Tech In Style Issue 5

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10 An A 08 S HA US Eee Seashe

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Innovation in technology

The Eee PC evolves The next-generation next generation netbook arrives with the ASUS Eee PC 1008HA Seashell

How to pick the perfect laptop

From netbooks to multimedia, our 14-page buyer’s guide has laptops to suit every pocket

Home cinema made simple With the new HD-Ready ASUS Eee Box PC B206

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Cut the cost of your computer Save money and space with the ASUS Eee Top PC

Issue 5 June 2009 www.TECHINSTYLE.CO.UK

Welcome Hello, and welcome to ASUS Tech in Style. Buying a new laptop is never easy when there are so many models to choose from, and there’s nothing like having a knowledgeable expert on hand to give you some good advice. You’ll find that expert in this very issue, in the shape of our comprehensive laptop buyer’s guide.

We’ve picked 10 laptops to suit five very different needs, and also provided some need-to-know information that will make buying any laptop much easier.

As you can see by looking at this issue’s cover, we’re also taking the wraps off the very latest Eee PC: the Eee PC 1008HA Seashell. The Seashell represents the nextgeneration of netbook and we’re extremely proud of it.

Better still, we’re giving one away in this issue, and you can also win one online at www.asus.co.uk/seashell for a limited time.

We hope you enjoy the issue!

Helen Ling, Editor

About ASUS ASUS is a leading company in the new digital era that employs more than 10,000 people globally, and its revenue in 2008 was US$8.1 billion. It ranked in the top 10 IT companies in BusinessWeek’s InfoTech 100 for 2008, and has been on the listing for 11 consecutive years. ASUS was also selected by the Wall Street Journal Asia as No.1 in quality and service in Taiwan.

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Contents

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04 How to pick the perfect laptop

If you’re looking for a new laptop, our 14-page guide tells you everything you need to know

08 Small is beautiful

The first of our five laptop categories covers the new Eee PC 1008HA and Eee PC 1000HE

10 Flexi time

Our pick of the ASUS ultra-portables, with the N20A and N10J

find out more at www.techinstyle.co.uk

Credits

08 12 Media mogul

Need a laptop that’s as powerful as a desktop PC? Check out our recommended multimedia models: the ASUS W90V and G70

14 Pro active

Buying a laptop for business use? Combine security and style with the ASUS N50VC and F52Q

16 Super savers

You don’t have to break the bank to bag a new laptop, as proven by our budget recommendations: the ASUS K50IJ and K70IO

18 What’s the best computer for me?

If you need a new desktop computer but don’t want to dedicate a whole room to it, ASUS has the perfect solution

20 Boxing clever

The home cinema PC has never been so small or so stylish — meet the HD-Ready Eee Box PC B206

Tech in Style issue 5

EDITORIAL Editor Helen Ling Creative Director Quawn Hsu Sub-editor Jane Goulding Production Kate Faulkner MANAGEMENT Group Art Director Bill Bagnall Managing Editor James Kidder PRODUCTION Production Manager Mark Young Production Co-ordinator Liz Moores Copyright: ASUSTek (UK) Limited, 2009. All editorial content in this magazine has been sponsored by ASUS. While every care was taken preparing this magazine, ASUStek Limited cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information nor any consequences arising from it.

22 ASUS product index

Details on the ASUS products in this issue

23 Competition

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Win the new ASUS Eee PC 1008HA Seashell!

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How to pick the perfect laptop Do you want a laptop for business or pleasure, extreme portability or a second PC, a multimedia monster or a budget buy? In this guide, we’ll help you decide

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f you’re thinking of buying a new laptop, it’s easy to be confused by the sheer number of different models that are available. So, before you do anything, you need to decide how much you would like to spend on a laptop, as your budget will inevitably dictate the choices available to you.

Next, you need to think about how important screen size, performance and portability are to you, then rate each one out of 10. It is also helpful to think about what you will be using your laptop for. Web browsing and email don’t require a powerful processor, for example, whereas using a laptop to watch movies with your family will make a larger screen beneficial.

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When choosing a processor, remember that a more powerful processor is more likely to meet your changing needs over a longer period. Ultimately, it represents a good investment as it means you won’t need to upgrade in a hurry.

The last step is the easiest one – just look at our guides to the five categories of laptop and see which one best matches your own set of ratings. In the following pages, you’ll also find advice on what to look for in each laptop category, as well as our recommendations for specific models to buy; there are further details later in this issue. We hope you find our guide useful – and don’t forget your chequebook!

