asus-comparisonPierre over at Blogeee [translate link] was lucky enough to spend some quality time with two of the hottest Asus models around right now – the UL30A and 1201N. Naturally, he figured the rest of the world might like to see how the two systems look side-by-side.

The UL30A, of course, is technically not a netbook – it’s larger (with a 13.3″ display), heavier, and runs a Core2Duo SU7300 processor. The 1201N, of course, is Asus’ droolworthy, new Atom-and-Ion powered 12″ netbook.

If you’re trying to decide between the two, this post might not help a heck of a lot. The Ion graphics are pretty tempting. Of course, so is the SU7300 processor. And they’re pretty similar for battery life. Hmm…This could be a difficult choice for a lot of people.

Check out Pierre’s post, and share your take in the comments!

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Lee Mathews

Computer tech, blogger, husband, father, and avid MSI U100 user.

18 replies on “Asus UL30A and Eee PC 1201N compared in pictures”

  1. What games is everyone so pumped about playing with the Ion graphics? Benchmarks from HP Ion netbook doesn’t really show any playable frame rates in modern games, not even in Half Life 2 Episode 2.

    Besides gaming, what exactly can’t the 4500MHD do? I think its 1080p video playback capability has been tested and proven multiple times.

    1. It would probably turn off compositing in KDE, if you’re a Linux user. Not sure how well it fairs with Aero with all the eye candy turned on, as well. Also, titles like Google Earth work much better.

      Also, the reviews I read said that it can’t do games like Crysis very well, but it can handle less intensive 3D games at a decent enough framerate to make them playable. I’ve got lots of older titles lying around…

      1. Ah i see. Well then this netbook seems like a good product for those who want some luxury with their practicality. The price point seems reasonable to me. Much cheaper than CULVs with discrete graphics and I can’t imagine dual core Atom being that much behind dual core CULV

    2. the 4500mhd cant play bluray, cant play youtube 1080p cant play hulu hd it shudders loses frames. cant play any decent game cant even play bioshock.

  2. How are we getting so much atom flame on a website dedicated to netbooks? This is like the second article today.

    1. Because some of these netbook types don’t get that there are plenty of us out there who don’t need long battery life, and like to play games. I don’t need a $1000 notebook, nor do I feel like spending that much. But, I could use something below $500 to roam around the house and get on the internet and play an occasional game with. I love my desktop for the power, but I would like a little freedom when doing things that don’t require the huge power my Core i7 system provides.

      1. Ditto man, ditto. I would also like something while cooling my jets between night classes.

  3. The Blogee T&L-vs-netbook comparison is typical in emphasizing the price difference ($300-400 for netbooks and 600-700 for T&Ls). In reality, T&L has a wider price band, from $400 as we’ve seen for the Acer 1410 to under $1000.

    The real issue is whether the low-end T&L, at $400, will become the next mobile computing sweet spot, pushing out the netbook altogether. The main CPU-intensive task in both these platform is in watching HD videos, online (via Flash) or offline. The Intel 4500MHD is capable for this task, w/o needed the added boost (and cost) of the Ion, and the low-end CULVs are more powerful than even the dual-core Atom. Screen size is better, with a more full-featured Win7 edition. The advantages are substantial, with minimal price difference.

    While I don’t think the Atom will be pushed out altogether, I do think the high-end netbook space (i.e. anything with an Ion in it) will disappear in the coming year, and that Atom-based netbooks will have a narrower price band, at $200-350. Downward price pressure on netbooks will come not only from the CULVs, but also from ARM-based smartbooks, equipped w/ some version of Google OS.

    1. I really beg to disagree. I REALLY want a CULV system, but the GMA 4500 graphics kills the entire platform for me, because I NEED graphics acceleration that it CANNOT provide. So I’m stuck either getting a new Congo AMD version of CULV which has both speed and enough acceleration to almost do what I need, a atom+ion, or I’m up into the $800 dollar range to get a thin and light with discrete graphics, and which point I could shell out another 100, and get a macbook, and then I”m back to Ion graphics, an OS I don’t really want or need, and a faster processor. ION2 with CULV support may make life VERY interesting. But the new pinetrail atoms have next to NO appeal for me, they are no faster, and although they draw slightly less power, that shouldn’t have much affect on overall system lifetime, and the graphics capabilities are GMA500.

      This is an interesting device because it’s the first ‘netbook’ that is making a case to people who would otherwise be looking at notebooks, and it’s pretty competitive for the cost whatever you want to say about it. There’s nothing else in the price range, in that weight class, with the combination of speed and graphics. If I step up to systems that weigh twice as much, I can get what I need, but then I’m in a three fold race between cost/weight/battery life.

      This hits a lot of sweet spots.

      1. I’m with you on this one. I held off on the CULV craze due primarily to the 4500MHD. Crappy Intel IGP is just the death knell for me.

        This machine will fill my niche perfectly: a very small, very light, inexpensive computer that can do internets and play HD video without a hitch (and output it via HDMI).

        I’ve been looking for a new knockaround laptop to replace my aging eee PC 900HD. I want a good keyboard without a lot of flex (sorry Acer 1410, your keyboard is too bouncy). I want more than 2 hours of battery life and I want a bigger screen with a higher resolution. I want snappier response when I have lots of Firefox tabs open. I want perfect HD video playback without trouble. I want Windows 7.

        The 1201N is practically made for my niche. I’ll leave the heavy gaming and other processor-intensive tasks to a primary PC designed for these things.

      2. Im tiered of all the people that say the GMA 4500 can handle everything or that the atom 330 is not comparable with a low CULV. So i agree with you completely Someguy

      3. check out the Asus UL30Vt. Same as the UL30A except it has switchable discrete graphics. NVidia 210M, Intel GMA 4500HD.

  4. What, exactly, is so “drool worthy” about an overpriced 12″ running last year’s atom/Ion combo, seeing how the latest and greatest are going to be announced in a little more then a month? And what do you need Ion in a netbook for anyway? What, are you going to be playing WoW at 10 frames per second at Starbucks on your lunch break? Also, why are they comparing it to the Ul30, and not the UL20, which packs a similar sized screen and footprint, but more emphasis on cpu power then gpu power?

    1. Only looking at the price part of your comment, you really think $499 for a 12″ 1366×768, dual core atom, Ion, etc. is overpriced? seems like a decent deal to me…

      1. I’d rather see $449-459, since I believe that’s where the new MSI Wind U230 will come in at. The Wind should be faster overall, but nVidia graphics are supported better under Linux. Still, not a bad price, though. It might come down a slight bit after release.

    2. Because you don’t have a use for it, no one else will? It should run most games just fine. However, what really matters to me is Windows 7 with all Aero effects on, and Mandriva Linux with KDE 4.3 and compositing turned on. That’s where the GPU comes in.

      Then, there is the new OpenCL. nVidia and ATi now support OpenCL and applications will soon make use of it. OpenCL will make a huge difference in your computing experience.

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