Asus intros netbook with dual-core Atom, Nvidia Ion

Asus decided to mix things up this week by unveiling a new multimedia netbook on Facebook instead of the company's own website. The Eee PC 1215N is designed to let people consume media on the run, with key features including Intel's 1.8GHz dual-core Atom D525 processor, which is more commonly found in nettops, and Nvidia's Ion discrete graphics with Optimus graphics switching.

Those chips promise to play stutter-free 1080p video on the 1215N's own 1366x768 display as well as larger external screens via HDMI-out, such as an HDTV in your living room. The system also features a 250GB or 320GB hard drive and 500GB of Asus' WebStorage, as well as USB 3.0, Bluetooth 3.0 and 802.11n Wi-Fi connectivity.


Pre-installed apps include Asus Vibe, a "one-stop repository" for various applications, and LocaleMe, an application that leverages Microsoft's Bing map to pinpoint one's location and display information about local areas. Eee PC 1215N users will also receive a discount on Boingo's global Wi-Fi services. Pricing and availability is still unknown.