Asus Eee PC 1215N Netbook Review

Is Intel's Pinetrail platform really all its cracked up to be? We recently took an in-depth look at the 1.8GHz processor / platform, but it's a different thing to take a look at the same thing in a shipping product that's available today to consumers. We have been longing for faster Atom processors, and particularly in recent months, we felt as if even the newer Atom chips weren't fast enough compared to their predecessors. That said, the new Atom D525 dual-core chip holds a bit more promise, at least on paper, for the next generation of netbooks.

We seem to be heading into an era where netbooks aren't the bargain bin machines that they once were. We can't recall the last time we saw a $199 or $249 netbook.  The vast majority coming our way now are priced at at least $399, and Asus' Eee PC 1215N fits the mold here. With a $499 MSRP, this isn't the netbook to get if you're looking to pinch pennies, but it does offer a new generation Atom CPU, NVIDIA's next generation Ion GPU and NVIDIA's Optimus graphics switching technology. That's solid power in a netbook, and we're as interested as anyone to see if this sub-$500 machine can actually serve as an ultraportable replacement.

The 12.1" display means that you'll get a full-size keyboard, and Asus has made the trackpad a bit wider than we're used to seeing. In honesty, the 1215N is an SSD and an integrated optical drive away from being just as full-featured as the average $800-$1000 ultraportable, which makes the $499 price tag look a lot more appealing when you put it in perspective.

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As you can see, the specifications list here is drool-worthy for a netbook. But do these specs lead to real-world performance? And more importantly, is this 12.1" netbook dramatically more powerful than Asus' last line of 12.1" netbooks? Is the 1.8GHz D525 really a leap above the last Atom? Join us in the pages ahead as we find out.