Thinkpad X220 Review Summary

Overview
The Lenovo ThinkPad X220 may look like the phased-out old laptops of the past, but it has completely blown away a lot of reviewers with its superb performance. Packed with the new Intel processor 2.5GHz Core i5-2520M, the ThinkPad X220 is one ultra-fast laptop. The laptop is also very light, making it very convenient and handy to carry around, and its six-cell battery provide extremely long battery life. The ThinkPad comes with 3 USB ports, and one remarkable feature of one port is that it can be used for charging mobile phones even when the laptop is off (which is great for those who are traveling).

Likes

• Impressive specs – It comes with the new Intel Sandy Bridge Core i5 processor, 7200 RPM hard drive, 4GM RAM, an IPS display, and a six-cell battery.
• Lightweight – Despite having a solid construction, the Lenovo Thinkpad X220 is incredibly light, weighing just 3.6 pounds including its 6-cell battery.
• Great keyboard – The keyboard layout design of the Thinkpad X220 is said to be excellent with perfect spacing between keys. The curved keys also provide right amount of feedback. The extra large keys (the Escape and Enter keys) are truly helpful because typists are highly unlikely to miss them out now. PC World mentioned that instead of impeding the work, these big keys actually help a lot.
• Good quality IPS display – Not only the 1366 x 768 resolution IPS screen is crisp and vibrant, both vertical and horizontal viewing angle are excellent. Also, it’s a matte display so you won’t have to worry about reflection problem even in bright environment.
• Impressive video conferencing feature – With a 720p webcam and a new noise canceling mics, the Ideapad X220 is very a capable machine for video conferencing.
• Strong performance – Featuring Intel’s new Sandy Bridge 2.5GHz Core i5-2520M processor, 7,200rpm hard drive, and 4GB of DDR3 RAM, the X220 has a very strong performance. Even with lots of tabs and windows open while browsing the web, plus an open window for editing photos, the laptop still worked smoothly. PC World pointed out that even when watching movies that have a high-bit rate, the laptop still ran smoothly.
• Stay cool even after long hours usage – Unlike other laptops and notebooks that eventually heat up after hours of use, the Lenovo ThinkPad X220 is remarkable because it does not heat up. It stays cool even when the laptop is being subject to prolonged use.
• Long Battery Life – With its 63Wh six-cell battery, Engadget reported that the Thinkpad X220 lasted seven hours and 19 minutes on their video rundown test, which involve looping the same standard definition video with brightness set at 65 percent.

Dislikes

• Boring design – design that hasn’t changed much in the last ten years. Looks less attractive than its competitors like HP’s EliteBooks and Dell Vostro
• Touchpad isn’t large and sensitive enough – The touchpad that measures 3.0 x 1.95-inch is not spacious enough for good navigation experience. Also, it’s not sensitive enough for multitouch gesture.
• Bloatware – There are a lot of background applications running, even when there are no user-applications being run. PC World pointed out that the task manager even showed 90 processes going on even when doing nothing.
• Webcam quality isn’t up to expectation – The webcam that goes with it may be for high-definition purposes, but images aren’t that clear, and even appear washed out. Reviewers expect colors to pop out, it they do not.

Customer Reviews

Thinkpad X220 Customer Reviews

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Videos

Thinkpad X220 video Reviews

ASUS Eee PC 1215B Review Summary

Design
The ASUS Eee PC 1215B looks identical to the Eee PC 1215N. It has a lid covered in smooth rubbery matte plastic which does pick up some smudges and fingerprints. On the inside, the palm rest and trackpad are covered with the same matte plastic as well, but the bezel and screen are both glossy.

The overall build quality of this netbook is excellent and feels very solid. One issue pointed out by reviewers is that the hinge mechanism allows the screen to tilt only maximum 120-130 degrees backward. Most laptops can be tilted 180 degrees.

Keyboard and TouchPad
The Eee PC 1215B has the same island-style keyboard and large touchpad found on the 1215N. The keyboard is near full-sized and provides enough space between each key to prevent excessive typos. Touchpad is large and easy to use, but its button is said to be a bit too stiff and require too much pressure to press.

Performance
This version of EEE PC 1215B comes with the AMD Fusion Zacate E-350 APU, which combines a 1.66 GHz dual core CPU and a Radeon HD 6310 GPU into a single chip. It produce better performance, especially in gaming and multimedia, than the Eee PC 1215N which runs on Intel Atom CPU and Nvidia discrete GPU.