Find out more at www.techinstyle.co.uk

Eee PC series Ideal for: Extreme portability, students, a second PC Laptops: ASUS Eee PC 1008HA, Eee PC 1000HE (see pages 8 & 9) If you want a highly portable laptop, but don’t have much money to spend, an ASUS Eee PC netbook is ideal. All ASUS Eee PCs are powered by the Intel® Atom™ processor. This small, power-efficient chip is designed specially for inexpensive netbooks and uses very little power. Indeed, most Eee PCs can last for several hours away from the mains with a relatively small, light battery.

Netbooks that use the Intel® Atom™ aren’t designed for people to use as their only computer, but it depends on the software you want to use. Demanding applications will run slowly, so don’t buy a netbook if you want to edit large, high-resolution photos or digital video. If, however, you just want to browse the web, check email and run key features simple productivity software Portability such as a word processor or Processor spreadsheet, a netbook is ideal.

Graphics Eee PCs have smaller screens Screen size than other ultra-portables. Ten inches offers the best balance of legibility and portability, and also makes the case large enough for a comfortable keyboard. Some Intel® Atom™ PCs can squeeze in keys almost as large as those on a normal laptop, which makes them a pleasure to type on even for long periods.

How to read our laptop ratings To make the process of choosing a laptop a little easier, it’s worth thinking about how important each of these key laptop features are to you: portability, processor, graphics and screen size.

We’ve listed these same features in each of our five laptop categories, and rated each to show how important they are. So, for

example, you’ll see that while portability is essential for a netbook, the processor and screen size is less of a consideration.

key features Portability Processor Graphics Screen size

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Ultra-portable Ideal for: Extreme portability, nocompromise mobile computing, mobile entertainment Laptops: N20, N10J (see pages 10 & 11) Ultra-portable laptops look like netbooks, but they’re a different proposition – they don’t sacrifice performance for size, and can be as versatile as a much larger laptop.

Ultra-portable laptops achieve high levels of performance with powerful mobile processors such as those in the Intel® Centrino® 2 technology range. ‘Powerful’ doesn’t key features mean ‘power-hungry’, either – Intel® Portability Centrino® 2 processor technology Processor maximises wireless capability and Graphics energy efficiency, which means you Screen size can stay unplugged for longer. Other energy-efficient innovations play their part in an effective ultra-portable. LED-backlit screens use less power than older CCFL backlight technology, yet provide brighter displays. They can also use 12in or 13in screens without affecting battery life.

If it’s the computer you’ll be using most of the time, an ultra-portable should be able to handle both work and entertainment needs. A widescreen display is worth considering for watching movies, as is an internal optical drive. Some models offer switchable 3D graphics that you can turn off for longer battery life, and on when you need extra performance. Finally, ultra-portables should be able to withstand the rigours of mobile life and tough cases that won’t show scratches are a must-have.

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Multimedia Ideal for: A main computer, video-editing, gaming, home-entertainment Laptops: W90V, G70 (see pages 12 & 13) What if you want a computer the size of a laptop, with the power of a desktop PC? Welcome to the world of the multimedia laptop. Portability isn’t a prime concern, so they can have formidable specifications. Extremely powerful processors, vast amounts of memory and huge hard drives are the norm, and these laptops are often referred to as ‘desktop replacements’. Such features are seldom a recipe for long battery life, but multimedia laptops can be used away from the mains – just don’t expect them to last more than a few hours.

Multimedia laptops also have very large screens with very high resolutions – 17" is a minimum, but some models offer even larger displays. The large cases needed to accommodate such screens allow for full-size key features keyboards, often with a separate Portability numeric keypad.

Processor Phenomenally fast processors Graphics and powerful graphics cards make Screen size multimedia laptops ideal for demanding applications such as video editing. Twin graphics cards are usually an option, which is why these laptops appeal to gamers – they offer astounding 3D performance, yet can be carried to LAN parties. Those big screens are also ideal for moviewatching, even in HD, thanks to Blu-ray drives and high-quality surround sound.

Find out more at www.techinstyle.co.uk

Budget Ideal for: A main computer, computing on a tight budget, second computer, students Laptops: K50IJ, K70IO (see pages 16 & 17)

Professional Ideal for: A main computer, business users Laptops: N50Vc, F52Q (see pages 14 & 15) When buying a laptop for business, specification is a vital consideration. It’s important to choose a laptop that’s powerful enough to run the applications you use on a key features daily basis.

