The ASUS S300N uses exactly the same keyboard as the S200N, but its position has changed – the keyboard is now very close to the screen hinges, leaving more space for your hands. Again, we have a TrackPoint here, although the color and design of the three buttons is different – silvery-blue to match the case of the computer.

Besides that, there are a rectangular power-on button, two stereo speakers and five quick-launch buttons near the screen hinges. The buttons do the following:

• Key Lock blocks the multimedia audio system;
• Rec launches a program to record sound from the integrated microphone;
• Surround switches between Dolby Virtual Speaker, Dolby Headphone and Surround Off modes if WinDVD is installed;
• Two remaining buttons increase and decrease the brightness of the display.

The indicators of the system status are located at the right part of the front panel. When viewed from above, these indicators look like shining symbols; if the notebook’s lid is closed, the indicators are visible as ordinary LEDs. In other words, you can always see them, irrespective of the position of the lid. Curiously, the indicators of the S200N are brighter than those of the S300N. The indicators are split in two groups on the ASUS S200N. One group is on the left of the front panel:

• HDD activity indicator;
• Integrated battery charge indicator;
• Additional battery charge indicator;
• Power indicator.

Another group is on the right, too, but it is above the keyboard, next to the power-on button. This group includes:

• WLAN connection (it lights up as the integrated WLAN adapter receives or sends out data packets);
• Num Lock;
• Caps Lock;
• Scroll Lock.

The ASUS S300N has the following indicators of the system’s status:

• Num Lock;
• Caps Lock;
• Scroll Lock;
• HDD activity;
• Battery charge;
• Power indicator;
• CD drive activity;
• Card-reader activity.

Besides that, there’s a WLAN indicator on the right, above the keyboard; and in the bottom left corner, there’s an indicator of the multimedia audio system (it is aglow when this system is on). The hole of the integrated microphone is also there, in the left corner, so you can use the ASUS S300N as a dictaphone.

The widescreen LED displays of both sub-notebooks have a diagonal of 8.9 inches, an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a maximum resolution of 1024x600. They are good at reproducing colors and have acceptable brightness and viewing angles. You can control the screen brightness with appropriate functional keys in a rather wide range – there are 15 grades of brightness to choose from. At the zero brightness, the display is practically blank, although you could try to read text in full darkness. The ASUS S300N uses an antiglare coating, which should reduce the reflection and refraction of sun beams on the screen. Unfortunately, in my opinion, this coating doesn’t help, but only produces additional mirroring artifacts – I don’t think the sub-notebook’s screen should be used as a mirror!