Users of 1215B reported that they have no problem playing 720p and 1080p videos directly from hard drive, as well as streaming videos of any resolution from Youtube, Hulu or Netflix. As far as speed is concerned, the 1215b feels more like a laptop rather than a netbook.

Battery Life
The Eee PC 1215B comes with a 6 Cell 5200 mAh battery which ASUS claims to have up to 8.5 hours of battery life. In real life usage though, users reported around 5 hours of battery life in max performance mode, and 7 to 7.5 hours in power save mode.

Customer Reviews

ASUS Eee PC 1215B Customer Reviews

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Videos

ASUS Eee PC 1215B Video Reviews

Specification

ASUS Eee PC 1215B Specification

Aspire One D260 Review Summary

Design
The Aspire One D260 measures 10.2 x 7.3 x 0.95-inch. It’s quite slim and weigh just 2.6 pounds which is lighter than most mini laptops out there. It comes with a 10.1-inch matte display so you do not have to worry about reflection issue. There are 4 colors available: black, charcoal, pink, and purple, all with a flake pattern.

Keyboard and TouchPad
The keyboard on the Aspire One D260 is not full-sized, so it feels a little cramp and take a little getting used to. The key themselves however supplied snappy feedback and feels pretty sturdy and comfortable to type on. The touchpad measures 3.0 x 1.5-inch which is pretty wide. It picks up fingers movements pretty well, and multi-touch gesture can be performed smoothly on it without any issue. Below the touchpad is a long, single mouse button bar. While two distinct mouse buttons are always better than single button, at least the one the D260 is long enough to distinguish between the left and right sides by feel.

Performance
The Aspire One D260 offers slightly better specs than most of the typical 10-inch netbooks out there. It comes with a dual core Intel Atom N550 processor, 2GB of DDR3 RAM, 320GB HDD, and Windows 7 Home Premium. As a result, it gets better-than-average benchmark scores than other similar class netbooks such as Samsung NF310 and ASUS Eee PC 1015PEM. For daily computing activity, the D260 delivers snappy application open times and good overall responsiveness. The extra RAM also allow more application to run simultaneously without slowing the netbook down. One customer from Amazon reported that the netbook boots up from powered off in less than a minute and wakes up from sleep mode in 5 seconds or less.

With Intel’s integrated GMA 3150 graphic chip, the graphic performance of the AOD260 is just on a par with similar netbooks. Youtube, Hulu, and Netflix runs flawlessly on this netbook in full screen mode, but when it comes to 720p HD video, there will be some hitching and dropped frames.

Battery Life
ASUS claims that the 4400 mAh 6-cell battery on the D260 offers up to 8 hours of battery life. A battery test done by Laptop Magazine, which includes continuous web surfing over WiFi, however indicates that it can stand only 6 hours and 33 minutes of run time in a single charge. While it’s not as good as the Aspire One D255 and the Eee PC 1015PEM which has 8 hours of battery life, it’s still above average and is enough for almost one whole day of usage.

Customer Reviews

Aspire One D260 Customer Reviews

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Expert Comments

Aspire One D260 Expert Reviews

These days, netbook makers have to offer something special in order to justify a price above $300. Between the 2GB of RAM, Windows 7 Home Premium, and a decent keyboard and touchpad combo, the Acer Aspire One D260 does just that. Still, we give a slight edge to the Samsung NF310, which, for the same price, has a more distinctive design, a higher-resolution display, and better audio. Still, the D260 is also stylish, and it offers a larger hard drive and strong overall performance. For $358, this netbook is worth opening your wallet a bit wider.

Specification

Aspire One D260 Specification

Toshiba NB505 Review Summary

Design
This 2.6 pounds netbook comes with a rubbery finish lid with dimpled pattern that’s available in several colors including Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, and Turquoise. It measures 10.3 x 7.5 x 0.65-1.4 inches and can be easily slipped into a backpack.

Keyboard and TouchPad
The keyboard of the NB505 is large enough for comfortable typing although it does not feel as good as the excellent metal keyboard found on the NB305, another netbook from Toshiba. The 3.1 x 1.5 inches touchpad is wide enough for multi-touch gesture and navigation effectively. Below the touchpad, there are 2 black mouse buttons which are much better than the single, rocker style mouse button that most other netbooks are using.

Performance
The Toshiba NB505 is powered by a single core Atom N455 processor. While it’s not as powerful as a dual core processor, the NB505 found to be responsive enough for word processing and surfing the web, but not for heavy-duty multitasking.

In terms of graphics, the NB505 comes with an integrated Intel GMA 3150 graphic chip which does not provide enough muscle for gaming or full HD video playback.

