ASUS outs P30A business ultraportable
updated 01:25 pm EDT, Wed April 22, 2009
ASUS outs P30A notebook
Taiwan's ASUS on Wednesday launched the 1-inch thick P30A business notebook, first spotted early last month, which is powered by a 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo ULV processor. There are two SO-DIMM sockets that can support 4GB of RAM. The notebook uses a 13.3-inch, 16:9, LED-backlit display with 1366x768 resolution and an anti-glare coating. ASUS opted to use a magnesium alloy for the PC's chassis and gives the hard drive a free-fall sensor to reduce the amount of data loss in a drop.
ASUS is offering the P30A with a choice of four 2.5-inch hard drives, including 5400RPM and 7,200RPM variants on a 320GB unit, as well as similar speeds for a 250GB drive. There is a choice of Windows Vista operating systems, including Ultimate, Business and Home Premium. The P30A weighs 3.3lbs with the 4-cell battery, though no endurance times were published. ASUS does promise a fast recharge for those batteries to within 90 percent of life in just 90 minutes. The keyboard on the P30A is also spill-resistant.
Security is enhanced with a fingerprint reader that can require a login before boot rather than at the Windows prompt. If the notebook is stolen, an embedded Intel security chip tracks it and secures the data. It's also possible to remotely wipe data.
Other features of the P30A include a 1.3-megapixel webcam, Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, Wi-Fi, a 3G broadband module, and an HDMI port in addition to usual connection options. A dual-layer DVD writer provides optical storage.
No pricing or release dates for the P30A were revealed by ASUS.
