Have you stayed away from netbooks because of the scuppered performance? Your experience with netbooks could be from devices with weak processors; they couldn't playback HD video or offer the performance to run a few heavy programs. But all that is changing and the Asus Eee PC 1215T is proof.
The 1215T has a 12.1-inch widescreen LCD; a comfortable alternative between the cramped 10-inch netbooks and bulky 14 and 15-inch notebook computers. It also has a dedicated ATi Radeon graphics chip; enough to playback HD videos or easily handle all the Aero and transparency effects of Windows 7. And finally, an HDMI out lets you connect it to a flat panel TV to watch those HD videos or use the TV screen as a giant monitor.
As far as appearances and ergonomics go, there are ups and downs. The entire lid and the palmrest is finished in a faux brushed aluminium. Thankfully, it is matte and resists the appearance of fingerprints and smudges. We can't say the same about the glossy area around the keyboard and the screen though. The keyboard itself has chiclet-style (individual) keys and is comfortable to type on, save for the small enter key. The large touchpad is a delight, with several multi-touch gestures available, though the buttons are very stiff.
Coming down to the performance: thanks to the combination of the more powerful AMD Athlon processor and ATi Radeon graphics, you are promised a far better experience than most netbooks. HD videos do play, but sometime stutter, requiring a reboot. Since the 12.1-inch screen has a 1366×768 pixel resolution, most programs run on it just as they would with a full size notebook.
One big downer is the battery life. With the synthetic Battery Mark tests, we got 2 hours 45 minutes as a worst-case scenario. This is no doubt thanks to the more powerful processor and graphics. You could probably expect to squeeze out three-and-a-half hours of usage, but that still falls short of the netbook average and way shorter than the 7 to 8 hours required for all-day usage.
Question is, when does a netbook become a notebook? Is it the performance? Size and weight? Price? At Rs 22,499, the 1215T has everything going for it. Except that the price does not include Windows 7. Our test machine came pre-loaded with Windows 7 Ultimate, but you'll get only DOS or Linux . If you decide on getting a genuine version of Windows 7 Home Premium, the price gets pushed to about `28k. And that doesn't leave too much of a price gap between this and a full-size Core i3 notebook.
The 1215T is definitely more expensive than the standard netbook, but offers a lot more in a similar form factor. It's ideal for someone who prefers the small size, doesn't want to break the bank and doesn't mind the few quirks. But for someone looking to spend Rs 30k, a 14-inch Core i3 notebook might be a better buy.