ASUS W5fe SideShow Notebook reviewed
You've seen it being announced, you've browsed the hands-on photos, and you've even checked out our video feature (right?). Now it's time for the in-depth review of the first laptop to take full advantage of Vista's SideShow feature: ASUS's W5fe SideShow Notebook. PC Magazine is the first to get a chance to sit down with the machine, and their overall impression of SideShow is a good one, although there are a fair number of niggles with this particular implementation. There's no questioning the value of having a small screen to quickly check up on information like email and stock tickers without booting or waking the machine: unfortunately, because Vista is fresh off the block, there aren't a lot of other "gadgets" kicking around. The 1GB of integrated flash memory is a nice touch, but it's not a substitute for the complete inabilty to access the laptop's hard drive when the unit is off or in sleep mode. On top of that, the included battery could only manage to keep the system and its two screens going for 47 minutes when playing a DVD. Because of these hardware limitations and the current dearth of gadgets, the W5fe isn't a particularly appealing package if your main motivation for buying is to get SideShow. That's not to say that SideShow is doomed, because whilst this particular model may not meet the initial vision of SideShow, it shouldn't be long before developers start churning out more widgets gadgets and hardware manufacturers start putting together better packages. Which one will come first, only time will tell.
[Via SlashGear]
