Event Coverage

ASUS @ Computex 2011

By Vincent Chang - 30 May 2011

The UX and N Series Notebooks

The UX Series

Thin, light and shiny. That's the first impression we got of the attractive ultraportable notebook that ASUS revealed here; the UX Series will come with the latest Intel Core mobile processors (up to Core i7) and will have the option of SATA 6Gbps SSDs. All that in a package that measures just 17mm at its thickest point and with a feathery weight of 1.1kg.

ASUS claims that it's Instant-on technology enables the notebook to resume from its previous state in two seconds while it's capable of lasting up to a week when in hibernation mode (and 7 hours battery life). And USB 3.0 ports instead of Thunderbolt, which in our opinion, is the more practical move now. 

The UX series of notebooks, with its shiny aluminum chassis, was the first product to be unveiled by ASUS' chairman, Jonney Shih.

Look at how thin this 12-inch ultraportable gets, as it tapers almost to the edge. It could be rather sharp though.

ASUS touts the unique 'spun' finish on the polished surface of the UX. We have to admit that it's pretty attractive, especially the whorls on the lids.

It looks to have a reflective screen. No specs yet about the display, but we expect 1366 x 768 resolution for its class.

A chiclet style keyboard that's the rage among many notebook manufacturers. But those metal keys look so cold and metallic.

We just can't get enough of the ASUS UX.

The N Series

ASUS has also continued its push into PC audio with a followup to its NX90. Jointly developed with audio specialists Bang & Olufsen like the previous model, the new N Series notebook will again be focused on audio; there's now a dedicated external subwoofer for more authentic bass. Again, no details on the specs besides the expected Intel 2nd-gen Core processor and USB 3.0 support, but given its multimedia slant, we expect more than decent performance.

Fixing the bass is a major goal of the N series, with its SonicMaster technology. And it now comes with an external subwoofer unit.

The ASUS N55SF has a very smooth black, velvety armrest, a full sized keyboard and that focus on audio. It sounded rather impressive to our untrained ears.

We know you just can't get enough of these notebooks.

Eee PC Goes MeeGo

Intel's MeeGo operating system has not gained much traction since it was launched last year, but ASUS has supported the OS by having it on some of its Eee PC. This continues with the latest Eee PC, the X101, which will be one of the cheapest netbooks ever if ASUS has its way. The company is putting a US$199 price tag on the X101, with the MeeGo option and its lowest-end configuration.

Powered by Intel's MeeGo and Atom N435, the lightweight 10.1-inch Eee PC X101 is less than a kilogram and rather thin too. ASUS hedges its bet with an option for Windows 7 for the X101H model.

A pristine white Eee PC X101 looks like any other Eee PC netbook, but for once, it looks slim enough.

 

 

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