Tech in Style Back to School 2011

l oo h sc al to ci ck e ba sp

Back to School Essentials Your Complete Guide: from UltraPortable to Multimedia Heaven!

Great Sounds

Take your pick from four new ways to enjoy your media

Build Your Own 3 Powerful PCs ready to customize

Ultrabooks!

Discover the fashionable future of mobility

ISSUE 13 AUGUST 2011 www.techinstyle.tv

Editor's Letter

E

ven though the holiday seasons are firmly noted on the gifts calendar, the back to school season is arguably even more important, as it signifies a far more natural need to upgrade your gadgets. From kindergarten to university, education is always serious stuff, after all, and having the right tech to make all that work easier reduces stress and helps keep a positive attitude to get better grades.

While there used to only a be a choice between owning a laptop or PC, we’re now blessed with more tech options than ever before; to completely tailor your working habits to your computing needs. At the same time we realize more choice can also be more confusing, so we’ve aimed this issue of Tech in Style to guide you through the decision making process in order to highlight exactly what each type of ASUS product can do for you.

We have covered everything from ultra-portables, to touch-screen tablets, to mobile media marvels, to the latest über-stylish all-inones. All of which offer compact systems that are easy to transport, should you either be taking the daily trek to and from school, or simply moving from home to your dorm once a semester.

However, if you’re in need of some serious performance, or you simply prefer to control your build budget more acutely, then we’ve also spec’d out three PC systems you can construct yourself, as well as prosumer and professional monitors to complement them.

Remember, technology doesn’t have to be boring! Here at Tech in Style we’re as dedicated to detailing the latest fashionable trends as much as the hottest new tech. As such, we’ve got together with ASUS’ style-gurus at the Design Center to see behind the scenes at how the Eee Pad Transformer was designed, and also what the upcoming ‘Ultrabook’s’ are all about!

As ever this issue is completely free, so please share it with your friends and family, and once you’re done join us on our Facebook page or regularly updated website (techinstyle.tv) to share your thoughts and ideas – we always love to hear your feedback!

Richard Swinburne, Editor

About ASUS ASUS, the world’s top 3 consumer notebook vendor and the maker of the world’s best selling and most award winning motherboards, is a leading enterprise in the new digital era. ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home, office and person, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktops, Eee Box and all-inone PCs, notebooks, netbooks, tablet devices, servers, multimedia and wireless solutions, networking devices, and mobile phones. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 3,398 awards in 2010, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with the Eee PC™. With a global staff of more than 10,000 and a world-class R&D team of 3,000 engineers, the company’s revenue for 2010 was around US$10.1 billion.

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Tech in Style

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EDITORIAL Editor Richard Swinburne PRODUCTION Production Manager Helen Ling Art Director Quawn Hsu Lead Designer Chiou Chong Lee

Copyright: ASUS Technology Private Limited, 2011.

All editorial content in this magazine has been sponsored by ASUS. While every care was taken preparing this magazine, ASUS Technology Private Limited cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information nor any consequences arising from it.

Find out more at www.techinstyle.tv

Contents

04 Eee PC X101

Is this the perfect netbook?

06 Sliding in style

ASUS launches another innovative tablet to complement its Transformer

08 Colour that's meant to run

The affordable K series laptops blend performance and style

10 Hear the difference of

incredible sound

06

Elegant lines meet B&O ICEPower speakers and an ASUS SonicMaster subwoofer on the new N Series laptop

12 Touch me with your

rhythm stick

ASUS provides the 10-point multi-touch, SonicMaster speakers, subwoofer and DTS sound; you provide the music for its new ET2410 AIl-in-One

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14 Now this page sounds good!

Take your pick from four new ways to enjoy your media

16 Back to school builds

We propose three great PC builds to give you the best start this academic year

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18 Buying a new monitor? Go Pro

From stand to screen here’s some professional ideas and premium quality

20 Spotlight: Behind the scenes of the Eee Pad Transformer We chat to lead designer, Derra Chen

Our verdict ratings explained...

5

Excellent

4

Great

3

Very good

2

Good

1

Compact

22 Ultrabooks?

Richard Swinburne digs into the details of the new wave of ultraportables

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Eee PC X101

Eee PC X101 Is This The Perfect Netbook?