Portability Since they’re designed to Processor spend much of their life at a desk, Graphics professional laptops can afford to sacrifice a little portability for the Screen size sake of usability. Screen sizes can be close to those of desktop PCs, with similarly high resolutions, and their large keyboards are comfortable to type on all day. Professional laptops are bigger as a result, but good design keeps the weight down, and the best models are light enough to be carried between home and the office without wearing you out.

Professional laptops must include strong measures to protect your data. A fingerprint scanner is more secure than passwords, especially when paired with a Trusted Protection Module (TPM) and hard drive encryption.

Robust build is essential for any laptop, but those used for business should be tougher than most. Sturdy cases, durable hinges and spill-resistant keyboards can all help stop little accidents turning into big disasters.

Finally, don’t discount good design. To ensure you make the best impression when meeting a client, style and sophistication should be a given.

Money may be tight at the moment, but that doesn’t mean that a new laptop is out of reach. Budget laptops offer great value, and prices start at just a few hundred pounds. But be warned — some manufacturers use budget laptops as an excuse to cut corners, and quality can suffer as a result.

The best budget laptops are the ones that offer a well-rounded specification — it’s no use fitting a high-end processor if the rest of the components end up being sub-standard just to keep the price down.

Build quality is one area where manufacturers can skimp to keep costs down, so watch out. No matter how inexpensive a laptop is, if it starts to suffer from wear and tear after just a few months’ use, you’ll probably be looking for key features another one before too long.

Portability A 15" screen offers the best Processor balance between size and Graphics portability and a widescreen Screen size display is great for watching movies. However, it isn’t essential if you’ll just be using productivity applications.

Modern mobile processors can handle just about anything , but low-power graphics cards are a common budget feature. So, look for more powerful discrete graphics if you want to play 3D games.

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ASUS Eee PC 1008HA Intel® Atom™ N280 10" (1,024 x 600) screen 5hr battery life 1.1kg £379 inc VAT

Small is beautiful

Who said size matters? The delightfully slender Eee PC 1008HA packs a mean punch and proves that good things really do come in small packages

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etbooks often sacrifice style in their quest for unbeatable portability, but the incredible Eee PC 1008HA turns that tired idea on its head. It’s the slimmest, most stylish netbook you’ve ever seen, yet still manages to be more capable than the competition.

Just 1" at its thickest point, the Eee PC 1008HA’s sleek case tapers to mere millimetres to create an impossibly slim profile. Its clean, sculpted lines aren’t broken by a bulky external battery. Instead, it’s built into the case, and lithium polymer technology means it’s both light and long-lasting – the Eee PC

1008HA weighs a mere 1.1kg and lasts for up to five hours away from mains power.

The Eee PC 1008HA is powerful, too. Its ingenious bespoke motherboard is a fraction of the size of other netbooks and is home to the new Intel® Atom™ processor and up to 2GB of RAM. A 160GB hard drive provides ample storage, while the 10" screen is LED-backlit for sharp, bright images. The resolution is high enough to display most web pages without scrolling from side to side, not that you’ll mind – the large touch-pad’s multitouch gestures make moving around documents a doddle.

Sophisticated style Clean lines and a streamlined case make the Eee PC 1008HA look like no other netbook – even the ports are hidden from view.

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Find out more at www.techinstyle.co.uk

Alternatively ASUS Eee PC 1000HE Intel® Atom™ N280 10" (1,024 x 600) screen 1.45kg 9.5hr battery life £329 inc VAT If you’re looking for a netbook that combines unparalleled performance with unbeatable battery life, then the Eee PC 1000HE fits the bill perfectly. It offers the same great specification as the Eee PC 1008HA, including a 10" screen and chiclet keyboard, but its removable 8700mAh battery can last for an amazing 9.5 hours – that’s more than a full working day!

In detail Intel® Atom™ N280 Comfortable keyboard The Eee PC 1008HA’s chiclet keyboard runs right to the edge of the case – it’s 92% of fullsize, with large keys for comfortable typing.

The N280 is Intel’s® newest Atom™ processor. It’s a little faster than the N270, with a 1.66GHz clock speed and a 667MHz frontside bus. It uses 20% less power, too, which means better battery life for the netbooks that use it.

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Flexi time

The flexibility offered by the ASUS N20A ultra-portable makes it even easier to get carried away

Data protection Thanks to its fingerprint scanner and the hard drive's dust- and moisture-resistant enclosure, the N20A always keeps your data safe.

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ith a specification to match that of a much larger laptop and a durable, high-gloss case designed to withstand the knocks that accompany life on the road, the ASUS N20A is an ultra-portable that doesn’t sacrifice performance for the sake of portability.

An Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor and the latest Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology means that the N20A offers outstanding mobile performance that’s up to 50% faster than previous-generation processors when multitasking.

Innovative energy-saving measures also let you stay unplugged for longer, and an optional highcapacity battery means you can work for up to three hours away from mains power. Also, thanks to 802.11n Wi-Fi, you’ll get a dramatically improved wireless experience with home and office hotspots.

At just 1.85kg, the N20A is light enough to be carried anywhere. It’s also well-equipped to meet your entertainment needs when you kick back after work.

The 12.1", LED-backlit, widescreen display does a great job with movies played using the built-in optical drive, while the high-quality Altec Lansing sound system provides crystal-clear audio.

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Internal affairs The built-in DVD Super Multi drive means there’s one less thing to carry if you want to watch movies on the move, and the N20A weighs in at just 1.85kg.

Just in case State-of-the-art injection moulding technology makes the N20A’s exterior both scratch-resistant and extremely stylish, so it will always make the best impression.

Find out more at www.techinstyle.co.uk

ASUS N20A Intel® Core™ 2 Duo 12.1" screen 3hr battery life 1.85kg £999 inc VAT

In detail ASUS Express Gate

If you just want to check your email or visit a website, ASUS Express Gate means you don’t have to wait for Windows to load first. This ‘pre-boot’ environment is ready in under eight seconds, and gives quick access to essential laptop communication tools – perfect for when you’re working on the move.

Alternatively ASUS N10J Intel® Atom™ N270 9.5hr battery life

10.2" screen £499 inc VAT

1.45kg

For mobile computing with no compromises, the ASUS N10J is ideal. Barely bigger than a netbook, this ultra-portable has features you won’t find on other similar-sized laptops. The 10.2" LED-backlit screen is powered by NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS graphics that can be switched off to prolong battery life, while HDMI and ExpressCard/34 offer great expansion options.

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Media mogul

Gamers and movie buffs take note – the ASUS W90V provides all the power of a high-end desktop PC, but is much more portable

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esigned to deliver the quintessential multimedia experience, the ASUS W90V has a specification that puts many high-end desktop PCs to shame.

Everything about this laptop screams raw power, from the 2.8GHz Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor that can be over-clocked by up to 25%, to dual hard drives and a vast 6GB of RAM. A high native resolution lets you view 1080p video on the enormous 18.4" screen in full HD. The glossy, frame-less display has a 16:9 aspect ratio to ensure there are no black bars when watching widescreen movies on DVD and Blu-ray.

Gamers will be blown away by the dual ATI Mobility Radeon HD graphics and Altec Lansing 5.1 speakers, while Dolby Home Theater technology creates an immersive audio experience that’s like sitting in your own private cinema.

The W90V is still a laptop at heart. At 5.2kg it can be carried to LAN parties, and the 12-cell battery protects you from power cuts that leave desktop gamers flailing.

Alternatively ASUS G70

Key features The full-size keyboard with separate numeric keypad makes the W90V as comfortable to use as a desktop PC. The large trackpad supports multi-touch gestures.

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo 17" screen Dual NVIDIA 8700M GT graphics Four-channel audio From £1,549 inc VAT The G70 has more manageable proportions, but still offers prodigious amounts of power. Available with an Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor, it packs two NVIDIA 8700M GT graphics cards for silky smooth 3D performance.

Twin hard drives provide 640GB of storage, and the optional RAID configuration gives blisteringly quick level load times.

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Multimedia mastery The innovative ASUS AI Touch Media interface make the W90V ideally suited to handle all your multimedia needs.

Find out more at www.techinstyle.co.uk

ASUS W90V Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T9550 (2.66GHz) 18.4" (1,920 x 1,080) screen Dual ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4870 graphics 5.1 channel audio £2,399 inc VAT

In detail Dual graphics cards Unbeatable 3D performance The W90V’s Mobility Radeon HD 4870 CrossFireX dual-configuration has a 3DMark score of 15,232 – the highest of any laptop.

Laptops that have two dual graphics cards running in parallel deliver unmatched 3D graphics performance. The configuration makes high frame rates at high detail settings possible, even at the extremely high native resolutions offered by some 17" screens.

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Light fantastic The N50VC’s AI Light Sensor adjusts screen brightness automatically to suit ambient light levels, reducing eye strain and prolonging battery life.

Clean living Negative ions are believed to reduce the risk of you catching airborne infections, so the N50VC’s built-in air ioniser could help keep you healthy.

