ASUS accessories review
Every month an interesting ASUSWorld magazine-catalog appears in the company's office. Naturally, it is not for sale - it contains all-all-all information on current devices, as well as on new products that are about to appear.
This time on the first pages there was a discussion about all sorts of accessories ... and I thought: "Why not?".
Having decided that it is unlikely that some of the publishers will write about these "uninteresting" things, I, being in a car, decided to fill the trunk to the eyeballs to make one such comprehensive review. At the same time, it was interesting to see why there is such a rivet and whether it is suitable for use. And, as it turned out, I didn’t lose - it turned out that the choice of such accessories was a problem for many people, because apart from frank Chinese, it’s not so easy to find something on the market. Considered by far not all - just a few solutions.
')
Therefore, in the digest format, I’ll tell you about what I personally managed to “touch”. Briefly and with photos - right in the order in which he got and photographed.
About this keyboard I was asked to tell a few people in the post “ What ASUS is preparing for us ” - that was a brief announcement on the eve of the CeBIT exhibition. Requests continued in the ASUS EeeKeyboard review - well, how can I refuse.
But I will immediately grieve - I could not find the exact same one, only with mother-of-pearl buttons), but the one found was very similar to her. The device is called ASUS Chicklet Keyboard and the exact index of the model (judging by the sticker on the back) - KU-0902.
In combat conditions - the most common wired keyboard, which in its printing properties has little in common with all that I have seen before. A full-fledged layout is located on the surface (with a digital part; there is a version without it), and all the keys are separated from each other - “island”. At the same time, each button is not the same as we are used to on laptops. This is not just a “square with sharp edges and rounded edges” - here it is becoming more and more smooth and measured. I was pleased with the result - it’s really convenient to type.
Most likely, these keyboards will be bundled with such devices as nettops and all-in-one computers, but I do not rule out that they can be bought separately. Truth from many simple keyboards, this, by and large, does not cast anything. Is it a case of a non-screen EeeKeyboard, as in the comments - no worse than the Apple one)
In the photo - an engineering sample from the factory, without Cyrillic letters and with a European layout. Most likely, upon arrival in Russia, the shape of the Enter, Shift, Backspace and Slash keys will traditionally change. But the fact that the arrow buttons did not begin to lump together and there are no unnecessary multimedia buttons is good. In general, the most common such and simple keyboard)
This rodent will come bundled with some gaming series laptops (“G”) - at the moment it is a branded product, like some other devices released as accessories for the G-series earlier (most often they were Razer products).
In the meantime, I can only answer that this is a pretty good gaming mouse with teflon legs ”and adjustable wire position. There are 5 positions to choose from to exit the wire from the case, which makes it possible to use the mouse equally convenient for both right-handed and left-handed people, as well as in confined spaces.
There is also a special washer on the bottom of the device, thanks to which you can adjust the weight of the device depending on the number of weights inserted from the kit.
In more detail about a mouse I will write in the following "mouse" digest.
It would seem that there was no longer any external hard drives ... but there will always be people who will make "one more" device, but of high quality. A good example is this hard drive.
There are two types - with USB 2.0 (320 and 500GB) and with USB 3.0 support (for 500GB), I got the first one. All devices also have an eSATA connector for connection.
In the kit, in addition to the device and the wire, there is a practical case - this is rare, but it occurs.
The disk itself is quite practical - the body is covered with leather (most likely artificial, but that is not the point) with a neat stitch of yellow threads - it looks quite “thin” :) against the background of many similar devices. The ends of chrome - to insert a disk (if it is not included), you need to unscrew the 2 screws. The only thing I didn’t like was pulling out the inserted disc is very, very difficult, because when connected to the body, it almost does not catch on.
To get started, no software is required - “I sat down and went.” Speed ​​measurement showed that the case does not affect the speed of the installed disk.
As it is not difficult to guess, this is an external drive. Not Bluray, of course (although there are such), but not “nothing.” I suspect that the audience of active users of CD-ROM drives is getting smaller every day - it pleases. It is hoped that soon in many laptops (non-multimedia segments) these devices will disappear as a class, leaving room for more important details, or simply contributing to reducing the size and weight of devices.