MeeGo operating system with comprehensive selection of pre-installed productivity, entertainment and social networking applications.

Ultra-thin and light for easy portability — just 17.6mm thick and 920g.

Large chiclet Qwerty keyboard for comfortable typing.

Bundled ASUS app store for instant access to applications, ebooks and games, plus ASUS @vibe for rich cloudbased entertainment content.

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Pre-installed British Council English Language Learning software for industry-leading language learning across all age ranges.

Find out more at www.techinstyle.tv

G

iven that ASUS invented the whole idea of the netbook with the Eee PC launch just a few years ago, it should be no surprise that it continues to innovate with affordable ultraportables. Its new Eee PC X101 is its latest model — and it’s one of the most stylish low-cost laptops ever to appear in Tech in Style.

Thanks to an Intel® Atom™ N435 processor that, while extremely capable, still offers outstanding energy efficiency, the Eee PC X101 generates much less heat than other netbooks. This in turn allows it to be wonderfully slim and light, making it the ideal travelling companion for people who want a computer to hand, wherever they go. A large chiclet Qwerty keyboard with wide palm rest makes for comfortable typing, while the LED-backlit screen gives a crystal clear view of the task in hand.

A choice of specifications and operating systems also make the Eee PC X101 one of the most flexible netbooks available. Both 250GB/320GB hard disk and 8GB SSD models are available, with either Windows 7 Starter or MeeGo OS pre-installed. The result of a merger between the Moblin and Maemo operating systems, MeeGo is designed specifically for mobile users’ needs, with built-in social networking support, bundled productivity applications and easy multitasking management. So, MeeGo makes it easy to work on several things at once with the Eee PC X101, whether it’s editing Microsoft Office-compatible documents on the move, surfing the web, watching YouTube videos or chatting with friends on Facebook.

Available in a choice of four striking colours, the ASUS Eee PC X101 is an excellent choice for anyone who wants an ultraportable that offers a perfect combination of portability, performance and style.

Tech Specs CPU Intel® Atom™ N435 processor Screen 10.1” LED-backlit (1024 x 600) Capacity 250GB/320GB HDD (X101H) or 8GB SSD (X101) Operating System Windows 7 Starter or MeeGo Connectivity 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 3.0, Ethernet port Dimensions 262 x 180 x 17.6 mm Weight Around 1 kg (depending on specs.)

Our verdict Mobility

Excellent

Performance

Good

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Find out more at www.techinstyle.tv

ASUS Eee Pad Slider

Sliding in Style ASUS launches another innovative tablet to complement its Transformer

S

ome people prefer a touch-screen tablet as their go-to computer for use on the move, others prefer the comfort of a keyboard with a traditional ultraportable. With the ASUS Eee Pad Slider, it’s possible to have both.

At first glance, the Slider looks like a stylish 10.1” multi-touch tablet with an ultra-wide 178° viewing angle display, making it perfect for watching movies, browsing the web and playing Android games. However, the slimline case hides a secret and with the two halves slid apart, the screen pivots upwards to reveal a compact Qwerty keyboard, turning the Slider into an ultracompact ultraportable.

As well as offering full support for Adobe Flash and Full HD video playback, the Slider packs enough performance for serious productivity tasks too, thanks to its NVIDIA® Tegra 2 dual-core processor. Polaris Office is pre-installed for Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint document editing under Android, while the USB port, built-in memory card slot and unlimited ASUS WebStorage make light work of exchanging files with others.

Eee Pad Slider vs Eee Pad Transformer ASUS may have two near-identical Android tablets in its lineup, but while their core specifications are essentially the same, the Eee Pad Slider and Eee Pad Transformer are two very different beasts.

Both offer outstanding multimedia performance and a brilliant 10.1” IPS display with ultra-wide viewing angle that’s protected by tough Corning Gorilla glass.

The Slider’s built-in compact keyboard makes it best suited for mobile users who need to type all the time, but the Transformer, on the other hand, is a 10.1” touch-screen tablet that can be connected to an optional keyboard dock for desktop use. This provides a larger keyboard for more prolonged typing sessions and also extends battery life to up to 16 hours, but while the clamshell design keeps the Transformer portable, the dock does bring a small weight penalty that may not suit everyone.

