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When a new computer comes with nothing [worthwhile] on it and the first thing you had to do was install [recover] it fresh out of the box...

It's got a lot of features that one would like to have on a cheap notebook notebook (could this N10 be a "notebooklet"?), the GPU switch, easy underclocking function, nice 'curves', good size, bundled drive, but obviously doesn't cut the mustard against competitors in the more basic things you look for. Could do with a 2Ghz processer and more RAM for multi-tasking (although noted the easy upgrade access). Bet Vista drags it badly compared with the XP option.

'a very sexy laptop that has 'premium product' stamped all over it, even though it's not priced like one'

500 quid *is* priced like exactly what it is : an overpriced, underpowered netbook. 600 vertical pixels at that price point? Fine at 200 quid. Unacceptable at 500 quid.

The acer aspire one is half the price, faster and doesn't pretend to be something it's not..

Spend a bit more and get a proper subnotebook. Spend somewhat less and get a second user or reconditioned subnotebook with superior build quality and still a year's warranty. Spend even less than that and get a new netbook..

It's not difficult Asus : give us cheap netbooks or decent laptops. Don't fart around with stuff in the middle.

...just so happens it'll be that XP Home license, you know, the one you cannot connect to a domain in a corporate environment. I.e. frickin' useless!

Nice machine, but basically it's a tarted up EEE1000 (an already a slightly pricey SCC considering it offers little more than an EEE 901 beside sizing preference), but in a nice case big enough for a 12" screen. And they want an extra £150?

If it had a 12" 1280 screen, or if it was £100 less, then *maybe*.

For me, it's caught between the Dell XPS M1330 (a perfect benchmark in the balancing of size, price and functionality) and the EEE901 (the definitive SCC who's only faults are an an *ever-so-slightly* small keyboard and *ever-so-slightly* high price).

Having said that, to a Sony buyer and it'll perhaps look like a tempting alternative.

Can't help but thinking that Asus keep punting models in the hope that Apple will bite and say "Aye, that's close enough" and then give it a tweak, make the case white and square it off, install OSX, market it, and watch the dollars roll in.

FYI, Asus did make quite a few Apple machines in the good old days. So they are not exactly starting from scratch !!

That said and despite a big Asus fan, I will *NOT* buy this machine. I fail to see the point of having a good graphics card and then cripple it with a crappy screen !!

This is typed on a 4 year old A6000 series laptop that is used as an Oracle database server and client as well as for playing games and surfing the 'net !! It weights a fair bit but since it is upgraded to max, it will blow many desktops away !!

You wouldn't even need a 12 inch screen for 1280x800, as 10.6 inch screens have run this resolution (and have been quite useable) for years.

As far as I can tell netbooks lack real screens either because Atom can't drive them, or because notebook manufacturers don't want to cut into their higher end laptop sales. I'm inclined to believe the latter possibility, which is worse, because that is a problem that time will not solve.

"give it a tweak, make the case white and square it off, install OSX, market it, and watch the dollars roll in. "

You forgot "and mark up the price by 50%" there...

Aye. That's why I mentioned it. I shoulda been more explicit.

I wonder how many people will find that they are using that all of the time, and then wonder why they bothered with Vista?

PS The 10" screen allows it to have the XP option - M$ forbid it for anything larger.

a new name for it - since it comes with Fista, how about "crapbook"?