Asus’ N61 range consists of multimedia machines featuring powerful components and the latest features, including Asus’ own SonicMaster technology standards.

This is also one of the first laptops we’ve seen to feature USB 3.0, the next generation of USB technology. The N61J is a powerful machine for the multimedia user, but there are a few issues here as well. One of the laptop’s key selling points is the aforementioned SonicMaster standards.

We found that while the stereo effect was impressive, sound wasn’t as good across the full audio spectrum, and tracks generally lacked bass and depth. Although better than most laptops, we still wouldn’t use this machine as a replacement for desktop speakers.

In our experience with the N61J, the technology worked as advertised. When running our gaming benchmarks, the discrete card kicked in without any effort on our part. Unfortunately, Optimus couldn’t elevate the N61J’s gaming performance beyond middling. The notebook’s GeForce GT 325M might be based on a new GPU architecture using a smaller 40nm process, but the mainstream card is still an amateur compared to the older GTX 260M in our zero-point notebook. Moderately demanding games like Far Cry 2 are playable, to be sure, but only when run at the notebook’s native 1366×768 resolution with quality set at medium, which yielded 36.75fps.

The N61J is more impressive at productivity chores. Its 2.26GHz Core i5-430M is part of Intel’s new Arrandale family of mobile processors. It’s built on the same 32nm process as Intel’s Clarkdale desktop procs, which include an integrated graphics chip in the CPU. There are numerous other improvements the Core i5 chips offer over the Core 2 Duo, with integrated memory controller, better power management, and HyperThreading among the most noteworthy. So, despite its 800MHz clock disadvantage, the Core i5-430M performed slightly better than our zero-point’s 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo Mobile T9900 CPU in all the content creation benchmarks that are multithread-friendly. Photoshop shows no such bias, leaving the older Core 2 Duo out front.

The ASUS RT-N13U Wireless N Router with All-in-One Printer Server has been added to the Router and Wireless Charts.

The RT-N13U is a step below the RT-N16 and based on Ralink’s RT3052F 2T2R single chip AP/router SoC. This single device contains the processor, BB/MAC, radio, 10/100 Ethernet WAN and four port 10/100 LAN switch. 32 MB of RAM and 4 MB of flash complete the compact design.

The RT-N13U also has a single USB port that can share a printer or have a USB drive attached. Like the RT-N16, the attached drive can be used with the HTTP, FTP, BT (BitTorrent) download client and to serve files via FTP. But unlike the RT-N16, SMB file sharing isn’t supported. There is also uplink-only priority-based QoS on the router, and WDS bridging / repeating is also supported.

Routing throughput measured 93 Mbps WAN to LAN and LAN to WAN. But total simultaneous throughput measured around 143 Mbps, indicating that up and downloads speeds are being limited by the 10/100 Mbps ports. The RT-N13U had no problem with the maximum simultaneous session test, hitting our test limit of 200 on the first try.

This was the only router we tested that was capable of sharing a USB printer, and while Asus claims it can support multifunction devices, it guarantees compatibility only with the ones the company has tested. We plugged in an Epson Stylus NX515 and could print documents, but we couldn’t get the scanner function to work.

Several of the routers we examined had firmware that enabled them to be configured as wireless access points, but the RT-N13U was the only one that could also be converted into a wireless repeater. In this mode, the router operates like a wireless bridge, but one that can serve wireless clients. Repeaters send and receive at half speed, however; only a masochist would use the slug-slow RT-N13U in repeater mode.

Key Features

• Wireless N , connectivity upto 300M
• 2 x internal antenna’s , 2.4~2.5 GHz transmission ,Antenna Gain in 3 dBi
• Auto detect your internet connection type and manual free setup
• Download Master: 24 hours downloading even PC is shut down
• USB port for FTP/All-in-One Printer sharing
• Universal repeater mode : extend your wireless signal coverage only by 3 steps
• 4 x RJ45 for 10/100 BaseT lan ports

Asus EeeTop PC ET1610PT comes with Intel Atom processor is supported by the D410 1.66GHz, 2GB RAM, integrated GMA 3150 graphics and 250GB hard drive. Asus  EeeTop PC ET1610PT screen has 1366 × 768 15.6-inch LCD and supports 802.11b/g/n WiFi.

