X-bit labs

Asus F5R Notebook: Competition within the Same Company (page 6)

Category: Mobile

by Alexander Britvin

[ 02/01/2008 | 03:08 PM ]

Now let’s see what interfaces the notebook offers. Its left panel provides the following (from left to right):

• LAN port (RJ-45)
• Modem port (RJ-11)
• Three USB 2.0 ports
• Slider to turn wireless interface on/off (it doesn’t do anything since our configuration lacks such interfaces)
•  26-pin ExpressCard/54 connector

• Microphone input
• Headphones output

The notebook’s right panel has an optical drive with an activity indicator, eject button and emergency ejection hole.

The rear panel offers the following (from left to right):

• Kensington security slot
• Power connector
• USB 2.0 port
• 15-pin D-Sub connector for an external monitor

The following can be found on the notebook’s bottom: covers of CPU, memory, HDD and WLAN compartments (the latter is empty in our sample of the notebook), a battery module with one spring-loaded lock, an emergency shutdown/reset hole, a holder for your visiting card, and stickers with the model specs and the OS serial number.

Most of the vent holes in the bottom panel are placed on the left and are going to be blocked if you put the notebook down on your laps. The hot air is exhausted at the rear, however, and the notebook is unlikely to overheat.

The rectangular 6-cell battery of the F5R has a capacity of 4400mAh. It is located right under your right wrist, preventing this part of the case from getting hot.

The HDD compartment cover is fastened with two screws and squeezes the HDD between two rails, fixing it firmly in place.

The memory compartment contains two slots one of which is occupied by a 512MB module. The maximum memory amount supported by the notebook is 2048 megabytes.

Now the only thing left to note is the stereo speakers. These are placed on the beveled front panel and are thus close to the user, but face downwards. The volume level is controlled by pressing Fn together with F10, F11 and F12, which is indicated on the screen like that: