The Newest ASUS Netbook

ASUS is now ready to release their newest ION netbook, the ASUS EeePC 1201. Hewlett-Packard, Lenevo, and Samsung have all featured new ION netbooks, so you knew that ASUS would be quick to follow.

The ASUS 1201 has many similarities to its predecessors. It still features the Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics chipset, but now it is bundled with a dual- core N330 Atom processor. The newest ASUS netbook really has been improved in the best possible ways.

I personally really like the look of this netbook. It is very long and slim and is enveloped in a shiny plastic that is available in black or silver. It weighs a mere 3.1 pound, making it the lightest 12-inch screen netbook on the market. The fact that it has a 12-inch screen is impressive, as most netbooks only have 10-inch screens. It also features incredible 1,366 x 768 resolution which is not found in many other netbooks. An element that is new to ASUS netbooks is the full size keyboard, which definitely comes in handy.

The specs on the ASUS 1201 are pretty standard for netbooks. It includes a 250GB hard drive, three USB ports, a media card reader, an Ethernet port, and a webcam. The dual-core Atom processor found in the ASUS 1201 is the first to be used in a netbook. This improves performance considerably. The 1201 also ships standard with 2GB of RAM and features a 6-cell battery that allows up to 5 hours of battery life.

There are two main benefits with the ION platform. You will be able to play all kinds of computer games with absolutely no restrictions and also be able to have smooth 1080p HD playback.

At $499, I feel that the ASUS EeePC 1201 is quite a good deal. With all the standard features plus the dual-core Atom processor, 12-inch screen, and 2GB of RAM, this little netbook stands out among the other similarly priced netbooks. This is definitely one to keep in mind.

Is 2009 the Year of the Netbook?

Netbooks have become much more popular in 2008 and with the new year here, it makes us wonder: Will 2009 be the year of the Netbook?

Netbooks are low-cost, highly-portable, light-weight, energy-efficient laptops most commonly used for web browsing and general purpose applications. Since they are small, light and affordable, Netbooks dont have as much processing power and offer less features than a regular laptop. Standard netbooks have a 9" screen, weigh about 3 pounds and cost somewhere under 400 dollars. The netbooks were designed with mobile internet users in mind. Nobody wants to pay thousands of dollars to buy a laptop just to access the internet on the go. And with the increase in demand for mobile internet access, its no surprise that these netbooks are becoming extremely useful and will continue to grow in popularity in 2009.

Sony VAIO P Series

Sony has just announced their mini-netbook at CES 2009 called the Sony VAIO P. The miniature laptop only weighs 1.4 pounds with an 8 inch screen and an overall width of only 4.7 inches. Do not be fooled by its size though it also comes packed with the latest technology including a high resolution 1600x768 display, built in GPS, Intel Atom Processor, and an instant on mode. Expect to see the VAIO P with a starting sales price of $899 and available soon for short term use from laptop rental providers.

Even though the purchase price is pretty high for a netbook, the Sony VAIO P is too good to pass up. Who would think you could pack so much into something this small. It truly does get better every day.