Asus has just added a new nettop to its online selection in the form of the EeeTop ET1610PT. The letter ‘T’ at the end of its name signifies that it will sport a touchscreen display, and you can expect a standard screen version of this nettop to become available without the letter ‘T’ at the end. Its list of features include a 15.6-inch 1600×900 resolution screen, integrated Intel GMA X3150 graphics and the Intel Atom D410 processor. 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi comes built-in, as are six USB ports, a 5-in-1 card reader, 0.3-megapixel webcam and an Ethernet port.

Asus is apparently preparing to launch its first all-in-one PC with Intel Atom Pine Trail processors. The company has been putting out desktop computer-in-a-display systems under the Eee Top brand for a year or two. But the Eee Top ET1610PT will be the first to come with a single core Intel Atom D410 Pine Trail processor and integrated GMA 3150 graphics.

The PC will feature a 15.6 inch, 1600 x 900 pixel touchscreen display, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, and Windows XP. That’s right, Windows XP, not Windows 7. At least that’s how the computer is expected to ship in Italy, where Netbook Italia reports it will sell for 400 Euros.

With Wi-Fi, a built-in speaker and microphone and powered by Intel’s Atom. That’s Asus prototype Eee Keyboard which actually could solve the age-old problem of getting your media from PC-land onto your shiny HD TV. You can display photos on your TV, as well as launch programs from hot keys. And, basically, it’s a self-contained PC. Wow.

The device’s pièce de résistance is its 5-inch touchscreen, which uses icons to launch apps such as an image viewer and calendar. We got hands on with it – well, as much as the Asus representative would allow – and had a fiddle with the screen and icons. The keyboard itself is clean brushed aluminum.

The idea is that the keyboard can connect to basically any device wirelessly, whether a monitor via a HD Display Wireless Connection or an HD TV. The slab also boasts Wireless HDMI over Ultra Wideband.

The Eee Keyboard was first designed as a light computing device (think netbook), but in a keyboard. Asus originally thought people would take use the keyboard around the house and use it for either video playback or working on, however it didn’t take into consideration that people often prefer bespoke devices for different applications - a laptop or PC for work and internet and a DVD player, HTPC or media streamer for watching movies on a TV. With that in mind the design focus for Eee Keyboard changed - it became a video playback device that offered more - essentially a gadget on steroids.

The surprisingly very impressive looking Eee Keyboard PC is essentially a netbook crammed into sleek Keyboard. The Eee PC Keyboard features a large 5-inch 800 x 400 touch screen / touch pad, and is powered by a choice of either the Atom N270 or the dual core Intel Atom N330 CPU.

Other features include a 16GB / 32GB SSD, 1 GB of DDR2 RAM, Bluetooth and 802.11b WiFi, all crammed into the slim keyboard unit. There is also built in stereo speakers and a microphone.

Asus partners with designer Karim Rashid on the Eee PC Seashell Karim Rashid Collection unveiled at the CES 2010. The Asus Eee PC Seashell Karim Rashid Collection is the realization of Karim’s vision of computing—one that is more sensual, more human, and ultimately more hip.

Karim’s inspired touch is evident in every inch of these ultra slim and light netbooks, from the fluid waves of the exterior design to the advanced soft-to-the-touch materials that will redefine how people perceive netbooks.

The Eee PC Seashell Karim Rashid Collection features a breathtaking design that includes a 10.1″ frameless LED backlit display and an ergonomic chiclet keyboard. This beauty is matched by its computing prowess. It features the new power-saving Intel Atom N450 CPU, which works in tandem with ASUS’ exclusive Super Hybrid Engine energy management technology to deliver 6 hours of battery life on a single charge.

The Karim Rashid runs on a Windows 7 OS, and it’s a little sluggish. We gave it the ultimate test (ahem, Facebook games), and even then, it’s noticeably slow, but tolerable nonetheless. Its 1GB RAM and 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor tell us it can be much speedier with earlier-released operating systems, which is a good thing. Now if official distributors actually give customers an option to upgrade the RAM to 2GB (and they usually do, sometimes even for free), then we’re talking.

When everything is said and done, this Eee PC still is a design-centric netbook and should not be expected to crunch numbers like other similarly priced computers.

Key Specifications

Processor: 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450
Memory: 2GB RAM
Storage: 320GB hard drive
Optical Drive: None
Screen: 10.1 inches (1,024×600 native resolution)
Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA 3150
Weight: 2.5 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1×10.3×7 inches
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (32-bit)