The good: In a Netbook first, it includes a dedicated graphics chip, which can be switched off to extend battery life; decent keyboard; excellent battery life, especially with GeForce graphics turned off; HDMI port and ExpressCard slot are useful bonuses.

The bad: Low screen resolution won't appeal to all gamers; underpowered Intel Atom CPU is far from ideal for graphics-heavy applications; high price.

The bottom line: It may look like your standard Netbook, but the ASUS N10J is unique because underneath it features discrete, switchable graphics. You'll pay a bit more for the privilege, but the end result works for gaming-on-the-go, as long as you don't mind dialing down your game settings.

Read full review of the Asus N10 »

By Dan Ackerman, CNET.com
Dec 8, 2008

Almost every Netbook we've seen to date has featured the same basic setup: The Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, and Windows XP. We're even seeing less difference in screen size, as most vendors have settled on a 9- or a 10-inch screen. Really, the only differentiation between Netbook configurations is that some use a solid-state drive while others come outfitted with a larger capacity spinning drive--usually a 160GB hard drive. Adding a new wrinkle to the Netbook formula is the Asus N10, a 10-inch system from the company that pretty much single-handedly kicked off the Netbook craze with its Eee PC.

Editors' note : This review is based on tests done by our sister site CNET.com. As such, please note that there may be slight differences in the testing procedure and ratings system. For more information on the actual tests conducted on the product, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published. References made to some of other products in this review may not be available or applicable in Asia. Please check directly with your local distributor for details.

This new model doesn't share the Eee PC brand common to other Asus Netbooks, but it still features the usual suspects with respect to the CPU, RAM, and OS. What makes the N10 different is the addition of an Nvidia GeForce 9300 graphics card, which marks the first time we've seen discrete graphics offered on a Netbook. Better yet, you can switch between the GeForce graphics and the integrate Intel graphics--similar to the new MacBook Pro--should you want to extend battery life.

Why would you possibly need a Netbook with a graphics card? Honestly, most people probably don't need it. Given their tight dimensions and relatively meager specs, Netbooks are usually reserved for nothing more than basic tasks such as Web surfing and emailing. But the ability to do some casual gaming makes the Asus N10 an almost irresistible travel companion if you're a PC game addict and can live with the limitations of a very low screen resolution and the low-power CPU. We managed to get marginally playable frame rates from a few current games by dialing down the in-game resolution and detail levels.



Unlike Asus' other high-end Netbook, the Eee PC S101, whose price premium is put toward design and a slim case that's less than 1 inch thick, the N10 has a more traditional, slightly chunky Netbook chassis. The main body is plastic, with a few metal accents, but feels sturdy enough to stand up to regular travel.

For a Netbook, the N10 has one of the better keyboards we've seen, with large flat keys that maximize the typing surface area. It's no match for the HP Mini 1000's excellent keyboard, but it's an improvement on the tiny keys found on most Netbooks. It also helps that the slightly bigger 10-inch design gives you more room to work with than 9-inch Netbooks. This keyboard also corrects a major problem we had with the Asus S101's keyboard: the right shift key, which had been awkwardly moved to the right of the up-arrow key, is now back in its proper place, saving us from endless typos.

Tags: Netbook, Video Card, NVidia Corp., Keyboard, Intel Corp.

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