But whatever you say, and sometimes the drive is needed. For example, in the case of netbooks in which they are not found at all (the exception is the EeePC model 1004DN). Then the device mentioned in the header may be useful.
So, this is the most common external drive - quite compact, black and without unnecessary designer bells and whistles. Matt - a trifle, but nice. It works from the USB port - the power cord is securely hidden at the bottom of the device itself and, accordingly, will always be at hand; no additional power required.
After connection, the device is immediately ready for operation - the tray hospitably opens after pressing a button. Relatively complete information about the device:
The device works very quietly, but even so it is just ANOTHER external drive, albeit pleasant enough to use. It is also noteworthy that the device is compatible with the network media player Dune HD Base 3 .
In general, the device is for those who have not stopped using CDs. Well, or for those who have such a need periodically arises, but I do not want to keep the full-size drive constantly.
This is not the most obvious name, and by its appearance you will not immediately understand the purpose of this device ... nevertheless, this is a very powerful and useful piece of wire.
On both sides of the "flash drive" is on the USB connector. Correctly think - all this is necessary for connecting two computers directly! I do not understand why the word “flash drive” at the beginning of this paragraph, I put in quotes - because it is also the most common flash drive, in this case 2GB.
So, connecting the device to two computers (for example, a stationary + laptop), a small program immediately starts (unfortunately, only Win XP / Vista / 7 is supported; * upd * Linux seems to be supported as well), in which you need to select the desired action.
There are 4 to choose from:
- DataLink . Sharing and transferring data directly between two computers.
- RemoteShare . Use an internet connection and a CD drive on another computer.
- FolderLink . Synchronize user data and files between two computers.
- OutlookLink . Synchronize Microsoft Outlook mail, contacts, calendar entries, tasks, journal and notes between two computers.
When the device is connected to only one of the computers, a fifth item appears in the program menu - Flash Share . To manage data and quickly search it on a portable storage device.
Despite the seemingly primitive product, they tried hard to do it - everything works as it was intended. Pleasantly surprised by the advanced search on the "flash drive", as well as the absence of glitches in various operations Drag'n'Drop. For more information about the features of the program can read in this PDF-ke .
In general, a useful thing. But only for those who have 2 or more computers.
You can finish this post by not referring directly to the technology. But at the same time, on the contrary - just for equipment. I'm talking about all sorts of means for storing and transporting laptops, but rather about several solutions that the company offers. I am writing only so that readers (mainly from photographs) can have an idea of ​​what level these products are. After all, sometimes, when you ask yourself a question about choosing a quality case or bag, you realize that the choice is by and large not so great, and you don’t consult with anyone. Admit it - do you also have a bag with bags at home? )
1. Terra Sleeve
A very lightweight case for a netbook, or rather, for devices with a screen diagonal of up to 14 "- there is a black, brown and green version. Quite thin, but despite this, the fabric has water-repellent properties, i.e. case is quite applicable for external use. On the cover, in addition to the zipper, there is a special strap for more comfortable wearing.
2. Index Notebook Sleeve
This case is listed in the catalog as “Index” - it is intended exclusively for netbooks (with a screen up to 10 ”). Sufficiently stylish finish "under the skin" - there are pink, brown, white and black options. While wearing, a piece of a laptop will stick out from under the straps, which gives +1 to environmental exposure and +1 to pale :)
But the inside of the netbook is very convenient - the case is thin, because of which it will not take much space in its entirety.
3. O2XYGEN - Notebook Carry Case
Another case-bag for netbooks (with a screen up to 10 "), made of neoprene - to soil such material is quite difficult, it does not wrinkle and is generally very pleasant to the touch. Available colors are blue, orange and gray.
A special carrying handle and several “non-corrugated” compartments in which various pens, notebooks, and other charges easily fit. It looks quite stylish, not at the expense of the main function.
