Asus N10 Review — the First Netbook For Gaming

Kim Hawley writes "Mobile Computer has a review of another new netbook from Asus. The N10 comes from Asus’ notebook division rather than its Eee PC division, and has an impressive specification. Most notable are the ExpressCard/34 slot and switchable nVidia GeForce 9300M graphics, and the video shows the N10 playing Call of Duty 4 very smoothly. Pre-orders in the US are around $600 – about the same as the Eee PC 1000. The N10 is closer to a traditional laptop than a true netbook, though – is feature-creep killing this new market already?"

Comments

wow

[atari2600]

I personally feel laptops aren't good enough for serious gaming. Even though you connect a mouse, the keyboard still cannot match up to a regular size keyboard. There is the issue of heat and needing to be hooked up for max CPU freq and display brightness. Don't get me wrong - I love gaming laptops - they make great machines for development and running VMware images but in general I laugh at the idea of gaming laptops (upgrades? *smirk*).

Gaming netbook though in my opinion borders on ridiculous. The N10 has a 10.2" screen. Checking the AH in wow sure. Using counterstrike as an expensive chat client while you idle in the start zone? Sure. Playing Solitaire and Bejewelled? Sure. Serious gaming? F that.

Re:wow

[ducomputergeek]

I have a friend who has a 17" gaming laptop and on occastion we'll hook up at the coffee shop and play around of Ghost Recon 1. (Yes the original version). I'm usually playing on a 12.1" PowerBook and there is a hell of a difference. He can snipe me down because he can easily see the movement on his screen. There are places where he can be running and I can barely make him out.

Same if I play Halo on the Mac, but not quite as bad.

I know, 2001 called and want their games back, but my point is that 17" vs. 12" screens do make a difference..

stop it

[PopeRatzo]

is feature-creep killing this new market already?

Do we care more about having a lot of different options for the user, or about protecting this "new market"?

I really don't think that every new useful product has to become part of some special "market" just because reviewers and marketing people feel the need to categorize and simplify absolutely everything.

I've seen too many good, innovative products die on the vine because the PR machine didn't quite know what to do with it. And have no doubt, sites like Mobile Computing, Engadget, Gizmodo, are nothing but cogs in the giant Moloch of the marketing departments and soap peddlers who have created this consumerist dystopia.

If it's a good product, it doesn't have to be destroyed just because it doesn't fit neatly on a tab of some big box store's website.