Tech Specs

Our verdict Mobility

Excellent

Performance

Very Good

CPU NVIDIA® Tegra 2 Screen 10.1” (1280 x 800) LED-backlit IPS display with Corning Gorilla glass Capacity 16GB or 32GB storage with unlimited ASUS WebStorage (complimentary 1-year) Operating System Android 3.2 OS Connectivity 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 2.1 Dimensions 273 x 180.3 x 17.3 mm Weight 960g

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Colour meant ASUS K Series laptops

ASUS K Series laptops

Tech Specs CPU Intel® Huron River quad & dual-core processors Screen LED-backlit screens Capacity 320GB/500GB/640GB/750GB HDD 2.5” SATA Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Ultimate and other versions Memory DDR3 1333Mhz, up to 8GB Optical Drive DVD Super Multi or optional BD combo drive Connectivity 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 3.0, 10/100/1000 Base T Weight 2.45 ~ 3.2kg

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Sleek, stylish design with tough aluminium keyboard surround

Second-generation Intel® Core™ processors deliver new levels of mobile performance and intelligent power management

Optional NVIDIA® GeForce GT 520M/540M DirectX 11 graphics with Optimus 20% better battery life than previous K Series models

iF Design Award-winning chiclet keyboard, large multi-touch trackpad and ICE Cool palm-rest makes even long laptop sessions cool and comfortable

that’s to run The cool K series laptops that blend performance and style

Find out more at www.techinstyle.tv

B

uying a new laptop has never been easy, but the new ASUS K Series is ideal for anyone looking for a splash of style. The sleek design with a tantalizingly textured lid and metallic interior, is available in eight appealing colors to suit every taste.

Whether it’s a first-time laptop for a new user or a household’s second (or even third) computer, the K Series is the perfect all-rounder that can cope with any task, without breaking the bank. Based on the latest Intel® ‘Huron River’ mobile platform with ‘Sandy Bridge dual and quad-core processors, each model combines outstanding performance with incredible energy efficiency to give up to seven hours mainsfree use on certain models. Optional DirectX 11 graphics with NVIDIA® Optimus technology boosts battery life and also provides incredible multimedia potential and the power to play the latest games.

The K Series includes thoughtful touches seldom found on affordable laptops, too. An award-winning keyboard with exclusive ASUS IceCool Technology gives an extra-comfortable typing experience, with palm-rests that remain cool at all times, while the generously sized trackpad makes it easy to exploit a wide range of multi-touch gestures. Brilliant LED-backlit displays and high quality Altec Lansing speakers ensure stunning multimedia performance.

Our verdict Mobility

Very good

Performance

Great

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ASUS New N Series

Hear the difference of

incredible sound

Elegant lines meet B&O ICEPower speakers and an ASUS SonicMaster subwoofer

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Find out more at www.techinstyle.tv

e

xquisite good looks and superlative sound quality come together in the new N Series laptop from ASUS. Like the NX90 before it, the new N Series has been developed in conjunction with internationally renowned industrial designer David Lewis as the ultimate laptop for discerning users who demand the very best.

Beneath the visually stunning high-gloss piano black and polished metal exterior lie the latest 2ndgeneration Intel® Core™ mobile processors with Smart Performance enhancements and Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 for outstanding energy-efficient performance. USB 3.0 provides access to a new world of high-performance peripherals too, with ultra-fast data transfers from compatible storage devices, along with fast-charging for devices like MP3 players and smartphones.

The key innovation for the new N Series, of course, is ASUS SonicMaster technology. Developed by ASUS and B&O ICEpower, SonicMaster is a new audio standard that combines several key audio ingredients, including largerthan-normal loudspeakers, a powerful audio amplifier and professional-grade sound processing components.

The result is sound quality that’s closer to that of high

quality hi-fi components than a typical laptop, and the new N Series addition of an external subwoofer with rich, deep bass brings a new level of enjoyment to music, movies and games.