4. Precision Sleeve
Perhaps the most stylish representative of all the above-mentioned covers. Not so stylish as strict - the black color of suede perfectly harmonizes with the dark gray "mesh" of the case itself; All this is leather-trimmed around the perimeter.
Inside are placed laptops with a screen diagonal of not more than 13.3 inches, and on the reverse side there is a pocket for every little thing.
5. Backpack from ROG gaming laptops
I very rarely mentioned this bonus in the configuration of gaming laptops, for the sole reason that many devices come to me "naked", i.e. From the factory, and not in a beautiful package from the counter. So for me it was a pleasant surprise when I saw what was included in the kit.
It's simple - the most strict backpack, with some sports features. Completely black, without any contrasting bright inserts. All that is - a small rubberized insert, which is affixed with an ominous logo ROG. Something like this I was looking for in school and university years in Cherkizon and in shops, but everywhere there was some kind of Chinese, or not bad options, but with murderous inscriptions and other attributes. Here everything is grown-up :)
Inside, it seems to me, fit anything - any laptop, or even two. The main compartment is one, but inside it is divided into two parts. Another compartment is designed for every little thing and has several "pockets" inside.
I have been driving with such a backpack for two months now, having changed a Logitech Kinetik bag - yet it is easier to carry weights on your back than in your hands; Yes, and you can run. Very comfortable - everything fits inside. Laptop, iPad, DSLR, diary, a pair of pens, a stack of business cards, all kinds of charging and adapters, as well as something to eat and drink. Everything is OK with moisture-proof properties - for a football match against Intel, the backpack lay for 2 hours under a drizzling rain, keeping all contents dry.
If I took the mouse and keyboard for the completeness of the accessory test, knowing that there are quite a few other worthy devices in this sphere, then I was pleasantly surprised in general with all kinds of bags there. Maybe this is not the most interesting topic for an IT site, but someone had to shed light on this subject. Therefore, it would be interesting to know who uses what in this case. ASUS does very nice and decent things, despite the fact that this is not a core area for them.
As for the Crosslink cable, I’m thinking of buying something like this - I found several alternatives and I can’t decide :)
Successes!
This time on the first pages there was a discussion about all sorts of accessories ... and I thought: "Why not?".
Having decided that it is unlikely that some of the publishers will write about these "uninteresting" things, I, being in a car, decided to fill the trunk to the eyeballs to make one such comprehensive review. At the same time, it was interesting to see why there is such a rivet and whether it is suitable for use. And, as it turned out, I didn’t lose - it turned out that the choice of such accessories was a problem for many people, because apart from frank Chinese, it’s not so easy to find something on the market. Considered by far not all - just a few solutions.
')
Therefore, in the digest format, I’ll tell you about what I personally managed to “touch”. Briefly and with photos - right in the order in which he got and photographed.
Keyboard
About this keyboard I was asked to tell a few people in the post “ What ASUS is preparing for us ” - that was a brief announcement on the eve of the CeBIT exhibition. Requests continued in the ASUS EeeKeyboard review - well, how can I refuse.
But I will immediately grieve - I could not find the exact same one, only with mother-of-pearl buttons), but the one found was very similar to her. The device is called ASUS Chicklet Keyboard and the exact index of the model (judging by the sticker on the back) - KU-0902.
In combat conditions - the most common wired keyboard, which in its printing properties has little in common with all that I have seen before. A full-fledged layout is located on the surface (with a digital part; there is a version without it), and all the keys are separated from each other - “island”. At the same time, each button is not the same as we are used to on laptops. This is not just a “square with sharp edges and rounded edges” - here it is becoming more and more smooth and measured. I was pleased with the result - it’s really convenient to type.
Most likely, these keyboards will be bundled with such devices as nettops and all-in-one computers, but I do not rule out that they can be bought separately. Truth from many simple keyboards, this, by and large, does not cast anything. Is it a case of a non-screen EeeKeyboard, as in the comments - no worse than the Apple one)
In the photo - an engineering sample from the factory, without Cyrillic letters and with a European layout. Most likely, upon arrival in Russia, the shape of the Enter, Shift, Backspace and Slash keys will traditionally change. But the fact that the arrow buttons did not begin to lump together and there are no unnecessary multimedia buttons is good. In general, the most common such and simple keyboard)
Game Mouse
This rodent will come bundled with some gaming series laptops (“G”) - at the moment it is a branded product, like some other devices released as accessories for the G-series earlier (most often they were Razer products).
