike,
Thanks for the clarification. Sorry to hear you had to give it back.
The other review I noted also mentioned DDR3 memory and Bluetooth 3.0. While not perfect, this is going to be a rockn’ netbook as far as I can tell.
jim
July 22, 2010 at 10:42 pm
I wish they’d make this with a matte screen. Why does every laptop now have a glossy screen, making it unusable outside and in bright lighting?
tobi
July 23, 2010 at 2:55 am
hi!
will it be possible to play starcraft2 on that device?
TooThPicK
July 23, 2010 at 8:50 am
what is the name of the movie with Nicolas Cage
adrian
July 23, 2010 at 12:04 pm
can you turn off optimus permently or does it start up automaticly? can you monitor it your self basicly is what i want to know.
i want to turn it on and off my self and not auto.
cause it would suck if it starts auto if you dont even want it to start… i need to know this info so i can decide if i want it or not :p please tell mee!! 😀
Wojtek
July 23, 2010 at 1:02 pm
I think if you want play stracraft is better to have a big monitor and mouse too 🙂
This is not a gaming platform, but for me is going to be a multimedia paltform, it can be like a small portable HTPC.
Great review.
Mikkel trestrail
July 23, 2010 at 11:26 pm
hi right now i have my eyes set on the toshiba t215. I would be looking for the more powerful choice. Would this machine out perform the t215. I will be using a screen reader, doing school work, internet stuff and scanning print text using ocr software. Any advice would be appreciated
marius
July 24, 2010 at 2:41 am
hi mike, is there an alternative to that model?
Bearing in mind that i only want a 2ndary model because i have all i need with my desktop pc. Im kinda looking for a max 13inches screen, good grahics (Ion2+Optimus), good multitasking (few web pages open + heavy flash files + IMs), WiFi and a great keyboard. The optical drive is not really needed..should I go with this model or just try move onto a sub-laptop category?
adrian
July 24, 2010 at 5:56 am
is it possible to monitor optimus all manualy?
can i put on only intel or only nvidia on whole system or does it go on and off auto?
my last comment was remove? not cool.
Teemu Milto
July 25, 2010 at 3:27 am
Hello, John is right, you should arrange for the dimensions. You are one of the first to make a review of the 1215N on the Internet, and you don’t have a scale? You are getting viral publicity so you should get a scale. Thank you very much!
Jim
July 25, 2010 at 7:16 am
Hello! I’m just wondering, if you had possibility, would you buy 1215N or Asus Lamborghini VX6?
Simon
July 25, 2010 at 8:25 am
I have exactly the same question ! Can we play SC2 (low, medium, hight option ?) on this netbook ?
Thanks for this super review.
Ryon
July 26, 2010 at 5:56 am
Do you know if there are bigger batteries available for this? I’d need to survive at least 6 hours with wifi.
Andrei Girbea
July 27, 2010 at 6:40 am
Guys, sry if i didn’t answer your last questions, i’m currently offline with a family emergency for the week. I’ll get back with the answers as soon as possible.
Seth
August 2, 2010 at 6:09 pm
Hmm, I’m torn between this and the 1201PN. I’m curious if the Optimus feature will work in Linux. If not, the 1201PN will probably have batter battery life, right?
Seth
August 2, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Well I did some research and found that Nvidia “have no plans to support Optimus on Linux at this time.” Currently in Linux it appears that the Nvidia GPU wont work at all and it will default to using the integrated graphics chip. I guess I’ll be getting the 1201PN after all. Sad.
Mel
August 16, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Thanks for the review and info. I’ve been researching the next gen of netbooks for a while now.
BUT, while the specs look awesome, is Asus INSANE?
You can’t just change the layout of the keyboard and expect everyone to be OK with it!
I owned a different notebook with the odd keyboard config, I was constantly missing both shift and enter, just like you will with this one.
Please note that it’s impossible to “re-train” yourself if you have 40 years of typing under your belt.
People, trust me. If you are used to a standard U.S. keyboard, DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER THIS FOR PURCHASE. It will drive you insane!
Andrei Girbea
August 16, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Mel, don’t be that harsh. Like I’ve said, this is the version available for Europe and not the one that’s going to sell in the US. Over there you’ll have your standard keyboard config, the one you’re already used with.
mel
August 16, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Wow, I’m an idiot. I didn’t realize there would be a different version. The odd computer I bought was in the U.S., so I just figured Asus had made a bad keyboard decision.
My bad, and actually, this is top of the list for purchase when it comes out.
Thanks for the correction Mike!
Matthew
August 17, 2010 at 4:50 pm
Hi, I read in the review that there was disturbing keyboard flex on the asus 1215n. can you be a bit more specific, is the flex really that bad; can you feel it while typing? thanks
Andrei Girbea
August 18, 2010 at 1:18 am
Well, it depends on what disturbing means for each of us. I cannot it’s worse than on the 1201N or the Asus 1015N. Perhaps like 1-2 mm when typing. You can feel it, but i guess you will get used to it in time