14 DAY TRIAL // Taiwanese PC vendor Asustek has just announced its M50 notebook that comes with Blu-Ray drives and Intel 45-nanometer Penryn processors. The multimedia portable PC pairs a Blu-Ray PC with a set of Altec Lansing integrated speakers and Dolby Home Theater capabilities.
The notebook's casing features a smooth, glossy finish of a grand piano, that makes the notebook go along with the other Home Theater components. The Asus' M50 cover is built using ASUS? exclusive Infusion technology, which results in creating a tough coat that is harder to scratch or deteriorate. The brushed control panel and the diamond rims across the speakers give the laptop a classic aspect with state-of-the-art technology.
The computer's touchpad can be used as a fully-fledged multimedia control panel, that allows users to access both music and video files without moving the cursor. The built-in HDMI interface lets home-theater lovers connect the notebook to a home theater setup, then stream high-definition video directly from the Blu-Ray disc.
The M50 multimedia notebook comes with a 15.4-inch monitor, with a choice of WXGA, WXGA+ or WSXGA+ LCD panels. Users can also scale the graphics performance to meet their computing demands, as the notebook can be configured with either an Nvidia GeForce 9500M GS with 512MB of texture memory, or with an ATI Mobile Radeon HD3470 / HD3650, with 256MB and 1GB of texture memory, respectively.
The configuration options, however, don't end here. Users can also choose their desired CPU from a range of Intel processors, from the T7100 Core 2 Duo to the latest addition in Intel's mobile portfolio: the Penryn T9500. Other hardware components include the 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity, an advanced fingerprint scanner and 200 to 500 GB of conventional hard-disk drive storage space.
The M50 will be running Windows Vista Basic through to Ultimate operating systems and will start shipping next week. There is no word on pricing yet.