The ASUS Eee PC 1215 is a followup to the 12″ ASUS Eee PC 1201, and the new Eee PC 1215 has a lot of new technology in a small package. To start off the Eee PC 1215 has a newer Intel Atom D510 dual-core processor, NVIDIA ION graphics with intelligent GPU switching using their Optimus technology and to top it all off 2 USB 3.0 ports.

In addition to these internal changes NetBook News shot a hands on video which highlights some of the external changes like a larger trackpad, revamped keyboard and an overall slimmer form factor.

In addition to the video, Nicole Scott from Netbook news has a full review of the Eee PC 1215 up including a Windows Experience Index, that is equal to the rating my work desktop shows, and a 3DMark 03 score.

For the past year I have been a huge fan of 13″ notebooks as they straddle the line between portability and performance rather well, but when I look at a spec’d out netbook like the Asus Eee PC 1215 I am excited to see what kinds of roles we will see 12″ netbooks with a 1366 x 768 resolution playing later this year.

No word on pricing or availability yet.

ASUS Eee PC 1215 Netbook with Dual Core Atom w/ ION, USB 3.0 & Optimus is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

ION netbooks are hot right now, and why not they offer small portable machines with the ability to do more than the typical netbook like watch HD video, edit photos better and even game. We shared Engadget’s ION netbook showdown with you already, and we found another great comparison of ION powered netbooks from Laptop Mag which found not one; but two top ION powered netbooks to take the honors.

Laptop Mag’s ION netbook shootout looked at similar characteristics to determine the best ION powered netbook including;

• Design and Ergonomics
• Overall Performance
• Overall Graphics Performance
• Video Performance
• Gaming Performance
• Battery Life
• Value

Laptop Mag chooses a winner for each of these categories and does a great job of calling out what sets the netbooks apart; both good and bad in the sections. If you like graphs and detailed test results than you’ll be in heaven exploring all of the different charts comparing the various performance aspects of each netbook.

To see the winner you can visit the Laptop Mag ION Netbook shootout; but I’ll let you know right now that thanks to the dual winners you have your choice of high end and expensive (for a netbook) or affordable with some compromises.

Image via Laptop Mag

Laptop Mag’s ION Netbook Shootout Shares the Top Spot is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Picking the right netbook isn’t an easy decision and thanks to the inclusion of Nvidia ION technology in more netbooks it hasn’t gotten any easier. The inclusion of an ION GPU to the typically underpowered netbooks has made it possible for users to watch HD video, edit images at a reasonable pace and yes, even play call of Duty thanks to ION/Atom combo.  Joanna Stern at Engadget has put 4 ION powered netbooks to the test to make it easier for you to choose the right one.

Joanna tested the ASUS Eee PC 1201N, Lenovo IdeaPad S12, HP Mini 311 and the Samsung N510 netbooks which retail between $475 and $650; a range typically reserved for cheap notebooks and above the average cost of a netbook. The ION netbook roundup looked at 5 areas to find the top ION powered netbook including;

• Design
• Keyboard, touchpad and screen
• Overall performance
• Graphics and HD performance
• Battery life

One surprise that showed up in the head-to-head was that all of the ION powered netbooks felt a bit sluggish when opening programs, possibly a result of higher screen resolution, but something to keep in mind.

You can check out the full ION powered netbook Head-to-Head (with pictures and detailed stats) for the overall ION winner; but don’t forget that CES is just a week away and we will likely see new ION powered netbooks sporting the Atom N450 processor which could bring better performance to the table.

via jkOnTheRun

Which ION powered Netbook is the best? is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

It used to be that finding a notebook under $600 was a challenge, even for a low end machine, but thanks to competition and advances in technology you can get quite a wide range of notebooks for under $600. These aren’t just Black Friday or once a year specials, just great buys on solid computers. I’ll admit, even I was surprised that you can find a notebook with Blu-Ray for under $600, but it is available and you don’t have to wait in a line or stay up until midnight to order it.

