Asus and AMD have a winner … about
Pros
-Came with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Processing power, E-350s and better than average graphics performance
Overall, great looking laptop
USB 3.0 Port
+-USBCharge, an application that allows you to charge your devices via USB even when the notebook is off
-6 Hours of battery life
Island-style keyboard with Home, PgUp, PgDn, and End keys (missing similarly spec’d Dm1z)
Cons
-Typical bloatware you find on many PC
-Trackpad is a unique link which is perceptible noise
-Partitioned
hard drive came very strangely, it can be fixed easily enough in
Windows 7, but the end user should not have to worry about that.
-Charging Adapter is not always responsible for the first plug-in laptop
Trackpad-insensitive when
Overall, I am satisfied with my purchase, but especially because I
was able to fix many of the Cons I had with this laptop when I bought
it. First I will focus on the benefits.
I think Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit for more, because with a
smaller form factor, it has rarely use the power to the 64-bit operating
system. The first Pro is directly related to the second Pro, the
processor is actually really good. I had Google Chrome works with about
12 tabs open, looking at a trailer in 720p with Microsoft Office
applications running in the background and it handled the load very
well. The trailer played at a respectable 28 fps without a drop in
frames, a typical task of your single or double heart heart Intel Atom
CPU could not do.
The USB 3.0 is a better place for future leak if it is not something
else. USB 3.0 will become the norm in the case of the use and transferal
device so its a pleasant surprise that Asus decided to include the port
on this laptop.
Speaking of USB there are a total of 3 on this
laptop, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, USB 2.0 port and a port of loading (the USB
port on the left side of the laptop). This port in the conjunta
USBCharger pre-installed software + program allows you to charge a
device via the USB port while the laptop is off, does not sleep, not
hibernation, completely cut off. This is the laptop that I travel a lot
with its light and since I keep in my backpack. If the battery on my
phone starts to run out, I can just plug my USB cable in the existing
port and load up my camera, without the power on the laptop. This may
not seem like a really great feature for many people but for mobile
users is a very useful function.
Battery life is subjective depending on your usage, but I think it
provided enough power to just spend my normal school day without having
to carry a charger while being able to provide some juice to my
smartphone . With brightness set to about 60%, wireless enabled, running
on multiple tabs in Google Chrome, and typing into Google Docs, I get
about 6 hours of use. Like any computer, if you start streaming video or
run a heavy Flash content, you can expect to have your cup run about 30
to 40%.
The last I will speak Pro is the keyboard island. I am sure
that this percent is a full keyboard, but it is quite comfortable to
type on. The keys have a nice amount of compression and provides a
satisfying click without being too noisy. I would prefer if the keys
were slightly rubberized and less clever, but it’s better than your
average keyboard to this form factor.
Now I will discuss the Cons. The bloatware is really easy to treat,
go to control panel and remove programs you do not want. I do recommend
you give this application a try first before deleting. + USBCharge is
one of those rare gems that I really liked when it comes preloaded
applications.
The bar Trackpad is a rare thing that I use with an application
called TwoFingerScroll. This application allows you to add something for
the MacOS keyboard as typing with two fingers to allow a right click, a
gesture that pilots Synaptics trackpads typical PC does not natively
support.
The hard drive is something I do not quite understand. The
hard drive has about 300 GB available, but you can only access about 90
GB one. I had to use the Device Manager in Windows 7 to re-partition the
hard drive. This is something that a technician would certainly not
bothered, hell, I’m a geek and I’m bored with it, Asus should certainly
solve this problem in the future.
When you look at the charging port on the 1215b you might confuse it
with an audio jack or microphone because its so small. The charger has a
very small plug that looks very fragile and could easily break
overtime. I returned very late from class feeling pretty tired, so I
grabbed my laptop from my bag, threw it on the charger, and collapsed on
my bed to sleep a little much needed. The next morning I wake up
grabbing my laptop to school to find that did not charge at all to 8
hours of his hip was in place. I checked the detachable cable connected
and it was as it should so I’m not sure what’s going on. I unplug the
charging cable and reconnected and boom, now it decides to load. This
takes place at least 10 times since I am the owner of this laptop, it’s
not a huge con, but be sure to take an overview of the LED load to
ensure that its on before you leave only.
The biggest of them all for a Con trackpad. Simply put, it works
sometimes and sometimes not at all. The main entrance to navigate on
your mobile may decide to stop working at any second, crazy is not it. I
uninstalled the Synaptics Touchpad drivers and grabbed the latest on
the Asus website and I still encountered the same problem. I even
started a different operating system (Linux Mint) and I still could
recreate the same insensitivity trackpad, so I knew he was not in
software. Fortunately, eeeuser.com gave me a solution. I had to force
open and my laptop and remove two pieces of tape that were placed
between the trackpad and the motherboard (to avoid the shock) to solve
the problem. It’s really not excusable, all users have not encountered
this problem, but knowing that I canceled my warranty potentially use my
laptop is really discouraging.
So there’s my mini review of the 1215b, I made sure I used this
laptop as far as I could before I wrote an opinion on it. With all the
amenities that are listed, I will still give it a rating of 4 out of 5.
There are not many E-350 processors available that come in a 12.1 to
11.6 form factor so my rating reflects the similar laptops that are
available. The Dm1z have overheating problems that make the fan run
continuously and lack of certain keys (those that I mentioned in the
pros. X120e The Thinkpad has a 6 cell battery (like the 1215b), except
that it exceeds from the rear, a design feature and I hate the Sony Vaio
PCV-YB15KX is about 100 dollars more than the other E-350 similar
spec’d laptops. You may or may not encounter the same problems as I had,
but all things considered (after some tweaking of course), I am
satisfied with my purchase. All electronics are going to have their
gripes and defects, luckily mine were mostly fixable. He attractive
design, attractive price points, respectable specs, really great form
factor. When it comes to accessibility, portability and power, the 1215b
is a really good competitor.
Entertainment HD-enhanced with NVIDIA Optimus
Ergonomic chiclet keyboard for comfort
Comfort On-the-Go
Satisfied with the unprecedented performance of energy efficiency
The
Eee PC ™ 1215N defies the notion of netbooks being designed just to
meet basic computer. The 1215N packs Intel ® Atom ™ D525 dual core
processor and next-generation NVIDIA ® ION ™ graphics processor with
discrete NVIDIA ® Optimus ™ technology to deliver a netbook with
powerful capabilities of multimedia performance.
NVIDIA
® Optimus ™ technology intelligently switches between discrete and
integrated graphics to provide the optimal graphics needed, thereby
extending battery life in the process.
Power with Enhanced Battery Life
High speed, efficient connectivity
Your Companion portable Internet
Immersive multimedia
The
Eee PC 1215B offers users the best portable multimedia enjoyment for
its size. With the latest AMD E350 dual core processor – a high
performance CPU and GPU, expect the best in multimedia entertainment.
With super low power consumption that the Eee PC 1215B pulls, enjoy up
to 8 hours of battery life. With sustainable mobility, it has a compact,
scratch-resistant design that fits in cases, and backpacks – perfect
for long trips and overnight races.
Designed to Entertain
Superior performance with the AMD dual core processor
Incredible HD multimedia experience
Immersive multimedia
Super charge your battery
Choice of multiple colors to fit your style
Stay Connected
Connectivity included
Natural Beauty, sustainable mobility
Performance laptop, netbook-sized
Comfort On-the-Go
Power with Enhanced Battery Life
Stay tuned, more
Immersive multimedia
Get online in an instant
Your Companion portable Internet
* Life of operation subject to product model, normal usage conditions and configurations.