Our verdict Mobility

Good

Performance

Excellent

Tech Specs CPU Intel® Huron River quad & dual-core processors Screen LED-backlit screens Capacity 320GB/500GB/640GB/750GB HDD 2.5” SATA Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Ultimate and other versions Graphics NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M 2GB DDR3 VRAM Memory DDR3 1333Mhz, up to 8GB Optical Drive DVD Super Multi or BD combo drive Connectivity 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 3.0, 10/100/1000 Base T Weight 2.7 kg

Music Now! Thanks to its SonicMaster technology, the new N Series is a laptop that’s made for listening to music. That’s why ASUS has included Music Now! — a fast-boot music player that gets the new N Series ready to play from a cold start in just eight seconds. Music Now! uses a pre-boot environment to deliver a complete music management application, complete with playlist creation, album cover display and a sleep timer that lets you listen to the new N Series while you drift off to sleep.

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ASUS ET2410 All-in-One PC

Touch me with your rhythm stick!

ASUS provides the 10-point multi-touch, SonicMaster speakers, subwoofer and DTS sound; you provide the music

I

f you want a big-screen desktop PC but don’t fancy giving up a corner of a room to fit it all in, you need the new ASUS ET2410 AIO. This all-in-one desktop is as stylish as it is practical, with a sleek aluminium exterior that can slip into the tightest of spaces — and it won’t make the living room look like someone’s messy home office. Measuring just 6cm from front to back, the ET2410 AIO sits on a compact metal stand and has integral cable management features that keeps desktops clear of clutter.

Available with a choice of 2nd-generation Intel® Core™ mobile processors, the ET2410 AIO is perfect for everything from productivity tasks to watching DVD and Blu-ray movies — and the 23.6” LED-backlit widescreen display is perfect for Full HD entertainment. Better still, 10-point multi-touch support means that there’s no need to keep a mouse to hand to interact with Windows 7®

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— you just need to reach out to use the touch-enhanced software for multimedia playback and web browsing.

The ET2410 AIO is offers more than just something stunning to look at, though. ASUS SonicMaster technology ensures unbeatable sound quality to match and a dedicated external sub-woofer delivers more than enough bass to do justice to the latest Hollywood blockbusters.

Our verdict Mobility

Compact

Performance

Excellent

Find out more at www.techinstyle.tv

• Hidden front controls and side/rear ports for a sleek, seamless design • ASUS SonicMaster audio with external subwoofer and DTS Surround Sensation technology • 23.6” LED-backlit screen with 10-point multi-touch and touchenhanced software • USB 3.0 and eSATA ports for instant file sharing and gadget syncing • Use the ET2410 AIO as an HD display for a games console or laptop

Tech Specs CPU Intel® 2nd generation Core™ i5/i7 processors Screen 23.6” HD (1920 x 1080) LED-backlit screen with 10-point multi-touch Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Graphics Integrated Intel® or discrete NVIDIA® GT 540M graphics Memory DDR3 1333MHz, up to 8GB Optical Drive Tray-in SuperMulti DVD/Blu-ray Combo/Blu-ray Writer

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ROG Vulcan ANC headset

ASUS O!Play Gallery

ASUS NC1 headset

ASUS Xonar U3 mobile USB sound card

Now this page

sounds good!

Take your pick from four new ways to enjoy your media

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ROG Vulcan ANC headset

Hardcore gamers need absolute focus when they’re playing and the background noise of a LAN party can be a hugely off-putting. Not so with the ROG Vulcan ANC. This high-quality headset uses the same active noise-cancelling technology as the NC1 headphones to filter up to 85% of everything from rowdy crowds to loud PC fans from the sound of the high-quality speakers. Noise filtering is also applied to the integral omni-directional microphone to keep in-game chat loud and clear, regardless of ambient noise. And, of course, the lightweight ergonomic design with generous protein leather memory foam ear pads help make the Vulcan ANC cool and comfortable for long gaming sessions, too.

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O!Play Gallery

Find out more at www.techinstyle.tv

NC1 headphones

With the ASUS NC1 active noise-cancelling headphones, everyone can be free to enjoy music and movies in any environment. Ideal for travellers who need to drown out the din of buses, trains and planes, not to mention students and office workers who want to concentrate without the distraction of background chatter, the NC1 headphones use sophisticated noise cancelling technology to suppress up to 87% of external sound. Specially selected neodymium magnets ensure faithful sound reproduction from any audio source, while ear pads constructed from breathable protein leather and memory foam keep the NC1’s comfortable during long listening sessions — which is just as well, considering the 100-hours of noise cancellation from a single AAA battery!