Pro active

Key decisions Everyone likes to make a splash, and the N50VC’s spill-proof keyboard can safely divert up to 120cc of liquid, should you make the wrong kind.

Want to keep your cool when all around are losing theirs?

The ASUS N50VC is energy efficient while maintaining a professional edge

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edesigned and with a refreshed specification, the N Series redefines the role of the professional laptop. The new ASUS N50VC leads the charge, with a sophisticated and stylish design that brings together high performance, energy efficiency and eco-friendliness.

Its Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology enables you to do more of the things you want to do on the go, and – thanks to its long battery life and enhanced wireless features – you can do them without searching for a place to plug in. N50VC combines an Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor with NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS graphics to provide the perfect balance between mobile muscle and extreme

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energy efficiency. Furthermore, because of its innovative thermal management, it generates far less heat than other laptops, so it won’t warm up unwanted bits of your body when you’re using it. It won’t distract you when you’re working, either – ASUS Super Hybrid Engine technology keeps fan noise to a whisper-quiet level.

The N50VC is comfortable to use. The energy-saving 15.4" LED-backlit screen has a high widescreen resolution that’s perfect for working on documents side by side, while the keyboard’s wide keys with concave tops make light work of typing.

A dedicated numeric keypad makes this laptop well suited to spreadsheet use, too, and the keyboard has also been designed to stop dust and dirt accumulating between the keys.

Find out more at www.techinstyle.co.uk

ASUS N50 VC Intel® Core™ 2 Duo 15.4" screen NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS graphics 2.95kg £879 inc VAT

In detail

Green credentials The N Series meets stringent Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) criteria for elimination of hazardous manufacturing materials, low energy consumption and easy after-life recycling – put simply, they’re among the most environmentally friendly laptops available!

Alternatively ASUS F52Q Intel® Core™ 2 Duo 2.5kg

14" (1,366 x 768) screen £599 inc VAT

The ASUS F52Q is affordable, but it doesn’t skimp on features. The Intel® Core™ 2 Duo mobile processor lets you multitask without breaking a sweat. With hard drive capacities reaching 320GB, it provides plenty of performance for any office task. The 14" screen keeps it highly portable, while onboard HDMI lets it display a big-screen image.

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Super savers

You don’t have to break the bank to get a laptop with clout. The ASUS K50IJ gives you a whole lot more for your money

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uying on a budget doesn’t mean you have to settle for less with your laptop. If you need a good all-round performer for use at home or at work, the ASUS K50IJ offers incredible value. Its 15.6" widescreen display provides the perfect balance of portability and usability, and at just 2.5kg this laptop won’t weigh you down when you’re on the move.

The Intel® Core™ 2 Duo mobile provides up to 30% faster performance* with multi-tasking applications and stretches battery life to up to five hours. With hard drive capacities up to 320GB and up to 4GB of RAM, the K50IJ can cope with any application, no matter how demanding.

The K50IJ is well-suited to entertainment, too. Optional NVIDIA GeForce 120M GT graphics turbo-charge games and deliver flawless 1080p HD video playback. Full DirectX 10 compatibility ensures an outstanding 3D games experience, while intelligent power management provides graphics performance best-suited to the power source.

Manufactured using the same innovative moulding technology as the award-winning ASUS N Series, the K50IJ is built to last – which is more than can be said of some budget laptops…

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ASUS K50IJ Intel® Core™ 2 Duo 15.6" screen 2.5kg From £549 inc VAT

* Performance estimated for the Intel® Core™2 Extreme Mobile processor X9100 on SPECint*_rate_base2006. Actual performance on final product may vary. See www.intel.com/performance/ <http://www.intel.com/performance/> for more information. SPEC, SPECint, SPECrate, are trademarks of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation. See: http://www.spec.org for more information on the benchmarks.

Cool running While some laptops can get too hot to handle, the K50IJ uses ASUS IceCool technology to keep keyboard and palm-rest temperatures at a cool 27oC.

Find out more at www.techinstyle.co.uk

Alternatively ASUS K70IO Intel® Core™ 2 Duo 17.3" screen 2.95g £679 inc VAT If you value big-screen entertainment over portability, the K70IO is the ideal budget choice. It has the same great specification as the K50IN, but with a huge 17.3" LEDbacklit widescreen display and NVIDIA GT120M graphics as standard. It’s ideal for multimedia applications and moviewatching, but weighs just 2.95kg.

In detail ASUS Super Hybrid Engine Choose between high performance and better battery life, according to your needs of the moment and the laptop’s power source. The processor can be overclocked to speed up certain tasks, while components can be turned off to cuts the power consumption by up to 35%.

