I finally decided to break down and buy a 1201HA because no one online had a review of this netbook and it seemed important enough for someone to take on the responsibility.

For $329 you get a 12 inch computer which weighs approximately 3lbs and includes a Z520 processor, 1GB of RAM, 160GB of hard drive space, wi-fi, webcam and over 6 hours of battery life.  It doesn’t have an ION or Congo chipset but the question is, is it any good?

The answer is yes; but…as you’ll see over the course of this review there are things to love about this netbook and things which will take some getting used to.  Overall, for the price and the build quality this may be the best value in a netbook computer.  For some the limitations may make you want to save up the extra money and buy something more powerful.

Look & Feel

When I took the 1201HA out of the box, I got really really excited. After spending about a year typing on a 10.1″ netbook the idea of running on a 12″ netbook was welcomed. What is so deceiving is the weight of it. You’ll pick it up and wonder if it’s missing something because it’s so light. Even with the battery, it felt really great in the hand to both hold and to type on. The 1201HA has a matte backing, which is a change from the glossy backing of previous Eee netbooks. This will definitely help in the fingerprint attraction department.

Video Streaming

Specs speak for themselves but the question people around the web have been asking is…”how do it do with streaming video?” I can’t speak for everyone but I was watching Hulu on it and it didn’t miss a beat. The video looked good on the screen but the color was a little washed on (more on that in a little bit). I tried several video sites (TV.com, Hulu, and YouTube) and the videos started up and played without any issues. From what I’ve been reading this is because of the Intel GMA500 chipset which is designed to handle H.264 video better than the GMA950 chipset. Whatever it is, I was happy with it and you will be too. The downside here is that there is no HDMI so you won’t be able to use one cable to hook it up to your HDTV. USB to HDMI adapters exist but when you factor in the price you might be better off getting a netbook which has it built in.

The Good

• Feels great in the hand
• Stays cool to the touch, barely heats up after hours of use
• 12 inch screen is great for getting work done, or watching online video
• $329 price makes this netbook a great value consider the size of the screen and other specs

The Bad

• Z520 processor is SLOW when compared to other netbook processors (ex. N280)
• Only comes with 4400 mAh battery which will give you about 6 hours of performance
• Screen looks slightly washed out with color not as saturated as my 1000HE

Also be sure to check our Part 2, and Part 3 for videos and pictures of the 1201HA.

Have any questions?  Feel free to leave them in the comments.

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