14 DAY TRIAL // ASUS has definitely resumed its long-lasting string of mobile computer releases, and netbooks are definitely a central part of its marketing strategy for 2010. This can be easily seen from how the Eee PC 1005PX just got listed in Thailand. ASUS has also been talking about the Eee PC 1201PN netbook and the Acer Aspire One 532g. Still, these machines either haven't gotten around to consumers yet or, in the case of the former, lack NVIDIA Optimus technology, which means a shorter battery life. As such, it makes sense that the Eee PC 1215N would be the next most hyped up entry-level laptop.
The Eee PC 1215N is highly anticipated because it does feature NVIDIA ION 2 graphics and the NVIDIA Optimus technology, which dynamically switches between the integrated solution and the discrete GPU depending on application load. The machine itself has, at its heart, the Intel Atom D525 central processing unit, which is a dual-core part with a clock speed of 1.8GHz.
The 1215N can't really be classified as a netbook because it leans more towards an ultraportable. For one, it doesn't stick to the consensus of the 10.1-inch screen size limit, being equipped, instead, with a 12-inch display whose native resolution is of 1366 x 768 pixels. It also features a D series atom instead of an N series, and even features Bluetooth 3.0 and, most importantly, USB 3.0 connectivity.
Other specifications include a 320GB HDD, LAN, a built-in webcam, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and 1GB of RAM.
According to Engadget, the ASUS Eee PC 1215N will start shipping, in the US at least, on August 23. This means that eager travelers will have to wait for about 40 days before getting their hands on it. Unfortunately, the exact price tag has not been disclosed, although it was stated that it would be below $500.