Ideal for entertainment The LED-backlit screen has a 16:9 aspect ratio that’s a perfect match for widescreen movies, and high quality SRS audio puts you right in the middle of the action.

Superior graphics NVIDIA CUDA technology allows the laptop processor to offload demanding imagemanipulation tasks to the graphics processor for vastly increased performance.

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“ What’s the best computer for me?”

The space-saving PC Enjoy all the comforts of a desktop PC without having to clutter up your working environment

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fter moving to a smaller house, I’d prefer a smaller computer that I can move from room to room. The laptops I’ve seen are expensive and I don’t need to use a computer away from home (though the option to work outside would be welcome). What do you suggest?”

Eeeasy does it ASUS has the perfect computer to suit Sandra’s circumstances: the Eee Top PC. Though part of the Eee PC Series, it’s actually a desktop computer, but its slimline case measures just 48mm front to back. At just 4.3kg, it can be moved easily – there’s even a built-in handle!

Desktop computers normally involve a tangle of cables, but the Eee Top PC has just one. The PC comes with an external keyboard and mouse but, because the 15.6" screen is touch-sensitive, you can also control the mouse pointer with a fingertip or stylus. Its Intel® Atom™ processor is cool and quiet, making the Eee Top PC ideal for anyone who wants their computer to be seen but not heard.

If Sandra wants to use her existing monitor, there’s also the Eee Box PC. This can be hidden away, or carried from room to room, and ASUS offers a battery-backed model that won’t lose power when unplugged (see page 20). Sandra will be happy to know that Eee Top and Eee Box PCs are energyefficient, helping her to save between £105 and £155 a year over a normal desktop PC. Our final suggestion is the Eee PC 1008HA laptop. The 10" screen and large keyboard make it very comfortable to use.

Also, because it weighs just 1.1kg and has a five-hour battery life, you can take it anywhere.

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USER PROFILE

Name Sandra Pollard Age 27 Location Derby Job Self-employed Interests I write short stories for women’s magazines and moderate an internet forum for aspiring writers. As well as contemporary short fiction, I enjoy Pre-Raphaelite art, English Romantic poetry and interior design – I’m starting an open university course soon!

Find out more at www.techinstyle.co.uk

Q &A We recommend…

The ASUS Eee Top PC £399 inc VAT The Eee Top PC is a slimline all-in-one desktop PC with a 15" (1,366 x 768) screen. The screen is touch-sensitive and can be used with the supplied stylus or a fingertip, but an external mouse and keyboard are also included. The Eee Top PC is powered by the powerefficient 1.6GHz Intel® Atom™ N270 and it uses around 85% less power than a typical desktop PC.

Alternatives…

ASUS Eee Box PC

£250 to £32o inc VAT The Eee Box PC is an Intel® Atom™ powered desktop PC that doesn’t require a desktop. It’s so small it can be mounted behind a VESAcompatible display. This pint-size package belies impressive performance though, despite its mere 25W power consumption.

ASUS Eee PC 1008HA £379 inc VAT

Plug an external screen and desktop keyboard into the Eee PC 1008HA and you have essentially the same setup as the Eee Box PC. Unplug them and you have a stunning netbook, giving you the best of both worlds.

Sandra’s choice The big screen and slimline case make the Eee Top PC the best option for me, at a price I can afford – not to mention the electricity savings in the long term!

Q What’s the advantage of having

an SSD in a laptop, rather than a hard disk? SSDs seem to have much smaller capacities than hard drives, but cost so much more – is it some kind of con?

A Solid-state drives (SSDs) are a relatively recent

innovation that use memory chips for data storage.

Like any new technology, SSDs are still developing at a breakneck speed and they are expensive.

Capacities are increasing all the time, and costs are coming down as SSDs become more popular – but laptop manufacturers tend to stick with lower capacity drives in order to keep the prices down.

Hard drives, however, use a long-established storage technology: spinning magnetic platters and moving read/write heads. The cost per megabyte is considerably lower than SSDs, which is why laptops with 160Gb hard drives and 16Gb SSDs cost about the same at the moment.

What you have to bear in mind is that, unlike a hard drive, an SSD has no moving parts. No matter how much you shake an SSD laptop, even when it’s reading or writing to the drive, your data will never be at risk — the same cannot be said for a laptop with a hard drive.

SSDs also consume less power and can offer faster data transfer rates, making them ideal for use in netbooks like the Eee PC.