Battery Life
The Toshiba NB505 comes with 6-cell 48 Wh battery which Toshiba claims to provide up to 8 hours of battery life. From LaptopMag’s battery test though, which involve continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi, this machine last for 7.5 hours.

Customer Reviews

Toshiba NB505 Customer Reviews

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Expert Comments

Toshiba NB505 Expert Reviews

It doesn’t get much cheaper than $299, and for the price the Toshiba mini NB505 delivers style and substance. The EasyGrip finish, comfy keyboard, and more than 7 hours of battery life add up to one of the best bargain netbooks yet. For the same price, the student-focused HP Mini 1103 has a faster 7,200-rpm hard drive and lasts an hour longer on a charge, but there’s something to be said for the NB505′s color options. If you’re on a budget, the mini NB305 is an excellent choice.

Video Reviews

Toshiba NB505 Video Reviews

Specification

Toshiba NB505 Specification

Aspire One 522 Review Summary

Design
The Acer Aspire One 522 measures 1.0 x 10.2 x 7.3 inches and weight 2.9 pounds. It has a glossy lid which attracts fingerprint, and with a big ‘Aspire One’ logo on it. The only color available now for this netbook is Diamond Black.

Keyboard and TouchPad
The keyboard is said to have a good layout but the keys are too flat and might take a little getting used to. Touchpad is nice and wide. Multitouch gestures can be easily executed.

Performance
Featuring the AMD Ontario C-50 APU, the overall performance of the Acer Aspire One 522 is much better than the typical Atom netbook. Here’s a comparison of benchmark score between the Ontario C-50 and the Atom processors. The C-50 delivers nearly the performance of the N550 dual core Atom in CPU tasks, while nearly doubled the power for N550 when it comes to graphic processing.

The overall performance will increase further when the system is upgraded to 2GB RAM, but unfortunately it’s not a simple process to do the upgrade. For demonstrations of how to access the ram slot, check out the “How To Update your Acer Aspire One 533 from 1GB to 2GB of RAM” video (video tab), which also applies to AO522.

Battery Life
The Acer Aspire One comes with a 6-cell (4400 mAh) battery which Acer claims to have up to 6 hours of battery life, but in real life experience, users reported that it can last for 4 to 5.5 hours depending on usage.

Customer Reviews

Aspire One 522 Customer Reviews

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Videos

Specification

Aspire One 522 Specification

HP Pavilion dm1z Review Summary

Design
Measuring 11.45 (L) x 8.45 (W) x 0.9 – 1.25 (H) inches, and weighing 3.4 pounds, the dm1z is about the same size and weight as the Asus Eee PC 1215N. With a glossy black lid that features HP’s new Grid Imprint design, it’s said to be one of the most attractive 11-inch mini laptops on the market. It does attract smudges and fingerprints though, and the only color available now is black. But knowing HP, other colors should be made available in the near future.

Keyboard and TouchPad
The Pavilion dm1z ships with a full size, chiclet-style keyboard, as opposed to the 93% one found in previous generations. The matte keys have a rubbery feel to them that makes them feel very comfortable under the fingertips, but also causes them to pick up some unattractive fingerprints.

The 3.2 x 2.0-inch touchpad is said to be quite cramped, and because mouse buttons are integrated into the touchpad, those who use two hands on a touchpad (i.e. rests one fingers or thumbs on a button while moving the cursor with the other) may find that the cursor jumps every now and then.

Performance
The Pavilion dm1z uses AMD’s new Fusion E-350 APU, which combines the Radeon HD 6310M GPU and the 1.6-GHz dual core CPU on one chip. In PCMark Vantage benchmark test, it scores an average of 2,354, which is higher than any dual-core Atom N550 netbook. In real life usage, Engadget noted that the dm1z felt much faster than any Atom netbook and closer to a ULV laptop like the ThinkPad Edge 11. Multitasking which includes running 1080p video in the background while surfing the web does not slow the system down.

In terms of graphic performance, the integrated AMD Radeon HD 6310 GPU provided performance between Intel’s integrated and Nvidia’s Ion graphics. 3DMark06 returns an average score of 2,268, which is much higher than any netbook with GMA 3150 integrated graphics, but slightly lower than the Eee PC 1215N that runs Nvidia ION2 discrete graphics. Having said that, the dm1z run just as smoothly as the ION2 netbook when it comes to HD movie playback and gaming. Playing local and streaming 1080p video is perfectly smooth, even when outputting to a 42-inch HDTV; while playing WoW with resolution 1024 x 768 returns 28fps of frame rates. The Pavilion dm1z is still not recommend for any kind of intense gaming though.

