ASUS Eee PC S101 Launch - 101 Guide to Gliding Bamboos
Set to cover all bases, ASUS just unveiled three products aimed for the mobile warriors: the ASUS Eee PC S101, Bamboo Notebook and the P552w PDA phone. Read on to learn about our initial impressions on these mobile devices that are heading our way real soon.
ASUS 101 Guide
Hosting its launch event at the Helipad, Central on the 23rd of October, ASUS had more than one treat for consumers. Raising the curtains and revealing their much awaited new netbook lineup from its Eee series, the ASUS Eee PC S101, there was also much fanfare on two other products that were unveiled concurrently: the environmentally-friendly, bamboo clad ASUS Bamboo series and another mobile device under its wings, the ASUS P552w.
All three devices, unsurprisingly, are targeted at consumers who value mobility and performance, and to add icing to the cake, being environmentally conscious was part of the deal. To cut the story short, here's the first sighting of all three devices, before we move onto the specifics of each device.
The highlight of the day is the latest netbook from ASUS, dubbed as the ASUS Eee PC S101 which we'll take a closer look at in the upcoming page.
Accompanying the S101 are two other ASUS products that'll be hitting our shores by November, namely the environmentally friendly ASUS Bamboo series...
...and finally, after months of inactivity, ASUS unveils a brand new smartphone utilizing Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, the ASUS M552w. For more details about both the Bamboo and the ASUS M552w, read on.
Trilogy of Netbooks
Undeniably, when the very first ASUS Eee PC came into being just shortly a year ago, demand for netbooks just skyrocketed without much prompting from the various manufacturers. Being one of the very first few manufacturers to introduce and popularize the netbook genre, ASUS seems bent in upping the ante with its latest range of netbook, the ASUS Eee PC S101. And since the netbook fad is one that's considerably mainstream, the S101 will cater to those with an eye on aesthetics more so than performance with three varying colors: Brown, Champagne or Graphite.
Nonetheless, performance will still be playing a major role in the S101. Here's another overview of the S101 and some of its key features for you to take stock of:
The ASUS Eee PC S101 sitting snugly in one corner before we got our hands on it.
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According to the specifications, the S101 would be one heck of a thin netbook, measuring in at almost 18mm in thickness. Furthermore, unlike its 1000 series netbook, the S101 manages to shed quite a bit of weight to its current 1kg measurement. Other bells and whistles added onto the S101 would include hi-definition audio CODEC, a multi-touch mouse pad (not exactly new since it has appeared on its previous Eee devices before) and interestingly, it also comes with a 30GB online storage, essentially increasing your storage space so long as you get yourself connected onto the net. We're getting a bit long-winded, so we'll let the images do the talking from now on.
The S101 holds the standard 3 USB ports (one as shown here, the other two on the opposing profile) and comes with a 3.5mm audio jack and a direct mic array.
Being thin equates being light, and that definitely is the case with the S101's 18mm thickness, which matches its light weight measuring at 1kg only.
A 10.2-inch netbook does have its advantage, as the keyboard experience comes close to the normal full QWERTY keyboard that is used on most notebooks.
While we can't comment on its ability to adapt to sunlight glare, we can safely say the S101's 10.2-inch LED backlit screen is easy and comfortable on the eyes.
Availability
According to ASUS, the S101 will be retail ready by the 24th of October, though choices will initially be limited to the Brown variant. Both the Champagne and Graphite variation will be available by November, and for all three versions, the retail price has been tagged at S$1098.
Not for Pandas
Going green has been a major trend amongst tech manufacturers over the past few months, and ASUS has also stepped into the limelight with its eco-friendly Bamboo series. While the notebook's specifications won't be anything to wow about (even though it utilizes the new Intel Centrino 2 processor), what makes the Bamboo interesting to behold is its aesthetics. As its moniker indicates, the Bamboo actually utilizes real bamboo for its husk, and truth be told, when we were feeling up the notebook, it definitely brought a refreshing feel to it. Not so for its bamboo scent (which by the way, we didn't detect any) but the significantly different feel one gets in handling the device. Here's a closer look at the ASUS Bamboo series, with more attention to the details right after its key features outline.
Going Zen with the ASUS Bamboo series.
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Another feature prominently found on the ASUS Bamboo is its Super Hybrid Engine technology, which gives you the ability to tweak the device as according to your needs for power efficiency. Supposedly, the Super Hybrid Engine can extend battery life between 35% and 70% as compared to notebooks with the same specifications. Going in line with its green theme and being power saving, we figured this intelligent monitoring of power requirements of the notebook's components and automatically adjusting the power levels in real-time will be one of the key features one should look out for in times when electric tariffs are rising.
The ASUS Bamboo will be more suitable for the power user with an eco conscience, and for that, you get a notebook with a 12.1-inch screen and a heftier weight at 1.57kg as compared to its smaller relative, the S101. But for that, you'll also get a Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium running on the latest Intel Centrino 2 platform.
USB ports are aplenty with up to 3 hubs ready for use, and the Bamboo even comes with a HDMI port for external display.
We kid you not when we say the ASUS Bamboo is thoroughly surrounded by bamboo. Even the mouse pad is layered with bamboo. Probably not a good idea to put this notebook near a panda, we say.
Availability
As usual, the pertinent question that really perks up the ears of the consumer, is when will a product be available in retail stores and more importantly, its price offer. For all you eco-friendly notebook users, the ASUS Bamboo will see a November availability, with a price tag of S$2598. And bargain hunters will also be pleased, as ASUS has mentioned that it'll bundle a 6-cell battery plus Microsoft Office (Home and Student Edition) for interested
Glided Landing
ASUS has not neglected the Windows Mobile users during this launch. Unveiled concurrently is the latest ASUS P552w, and we can only use one word to describe this brand new smartphone: Glide. Being a Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional device, it's evident that you'll be touching and swiping the device fervently, and thus the P552w comes with an innovative touch-responsive user interface optimized for touch screen devices, aptly named as Glide. How does the P552w handle in one's hands? Here's a quick look in the hands, and of course, the key features of the P552w.
Though small in the hands, the ASUS P552w does pack quite a punch in the specification section, as seen below.
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The P552w, from the looks of it, is now one of many smartphones that comes with a high powered processing unit. In this case, the P552w is equipped with one of the strongest processors clocking in at 624Mhz. But device specifications aren't the real focus for consumers, with manufacturers delivering devices with high tiered specifications as though it was the norm. Thus, the added interfaces on the P552w, such as its Multi-Home, Anytime Launcher, EziPhoto and EziMusic, and most of all, its Glide interface, will be the subject of scrutiny when we review it.
Like most other Windows Mobile devices, the P552w doesn't make the mistake of excluding the stylus, as you can see with the stylus holder located at the top right profile.
The 2-megapixel camera won't be the main feature of the device, especially so when the P552w's competitors are equipped with at least a 3.2-megapixel CMOS sensor.
Availability
Similar to the ASUS Bamboo series, the ASUS P552w will only be available in Nov 2008, but the wait will be worth it for a high powered device at a low cost of S$669. However, the P552w won't be the last ASUS smartphone for the year, and we can expect another one coming right up just around the Christmas season, so do keep your wallets ready for the Christmas spending spree that's coming up in the next two months.
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