Asus’ new slim and light notebook, the UL30Vt-A1, is now up for pre-orders on Amazon. Powered by a Intel’s 1.3GHz SU7300 Core 2 Duo processor (which is a low-voltage chip for long-play performance), the upcoming notebook fits a nice spec list that includes dedicated graphics and a larger-than-usual hard drive into a compact frame that’s listed to weigh only 3.74 pounds.
The system can fit up to 4GBs of memory, as well as the usual Wi-fi b/g/n, Bluetooth and VGA-quality Webcam. “VGA-quality” is a polite word for less than 1-megapixel—this webcam’s resolution is set at 0.3MP, which is the resolution you probably got on your first cam-phone years ago. Quality should be decent, nevertheless. But really, it’s a minor gripe—no one really makes movies with a laptop’s built-in webcam anyway.
The UL30Vt-A1 is highlighted by a dual-graphics solution that’s made up of Intel’s own integrated GMA 4500MHD and dedicated Nvidia GeForce G210M graphics with 512MB of DDR3 memory. Users can switch between the two graphics solutions depending on the need: the energy-efficient GMA 4500MHD should be good enough for everyday tasks (browsing, word processing), while you can switch to the Nvidia chip for HD video playback and some 3D gaming (“some 3D gaming” means you can play The Sims 3, but you’re going to need more for the latest and greatest 3D titles). The 13.3-inch screen is a bit tight for comfortable gaming and movies, although it has a native HD resolution, and should be bright enough with LED backlighting.
This 13-incher also fits a 500GB hard drive—pretty good considering that the average slim laptop packs 320GB. The drive comes preinstalled with a 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium operating system.
Battery life is also a plus, with the standard kit bundled with an 8-cell pack. Coupled with the switchable graphics and CULV processor, this system is rated to run for 12 hours on a charge.
The UL30Vt-A1 is priced at $849 on Amazon, although there’s no word on availability yet.