Battery Life
The dm1z lasted 6 hours and 37 minutes on the Laptop Magazine’s Battery Test which involve continuous web surfing via WiFi at 40 percent screen brightness. In another test done by Engadget which loops the same standard definition video with WiFi on and brightness set at 65 percent, the dm1z lasted for 5 hours and 40 minutes. The overall battery life of the dm1z is about an hour longer than the 1215N and ultraportable laptop average.

User Reviews

Expert Comments

HP Pavilion dm1z Expert Reviews

Is this really happening? After years of waiting has AMD finally done it? Provided a netbook / ultraportable platform that melds really solid performance and graphics with solid battery life? Something that can kick Intel’s Atom to the curb, but doesn’t require a recharge every two and a half hours? The Pavilion dm1z certainly has all signs pointing to yes – the 11.6-inch system runs for over five hours on a charge while providing full HD playback and great multitasking prowess. Of course, the rest of the market hasn’t sat still for systems like the Fusion-powered dm1z, and there are plenty of other good affordable ultraportables out there — including the $550 Intel ULV-powered ThinkPad Edge 11 and $500 Ion 2-powered ASUS Eee PC 1215N — but at $450 the dm1z provides the best balance of performance, graphics, and battery life for the price, and to that end, AMD can finally pat itself on the back… even if it did take five years to get here.

At the end of the day, it’s hard not to like the new HP Pavilion dm1z. HP and AMD resolved all of the main complaints that people had with the previous generation of AMD-based ultraportbales: Poor battery life, high temperatures, and only adequate performance.

The new AMD Fusion APU technology really delivers some impressive results in terms of HD video playback, gaming, and even adds some “snappiness” in a basic Windows environment. At the time of this writing (January 2011) consumers will have a hard time finding an Intel-based ultraportable notebook or netbook that delivers better real world performance and battery life across the board for the same price … and that’s saying a lot.

Several other companies announced other notebooks and netbook alternatives at CES 2011 that use the same AMD E-350 APU, so it’s hard to say if the HP Pavilion dm1 is the best of the bunch, but it certainly is better than any netbook we’ve reviewed to date.

The HP Pavilion dm1z is next step in netbook evolution, as its new AMD Fusion APU proved you can have great battery life without sacrificing speed.

My first impression of AMD’s new Fusion processors is quite positive. The one in this system is small, cool, and power-efficient enough to enable a $450 machine to offer surprisingly strong performance: The Pavilion dm1z, in its base configuration, is lightweight, attractive, and easy to work on, and it offers better CPU, graphics, and video performance than similarly priced Atom-based netbooks. The 3-star rating of the Pavilion dm1z might lead you to think it’s run-of-the-mill. It’s not–except when measured against more-expensive and more-capable laptops. What HP has built here isn’t an inexpensive, mediocre ultraportable laptop, but a killer netbook that chips away at compromises that netbook owners have had to put up with for too long.

Now that the HP Pavilion dm1z has arrived, the budget notebook space has become a lot more competitive. With AMD’s new Fusion processor, HP has created a laptop that, for $479, provides a better balance of performance and endurance than the Nvidia Ion-powered Asus Eee PC 1215N. It also gives you more graphics oomph than Intel ULV notebooks and earlier AMD budget ultraportables. While you’ll squeeze out a few more frames in some games on Ion, the more powerful dual-core AMD processor in the dm1z lets you accomplish more than an Atom chip ever could. Not only that, but you get 6.5 hours of battery life in a very stylish package.

Bottom line: The HP Pavilion dm1z is a remarkable value.

Videos

HP Pavilion dm1z Video Reviews

Specification

HP Pavilion dm1z Specification

Macbook Air 11 Review Summary

Design
The 11.6-inch Macbook Air is incredibly thin and light. It measures 11.8 x 7.56 x 0.68 inches at its thickest point, and weight just 2.3 pounds. The full unibody aluminum chassis is solid, beautifully designed, and feels premium all over. Despite the super slim design, the manufacturer still manages to include two USB ports (one on each side), a headphone jack on the left, and a mini DisplayPort on the right. The only thing missing is the SD Card slot, which can be found on most 10-inch netbooks.

Keyboard and TouchPad
Both the full-size keyboard and extra-large glass touchpad on the Macbook Air 11 are excellent. The chiclet-style keyboard provides crisp feedback, and multitouch gestures perform extremely well on the touchpad. If we were to find something to complain about them, it will be the lack of backlit for the keyboard, which is available on the Macbook Pro.

