Hands-on with the Asus U1 ultra-portable: 1.78-pounds of Core Duo hotness
Sony's Vaio G -- remember that sweetness? Just a few months back we were all salivating for the G's 12.1-inches of Core Solo action in a slim, 1.98-pound kit. Now steel yourself brother, ASUS has an unannounced U1 under wraps set for global -- yes, global -- release in mid-to-late February. The U1 features an 11.1-inch WXGA (1360x768) LED display, 1.06GHz U2400 Core Duo processor, up to 1.5GB of DDR2 RAM and 80GB disk, Bluetooth (and WiFi we can assume), a webcam in the bezel, external optical multi-drive and even a port replicator. It also delivers some added peace of mind via integrated fingerprint reader, motion sensor and HDD protection. It's not clear what graphics processor the U1 packs but rest assured, the whole kit is Vista compatible. Decent specs all around for kickin' back with a few Office apps or browsing the web on a very slight, 1.78-pound (with 3-cell battery installed) sled. So, we bet you're wondering how it feels, right? Light as hell. So light in fact, that we thought it was an empty shell of a mock-up before ASUS hit the power switch. The keyboard had an unsettling spring to it, however, which will hopefully get sorted before the U1 goes production. Starting price: $2,199. Pics-a-plenty in the gallery below.
Hands on with the Asus U1 ultra-portable: 1.78-pounds of Core Duo hotness
