Four years ago Asus produced an “ultralight” notebook computer called the S5N. The most prominent features were the relatively tiny dimensions and a sub-3lb weight (under 1.36kg).
Jump to the present and Apple announces the “worlds thinnest notebook”. Well upon comparing the specs – apart from a few obvious upgrades such as the RAM – the S5N still wins my vote.
| Asus S5200N | Apple MacBook Air | |
|---|---|---|
| Year of Release | 2004 | 2008 |
| Screen Size | 12.1 inch, 1024×768 | 13.3 inch, 1280×800 |
| Dimensions | 275 x 223mm (width x depth) | 325 x 227 (width x depth) |
| Thickness | 17-25mm | 4-19mm |
| Weight | 1.35Kg with battery | 1.36Kg |
| Battery Life | Replaceable, both standard (24 Wh – 2.5hr) and long-life (48 Wh – 5hr) included. | 37 Wh (5hr?), non-replacable |
| Processor | Intel Pentium M (1.4-1.7 GHz) | Intel Core 2 Duo (1.6 GHz) |
| RAM | 256-512 MB DDR 333 | 2 GB DDR2 667 |
| HDD | ATA100 40/60/80 GB, 5400 rpm | ATA 60 GB, 4200 rpm |
| Video | Integrated Intel 855GME, 64MB VRAM shared | Integrated Intel GMA X3100, 144MB VRAM shared |
| Optical | External Slim Combo (USB), included. | Sold Separately |
| Card Reader | MMC, SD, MemoryStick, PCMCIA | Not included |
| Fax/Modem/LAN/WLAN | Fax/Modem integrated, 10/100 Mbps ethernet, Intel Pro 802.11b wlan. | wlan 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, USB adapter for wired ethernet sold separately |
| Interface | VGA, Modem, Ethernet, Audio Out, Microphone In, IEEE1394 (Firewire), 3x USB 2.0 | Audio Out, 1x USB 2.0, Mini DisplayPort |
| Supplied Accessories | External DVD-CDRW, RF Mouse, Carrybag |
For pictures and benchmarking see the Tom’s Hardware review.