Performance
The 11-inch Macbook Air runs on the 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 processor, which is a previous-generation Intel technology. In the GeekBench test, the Air scored 2,159, which is lower than some cheaper ultraportable laptops that run on Intel’s latest Core processors. For example, the $899 version of the Acer Aspire Timeline 1830T that runs on Intel Core i7 CPU scores a whopping 3,742 in GeekBench. Having said that, the 11-inch MacBook Air still feels very fast, especially when it comes to booting up (15 seconds) and waking up from sleep mode (instantaneous), thanks to the SSD storage which is significantly faster than the hard-disk.

In terms of graphic performance, the 11-inch Macbook Air running on nVidia GeForce 320M averaged 30 fps when playing WoW at native resolution which is a bit behind the Asus Eee PC 1215N‘s 37 fps. Higher-end games like Call of Duty is not recommended on the 11-inch Macbook Air.

Battery Life

Laptop Magazine gets 5 hours and 18 minutes of battery life in their battery test which involve continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 40 percent screen brightness; PC Mag gets 3 hours 44 minutes from their continuous MP4 video playback test; and CNet Australia gets 4 hours 23 minutes from their video playback battery drain test. Based on the test results above, it’s save to say that you will get at least 4.5 hours of battery life under normal usage.

Customer Reviews

Macbook Air 11 Customer Reviews

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Expert Comments

Macbook Air 11 Expert Reviews

Apple makes the MacBook Air both smaller and less expensive, creating an excellent ultraportable, but leaving out a few features along the way.

Rest assured that despite its size, the Apple MacBook Air (11-inch) is not a netbook. It will share the spotlight with the 13-inch MacBook Air as two of the prettiest, and certainly thinnest, laptops ever made. However, the stratospheric standards that Apple places on aesthetics comes at the cost of features, speed, and battery life—all three areas where the 11-inch MacBook Air trailed rather than led. On top of that, it’s a pricey system and pricier still once you start piling on the extras—the 128GB SSD, upgrade to 4GB of memory, and adding-on the SuperDrive, bringing its final price tag to as high as an Apple MacBook (Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz) or a MacBook Pro 13-inch (2.4-GHz Core 2 Duo). If I based this laptop’s success merely on its features, hardware specifications, and price, the 11-inch MacBook Air would have fared a lot worse.

Apple said it would never make a netbook, and it hasn’t. The 11-inch MacBook Air is a powerful ultraportable that makes other systems in its class look positively bloated. More important, this machine never keeps you waiting, thanks to the way it uses flash memory. We just wish the hinge for the display were a bit tighter to prevent unwanted movement. Some may prefer the new 13-inch MacBook Air ($1,299), which offers a higher-resolution screen, faster CPU, and a SD Card slot. If you’re torn between Windows and Mac, the $899 Acer Timeline 1830T offers a much faster Core i7 processor and longer battery life but integrated graphics and a much less compelling design. But if you want the thinnest, lightest Mac experience ever, this Air will leave you elated.

The MacBook Air is not the laptop for every user. Those looking to frequently edit HD multimedia will find its ULV processor limiting, while the downside to the speed and frugality of its flash storage is reduced capacity versus the 320GB and 500GB HDDs we’re seeing as standard on rival machines. Still, it’s not intended to be the notebook for all seasons. The upcoming Mac App Store will further blur the line between MacBook Air and iPad functionality, without giving up OS X in the process, but even as it ships today there’s plenty to appeal about its extreme portability and surprising degree of usability. As with the previous MacBook Air, the style will win hearts in the Apple Store; what makes the difference is that the day-to-day experience is strong enough to win over your head and wallet, too.

The 11-inch Air might be the first computer you can seriously take with you everywhere and almost never regret leaving your beefier machine at home. The pain of dropping a thousand dollars won’t last for very long, either. At least, not after I sell my iPad.

Specification

Macbook Air 11 Specification

Samsung NF310 Review Summary

Design
The Samsung NF310 measures 1.2 x 10.8 x 7.4 inches and weight 2.8 pounds. While it’s a little bit thicker than a typical 10 inch netbook, its wavy design and metallic paintjob somehow makes it look classy. It has a glossy lid which attracts some fingerprints, but not too many. Samsung currently offers only one color option for this netbook — charcoal gray. We wish Samsung would offer more color options in future.