Send us your questions at the following address: questions@techinstyle.co.uk

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Boxing clever

Proving that it pays to think outside the box, ASUS is proud to present the Eee PC B206 – the compact computer with big ideas

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t may be the smallest desktop computer money can buy, but not everyone wants to use the innovative Eee Box PC while sitting at a desk. So, to users looking for a compact computer that can be used as part of a living room home cinema set-up, ASUS has developed an innovative new model – the Eee Box PC B206.

Although it has the same compact design as existing models, this is a PC that’s is ideally suited to demanding multimedia applications. Powered by the tiny Intel® Atom™ processor, the B206 consumes arund 90% less power than a typical desktop. Its HDMI port can be connected directly to HD-ready TVs to display 1080p video – something that the new ATI Radeon HD 3450 graphics deliver with silky smoothness.

Connect to HDREADY TVs This PC comes with an HDMI-to-DVI converter to connect to desktop displays.

The HDMI port means it can also connect to HD-Ready TVs. There’s even an optical S/PDIF port to connect to older home cinema amplifiers.

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Full 1080p HD playback ATI’s Unified Video Decoder technology allows the ATI Radeon HD 3450 graphics card to decode full 1080p HD video. This PC provides stunning HD performance using the Intel® Atom™ N270 processor.

Easy multimedia management Although a mouse and keyboard are included, the Eee Box PC is also supplied with a remote control.

Together with the Easy Cinema application, you harness the B206’s multimedia capabilities from the comfort of your sofa.

Find out more at www.techinstyle.co.uk

Eee Box PC B204

The Eee Box PC B206 is ideal for home cinema applications, but a second model makes perfect sense as a home media server. The Eee Box PC B204â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s built-in battery means that it keeps on working during power cuts, so you need never miss out on favourite downloads or lose access to files when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re connected remotely.

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Your product guide Use this quick reference guide to find out more about the ASUS products featured in this issue

Product

Features

Price

Eee Box PC B206

Intel Atom N270 (1.6GHz), 1GB RAM, ATI Radeon HD 3450 160GB hard drive 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, Windows XP Home

Eee Top PC ET1602

Intel Atom N270 (1.6GHz), 1GB RAM 15.6in (1,366 x 768) touch-screen, 160GB hard drive 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, Windows XP Home

Eee PC 1008HA

Intel Atom N280 (1.66GHz), 1024MB RAM 10" WSVGA (1,024 x 600) screen, 160GB hard drive, 10GB Eee Storage 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, Windows XP Home

Eee PC 1000HE-9X

Intel Atom N280 (1.66GHz), 1024MB RAM 10" WSVGA (1,024 x 600) screen, 160GB hard drive, 10GB Eee Storage 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, Windows XP Home

N10J-HV011E

Intel Atom N270 (1.6GHz), 2048MB DDRII 667 RAM, NVIDIA GeForce9300 M GS 10.2" WSVGA, (1,024 x 600) screen, 250GB hard drive 802.11a/g/n, Bluetooth, Windows Vista Business (XP Pro downgradable)

F52Q

Intel Core2 Duo, 15.6" high-definition LED 16:9 display (1,366 x 768), Fingerprint Reader Altec Lansing speakers, SRS Premium Sound and HDMI Express Gate v2, ASUS S.H.E. & Power4Gear Hybrid

K50IJ

Intel Core2 Duo, 15.6" high definition LED 16:9 display Altec Lansing speakers, SRS Premium Sound, Express Gate v2 and ASUS S.H.E. IceCool design for more comfortable palm rest temperatures

K70IO

Intel Core 2 Duo, 17.3" high definition LED 16:9 display Altec Lansing speakers, SRS Premium Sound, Express Gate v2 and ASUS S.H.E. IceCool design for more comfortable palm rest temperatures

N20A-2P124C

Intel Core2 Duo P8400 (2.26GHz), 4096MB DDRII 800 RAM, Intel GMA X4500HD 12.1" WXGA (1,280 x 800) screen, 320GB, DVD Super Multi DL Intel Wi-Fi Link 5100 (a/g/n), Windows Vista Home Premium

N50VC-FP018C

Intel Core2 Duo P8400 (2.26GHz), 4096MB DDRII 800 RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 9300M G 15.4" WXGA (1,280 x 800) screen, 320GB hard drive, DVD Super Multi Dual Layer Light Scribe 802.11a/g/n, Windows Vista Home Premium

G70S-7S007C

Intel Core2 Duo T9300 (2.5GHz), 4096MB DDRII 667 RAM, Dual NVIDIA GeForce 8700M GT 17" WXGA+ (1,440 x 900) screen, 640GB (320GBx2) hard drive, Blu-ray Drive (RW) 802.11a/g/n, Windows Vista Home Premium

W90VP-UZ023J

Intel Core2 Duo T9550 (2.66GHz), 6144MB DDRII 800 RAM, Dual ATI Mobility Radeon HD 18.4" WUXGA (1,920 x 1,080) screen, 640 GB (320GBx2) hard drive, Blu-ray combo 802.11 BGN, Windows Vista Ultimate (64-bit)

A power-efficient processor, powerful graphics and HDMI make the B206 the perfect compact home cinema PC.

