Yes, the heading is ironic since Asus makes the EEE but in an attempt to diversify their Netbook offerings even further the company has come up with something new. So in yet another attempt to ruin the category they created, Asus has announced a new Netbook.
You see, Asus recently spun off the EEE range (the Netbook that started it all) into it’s own brand with models ranging from 7-inch screens up to 10-inch screens with every possible size between that. Asus also has a million different models with different processors, storage types and casing.
Now Asus has released a Netbook under their own brand name aimed at business people. Essentially the N10 is aimed much more upmarket than the EEE which is more of a second laptop or is aimed at the education market. The N10 is aimed at the Enterprise market which requires power and portability.
While the N10 has the same 1.6Ghz Intel Atom processor that almost every other Netbook has these days it’s the other details that makes this laptop stand out. Firstly we have a 10-inch screen LED backlit display (which is lighter and uses less power than a traditional LCD screen) as well a GeForce 9300 graphics card. The graphics card is much better than the usual on-board chips which share memory and are thus highly underpowered. This laptop should very likely be able to run 1080i High Def videos which no other Netbook can. Other specs include up to two gigs of Ram and a 320 gig hard drive. From a ports point of view Asus is offering an HDMI output as well as an Express Card slot. These features are generally not found in any other Netbook.
Assuming the keyboard is of a decent quality then this is going to be the Netbook to beat. Unfortunately there is no information on price yet but based on the pricing of the EEE models this isn’t going to be cheap. Asus has mentioned that this Netbook will be out at the end of September. The N10 is going to take a massive market share from the likes of the HP MiniNote which is also aimed at the business Netbook market.
Finally Asus has created a Netbook that encompasses the needs of everyone in such a small package. Pricing is critical but this looks to be a winner.
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