The wise gurus tell us we should stick to our core business. They also tell us that unless we grow, we will die. In the technology world, the challenge is that to grow very often means expanding our core competence. So, what are we supposed to do actually?
ASUS, my favorite computer and computer component makers, seems to combine the two. Remember the Nuvifone G60? It was unfortunately an unsuccessful attempt to enter the cell phone market, in which both Garmin and ASUS are still trying to accumulate the kind of expertise and experience that industry stalwarts such as LG Mobile, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson already possess.
However, as ASUS and Garmin are strong in their respective competency — Garmin in GPS and ASUS in gadget design and manufacturing — they may eventually succeed.
In the case of ASUS, the more obvious strength lies in its leadership in designing and manufacturing computer components and combining them into reliable, standard-setting products. Quite a few ASUS products, which incorporate the latest technologies, became highlights at last month’s Computer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
This time around, the product I really like is the new eee Box PC EB1501. Too bad, though, Cynthia Yunita from ASUS Indonesia told me this model might never be available here.
I had reviewed the first version before and I was really enamored with it, but this reincarnation has a DVD drive (usually called ODD) and it is capable of pumping High Definition video (1080p) directly to a TV screen with the help of its NVIDIA Ion graphics subsystem. Unlike the early Intel Atom N270-based eee Box, this small and very quiet nettop runs on an Intel Atom Dual Core N330 running at 1.6 GHz.
What amazes me particularly is the variety of connections this tiny box provides. To cater to almost every need, the eee Box has HDMI, S/PDIF and RJ-45 for wired ethernet connection to a network, 802.11/n for wireless connections, D-Sub for a VGA monitor, eSata for additional storage, a card reader, audio ports and six USB ports.
The audio subsystem can be connected to a 5:1 speaker configuration for a great home theater experience. I guess the reason it is not going to be released in Indonesia is the hefty price we would have to pay for it.
Any ASUS store is also a gamer’s paradise. Mind you, gamers compete against each other in building the fastest computers with blazing graphics. Who can overclock their system the most? And when it comes to shopping for gaming components, Indonesian gamers seem to have dozens of money-growing trees in their backyards.
Even sixth-graders are familiar with the best components and willing and able to spend far more than professional aeronautics engineers or architects when it comes to buying super-duper computer components.
ASUS’ focus on this high-end, deep-pocket user segments is reflected in the formation of Republic of Gamers (ROG). In the ROG category, for example, we can find the Matrix GTX285 graphics subsystem and the RAMPAGE III Extreme motherboard.
This motherboard is targeted for overclockers – those who enjoy forcing their systems to run faster than their manufacturers have rated them. This is usually achieved by tweaking voltage and frequency.
An interesting feature is the Remote Control Bluetooth (RC Bluetooth), which allows us to fine-tune and control various parameters on the motherboard, wirelessly. All we need is a Bluetooth-capable PDA or cell phone. No need to manually adjust the BIOS settings.
By the way, if you happen to belong to this group of very fortunate people, you can visit http://rog.asus.com/ and see what your money can buy.
ASUS has also expanded its style choice. Now they have the Karim Rashid Seashell collection to accompany models on the catwalk. ASUS has even collaborated with Bang & Olufson in implementing top-end audio technologies in its notebook computers to attract consumers’ attention. The NX90 notebook, for example, incorporates Bang & Olufson’s ICEPower technology. There is also a new version of the eee Top PC, the ET2010AG all-in-one system, which is only 13.7 mm thick.
Another very interesting product is the eee Keyboard. This is a rather new product category, comprising a full-size keyboard and a five-inch multi-touch screen in one single frame. It is actually a complete nettop PC with a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor. The video signal is sent via wireless HDMI, so we can display it on any monitor, including our LCD or LED TV monitor.
Talking about monitors, ASUS has long been making high-quality LCD screens. One of the latest products is the Designo MS series, which is supported at the back only by a ring stand. Tasteful style is just one small aspect of these monitors. More impressive is its 50,000:1 contrast ratio and 2 millisecond response time.
Meanwhile, ASUS O!Play Air HDP-R3 media player helps us collect media files in a wide range of formats from various sources such as wireless Network Attach Storage (NAS) and flash memory cards inserted into the card reader slot. It then lets us play these media files back in the order we choose or in shuffle mode.
Another product I hope I can test drive very soon is ASUS Cine5 Soundbar Speaker. As the “5” in the product name would lead us to guess, this set of speakers can enhance the stereo audio from a PC to 5.1 surround sound, which seems to be the standard today.
Speaking of standards, we are now still using USB 2.0, which provides us with a data transfer rate of 480 megabytes per second. Work has been in progress to develop the USB 3.0 standard, which supports transfer speeds of up to 5 gigabytes per second.
Again, ASUS was the first component maker to incorporate support for USB 3.0 in several of its latest motherboards. Its P6X58D Premium motherboard was the first to be certified by the USB Implementation Forum (USB-IF).
There is a long list of other interesting products from this Taiwanese company, and most of the time it is an enjoyable experience for me to play around with them.
