Asus are to release their first netbook that comes with NVIDIA ION graphics. From the outside, it looks very similar to the Asus Eee PC 1015PEM which we recently reported about. The chiclet style keyboard is the same on the 1015PN, as is the matte touch pad finish. Also, like the 1015PEM, the Eee PC 1015PN will also come with the dual core Intel Atom N550. It will also be available with the N475 single core CPU.

As the Asus Eee PC 1015PN will come with NVIDIA ION, the screen will support a higher resolution of 1366×768, while still sporting a 10 inch display. It should be able to handle 1080p HD video playback but, obviously it probably won’t have the same sort of graphics capability as you would find on a larger laptop.

The netbook is due to be released next month but, there’s no information regarding the US pricing. The pricing for Europe however is known. The netbook is available to pre-order in France for €399 Euros.

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Asus to release netbook with NVIDIA ION is a post from: Eee PC

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Great news for folks in the US who have had their eye on the Asus Eee PC 1215N. The netbook has already been made available to the Middle East Market but, at that time it wasn’t known whether it would make it’s way to the US. We can now confirm that yes, it will be made available to the US market. Unfortunately the release is still over a month away, with the launch date slated as August 23rd. Upon release it’s expected to sell for less than $500.

The Eee PC 1215N features a 12.1 inch display with a resolution of 1366×768 and a 1.8GHz Intel Atom dual core D525 processor. The 1215N als comes equipped with the latest NVIDIA ION graphics and NVIDIA Optimus technology, which automatically switches between the high performance NVIDIA graphics and the lower powered Intel graphics, which saves battery power.

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Asus Eee PC 1215N headed to the US is a post from: Eee PC

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Microsoft is proudly showing off the future version of Internet Explorer that will be able to speed up your browsing by utilizing your netbook’s built-in graphics chip. They partnered with NVIDIA to showcase their new app on an Asus Eee PC 1201PN which packs the next-generation ION card.

What does this mean for us basic netbook users? Well, once IE 9 rolls out you can expect to be able to browse smoothly YouTube, Google Maps and pretty much any other graphics intenstive site, probably even in multiple tabs and a flash game thrown in. All this action will be possible without any hiccups which is pretty amazing. Finally, I’ll be able to work and play at the same time on my netbook.

Sit tight folks, Microsoft will be announcing this bad boy pretty soon.

source Blogeee

IE9 demoed with an Eee PC 1201PN to show its GPU-enhanced prowess is a post from: Eee PC

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The Calibre Cuti aims to give you a warm fuzzy feeling with its new nettop with a unicorn logo on it. Actually, the logo reminds me of Ferrari’s own logo if the horse in it had a horn on its forehead. The casing also reminds me of the Eee Box which I’m sure is the inspiration for this device.

The nettop is powered with an Atom 330 CPU and NVIDIA ION first-gen for graphics. Other features are the capability to run on up to 4GB RAM and take up to 500GB drives, WiFi-N, HDMI and DVI outputs, a whopping 7.1 audio input and 6 x USB ports.

No work on pricing and availability from the press release but I’m sure it will cost the same as other nettops out there more or less.

source Calibre PR

Calibre Cuti is the perfect unicorn nettop for you is a post from: Eee PC

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While the actual release of Google’s Chrome OS will likely coincide with their own GoogleBook launch, one intrepid dev rebuilt the current version of Chromium, the beta version of the OS.

Hexxeh baked in a lot of new features in this new build which they’ve dubbed “Flow”. If you want to grab the installer, you can download Flow but first, check the netbook compatibility list if your own unit is supported. A few of the features are user-customizable menus, NVIDIA ION support, Velocity-based updating and battery life improvements.

Google Chrome OS is a browser-based operating system which focuses on using apps from the cloud like Gmail and Google Docs. It’s built on top of Linux and will be available later this year for the low, low price of free (we hope, it’s from Google after all).

source Hexxeh

Chromium OS rebuilt, adds ION support, automatic updates and more is a post from: Eee PC

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Another unboxing video here from Brad of liliputing. It’s the dual core packing Asus Eee PC 1201N. You might think this is a CULV laptop but it’s not – the dual core is an Atom 330 processor, something usually reserved for nettops. The two-core Atom CPU gives a slight speed bump to the perfomance of this notebook.

