14 DAY TRIAL // Some time ago, Intel brought out its latest Atom processor, the Atom N550 dual-core, and laptop makers immediately announced devices based on it, ASUS included, whose Eee PC 1015PEM appears to have finally started selling in the US.
Though netbooks are supposed to have low capabilities in order to strike lower price points, their performance level has still been steadily improving, along with the rise of next-generation hardware.
The Atom N550 is superior to its predecessors thanks to having two cores, each clocked at 1.5 GHz and, thus, enabling a higher performance level on entry-level machines.
The ASUS Eee PC 1015PEM was initially introduced back in late August, when it was shown to have a, more or less, common hardware build, except for the chip of course.
Now, the very same netbook has made its way to US stores, in multiple color options but the same configuration.
For those interested in a reminder, the Eee PC 1015PEM is the first ASUS entry-level laptop to be equipped with the new CPU.
The N550 is backed up by 1GB of RAM and the GMA 3150 integrated graphics, the latter having a 10-inch display with a native resolution of 1,024 x 600 pixels to work with.
The configuration also includes a hard disk drive, with a storage capacity of 250 GB, as well as the predictable range of connectivity and I/O options.
This includes LAN, Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, a 0.3 megapixel webcam and a battery that can keep the whole thing running for up to 13 hours.
Finally, the machine sells in four color options, black, blue, red and white to be precise, all of which are pre-loaded with the Microsoft Windows 7 Starter Edition.
Shipments are carried out in exchange for the sum of $380 and interested end-users can go here should they be entertaining the desire to place an order.