ASUS T9 Notebook

Features - Hardware

The most striking hardware extra that the ASUS T9 offers is the internally mounted, removable, MP3 player named the MP3 DJ Box. The player, which features a rather small 64MB of memory, is more than pocket sized measuring slightly under 3.0x2.5x0.5". The player docks with the T9 via a hinged bay at the front of the system.

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The LCD display on the unit is very basic, featuring only time, track number (only for a few seconds when changing tracks), a battery life indicator, and icons for 3 different graphics equalizing settings (jazz, pop, and rock). In addition to the LCD, the front of the system is the home of 4 rather small buttons: a menu button (for setting volume, playback mode, and EQ modes), two tack skip forward and backwards buttons, and a play/pause button. The play/pause button also serves as an on/off button when depressed for 4 seconds.

The left side of the system is home to the 3.5mm headphone out jack, a small hole for the internal microphone (the unit can also record voice), and a mini USB port that allows the player to be connected to a desktop machine. The back of the system is where the player interfaces with the T9 when docked.

Power for the unit is provided by an internal rechargeable 600mAh lithium ion battery. The unit is automatically charged when placed inside the notebook and on a full charge provides 6 hours of playback or 4.5 hours of recording. Taking the player apart shows the brains of the operation are provided by an ST 92T163R4L chip for USB connectivity and an ST STA013T MP3 decoding chip. The chip, and hence the unit, can accept MP3s at up to 320Kbs.

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The memory on the unit is mounted on a small riser that comes off the main unit's PCB. As we mentioned before, the system only contains 64MB of memory which is rather small when it comes to the current generation of MP3 players. ASUS could easily make a unit with 128MB or more of memory, increasing the attractiveness of the player immensely.

On the software side of things, ASUS includes their USB Download utility for moving information off and on the MP3 DJ Box. Once docked in the system, running the utility allows for the transfer of music or other information from the laptop to the player via a very basic interface. The program did get the job done, but we ran into some minor bugs when copying files to the unit; bugs which forced us to remove the unit from the notebook and try the transfer again.

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The inclusion of the MP3 DJ Box with the T9 is a really good idea and should not be brushed aside, but in order for the unit to become more than just a novelty it will have to be beefed up a bit. As the unit currently stands, with only very basic LCD support and a rather small storage capacity, the MP3 DJ Box will not replace your current MP3 player or CD player any time soon.

Other nice additions to the T9 were the previously mentioned four programmable function keys located above the keyboard as well as the addition of up/down scroll buttons on the touchpad. We really liked where the scroll buttons landed when we were typing, as they made browsing the internet that much more convenient. A very nice touch, if we do say so ourselves.

The ASUS T9 notebook comes with a two year manufacturer limited warranty that includes both parts and labor against any manufacture defects in material or workmanship. An additional one year extended warranty can also be purchased within 30 days of the notebook's purchase, resulting in a three year warranty. This makes ASUS's warranty comparable to most other notebook manufacturers on the market, although the typical range is from 6 months to 3 years.