Asustek's XG Station brings external audio, video processing to laptops

Deets are slim, but we like where this is headed. Asustek is prepping its new "XG Station" for next week's CES, which will provide external audio and video processing power to laptops, plus a spiffy volume knob and car stereo look-alike visuals. With laptops getting ever slimmer -- and we're sure this year's batch at CES won't be breaking that mold -- discrete graphics cards are getting to be quite the space-hogging luxury. The XG Station helps out on that front, plus throws in some Dolby surround sound and USB 2.0 ports. No word on how exactly this thing will hook up to you lappy, or if it's some sort of Asus-only operation, but PCMCIA/ExpressCard compatibility seems like a reasonable guess at this point. Luckily, we won't have to wait too terribly long to find out.

[Via Laptoping]

[par @ Jan 2nd 2007 11:36AM]

external graphics card for laptops?

[Diddle @ Jan 2nd 2007 12:31PM]

"Sure, you can have a super-slim laptop but here are the 9 external peripherals you'll need in order to actually use it."

[Ayle @ Jan 2nd 2007 12:34PM]

lol

[Brian @ Jan 2nd 2007 2:55PM]

video processing? Are you talking about an external graphics card, or external video conversion?

I don't see how you could find enough bandwidth on any port currently on laptops for an external videocard.

[Jay Vaughan @ Jan 4th 2007 1:30PM]

Looks pretty nice to me .. I can see lots of applications for such a thing in the software-synthesizer world, for example, where it would be very lovely to be able to break out all the synth parameters into a single user interface - this is very important for jamming, because often times by the time you get around to lassoo'ing your mouse around the screen to home in on a specific parameter to change it, mid-bar or -beat, you've lost the inspiration in the first place and your hand is cramping up.

So if this thing offers some functionality similar to the NI Kore control surface, albeit at consumer-level prices with a bit more 'general-purpose peripheral' style approach to the API (not, like, API-trap developer deathknoll), then it could be a winner. As it is, I already have a couple Griffin Powermates on my desk for such a Big Fat Knob purpose - staple-gun'ing a nice LED display that any developer/hacker can put stuff on easily enough would make the perfect bridge from my hardware synthesizer-fetish world over to soft land ..

[john bartucci @ Feb 3rd 2007 9:58PM]

very interested in $

[IsLNdbOi04 @ Feb 14th 2007 1:24AM]

This connects to Express Card slots in newer laptops. The Express Card slots are basically PCI-Express slots in laptops.

[idfk @ Feb 20th 2007 3:06AM]

I really hope this comes out for under 200$$, but since it comes bundled with a 7900GS it will probebly be about 500$ :(

i'm still gunna get one for my 16x PCIe slot on the side of my lappy.

[crazymod @ May 1st 2007 1:46PM]

it is going to be good the ony bad point is tht u need and external screen to use it which rearly is a big minus

[kurtis wilder @ Sep 28th 2007 1:58PM]

When will this be available?, I have been waiting for a whole year now. I have contacted ASUS and they dont know what im even talking about! How much will this cost? Any one know?

[kurtis wilder @ Sep 28th 2007 3:35PM]

Do's any one know when this thing will hit the market for sale?, I've been waiting for over a year now. I contacted ASUS, and they didn't even know what I was talking about! or how much it will cost?

[Manny @ Oct 1st 2007 10:47PM]

Kurtis: I am with you. This thing sounds exactly like what I need, but it seems to be vaporware, ha-ha, you cannot seem to buy it anymore for now. If you happen to hear something, please send me an email.