Asus aims new notebooks at the media-conscious

Stephen Withers
Wednesday, 16 September 2009 07:40

Your IT - Home IT

Asus's latest N61 and N71 notebook models are aimed at buyers with entertainment in mind. One of their features is Altec Lansing speakers.

The Asus N61 and N71 series notebooks incorporate 16 or 17.3in 16:9 displays. The physical dimensions and weight mean they're not aimed at the 'slim and light' brigade - but they're not supposed to.

Asus is squarely targeting those looking for a notebook suited to mobile media playback. Apart from the LED-lit screens, there are Altec Lansing speakers, "a dedicated resonance space arrangement… for crisp and crystal clear audio", and Nvidia's CUDA technology for faster media processing.

(We're not sure about the benefits of being able to play a DVD up to 15 times faster, but 20 times faster transcoding of music, photos and videos can't be bad. Though we are left wondering "20 times faster than what?")

The 16in N61V comes in two variants. The N61Vg features a Core 2 Duo processor (T9600, P8800, P7450 or T6600), 800MHz DDR2 DRAM and a GeForce GT 220M graphics chip, while the N61Vn offers higher performance with the option of a Q9000 Core 2 Quad processor along with 1066MHz DDR3 DRAM, and a GT 240M graphics chip.

The 17.3in N71V sports different processors (Core 2 Duo T9550, P8700 or P7350; or the Core 2 Quad Q9000) and incorporates a hybrid TV tuner, a subwoofer, and 5.1 channel output.

Again, the differences between the N71Vg and N71Vn concern the processors offered, memory speed, and graphics chip options.

Features common to all four models include the Intel PM45 chipset, A Blu-ray/DVD combo drive with upscaling, Windows 7 (Home Premium or Professional), and a choice of 320GB or 500GB 5400rpm hard drives (the N71 models have provision for a second drive).

N61Vg prices range from $A1599 to $A1999 depending on configuration, with the N61Vn spanning $A1999 to $A2199.

The N71Vn model appears to attract a smaller premium over the cheaper variant, with prices ranging from $A2599 to $A2999, compared with the N71Vg's $A2400 to $A2999.