In the meantime, I can only answer that this is a pretty good gaming mouse with teflon legs ”and adjustable wire position. There are 5 positions to choose from to exit the wire from the case, which makes it possible to use the mouse equally convenient for both right-handed and left-handed people, as well as in confined spaces.
There is also a special washer on the bottom of the device, thanks to which you can adjust the weight of the device depending on the number of weights inserted from the kit.
In more detail about a mouse I will write in the following "mouse" digest.
External Hard Drive (Leather 2.5 '' External HDD)
It would seem that there was no longer any external hard drives ... but there will always be people who will make "one more" device, but of high quality. A good example is this hard drive.
There are two types - with USB 2.0 (320 and 500GB) and with USB 3.0 support (for 500GB), I got the first one. All devices also have an eSATA connector for connection.
In the kit, in addition to the device and the wire, there is a practical case - this is rare, but it occurs.
The disk itself is quite practical - the body is covered with leather (most likely artificial, but that is not the point) with a neat stitch of yellow threads - it looks quite “thin” :) against the background of many similar devices. The ends of chrome - to insert a disk (if it is not included), you need to unscrew the 2 screws. The only thing I didn’t like was pulling out the inserted disc is very, very difficult, because when connected to the body, it almost does not catch on.
To get started, no software is required - “I sat down and went.” Speed ​​measurement showed that the case does not affect the speed of the installed disk.
Slim External DVD-RW Drive
As it is not difficult to guess, this is an external drive. Not Bluray, of course (although there are such), but not “nothing.” I suspect that the audience of active users of CD-ROM drives is getting smaller every day - it pleases. It is hoped that soon in many laptops (non-multimedia segments) these devices will disappear as a class, leaving room for more important details, or simply contributing to reducing the size and weight of devices.
But whatever you say, and sometimes the drive is needed. For example, in the case of netbooks in which they are not found at all (the exception is the EeePC model 1004DN). Then the device mentioned in the header may be useful.
So, this is the most common external drive - quite compact, black and without unnecessary designer bells and whistles. Matt - a trifle, but nice. It works from the USB port - the power cord is securely hidden at the bottom of the device itself and, accordingly, will always be at hand; no additional power required.
After connection, the device is immediately ready for operation - the tray hospitably opens after pressing a button. Relatively complete information about the device:
The device works very quietly, but even so it is just ANOTHER external drive, albeit pleasant enough to use. It is also noteworthy that the device is compatible with the network media player Dune HD Base 3 .
In general, the device is for those who have not stopped using CDs. Well, or for those who have such a need periodically arises, but I do not want to keep the full-size drive constantly.
ASUS CrossLink
This is not the most obvious name, and by its appearance you will not immediately understand the purpose of this device ... nevertheless, this is a very powerful and useful piece of wire.
On both sides of the "flash drive" is on the USB connector. Correctly think - all this is necessary for connecting two computers directly! I do not understand why the word “flash drive” at the beginning of this paragraph, I put in quotes - because it is also the most common flash drive, in this case 2GB.
So, connecting the device to two computers (for example, a stationary + laptop), a small program immediately starts (unfortunately, only Win XP / Vista / 7 is supported; * upd * Linux seems to be supported as well), in which you need to select the desired action.
There are 4 to choose from:
- DataLink . Sharing and transferring data directly between two computers.
- RemoteShare . Use an internet connection and a CD drive on another computer.
- FolderLink . Synchronize user data and files between two computers.
- OutlookLink . Synchronize Microsoft Outlook mail, contacts, calendar entries, tasks, journal and notes between two computers.
When the device is connected to only one of the computers, a fifth item appears in the program menu - Flash Share . To manage data and quickly search it on a portable storage device.
Despite the seemingly primitive product, they tried hard to do it - everything works as it was intended. Pleasantly surprised by the advanced search on the "flash drive", as well as the absence of glitches in various operations Drag'n'Drop. For more information about the features of the program can read in this PDF-ke .
In general, a useful thing. But only for those who have 2 or more computers.
Suitcases
You can finish this post by not referring directly to the technology. But at the same time, on the contrary - just for equipment. I'm talking about all sorts of means for storing and transporting laptops, but rather about several solutions that the company offers. I am writing only so that readers (mainly from photographs) can have an idea of ​​what level these products are. After all, sometimes, when you ask yourself a question about choosing a quality case or bag, you realize that the choice is by and large not so great, and you don’t consult with anyone. Admit it - do you also have a bag with bags at home? )
1. Terra SleeveA very lightweight case for a netbook, or rather, for devices with a screen diagonal of up to 14 "- there is a black, brown and green version. Quite thin, but despite this, the fabric has water-repellent properties, i.e. case is quite applicable for external use. On the cover, in addition to the zipper, there is a special strap for more comfortable wearing.
2. Index Notebook SleeveThis case is listed in the catalog as “Index” - it is intended exclusively for netbooks (with a screen up to 10 ”). Sufficiently stylish finish "under the skin" - there are pink, brown, white and black options. While wearing, a piece of a laptop will stick out from under the straps, which gives +1 to environmental exposure and +1 to pale :)
But the inside of the netbook is very convenient - the case is thin, because of which it will not take much space in its entirety.
3. O2XYGEN - Notebook Carry CaseAnother case-bag for netbooks (with a screen up to 10 "), made of neoprene - to soil such material is quite difficult, it does not wrinkle and is generally very pleasant to the touch. Available colors are blue, orange and gray.
A special carrying handle and several “non-corrugated” compartments in which various pens, notebooks, and other charges easily fit. It looks quite stylish, not at the expense of the main function.
4. Precision SleevePerhaps the most stylish representative of all the above-mentioned covers. Not so stylish as strict - the black color of suede perfectly harmonizes with the dark gray "mesh" of the case itself; All this is leather-trimmed around the perimeter.
Inside are placed laptops with a screen diagonal of not more than 13.3 inches, and on the reverse side there is a pocket for every little thing.
5. Backpack from ROG gaming laptopsI very rarely mentioned this bonus in the configuration of gaming laptops, for the sole reason that many devices come to me "naked", i.e. From the factory, and not in a beautiful package from the counter. So for me it was a pleasant surprise when I saw what was included in the kit.
It's simple - the most strict backpack, with some sports features. Completely black, without any contrasting bright inserts. All that is - a small rubberized insert, which is affixed with an ominous logo ROG. Something like this I was looking for in school and university years in Cherkizon and in shops, but everywhere there was some kind of Chinese, or not bad options, but with murderous inscriptions and other attributes. Here everything is grown-up :)
Inside, it seems to me, fit anything - any laptop, or even two. The main compartment is one, but inside it is divided into two parts. Another compartment is designed for every little thing and has several "pockets" inside.
I have been driving with such a backpack for two months now, having changed a Logitech Kinetik bag - yet it is easier to carry weights on your back than in your hands; Yes, and you can run. Very comfortable - everything fits inside. Laptop, iPad, DSLR, diary, a pair of pens, a stack of business cards, all kinds of charging and adapters, as well as something to eat and drink. Everything is OK with moisture-proof properties - for a football match against Intel, the backpack lay for 2 hours under a drizzling rain, keeping all contents dry.
The end
If I took the mouse and keyboard for the completeness of the accessory test, knowing that there are quite a few other worthy devices in this sphere, then I was pleasantly surprised in general with all kinds of bags there. Maybe this is not the most interesting topic for an IT site, but someone had to shed light on this subject. Therefore, it would be interesting to know who uses what in this case. ASUS does very nice and decent things, despite the fact that this is not a core area for them.
As for the Crosslink cable, I’m thinking of buying something like this - I found several alternatives and I can’t decide :)
Successes!
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/103508/
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