Keyboard and TouchPad
The NF310 comes with a 95 percent full size keyboard, which offers great typing experience — almost as comfortable as typing on a full-size laptop. Most keys are large enough and well-placed, including the two wide shift keys on both sides of the keyboard. The 2.9 x 1.5-inch touchpad is also comfortable to use. There’s a nice texture to the touchpad which makes sliding very easy, and it offers multi-gesture support which is generally less finicky than the one on Eee PC 1015PEM.

Performance
The main specs of the NF310 are identical to those found on the Asus Eee PC 1015PEM and Acer Aspire One D225: 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 dual-core processor, 1GB of DDR3 RAM, Intel’s integrated GMA 3150 graphics, and 32-bit Windows 7 Starter edition.

As expected, the NF310 performs similarly to its 2 competitors as well, scoring 1,646 in PCMark05 and 147 on 3DMark06. Here’s the benchmark score comparison for the 3 netbook:

Overall, all 3 systems are pretty close to each other in terms of performance. They offers decent performance for web surfing, document processing, watching locally stored HD videos, and doing most of the tasks you generally do on a computer. But it wouldn’t be the best device for gaming, watching HD Flash video online, and doing some CPU-heavy tasks like editing video files or running Photoshop to edit high resolution images.

Battery Life
The NF310 comes with a 6-cell 48Whr battery, which Samsung claims will last for up to 9.4 hours. This is when the netbook is in idle state with minimum screen brightness and WiFi off. For day to day use, you should get around 6 hours of battery life if you do continuous web surfing over WiFi at 60 percent screen brightness. This is 2 hours shorter than its competitors, the Eee PC 1015PEM and Aspire One D255, but still pretty good for a netbook.

Customer Reviews

Samsung NF310 Customer Reviews

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Expert Comments

Samsung NF310 Expert Reviews

The Samsung NF310 is our new Editor’s Choice pick for 10-inch netbooks. While it doesn’t last as long on a charge as some competitors, this machine boasts a modern-looking design and a high-resolution display. We also like that the NF310 wakes almost instantly from sleep, which both boosts productivity and saves battery life. Among dual-core Atom netbooks, some may prefer the ASUS Eee PC 1015PEM, which costs about $25 less and offers 1.5 hours of more endurance, while the Nvidia Ion version can be had for $30 more than this netbook. Overall, though, the NF310 is our favorite 10-incher for the money.

With the latest dual-core Atom processor, high-resolution screen, and a great user experience, the Samsung NF310-A01 is our new Editors’ Choice for netbooks.

At $399, the Samsung NF310 is a sleek, affordable netbook that offers acceptable performance for its class. The Fast Start technology is one feature everyone can appreciate, and while AllShare may seem a little narrow or gimmicky for some people, it will likely be very useful to others. The competition in this market is tough, however, and models like the $369 Asus Eee PC 1015PEM and the $349 Acer Aspire One D255 offer similar performance levels at slightly lower prices. Nonetheless, we’d still choose the NF310 among these three netbooks for its more professional-looking design.

There are a lot of things to like about the Samsung NF310. It may not have the latest high power graphics chip, or the fastest CPU available for a 10 inch mini-laptop. But it does have a low power dual core Atom processor which offers slightly better performance than the chips that came before it, and it does have a high resolution display if that’s a feature you’re looking for. For $399, I think the Samsung NF310 is a pretty good buy. If you can find it on sale for less than that, it might be a really good buy.

Specification

Samsung NF310 Specification

Design
The Acer Aspire One D255 measures 10.1 x 7.3 x 0.95 inch which is slightly smaller than other 10-inch netbooks on the market (i.e. the Toshiba NB305 measures 10.5 x 7.6 x 1.2 inch while the Eee PC 1015PEM measures 10.3 x 7.1 x 1.4 inch). It weights just 2.4 pounds so you can easily throw it into a bag, and barely feel the weight on your shoulder.

In terms of design, there are 4 colors available: blue, black, red, and brown. The front lid, which has a huge Aspire One logo printed on it, is covered with glossy finish which will pick up finger prints easily. On the inside, the 10.1-inch display and the bazzel surrounding it are both glossy, making them a little reflective, especially when you’re using it under bright overhead lights. Only the deck surrounding the keyboard has matte finish. The overall build quality of this netbook is pretty solid.

Keyboard And Touchpad
The keyboard is 93 percent full size which might feel a little cramp for those with big hands. That said, reviewers are still able to achieve 80 words per minute score on the ten thumbs typing test, with a slightly higher than usual 2 percent error rate.

The touchpad of the Aspire One D255 measures 3 x 1.5-inch which is pretty large compared to its predecessor, and support of mutitouch gestures which makes navigation easier. Laptopmag.com noted that they get accuracy problem with the touchpad on the unit that they are reviewing, which could be a quality control oversight since no other review mention this problem.