As we mentioned prices have dropped on many computers and new advances have lead to a wide range of notebooks being available under $600. This guide will span the range form your basic netbook, which is great for portability, all the way up to 17″ entertainment notebooks. We’ll also show you an ION netbook that has more graphical power than its peers and a few other notebooks that run from 11.6″ to 16″ and offer options like a full number keypad, thin and light styling and the ruggedness of a ThinkPad.

While there are many improvements in the capabilities of sub $600 notebooks today compared to in years past you still need to sacrifice some features to get below $600. For the most part these notebooks will not offer high end processors, beefy graphics cards, 8GB of Ram or blazing fast SSD hard drives. But, with that warning aside, these budget notebooks do offer a tremendous value for many users including students, small businesses and home users.

Whether you’re looking for a gift to give away or a gift for yourself here are 10 notebooks under $600 that fit the bill.

Basic Netbook: Samsung n130 with Failsafe

Price: $299

A basic netbook is great to toss in a bag and take wherever you are going. Whether you’re heading to school, the coffeeshop or across the country the small size and sturdy build of the Samsung N130 make it a great choice. Unlike many other netbooks the N130 has a matte screen which makes it easier to use outside and cuts down on glare from overhead lights. You can also purchase the Samsung N130 with Failsafe, a service that lets you track down a lost or stolen laptop and even recover files, which makes it perfect for a forgetful person on the go.

Entertainment Netbook: HP Mini 311

Price: Starts at $399

Basic netbooks often choke when you try to perform a demanding task, like watching HD video, but the new ION powered netbooks like the HP Mini 311 make use of a new graphic processor to do provide a better computing experience. An ION powered notebook such as this can watch HD videos, edit photos faster and even handle Call of Duty (if you turn the graphics settings WAY down). When Flash 10.1 comes out netbooks like the Mini 311 will be able to stream Hulu without you feeling like you’re watching a poorly dubbed kung-fu flick. For more information check out our HP Mini 311 review roundup.

11.6″ Thin and Light Ultraportable: Acer Aspire TimeLine AS1810

Price: $599 ($549 model also available)

If a netbook is too small, but you don’t want to jump up to a full size laptop than the Acer Aspire Timeline AS1810 may be the perfect fit of form and functionality. Without adding significant size or weight to your bag the TimeLine AS1810 gives you an Intel Core 2 Duo processor which is more powerful (and will let you do more than a typical netbook. The trackpad on this model also allows you to use gestures to pinch, flick and swirl for easier navigation. Keep reading for detailed specs and reviews of the Acer Aspire Timeline AS1810.

13.3” Ultraportable Notebook: HP dm3z

Price: Starts at $529

The HP dm3z’s brushed aluminum chassis and slim shape may give off the appearance that it couldn’t possibly fit into a gift guide for notebooks under $600 but HP is able to sell this notebook for just $529 and it typically includes 3GB of Ram and a 320 GB hard drive so it isn’t skimping on features. Aside from the aluminum chassis, another feature that sets this notebook apart from the others on this list is that the dm3z is powered by a mobile AMD processor. Even though the dm3z has left the netbook screen size, like the smaller computers, it lacks an optical drive so if you may need to purchase an external one.

14″ Notebook: ThinkPad SL410

Price: $499

If you’ve had the pleasure of using a ThinkPad at work you know that, as a whole, the ThinkPad line of notebooks are sturdy and provide a user friendly layout. The ThinkPad SL410 shares these same attributes with its big business brothers, but what is different about the SL line of ThinkPads is the price. Aimed at a small business buyer these ThinkPad’s start at $499, yet still retain many of the features you have come to love. If you want a ThinkPad, whether for work or play, this is the cheapest you’ll find one.

15.6″ Budget Notebook: Gateway MD 7309u

Price: $399

Notebooks in the 15.6″ screen size are quickly becoming the new budget notebooks, and that’s the category that this Burgundy colored Gateway MD 7309u falls into. With a Dual core processor, 3GB or Ram and a 320 GB hard drive it isn’t a screaming machine but it will fit the needs of many computer users. One area that you sacrifice when purchasing a budget 15.6″ notebook is portability. Sure, it won’t throw your back out to take it from place to place, but if you really need a big screen to haul around town then a thinner lighter notebook would be a better buy.

