Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
While most netbooks such as the MSI U160 stick to a 10.1-inch screen, Asus has plumped for a 12.1-inch model on the Eee PC 1215N. It also comes with a native 1,366 x 768-pixel resolution, which means there's not only more room on your Windows desktop compared to the standard 1,024 x 600 resolution found on most 10-inch netbooks, but that it's also capable of displaying 720p HD video.
And, as you'll find out in a moment, HD video is something this netbook is more than capable of handling smoothly.
As expected, the display has a glossy coating. This enhances colours and makes movies and photos look vibrant, but it also attracts reflections like there's no tomorrow. If you'd prefer a non-glossy display, consider Samsung's N230.
Of course, a larger screen is always going to impact on chassis size, and with dimensions of 296 x 203 x 38mm, this netbook is ever-so-slightly harder to cram it into a small bag. Still, at 1.46kg it's impressively light, and won't weigh you down on your travels.
The left side is home to the power socket, VGA-out, USB and an SD card reader. There's also an HDMI-out socket, enabling the Eee PC 1215N to be quickly connected to an HD television. On the right are a further two USB ports, along with a 10/100 Ethernet socket and audio in/out.
802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth take care of the wireless, but there's no built-in 3G module, so if you're looking to access the internet while travelling you'll need to purchase a separate 3G dongle.
The quality of the keyboard can make or break a netbook, and the one on the Eee PC 1215N is something of a mixed bag. We loved the chiclet design and the feedback from each individual key was spot on. However, it also has a worrying amount of flex; this is never nice to see, especially so when you're paying for a premium netbook.
The touchpad looks good and has two slim chrome-effect bars marking its left and right edges, but it has the same smooth, slippery texture as the wrist rest, which makes it a little uncomfortable to use. We also found the left and right buttons, which take the form of a single bar, to be a little on the stiff side.
Asus has been slightly stingy with the hard drive, installing just a 250GB model. Unless you're looking to amass a large movie collection, it should suffice, but we expected at least 320GB at this price.
The Eee PC 1215N comes with Windows 7 Home Premium.
