Asus 1215P Review
The Asus Eee PC 1215P is the first 12.1-inch notebook to embrace the dual core Atom N550 processor. 1215P makes itself standout from the rest of the competition by sporting 2GB RAM, and Windows 7 Home Premium Edition (Starter, Home Basic options are also available).
Update – If you love dual core and small size netbooks, you must check out the new 1025ce eee pc that comes with Cedar Trail processors. Read the Asus 1025ce review.
The netbook looks just like the Asus 1215B that we reviewed just few days back and boasts a matte finish which does not catches fingerprints easily. However, smudges are easily visible. The display is glossy and acts like a mirror in direct sunlight. That said, we have no complains with the screen while working indoors. The colors look great and saturation levels are also decent.
Performance – As said earlier in the review, the Asus 1215P comes with dual core Atom N550 processor. This processor runs at 1.5GHz clock speed. Graphics department is handled by Intel GMA 3150 graphics. In real world use, they do a fine job in handling YouTube and local videos up to 480p resolution. Go beyond that and enjoy watching movies / clips as slideshows. Do not even think of watching 1080p on it.
Here is how its Atom N550 compares with other popular processors that are commonly used in netbooks – Atom N455, Atom N270, Intel 743 (CULV)
The netbook handles web browsing, office editing and light photoshop editing without much lag and is fine for daily use. Just do not expect it to play your latest games. If games are your thing, you should get the Asus Lamborghini VX6.
The Eee PC comes with 3x USB 2.0 ports, 1x VGA port and card reader. There is no HDMI port in it either which is sad as we had become so used to it on the Eee 1215B. The unit we got for review came with 2GB RAM which is the maximum supported by the system. Opening the back panel reveals 2 SO-DIMM slots – each occupied by 1GB RAM module.
Keyboard on the Asus 1215P is great for those who are planning to do some heavy typing on it. The keys are full size except for small right shift key. Only that key will take some time getting used to. Other than that, you will love the keyboard. Touchpad is big, spacious and multi touch gestures like two finger scrolling worked like charm as well.
Battery Life – While the CPU and graphics are more than adequate for day-to-day tasks, it is no powerhouse. Due to the power-frugal nature of the CPU and GPU, we were able to get a massive 6 hours of runtime while doing wireless web browsing.
Verdict – The Asus Eee PC 1215P is not meant for gamers. It is for those who are ready to sacrifice gaming and HD videos for great battery life. It is also for those who like the Asus 12.1-inch netbooks but do not require all the power or for those who cannot afford the ultra book notebooks due to their price. Overall, it leaves us with a good impression thanks to its overall good performance, decent build quality and great battery life.
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