Asus launches a high-end leather-clad notebook



Dell isn't the only company these days with a sexy 13.3" notebook to brag about. Asus today announced its sleek new 13.3" U3 (LED backlit, WXGA) which is based on Intel's Santa Rosa platform.

The U3 piano-black LCD cover, while the rest of the notebook is constructed of magnesium aluminum alloy. Asus even throws in a genuine leather palm rest for good measure.

When it comes to the guts of the machine, the U3 can accept Core 2 Duo processors up to T7500, Intel Turbo Memory and up to 2.5GB of DDR2 memory. An NVIDIA GeForce 8400M G GPU is provided (128MB of dedicated memory). Up to a 160GB HDD is supported by the U3, but it does not have an integrated optical drive. Users will have to go with either an external USB 2.0 or Firewire drive in order to read CDs or DVDs.

Connectivity options are plentiful on the U3. Asus provides Intel's 4965AGN wireless network adapter, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, GPS and a built-in 3G module for mobile broadband. Potential customers will also be happy to note that Asus has also included an HDMI port and eSATA on the U3.

Asus' U3 weighs in at 3.86 pounds with its standard 3-cell battery.

Asus has not released pricing for the U3 yet, but expect for it to retail in the neighborhood of $2,000 USD.


Source from DailyTech