ASUS EeePC 1201N

Nvidia's ION platform, which promises 1080p video playback and light 3D gaming, is finally showing signs of life. First, HP launched with its Mini 311 and then Lenovo and Samsung followed with their own Ion netbooks. Hot on their heels is ASUS, with yet another Ion netbook. Like its predecessors, the ASUS EeePC 1201N ($484 street) uses a variant of the Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics chipset, but it's slightly different in that it's the first netbook that bundles a dual-core Atom processor—the 1.66GHz Intel Atom N330. Netbook snobs and HD enthusiasts will appreciate that it's the fastest and one of the best netbook in the market, though the 4 hours of battery life is its one tradeoff.

Design and Features
The ASUS 1201N is long and slim and takes its design cues from the ASUS EeePC 1101HA. Like most of its EeePC predecessors, it's wrapped in shiny plastics: The black version is a magnet for fingerprints and smudges, so you're better off with the silver one. Its 3.2 pound frame is light among other 12-inch netbooks like the Samsung NC20 (12GBK), and Lenovo IdeaPad S12 (Ion), which weigh 3.3 and 3.4 pounds, respectively. The MSI U210 (008US) is the lightest 12-inch netbook, at 3 pounds.

For a netbook, the 12-inch widescreen is a wealth of screen real estate, especially when the typical netbook screen averages 10 inches. Its 1,366-by-768 resolution, naturally, is a lot higher than the one found in a 10-inch netbook like the Toshiba mini NB205 and HP Mini 5102, and matches the one found in the HP 311 and MSI U210. The 1201N marks the first time an ASUS EeePC shipped with a full size keyboard (previous EeePCs are smaller in size, and their keyboards top out at 92%), even though many of its competitors are offering full size experiences on smaller frames. It uses an island-style format that ASUS and every other PC company have been very partial to as of late, which doesn't detract from the typing experience.

With an Nvidia chipset, you're guaranteed an HDMI port. With it, you can use the 1201N to stream HD content to an external flat panel that supports the format. It's the same port found in the HP 311 and Lenovo S12 (Ion). The 250GB hard drive, three USB ports, media card reader, Ethernet port, and Webcam are all standard netbook features that you can find in 10-inch netbooks, too.

Performance
I've seen the 1.66GHz Intel Atom N330 in nettops like the ASUS EeeBox. A dual core Atom processor, however, is a first on a netbook. Running on two physical processor cores improved performance by a considerable margin, as the previous generation of Atom processors are single-core only. More impressive is that the 1201N ships with 2GB of RAM off the bat (the HP 311 and Lenovo S12 come standard with 1GB). As such, its video encoding score of 3 minutes 19 seconds dominated the S12 (4:51) and Mini 311 (4:54). Even netbooks that run on an AMD Neo processor (like the MSI U210) or an Intel Pentium CULV (Toshiba Satellite T115-S1105)—processors considered speedier than a single core Atom—fell short of the ASUS 1201N in terms of performance.

The benefits of Nvidia's ION chipset are two-fold: First, you'll be able to play games like World of Warcraft and Spore without restrictions (moderately intensive 3D games should be played with all the eye-candy turned off). The 1201N, furthermore, scored better than the HP 311 and Lenovo S12 (Ion) in 3DMark06 tests, thanks in part to the dual core Atom processor. Plus, 1080p video—tested at various bit rates and formats—played back beautifully on the system and over the HDMI interface (with a Samsung LN55A950 LED Display). And all of my testing was done at full screen.

The only concession is battery life, although this is usually the consequence of bundling the fastest Atom processor and an Nvidia platform; the 1201N ships with a 63WH (6-cell) battery, which drained after 4 hours 20 minutes on MobileMark 2007 tests. It scored over an hour less than the HP 311 (5:29) and only slightly better than the Lenovo S12 Ion (4:06). Netbooks like the Toshiba NB205 and HP 5102, which run on a single-core Atom processor and Intel integrated graphics, completed their battery tests with scores in the 8-10 hour range; though they lack the 3D and HD benefits.

Most netbook users will be satisfied with over 4 hours of battery life, which is why I'm recommending the ASUS EeePC 1201N over other netbooks in the 12-inch space. For a very reasonable price ($484), it's ideal for sophisticated netbook users looking for that extra burst of speed. Those who are looking for a general netbook should consider the Toshiba mini NB205 (now the NB305) and HP Mini 5102.

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS: Check out the test scores for the ASUS EeePC 1201N