Consumers might not be storming the retailer walls by the thousands to get their hands on Windows 8 PCs and tablets just yet, but that isn’t stopping many great PC vendors from continuing to push out excellent hardware that takes advantage of Windows 8’s biggest potential strength: touch input.
Asus has now unveiled a new addition to their notebooks, the Asus VivoBook S300. This 13.3-inch notebook has a display of 1366×768 and is powered by Intel technology, with several choices of processor including Celeron 847, Pentium 987, Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7.
Other specs include Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet, VGA, 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1 USB 3.0 port, HDMI, 44Whr battery and either 320GB of 500GB of storage. The notebook weighs in at 3.9 pounds and is just .8-inches thick. There is also a touchscreen and (obviously) Windows 8 featured in the notebook.
One thing you probably already noticed is just how similar this thing is when compared to a MacBook Pro. You could consider this a weakness, because the design doesn’t push outside of the box. I consider it a strength.
While I’m not a huge Apple fan due to their locked down practices, I personally think they make great hardware and designs. Going with an Apple-esque look and adding touch technology to the mix is a great move that is sure to appeal to folks that want a sleek notebook but wouldn’t mind having the power of touch and Windows 8 as well.
So when is it coming and how much will it cost? At the moment, we can’t answer either question. Hopefully more information arrives soon. If Asus can unveil this Macbook-like laptop for a price point that starts much cheaper than Apple’s own offering yet is touch-capable, the VivoBook S300 could certainly be worth keeping an eye out for. Keep in mind that Asus already has similar smaller sized offerings around the $500-$600 price range.
What do you think, does the VivoBook S300 appeal to you or is it too similar to existing laptops out there on the market?
[ source ]