With the O!Play Gallery connected to an HDTV, you can enjoy the best entertainment the internet has to offer in the comfort of your living room — without a computer in sight. The compact O!Play Gallery connects via HDMI to your TV, and it can grab media from an internal SATA 6Gbps hard drive, or an external one connected via USB 3.0. Full HD 1080p and Dolby TrueHD 7.1 support ensure the very best picture and sound quality, while built-in Wi-Fi and Ethernet offer quick and easy content streaming from DLNA devices and the internet. Best of all, the included remote control means you don’t need to get out of your chair to enjoy your music, movies and photos.

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Xonar U3 Mobile USB sound card

Not every laptop comes equipped with the high-quality audio that music and gaming enthusiasts appreciate, but with the ASUS Xonar U3 Mobile USB sound card, any laptop is transformed in to a personal high fidelity audio centre. Weighing just 25g and barely bigger than a USB flash drive, the Xonar U3 Mobile USB sound card provides high quality digital audio processing and comes complete with its own integral 150 ohm headphone amplifier. Xonar exclusive hyper-grounding technology separates audio signals from noise to provide clean and clear sound and multiple pre-set equaliser settings for gaming, music and movies ensure the best listening experience at all times.

Both Dolby® Home Theater Technology and the GX 2.5 Gaming Audio Engine are built in too, so listeners can experience movies, music and games in highquality multi-channel surround sound.

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Back to school builds 30mm

70mm

10mm

100mm

W

hile notebooks are great for portability, building your own back to school PC is the best way to completely customize it – or plan for future needs – while also helping to precisely control your budget.

We’ve researched and put together three machines to guide you from a small and capable, through fast and upgradable, to reach the monster performance and cutting-edge features only ROG can give.

PC 1: The Dainty Deer APU: AMD A8-3850

Motherboard: ASUS F1A75-I DELUXE mini-ITX Memory: 4GB G.Skill Ripjaws-X 1866MHz DDR3 Graphics: Integrated AMD Radeon HD 6000 Series or AMD Dual Graphics with ASUS EAH6670 DC/SL/DI/1GD3 Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5” Internal Hard Drive Power: Antec EarthWatts Green EA-430D Green 430W PSU

F1A75-I DELUXE

Case: Lian Li PC-Q11, mini-ITX PC Chassis Sound: ASUS Xonar DX or U3

CPU with a great GPU in one whole package. Packed with a plethora of goodies

Optical: ASUS DRW-22B2L DVDRW drive

This mini-ITX marvel supports the latest AMD FM1 APUs that mixes a quad-core like WiFi, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, USB 3, SATA 6Gbps, DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort; this board packs a feature-filled punch, even despite its small size.

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Find out more at www.techinstyle.tv

PC 2: Powerful Panther CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K

Motherboard: ASUS P8Z68-V Pro Memory: 8GB G.Skill Ripjaws-X 1600MHz DDR3 Graphics: ASUS (EAH6870 DC/2DI2S/1GD5) Radeon HD 6870 DirectCU Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black WD2002FAEX 2TB SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5” Internal Hard Drive

Power: SeaSonic X-Series X650 Gold (SS-650KM) 650W Modular PSU

Case: Fractal Design Define R3 PC Chassis Cooler: Corsair H50

Sound: ASUS Xonar DG Optical: ASUS DRW-22B2L DVDRW drive

P8Z68-V Pro

With a real UEFI BIOS, USB 3, Bluetooth, precise DIGI+ VRM and second generation turbo TPU and energy saving EPU, it’s built with far more than just the latest Intel Z68 chipset; which on its own adds Intel RST SSD caching and QuickSync Video conversion!

The P8Z68-V Pro provides the necessary balance between new technologies and overclocking features, making it a great backbone and sound investment for a new PC.

PC 3: Gaming Gorilla CPU:

Intel Core i7 2600K, 3.4GHz LGA 1155

Motherboard: ASUS ROG Maximus IV Extreme-Z motherboard

Memory: 16GB G.Skill 2133MHz DDR 3 Ripjaws-X Graphics: 2x ASUS ROG MATRIX GTX 580

1.5GB graphics card (SLI mode)

ASUS GTX 580 MATRIX

The GTX 580 MATRIX is not only the fastest single GPU, ROG graphics card on the market, it’s backed up a completely customized PCB featuring an epic 19 phases of Super Alloy Power hardware, as well as ProbeIt, TweakIt, Mod-Zone and a Safe-Mode button pro-overclocking features. The MATRIX cooler even includes an LED indicator that changes color according to real-time GPU load!

