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        Netbook mixes dual-core Atom with discrete Nvidia grahpics

        Jonathan Angel | Date: Oct 12, 2010 | Comments: 1


        Asus released the first 10.1-inch netbook including both Intel's dual-core Atom N550 processor and Nvidia's Ion 2 discrete graphics circuitry. The Eee PC 1015PN provides up to 9.5 hours of battery life, includes an HDMI port for HD video, and includes both Bluetooth 3.0 and 802.11b/g/n wireless networking, the company says.

        Asus' new Eee PC 1015PN is an upgraded version of the Eee PC 1015PEM, which, when it was announced at the end of August, was the first netbook to include Intel's dual-core Atom N550. The 45nm CPU is said to have a 1.5GHz clock speed, 1MB of second-level cache, and an 8.5 Watt TDP.

        Part of the vendor's "Seashell" series of netbooks -- which also includes devices such as the Atom N450-equipped Eee PC 1008P and the N280-equipped Eee PC 1008HA -- the Eee PC 1015PEM employed the integrated graphics circuitry built into the N550 by Intel. The similarly named 1015PN (below) adds 512MB of dedicated video memory and Nvidia's Ion 2 GPU (graphics processing unit).


        The Eee PC 1015PN
        (click to enlarge)

        According to Asus, the GPU allows the 1015PN to display 720p or 1080p HD video on an external monitor or television connected to the netbook's HDMI port. Nvidia's Optimus technology can save power by switching discrete graphics off when they're not required, so the 1015PN's battery life is between nine and ten hours, Asus adds. The company further says the dual-core N550 provides speeds at least 23 percent faster than single-core netbooks.

        According to a review of the 1015PN by the Italian website eeepc.it, Nvidia's Ion 2 nomenclature actually refers to at least two chipsets, a "light" version with eight cores and a more powerful version with 16 cores. The latter is restricted to devices with larger screens, such as the 12.1-inch Eee PC 1215N, the website adds.


        A demonstration of the Asus Eee PC 1015PN
        Source: eeepc.it
        (click to play)

        As a result, the 1015PN is hardly a gaming powerhouse, according to eeepc.it. The website appears to further warn that Nvidia's Optimus technology works only with Windows 7 Home Premium, not with the Windows 7 Starter operating system supplied by Asus. (We can neither confirm nor deny this caveat.)

        The 1015PN could also be criticized in that its 10.1-inch screen offers only 1024 x 600 pixel resolution, no better than an ordinary netbook. However, if you consider the netbook as primarily meant for pushing HD video to an external screen, the above limitations are not too worrying.

        According to Asus, the 1015PN includes other typical netbook features, such as three USB 2.0 ports, a "92 percent of full-size" keyboard, a VGA output, and a 250GB (5400rpm) hard disk drive.

        The device is also said to include Bluetooth 3.0, which allows devices to discover one another and "shake hands" using a Bluetooth radio, then switch to 802.11 networking for faster file transfers. We've thus far encountered only a couple of other netbooks to be so equipped (in addition to the Asus 1015PEM mentioned earlier, they're Samsung's N230 and Dell's Inspiron Mini 1018).

        Other connectivity includes 802.11b/g/n wireless networking and an Ethernet port, according to Asus. The netbook is also said to have an MMC/SD card reader, audio jacks (mic in and headphone out), and a VGA-resolution webcam that includes a "privacy door."

        Specifications listed by Asus for the Eee PC 1015PN include:

        • Processor -- Intel Atom N550 clocked at 1.5GHz
        • Chipset -- NM10 and Nvidia Ion 2
        • Memory -- 1GB of DDR3 RAM (expandable to 2GB)
        • Display -- 10.1-inch screen with 1024 x 600 pixel resolution
        • Webcam -- .3 megapixel
        • Storage -- 250GB (5400rpm)
        • Expansion -- MMC/SSD card reader
        • Networking:
          • LAN -- Ethernet (speeds n/s)
          • WLAN -- 802.11b/g/n
          • PAN -- Bluetooth 3.0
        • Other I/O:
          • 3 x USB 2.0
          • 1 x VGA
          • 1 x HDMI
          • audio -- mic in, headphone out
        • Battery -- six-cell lithium-ion battery provides up to 10 hours of operation
        • Dimensions -- 10.31 x 7 x 1.43 inches (262 x 178 x 36.4mm)
        • Weight -- 2.8 pounds (1.27kg)
        Further information

        Asus does not yet seem to have its own product page for the Eee PC 1015PN, but further details may be found on the sites of retailers such as ExcaliberPC and Amazon, here and here, respectively.

        The eeepc.it item mentioned earlier in this story, complete with benchmarks, may be found here.

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