The only notable feature is the built-in webcam, which, at 1.3 megapixels, is of good quality. Again, the question arises what the business user is supposed to do with it. Video conferencing is still not a widespread activity. Probably not without reason, we also do not see the great added value of this.
Nice and sleek
The compact casing is nicely designed, without unnecessary frills. The keyboard is solid and has a pleasant feel. The 13-inch display may be of good quality, but has the same issue as the XXODD: the unpleasant glossy layer for business use. However, the screen itself is of much better quality than the latter.
Noise
Very annoying is the noise this machine produces. The DVD player seems to want to take off at times, and the fans occasionally sound more like a jet engine.
The choice of operating system has been left to us by Asus. This makes the notebook an interesting purchase for those planning to use something other than Windows. It should be noted that all
| Pros and cons |
| + compact + fast - screen with glossy layer - noisy - no security features SCORE: |
included drivers are only suitable for Windows. Not a disaster in itself, the main alternative, Linux, can nowadays work with most peripherals without requiring additional drivers.
No security options
Asus has not thought about security. No fingerprint scanner, shock-resistant hard drive, or other security features can be found. That is a shame, because although it is certainly not a standout, there is simply little wrong with the rest of the device. Unfortunately, we could not test the battery life; the included battery was defective.
CPU: Core Duo T2500 | Hard drive: 100 GB | Memory: 1 GBDDR2 | Display: 13-inch widescreen | Info: www.asus.nl | Price: 1500,-- (excl. VAT, on 01-09-2006)
