Asus W1SOO

The Asus WlSOO laptop is the first laptop featuring a TVI Tuner to have arrived at our Test Centre. Specifications include an Intel Pentium M 1700 MHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, a 60 GB hard drive, and a Combo drive. The vibrant 15.4 inch 16:9 wide screen has a WXGA+ resolution of 1680 x 1050 and good viewing angles. The 64 MB ATi Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics card makes for a good gaming laptop.

Almost all the connections are on the left USB 2.0, LAN, phone jack, PCMCIA, FireWire, and the input to the TV Tuner. There's also a multi card reader that reads SD/MMC/MS/MS Pro cards, as well as Wi Fi and IR. The remote control is tucked inside the PCMCIA slot, where its Li lon battery charges; it can be pulled out when needed. The remote works with the bundled Asus Mobile Theatre, a media Centre application.

The sound system consists of two speakers and a subwoofer hidden on the bottom surface. The bundled earphones help realise the 4.1 sound mode, and the sound quality is commendably good for a laptop. However, the Wl SOO is below par when it comes to office applications, and battery life is a relatively low 85 minutes.