15.6″ Thin and Light: Dell Studio 15z

Price: $599

If you want a decent sized screen and portability than the Dell Studio 15z is just right for you. Following the tradition of the Z line computers, like the Dell Studio 14z we reviewed, the Studio 15z offers a lighter notebook and better battery life thanks to a low voltage processor ($30 will get you a faster Intel Core 2 Duo processor if you need the speed). The Studio 15z differentiates itself from the other thin and light notebooks in this list by including an optical drive so that you can watch a DVD or backup your files to disk without the need for an external drive.

16″ with Blu-Ray: MSI CR600-017

Price: $599

If you’ve been holding out for a good deal on a Notebook with Blu-Ray than the MSI CR600-17 is the notebook for you. Packing a 16″ screen this new notebook from MSI offers the cheapest portable Blu-Ray experience to date. While the retail price of this notebook is $649 and technically places it above our $600 limit it is routinely available for $599 from retailers like Fry’s. The only downside is the lack of a Core 2 Duo processor, but if you want Blu-Ray and a big screen than this is a small sacrifice to make.

Big Screen: HP G71 17”

Price: Starts at $569 ($589 with HDMI out)

The HP G71 notebook is a great find for anyone who wants a big screen on their notebook but doesn’t want to pay an arm and a leg for all the extra room. When it comes to big screen notebooks they aren’t meant to hauled around all the time, but as a desktop replacement the G71 works well. For an extra $20 you can add an HDMI connection which will make it a snap to hook up to your HDTV giving you an even bigger screen to use. Keep your eye open on Black Friday when you can find the HP G71 at Staples with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor for $598 and at Walmart with a slower processor for $398.

Affordable Power: Toshiba L505-S5993

Price: $579

The Toshiba L505 is available in several configurations, but the current model on sale at Amazon offers the best value for your dollar. The Toshiba Satellite L505-S5993 comes with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor (2.1GHz), 4 GB of RAM, 500 GB Hard Drive and a 15.6″ screen. One little plus to the L505 that most notebooks don’t have is a full size number keypad, making this a good gift for an aspiring accountant or number cruncher in your family. The only thing you need to consider before buying the L505 is that it only has a 2-3 hour battery life so if you are on the go for extended periods you may want to put an extra battery in the stocking.

Holiday Gift Guide: 10 Notebooks under $600 is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Adobe officially announced that Flash Player 10.1 will enable netbooks with NVIDIA ION graphics to play back high definition Flash movies full screen.

In order to get this kind of Flash video experience on a netbook you’ll need a GPU and the new version of Flash, which will be released later this year. The HP Mini 311 and IdeaPad S12 with ION are two examples of netbooks that will benefit from the update.

I got a chance to see demos of both in action at the NVIDIA GPU Technology Conference last week and can assure you that the improvements are very noticeable. Here’s a quick video I shot of a 1080p Flash video streaming on a Mini 311:

Here’s the official press release from Adobe:

Adobe and NVIDIA Deliver Rich Web Experiences on Netbooks and Mobile Devices

GPU-Accelerated Netbooks from HP, Lenovo and Samsung Support Full Flash Player

LOS ANGELES — Oct. 5, 2009 — At Adobe MAX, Adobe’s worldwide developer conference, Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) and NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq:NVDA) today announced that both companies are bringing uncompromised browsing of rich Web content to netbooks, smartphones and smartbooks built with NVIDIA® GPUs. The companies have been working closely together as part of the Open Screen Project to optimize and dramatically improve performance of Flash Player 10.1 by taking advantage of GPU video and graphics acceleration on a wide range of mobile Internet devices. NVIDIA customers embracing Flash Player 10.1 for their new devices include HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Acer, Asus and more. Users are expected to be able to download a beta of Flash Player 10.1 before the end of the year.

