Optimus on board
The 1215N's performance comes from its dual-core Atom CPU and from its second-generation Nvidia Ion integrated chipset. It's the built-in GPU that powers the 1366 x 768 screen and HDMI port, but the graphics core integrated into Intel's CPU is put to use too.
Optimus operates on an app-by-app basis - select which GPU in the contextual menu or the control panel's list of pre-sets
Asus has implemented Nvidia's Optimus technology, which keeps the discrete GPU powered down until it's really needed. The GMA 3150 handles the screen full-time, and rather than switch from one to the other, with the inevitable screen flicker that goes with it, Optimus cleverly gets the Ion GPU to write directly into the 3150's video buffer.
In that respect, the Ion operates more as co-processor than a graphics controller. The switch is transparent, to the extent that you're left wondering whether it has happened at all. Some kind of taskbar icon showing which GPU is in play would be nice, Nvidia.
Nvidia's software chooses whether to enable the Ion based on a list of apps that can use it. You can specify which GPU a given app will prefer by tweaking the settings in the Control Panel, or by selecting an entry from the contextual menu.
Next page: Netbook-plus performance
COMMENTS
Re: If....
Turn your computer off, and it'd be an even greater saving.
Turn your computer off, and it'd be an even greater saving.
Ah, but the AC is right, in my books anyways.
I too wanted to know immediately what the battery life and cost was :) Not likely to buy this thing as my current Eee probably boasts better endurance than it,and quite likely runs cooler. And cost less, apart from upgrades. Slower, for sure, but ... compromises...
Nevertheless, you get an upvote from me for the snappy comeback.
Pointless
When they cost £449 there just isn't any point. Especially when the size of the device is creeping up.
The next one will have a 13 inch screen, then 15 inch and then it will just be a laptop.
Netbook
If you said that this is not a netbook due to COST - then I might be with you.
A netbook is a low cost, relatively low powered machine that can handle light web-surfing and such but cannot tear though multiple power-apps at once, like editing high res imgs whilst your vid edit encodes whist, you capture a clip of a game whist another core works on a distributed computing project. Screen size has little to do with it other than helping to reduce the cost to make them competitive against real lappies despite relatively low power and therefore useful life.
And to extend battery life
Under $500 - thats DOLLARS - is the fig usually floated for those that care about definition.
More here: http://news.cnet.com/what-is-a-netbook-computer/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5
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Netbooks came with Linux cos otherwise M$ instantly added such a whack to the price, that it became hard to keep the cost down within the range that got people excited. Linux (esp Ubuntu) is finally ready for your avg user and so should be an option here. Would make this machine more attractive to me - if I did not already have v powerful (yet efficient) lappies and custom build desktop.
Wish one could fully custom build lappies too. Building desktops is just lego. And many parts of lappies are like that too (drives, memory, CPU etc). It`s the chassis that`s the problem.
If I could pick a lappy chassis and then fill it w parts like I do w desktops, that would be great.
So much better performance/value and always all the features I want in one package.
I spend longer looking for new lappies with all the relevant card slots and specs at a decent price than it would take to fully build my own. Often you find almost everything you want but then a deal breaker like a glossy screen or a non-ATI card sends you back to square one.