Performance And Graphics
In terms of performance, the Acer Aspire One D255 score 1,696 from PCMark05 benchmark test, which is slightly lower than the 1,729 score of the Eee PC 1015PEM which run on the same CPU. Compared to other single core CPU netbooks such as the Toshiba Mini NB255 (1,393) however, the AOD255′s score is still considerably higher. What this means is that the you can still expect decently better performance from this netbook compared to the single core netbooks, especially when multitasking.

Graphical performance wise, the dual core processor does not give any benefit to the system. And since it’s running Intel GMA3150 integrated graphic chip, its graphical performance is pretty much the same as all other netbooks on the market that come with no discrete GPU. Playing locally stored 720p video isn’t a problem but playing locally stored 1080p video and streaming 720p or 1080p from Netflix or YouTube will cause dropped frames and system slow down. Other demanding tasks like gaming and audio or video precessing is not recommended as well.

Battery Life
The Acer Aspire One D255 is pretty average for a netbook. Under normal usage which involve continuous surfing over Wi-Fi, LaptopMag.com gets 8 hours and 14 minutes of battery life, while UK CNet’s intensive Battery Eater test, it last for 4 hours and 12 minutes.

Customer Reviews

Expert Comments

At first glance, the Aspire One D255 has a lot going for it. The $329 netbook has a low price, long battery life and is more portable than most netbooks in its class. And while the dual-core Atom N550 processor doesn’t blow us away, we appreciate the modest performance gains. However, these small gains are offset by a very jumpy cursor and pestering trialware. Although some competitors don’t last as long on a charge, we prefer the Samsung N150 Plus ($349) for its matte display and more responsive keyboard, and the Toshiba NB255 ($289), which has a better touchpad. If want a top-of-the-line keyboard and touchpad, check out the Toshiba NB305 ($399). If you want top-of-the-line graphics performance, consider the ASUS 1215N ($499).

The Acer Aspire One D255 may not be the best looking netbook around, and the addition of the Android operating system isn’t as useful as you might think. On a more positive note, however, the dual-core processor does bring a welcome boost in performance, and costs little more than most single-core rivals — as such, it’s easy to recommend.

For bargain shoppers, the $349 version of the Aspire One D255 is a decent buy. You’ll get the low price and high portability you crave, while getting a small boost from the dual-core processor. You also get a bright screen, which we thoroughly appreciated. We wouldn’t try to do any highly demanding work on this—or any—netbook, but battery life aside, this machine is one of the top-performing netbooks available south of $500.

There are always compromises to be made when you build to a budget, and Acer has done well with the Aspire One D255 in order to avoid the netbook feeling unduly cheap or underpowered. With a street price of $329.99 it’s affordable and offers decent longevity away from the mains. Anybody with ambitions beyond basic browsing and media playback should look to something more powerful, but for mainstream use the D255 is perfectly sufficient.

Specification

Design
The Asus Eee PC 1015PN looks just like its single core cousin, the Eee Pc 1015PEM, which feature the slim and stylish “Seashell” design. The machine measures 10.3 x 7 x 1.4 inches, and almost the whole body (including the screen) is covered with matte finish. The only glossy surfaces are the keyboard backplate and the display bezel. This means that it will not be a fingerprint magnet, and the anti-gloss screen will allow users to use it in a brightly lit locations or even under sunlight.

Keyboard And TouchPad
Keyboard of the Eee PC 1015PN is a little cramp to be used comfortably, but is still usable. Reviewers have achieved 108 words per minute of typing speed with 99% accuracy using its keyboard. Its touchpad on the other hand is comfortably large, and the surface is smooth enough to for navigation and performing multi-touch gestures effectively.

Performance
With its dual core Intel Atom N550 processor and 1GB of RAM, the Eee PC 1015PN is noticeably faster than other single core netbooks, especially when running multiple application simultaneously. System performance is said to be somewhere between the Intel single-core Atom and Intel ULV CPUs.

Graphics
There are 2 points that netbook shopper should know about the Nvidia ION 2 GPU that comes with this netbooks. First, the Optimus feature that comes with the Nvidia GPU is not supported by Windows 7 Starter. In order to make the Optimus work, you will need to re-install the machine with Windows 7 Premium (it comes with Windows 7 Starter by default). Otherwise, you will need to use ASUS GraphicsSwitch to manually switch between Intel integrated graphics and Nvidia’s discrete GPU, which require a system restart.

