Asus Eee PC 1015PN

Visually, there's no way of telling the Asus Eee PC 1015PN from the other 1015 versions that we have also tested. It is however much more than just another version. In contrast to the previous models, it combines its Intel Atom Dual Core N550 CPU with the new generation of 8-core ION chips, giving higher performance than the usual graphics chipsets you tend to see on this sort of machine.

Handling, design and build: wide touchpad and comfortable keypad

Mostly in white, the Asus Eee PC 1015PN won't stand out from other netbooks in terms of design. Very standard. The only advantage of this white hood is that even with its glossy coating, finger marks are almost invisible, or in any case much less visible than on the glossy black panel frame.

It's coherently designed overall, relatively sober and well-finished. We like the soft feel of the wrist rest, which makes it comfortable to use and it stays cleaner than a glossy surface. It's a shame this material wasn't used for the whole computer.


The 1015PN's keyboard with separated keys (14 x 13 mm) is very nice to use. Supple and relatively quiet, it offers comfortable keying. We were however less convinced by the reduced size of the Ctrl, Shift and arrow keys. You'll often find yourself missing them when trying to type.

The touchpad (multi-touch) is made of the same soft material as the wrist rest. Two slim aluminium coloured bands run down either side and there's a big click bar underneath. We would have preferred to see this bar closer to the edge to give easier thumb access. Very wide (78 x 41 mm), the touchpad offers an excellent glide and good precision. It's a real pleasure to use it and it's a nice change from the tiny touchpads that you so often see on netbooks.

Without being exceptional, the webcam gives good results and an acceptable level of fluidity for occasional usage. Note however the weak contrast and a tendency towards overexposure of the light areas of the image. Asus could have done a lot better here and we hope to see progress on future generations. The new range of Seashell Eee PCs, of which the 1015PN is one, includes a new mechanism to cover the webcam lens for when you don't wish to be caught using it. This cover makes it easy to cut the image, without deactivating the webcam completely.

In terms of temperature, the fan, does well and the Asus Eee PC 1015PN hardly heats up at all. It's pretty much inaudible when processing office docs with the fan only really getting going during more demanding tasks (retouching photos, video editing). That said, the computer remains quiet and it's more the hard drive that makes the noise, during loads and file copying.

Connectivity hasn't changed and there's still no USB 3.0. There are however 3 USB 2.0 ports, an RJ45, a headphones socket, a microphone and a 2-in-1 memory card reader. Wi-Fi b/g/n is of course included and is accompanied by Bluetooth 3.0.

A small panel opens under the PC to give access to the RAM. Apart from that and the removable battery, there's no access to any of the other components.

Webcam with cover	Memory card reader, headphones, microphone, 2 USB 2.0s, RJ45
VGA, USB 2.0, HDMI	Touchpad and click bar

Processing: mainly office docs and internet

Like the 1015PEM, the 1015PN uses an Intel Atom N550 CPU. A good deal better than the results for the N455, you are nevertheless limited to processing office docs and Internet browsing (processor index: 24). Although you can do some photo retouching and music or video encoding, you need to be patient as we're a long way behind what you'd get from your average notebook.

Windows 7 Starter takes 44 seconds to boot. It turns off in under fifteen seconds.

As we've brought up the subject of operating systems, we're going to take this opportunity to highlight the fact that although the Eee PC 1015PN comes equipped with an ION 2 chipset, the choice of operating system deprives it of Optimus technology. Optimus is supposed to alternate between the integrated chipset and the ION chip - more demanding in terms of energy consumption - according to needs and thus optimise battery usage. You therefore have to switch between them yourself with the GraphicsSwitch solution. Every time you do so you need to restart the machine. The value of such a choice therefore becomes debatable.

The 1015PN can handle high definition (HD 1080p, Blu-Ray equivalent) video playback. Note however that with some video playback software such as Media Player Classic the image can seem jumpy. Others, such as the latest version of VLC where you can activate graphics acceleration of the ION chip, work perfectly.

3D gaming: the inevitable concessions

The inclusion of the ION 2 chip means you can do your gaming in better conditions than with models that rely entirely on the built in Intel GMA 3150 chipset. No point getting carried away though: recent titles require you to take your settings down to minimum detail levels and to lower screen res. The most demanding games in terms of 3D resources (here we're thinking Crysis), are quite simply out of reach.

Audio: headphones a must

Asus is playing games with us on this model. The speakers have been placed under the casing, as usual, but have been decentred (not so usual!). The sound comes from the left all the time. Very disagreeable! No complaints with the headphones out however.

Mobility, battery life: better than the 1015PEM
 
Exceptionally, we carried out two battery life tests. The first, with the ION chip activated, gives you 4h20 (video playback, headphones plugged in, screen at 100 cd/m², Wi-Fi and bluetooth deactivated), which is on a par with the 1015PEM. The second, with the ION chip deactivated, gave us 5h30. Better, then, but still a long way off the record held by the MSI Wind U115.

When it comes to size, it's a pleasure to see the tiny bipolar charger so dear to Asus. It measures just 8.3 x 3.4 x 2.5 cm. The netbook in itself is pretty standard at 1.4 Kg and an average thickness of 3 cm.