Storage: Crucial M4 128GB SATA 6Gbps SSD Power: SeaSonic X-Series X-850 (SS-850KM) 850W Modular PSU

Case: Silverstone Fortress FT0 2 PC Chassis Cooler: Corsair H70

Sound: ASUS Xonar Essence One

Optical: ASUS BW-12D1S-U USB 3 Blu-ray burner

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ASUS PA238Q 23” Full HD resolution IPS display with 178° viewing angle QuickFit function shows on-screen grid for accurate actual-size viewing of common image size formats Picture-by-picture and four-position picture-in-picture support with secondary audio input ±100mm height, ±20° tilt, ±60° swivel and 90° pivot adjustment

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Find out more at www.techinstyle.tv

ASUS PA238Q LED Monitor

Buying a new monitor?

Go Pro!

From stand to screen, here’s some professional ideas and premium quality

P

eople who work with images on a professional basis a professional display to view them on, since nothing else will guarantee the precise colour accuracy that’s required when working with print and digital media.

Step forward the ASUS PA238Q. Factory-calibrated for extremely accurate colour reproduction, this 23” Full HD resolution monitor offers 100% coverage of the sRGB colour space with its 10-bit internal lookup table (LUT). The IPS display with ultra-wide 178° viewing angle means there’s minimal colour shift when viewed off-centre too, plus there’s full support for both Windows and Mac OS with 2.2 and 1.8 gamma curves.

The PA238Q’s no-nonsense design with robust stand provides full height and angle adjustment of the display, with the option of 90° rotation for portrait use. A built-in four-port USB hub offers easy connection for digital camera and storage devices, while HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI and D-sub sockets provide complete flexibility for display input with picture-in-picture support.

Alternative…

PA246Q LCD Monitor

The PA246Q is the bigger brother to the PA238Q. It has the same factory calibration; however its higher grade P-IPS spec panel offers a 98% Adobe RGB color gamut that professional users require. Combined with the unique QuickFit function, a wealth of inputs; including HDMI, DVI and Display Port and zero bright dot policy, the PA246Q suits those who absolutely cannot compromise.

Tech Specs Screen 23” IPS Full HD (1920 x 1080) display Viewing angle 178° horizontal and vertical viewing angle Colors 16.7 million colours Contrast ratio Native 1,000:1 contrast ratio Response time 6ms (GtG) response time I/O DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI-D, D-sub inputs and 4x USB 2.0 ports Dimensions 548.8 x 495.7 x 201mm Weight 5.5kg

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Spotlight:

Behind the scenes Despite the extremely busy schedule of the Design Center team, we recently managed to grab (literally) a few minutes with Derra Chen the lead designer on the Eee Pad Transformer project - for a quick, behind the scenes chat about its development and design.

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of the Eee Pad Transformer

Find out more at www.techinstyle.tv What does the ASUS Design Center do for ASUS? We help to figure out what people need and want from future products, and then what the best way is to design them.

Does the Design Center look at every product ASUS does or just special ones?

Every product gets looked at in some way by us.

On the transformer design, what was in the inspiration in the design?

It has to be comfortable to read on and watch media because we think the core value to this kind of product is instant video and internet consumption. It has to be extremely mobile for people to take it with them any time. Bigger sizes are better for viewing media, but not too big so that it doesn’t fit in your bag.

That’s why we went with 10 inches on the Transformer, although a smaller size is admittedly better to hold and put in your pocket.

Our previous experiences from the Eee netbooks told us that 10 inches is preferred, having previously gone through everything: 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 inches.

How does the Design Center collect feedback for future designs?

We constantly collect feedback from product managers, ASUS global sales teams, media reviews and our social media programs.

Even before we launched the Transformer, our research found that a keyboard is an essential feature that many wanted, so it was always in our design idea pool. However, after the launch, we now understand that some people find the clipping mechanism difficult to line up or lock properly, so we are looking how to improve this for the next generation.