The combination of NVIDIA GPUs and Adobe Flash Player 10.1 enables device manufacturers to deliver uncompromised Web browsing of rich applications, interactive content and HD video with substantially decreased power consumption. With the support of the NVIDIA GeForce®, NVIDIA IONâ„¢ and Tegraâ„¢ products users will be able to enjoy a much smoother viewing experience when accessing rich content built with the Flash Platform including HD and SD video from popular sites like Hulu.com or YouTube. For more information on Flash Player 10.1, please see the separate press release issued today.

Consumers want the best whether it’s a mobile device in their pocket or a netbook at the coffee shop,” said Dan Vivoli, senior vice president of NVIDIA. Our engineers have worked closely with Adobe to make this a reality.”

The most innovative and expressive Web sites use Adobe Flash technology,” said David Wadhwani, general manager and vice president, Platform Business Unit at Adobe. By working together to further leverage the power of graphics processors, Adobe and NVIDIA are able to provide breakthrough Web experiences on a wide range of devices. This new development brings us a step closer to putting the power of a PC in your pocket.”

NVIDIA ION-based netbooks and nettops like the HP Mini 311, Lenovo IdeaPad S12, Samsung N510, Acer AspireRevo, and Asus eeeBox EB1012 and others are shipping today and once Flash Player 10.1 is available, they can take advantage of GPU-accelerated video decoding to deliver the kind of smooth Flash technology based video previously found only on higher-end PCs. Tegra processor-based smartphones and smartbooks that start shipping later this year will accelerate vector graphics and video to enable feature-rich, full-screen Internet video and animation.

HP is pleased to work with NVIDIA and Adobe to give customers a compelling high definition video experience,” said Kevin Frost, vice president and general manager, Consumer Notebooks, Personal Systems Group, HP. The recently introduced HP Mini 311 supports stunning HD video using Flash Player 10.1.”

As the biggest online video Web site in China, Youku.com believes in providing superior user experiences because fast video play-back is essential, said Allen Zhu, vice president of Youku.com. Now, with the new Adobe Flash Player 10.1, video decoding for the first time is enabled through NVIDIA GPUs, we can greatly enhance the speed of video playback for the great quantity of HD videos hosted on our Web site. This would enable our users to enjoy a smooth and stutter-free HD video playback experience.”

The new version of Flash Player 10.1 will help deliver smooth, full-screen HD and SD video on the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q110 nettop and IdeaPad S12 netbook with NVIDIA ION graphics,” said Stephen DiFranco, vice president, North America Channel Partners Organization, Lenovo. As more and more consumers connect online for their entertainment, GPU acceleration with NVIDIA will enhance this experience, whether it’s on the go with a Lenovo netbook or at home with a tiny desktop PC.”

To view a video of Jen-Hsun Huang, co-founder, president and CEO of nVidia, discussing the collaboration with Adobe visit: http://tv.adobe.com/watch/open-screen-project/nvidia-ceo-on-flash.

Smooth HD Flash Video Coming to Netbooks w/ NVIDIA ION is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

The guys from NVIDIA showed me a demo of 1080p video playing on the an NVIDIA Ion reference design. This little computer is the precursor to netbooks that will be capable of playing high definition video.

The netbook on the left is running an Intel Atom processor with integrated Intel graphics. The LCD on the right is connected to the NVIDIA Ion computer, which also has an INtel Atom processor. Unlike current netbooks, the Ion design features a GeForce 9400M processor.

As you can see for yourself, the NVIDIA Ion platform makes Intel’s integrated graphics look kinda pathetic. Notice how smooth the Belagio water spouts are on the LCD compared to the netbook.

Not only can you watch movies on NVIDIA Ion netbooks, but you can output that video via HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort or VGA onto a display with a resolutoin up to 2560×1600.

Of course, graphics performance isn’t a priority for everyone, but if want to do more than email and web browsing on a netbook, you might want to wait for the release of Ion netbooks.

We expect to see the first NVIDIA Ion netbook in the second quarter of 2009.

NVIDIA Ion Demo: 1080p Coming Soon to Netbooks (CES 2009) is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.