Second, while the Asus Eee PC 1015PN comes with the Nvidia ION 2 GPU, it’s not the same as the one found on the 12-inch Eee PC 1215N. The 1015PN comes with a lower end 8-core ION chip while the 1215N has a 16-core version. As a result, its 3Dmark06 score of 1501 is much lower than the 2692 score of the 1215N. Even that’s the case, the 1015PN still have no problem playing any kind of high definition video that’s locally stored. Reviewer however reported that playing 720p flash video from YouTube is somewhat choppy.

In terms of gaming performance, it gets 20.8 fps playing COD 4, and 11.5 fps for Far Cry 2, both at lowest detail. So it’s still not an ideal machine to play demanding games like the 2 mentioned; but playing older games like Quake 3 and TrackMania United gets pretty good frame rate of 40 to 50 fps.

Battery Life
For web surfing using the integrated graphic chipset, the battery life of the 1015PN is 7.3 hours; while for movie playback using the ION 2 GPU, it lasts for 4.2 hours. Overall a pretty good battery life for a netbook that’s capable of 1080p video playback.

Customer Reviews

Expert Comments

Sure, the 1015PN differs from the other 1015 models out there, but we just wish it were more like its larger 1215N brother. While the 1015PN has a smaller footprint and slightly longer battery life, its processor just isn’t as powerful and having to reboot every time you want to switch between graphics cards is a serious inconvenience. If you must have a 10.1-inch netbook with solid graphics, the 1015PN is still one of your best bets since there isn’t much else out there — there’s that $330 Acer 521 with AMD’s Neo II and ATI graphics, but we’re just not big fans of its build quality or design. (It makes us wonder why ASUS didn’t just throw an AMD Neo processor in a 1015. Of course, there is the 1015T, but that has a slower AMD V105 CPU. You know you want to throw another one on the production line, ASUS!) Honestly, what we’d really suggest is either settling for an underpowered 10.1-inch netbook in the $350 range with a Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator (i.e. the Eee PC 1005PR or HP Mini 210) or spending $70 more and going up to the larger 12.1-inch 1215N.

Thanks to Nvidia’s Ion graphics, the $429 Eee PC 1015PN is one of the most powerful 10-inch netbooks yet. We also like the large touchpad and matte display. But there’s also something not quite right about a machine that can handle 1080p video but won’t let you change the wallpaper. We know why Asus decided not to grace the Eee PC 1015PN with Windows 7 Premium, and therefore Optimus graphics switching; it would have ballooned the price closer to the Eee PC 1215N, which, for $499 more, gives you Win 7 Premium, Optimus, 2GB of RAM, and a larger 12.1-inch display.

For our money, we’d rather get the 1215N. Yes, it’s an extra half pound in your bag, but you don’t have to reboot to stretch the battery life. If you’re keen on a 10-incher and can live with less endurance, take a good look at the Acer Aspire One 521. That netbook packs a faster Athlon II processor and comparable graphics muscle for nearly $100 less than the Eee PC reviewed here. Still, if you crave a better balance of performance and endurance, and you don’t mind paying for it–in more ways than one–the 1015PN is certainly worth considering.

The compact 10-inch Asus Eee PC 1015PN offers a dual-core Atom processor and Nvidia Ion graphics for decidedly better-than-average Netbook performance, but premium ultraportables that aren’t much more expensive can do better still.

The Asus Eee PC 1015PN is impressive in many areas that many netbook users have missed. Among others, the smooth HD reproduction, a certain amount of gaming ability and a good, matt 10.1 inch display. The input devices and the case still receive a positive grade, although the color variety has been cut back. The combination of the new Intel Atom N550 with the dedicated Nvidia ION 2 graphics unit, and the option of switching to the internal processor graphics is convincing. Unfortunately, the cheaper model isn’t equipped with Nvidia Optimus graphics switching.

Further advantages are the installed HDMI port and the good battery life in various conditions. The device has no need to hide with a maximum of 9 hours and 20 minutes in idle mode. However, a higher power consumption and increase in emissions are noticed when the high performance graphics are enabled.

The entry price of 379 euro including added value tax (RRP) is acceptable and the higher price, in comparison to the weaker Asus Eee PC 1015PEM, is well justified. The Asus Eee PC 1015PN’s top model, with a 2 GB RAM, a larger 6 cell battery and Nvidia Optimus graphics switching (via Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium) seems to be the better, or rather more pleasant solution. This alternative (449 euro; RRP; model suffix: M) and our test device are now available in retail.

Specification