A gorgeous all-in-one desktop PC with a touch-sensitive screen and easy-to-use, finger-friendly software.

The stunning new Eee PC ‘Seashell’ with a stunning lowprofile design.

The ideal all-day laptop, thanks to a 10hr battery life (depending on usage) and a comfortable new keyboard design.

The N10J is very compact, but switchable NVIDIA 9300M graphics deliver impressive gaming performance.

An affordable portable that offers everything business users need, from huge hard drive capacities to onboard HDMI.

Ideal for both work and entertainment, optional NVIDIA graphics make the K50IN great for gaming, too.

A large screen and powerful graphics make the K70IO an ideal multimedia PC for buyers on a tight budget.

Comprehensive wireless connectivity options mean you never need to be offline with the N20A, no matter where you are.

The perfect combination of power, portability and usability make the N50 ideally suited to both work and play.

NVIDIA SLI dual-graphics technology and twin-hard drives make the G70S a gaming powerhouse.

A huge screen, powerful Intel processor and huge storage capacity make the W90 the ultimate home entertainment laptop.

£310

£399

£379

£329

£499

£599

£549

£679

£999

£879

£1,549

£2,399

To order one of these great products call: 01442 202720 Understanding Intel® processor ratings Throughout this magazine you’ll see the Intel® processor badges and their star ratings. This means you’ll be able to see at a glance the processor inside the machine and a guide to how well it will perform.

The Intel® processor rating is designed to help you decide which processor is best for your needs. Just look for the stars beneath the processor badges to determine their different levels of processing power.

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To learn more, please visit: www.intel.com/consumer/rating.htm Written in the stars Each processor is assigned between one and five stars, depending on a combination of features that include cores, GHz, cache and other technologies.

More stars indicates greater features and increased capabilities compared to other Intel® processors.

Ratings explained 1 star: Value and reliability 2 star: Dependable and proven 3 star: Smart, fast, energy-efficient technology 4 star: Advanced intelligence, premium technologies and speed to help you do more 5 star: Ultimate intelligence and breakthrough technologies to maximise your computing speed

Find out more at www.techinstyle.co.uk

win an ASUS Eee PC 1008HA Seashell!

Don’t miss your chance to pick up this delightfully svelte catch of the day

N

ature has a way of creating elegance out of simplicity and ASUS has followed the same philosophy for its latest Eee PC™. Inspired by the sleek shape of the humble seashell, the Eee PC 1008HA Seashell combines a striking slimline design with the latest mobile technology – and we’re giving one lucky reader the chance to win one in this issue of Tech in Style.

The Seashell’s slender case is less than 1in at its thickest point and artfully curves to a razor-thin edge. This stunning low profile is made possible by a new ASUS motherboard that takes up very little space, and the integral lithium-polymer cell removes the need for an unsightly, bulbous battery. The incredibly small, amazingly smart Intel® Atom™ N280 processor provides an unmatched combination of performance and power-efficiency.

Furthermore, despite weighing just 1.1kg, the Seashell lasts for up to five hours away from a plug socket.

Q1. What inspired the Eee PC 1008HA Seashell’s design? a) An eggshell b) A seashell c) A shellsuit Q2. Which part of this issue of Tech in Style did you enjoy the most?

Email your answer to win@techinstyle.co.uk, together with your full name and postal address. Entries must be received by 30th July 2009. Winners will be drawn by 10th August 2009 and notified by 15th August 2009. Only one entry per household.

No purchase necessary.

TERMS & CONDITIONS This competition is open to residents of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland only. Employees of ASUS and its subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies and immediate families (defined for the purposes of these rules as husband, wife, mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter, or persons residing in the households of such employees), and anyone else professionally connected with this competition, may not enter. The promoter reserves the right to verify the eligibility of entrants to check their identity. The promoter is ASUS UK Limited, PO Box 1209, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 9EX. Please direct any queries or complaints regarding this competition to this address or marketing_uk@asus.com.

issue 5 |

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