So why did you choose a textured and not a flat rear side?

experience and make it non-slip. It also helps to make the tablet look more interesting and beautiful.

As you can see in this sample of the rear side is in the early development stages, the feeling is not right. The texture is too strong and the curved lip is too acute. The final one has a slightly smoother texture and the curve is moved inwards towards the center, around the area where the fingers grab (rather than palm), so it feels more natural and comfortable.

Why not Black like this one? Why did the Transformer end up with Brown?

The black on this early concept looked too much like a computer.

It was too harsh with the texture. We went for brown because it looks more like a leather bag; more like a fashion accessory than gadget, which is important for both the aspect of stylish appeal and to lower the perception of “difficulty”. We also had a pearl white version which looks great until you actually use it. We found after extended use it picked up dirt from fingers too easily within the textured grooves.

Having come so far in the first design then, how will future Eee Pads evolve?

In addition to the clipping mechanism, we feel the weight is one very important element to improve. Even if we can reduce it by 100g, it makes a big difference. The ideal situation would be to end up with something like a book: as light as paper. Thickness can be offset by usefulness, but lightness is the unparalleled key to avoiding fatigue.

Not only that but paper gives an appealing tactile sensation and interaction too, so it would be interesting to mimic it.

Obviously we can’t make a paper Eee Pad because of the essential requirement of durability and ultimately materials choice depends on the scope of cost and availability too, so the weight issue is always an uphill struggle.

This is one of our findings during initial testing: when you hold a 10” tablet with a flat backside, it is more difficult without a textured rear bezel. We gave it a texture to enhance the tactile

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Ultrabooks?

Richard Swinburne digs into the details of the new wave of ultraportables

D

on’t worry; you’re not alone if you haven’t heard the term before. This is Intel’s new terminology for the brand new design of extremely thin and ultraportable notebook.

The thin and light transition has been a movement for some time, where it firstly started out just as a functional requirement because people didn’t enjoy lugging around a 5kg notebook.

However, as the weight has dropped off the choice of light laptops has improved, along with a new requirement for them to be fashionable as well.

Eee PC netbooks, ‘CULV’ laptops and the Macbook Air are a few examples of the initial, fashionable ultraportables. None of these had all the ‘need’ boxes ticked though – some, sure, but not all. Ultrabooks differ by promising full laptop performance in super-skinny profiles at under $1,000. That’s three important boxes to round up an affordable, sexy and uncompromising gadget.

Intel is so confident about its new market it’s just recently dropped the tune of $300M into an Ultrabook Fund to “accelerate innovation in the next revolution of personal computing”. The statement alone is certainly ambitious, and with that considerable investment it should definitely be taken seriously!

The money is to help develop super-slim (literally millimeter depth) components like cooling solutions and electronics to fit in the minute space between keyboard

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and base. It’s not only the physical device that is seeking the benefits of the fund though; Intel is offering support to Cloud services such as online storage and streaming, enabling Cloud-based servers handle the more strenuous processing tasks and create Cloud-based office apps that let you co-work with others while you travel, without leaving the security of your office VPN. To back this up, hardware infrastructure projects like mobile wireless coverage and lower power/faster networking services are also getting a boost. Brought together, this is the vision of being truly ultramobile.

The foundations have been set by smartphones and pads, which have driven a huge surge in demand for mobile technology and bandwidth over the last few years, but expect the era of ultra to drive an even more intensive shift away from your desk. This is all beginning now, and while a thousand dollars is still a sizeable sum in any currency, it’s the first step to lowering the premium of super-slims that are still now twice this price. With Intel’s commitment to the platform, expect subsequent generations to further improve performance and battery life while also becoming more affordable. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves though; while the future certainly looks promising, this year will see an exciting to this new trend!

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Ultrabooks differ by promising full laptop performance in superskinny profiles at under $1,000. That’s three important boxes to round up an affordable, sexy and uncompromising gadget.

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ASUS recommends Windows® 7.

Luxurious aluminum textures in an elegant color scheme set the mood for redesigned K Series notebooks. Intel® 2nd generation Core™ processors and Windows® 7 Home Premium propel your computing, while the metal-reinforced exterior lasts and looks new longer.

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