Reviewing ASUS W5fe, an ultraportable officially announced at CES 2007 in Las Vegas and utilizing SideShow feature of Windows Vista, PCMagazine gives it 3.5 out of 5 rating and writes, “The W5fe’s 3.9-pound frame fits the profile of an ultraportable. When you flip the cover open, you’ll find a gorgeous 12.1-inch widescreen, but the most compelling feature actually resides on the opposite side. Embedded in the outside of the lid is a 2.8-inch LCD, which is about the size of the Apple iPod (with video) screen, with the same 320-by-240 resolution. The screen is a full-color display, unlike the text-only SideShow display found on the Toshiba Portege R400-S4931. There are a handful of physical controls next to the SideShow LCD, including a four-way navigation dial, and Enter, Back, and Menu buttons.

It goes without saying that you’ll need some speed to run the W5fe. Thankfully, the system comes with a 2.16-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7400 processor, not a low-voltage processor like the one found on the Portege R400-S4391. The system loads 1.5GB of RAM to offset Vista’s hefty requirements, and you’ll be able to store plenty of media files with the 160GB hard drive. The $2,200 price tag includes both a three-cell and six-cell battery. But my review unit came with only a 27-Wh (three-cell) battery, which is miserably inadequate if you plan on running two displays. When I ran down the battery using a DVD in the built-in dual-layer DVD drive, the system stayed on for only 47 minutes. ASUS does offer extended battery options for the W5fe. Adding the additional display doesn’t overheat the machine—both the base of the laptop and the full-size keyboard run cool and comfortable.

The ASUS W5fe SideShow opens up another realm for technology. It’s one less cover to flip open, one less button to press, and plenty of time saved when you’re on the move and you need information fast. There’s a shortage of downloadable gadgets right now, and the technology still needs some fine tuning, but I’m thinking forward. iTunes and Skype, not to mention live TV, games, and movies—the possibilities are endless with SideShow. It’s the perfect companion for busy travelers who don’t have the time to power up their laptop. ”

Bottom line: The ASUS W5fe SideShow is an ultraportable with a full-color, 2.8-inch SideShow display on the front cover, with a gorgeous 12.1-inch widescreen on the opposing side.

Pros: Long-awaited SideShow display. Two bright screens. Laptop runs cool. Good performance. Big hard drive.

Cons: Lack of downloadable gadgets. No video support. Some glitches with the SideShow display. Small battery (three-cell).

The ASUS W5fe quick specs:

Type: Ultraportable
Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo T7400
Processor Speed: 2.16 GHz
RAM: 1536 MB
Weight: 3.9 lb
Screen Size: 12.1 inches
Screen Size Type: widescreen
Graphics Card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
Storage Capacity: 160 GB
Networking Options: 802.11a/g
Primary Optical Drive: DVD+R DL

This entry was posted on February 17, 2007 and is filed under ASUSTeK Computer.