What really makes this unit special is the NVIDIA Ion graphics chipset included in it which lets users play high-definition video and games. It’s also great for outputting video to an external screen via the HDMI port, which is not usually present in netbooks. Here are some specs of this unit.

• 12.1″ glossy screen
• 1.6GHz Intel Atom 330 Dual Core
• 2GB RAM
• 250GB HDD
• Windows 7 Home Premium (32-bit)
• 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth
• 5-hour battery life
• Weight: 1.45kg

The battery doesn’t protrude much from the base, so it gives a sleek profile to the unit. It has the regular Asus keyboard with functions for overclocking/underclocking the processor included. For more on this, check out the video below. Together with the NVIDIA Ion graphics, that would probably give a very nice gaming experience.

source liliputing

Unboxed: Asus Eee PC 1201N is a post from: Eee PC

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We already covered LaptopMag’s take on this and now Engadget releases their own comparison between the four Ion netbooks in the market and reveal the pound-for-pound winner for the top spot.

The results are pretty much the same, with the Asus Eee Pc 1201N leading the pack. Hit the link below to get the full scoop on this netbook challenge

via engadget

Ion King 2: Netbook’s Pride is a post from: Eee PC

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My own HTPC is a spare generic Atom 330 dual-core nettop running Mac OSX. Granted this isn’t the most ideal setup, it works for me. One of my grips though is the inability of this system to play larger HD movies and mkv versions of shows I have. The dual core isn’t enough to process these videos to deliver even a useable picture.

Now, put in an NVIDIA Ion in this setup and couple with Flash 10.1, you have a decent movie playing machine right there. The GPU-acceleration is a boon to those who want to just dump their videos and play them whatever the format maybe. Of course there will still be some video that won’t play like 1080p ones but for all the rest, this is a nice alternative if you’re on a budget. It’s also small, just the same size as a Mac Mini, so it won’t cramp your media center station.

The best setup for an HTPC is using a mid-range Core 2 Duo processor and maybe a higher end one if you plan to play games as well. I recommend using XBMC as your media center for its great eye candy while browsing your collection and the ability to play online video.

Video of the ASRock ION in action

via liliputing

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Laptopmag got four NVIDIA Ion netbooks and pitted them against each other to see what’s the best one. They put them through their paces in seven categories: Design and Ergonomics, Overall Performance, Overall Graphics Performance, Video Performance, Gaming Performance, Battery Life and Value. The competitors were the HP Mini 311, Lenovo Ideapad S12, Asus Eee PC 1201N and Samsung N510.

HP Mini was the best in design with the very svelte silver palm rest and keyboard combined with a contrast of black bezel for the screen. The keyboard was also nice and comfortable with a large touchpad and separate left and right buttons. It also was the winner in graphics performance, giving solid marks for HD-video playback and video transcoding.

For the best performance in regular tasks, video and gaming, it’s no surprise that the Eee PC 1201N led the pack with its dual core CPU providing fast processing overall. Having Flash 10.1 on top of the Ion graphics really helped as well.

In the battery category, it was the Samsung N510 that came on top with almost 5 hours of battery life for continuous surfing via WiFi. As for the value, the best bang for the dollar was the 1201N which keeps with what most of us experience with the Eee PC line. Most netbooks from Asus are spot-on their prices for what they offer versus other brands often with a few more added features, accessories and freebies bundled in.

Hit the link below to see the big winner but I think you already know who it is based on the results above.

source Laptopmag via liliputing

Ion King: What’s The Best NVIDIA Ion Netbook Around? is a post from: Eee PC

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The folks over at liliputing have posted a review of a demo HP Mini 311 unit they just received. The unit is quite attractive with the  slim design and larger screen though they did say that the battery life won’t last as long as other netbooks and that it does appear to be slow during actual real world usage. It does however have a very easily accessible panel for upgrading the RAM and hard drive and performs well in terms of playing games and video.

Similar to the previous review of the 1201N, those looking for a more powerful unit might want to go with a CULV instead since that packs more processing power.

You can get more of their thoughts by clicking the link below.

via liliputing

Reviewed: HP Mini 311 is a post from: Eee PC

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