ASUS Eee Slate 121 for Windows 7

With Microsoft Signature, you get rock-solid PC performance, great security, and first-class support. After installing Windows 7, we removed the trial software that can slow down your PC, installed applications you really use, and tuned them to work together seamlessly. Combine that with world-class security to help eliminate viruses and spyware, and 90 days of technical support, and you’ve got the best PC experience ever, right out of the box.

Plus, if you upgrade to Signature Premium, you’ll get an entire year of VIP priority technical support, as well as LoJack for Laptops, a state-of-the-art theft recovery system that helps protect your sensitive personal information in case your PC is ever lost or stolen. Learn more.

Want a slate that's really designed for the way you use a computer while you're on the go? Check out the ASUS Eee Slate. No matter where you are, it'll keep you connected, entertained, and productive. The 12.1-inch backlit HD display is larger than most netbook screens, and with its wide, 175-degree viewing angle, you'll easily be able to share photos and video with your friends.

One of its best features is that it's got full Flash 10.1 support—so you can watch YouTube videos, videos embedded in Facebook, and all the other rich content across the web that requires Flash.

Part of why it looks so great is the display's ultra-tough yet ultra-thin Gorilla Glass, which protects it from the rough treatment that mobile devices can get—drops and spills. But the glass is also pressure-sensitive, making its digitizer with Windows 7 pen support more accurate for drawing and note-taking.

Its solid-state drive keeps the size and weight down—and also means there's no disc spinning inside, giving you lightning-fast access to your files when you want them. And it's not just for entertainment. It comes with a Bluetooth wireless keyboard, and a stand that lets you set it up like a monitor, so you can really use it like a PC when you need to. No matter whether you're working or playing, you're going to love using this versatile slate.

Your PC comes with Microsoft Signature

With Microsoft Signature, you get rock-solid PC performance, great security, and first-class support. After installing Windows 7, we removed the trial software that can slow down your PC, installed applications you really use, and tuned them to work together seamlessly. Combine that with world-class security to help eliminate viruses and spyware, and 90 days of technical support, and you’ve got the best PC experience ever, right out of the box.

Plus, if you upgrade to Signature Premium, you’ll get an entire year of VIP priority technical support, as well as LoJack for Laptops, a state-of-the-art theft recovery system that helps protect your sensitive personal information in case your PC is ever lost or stolen. Learn more.

This item is scheduled to ship on or about May 30, 2011 (date subject to change).

A credit card is required for pre-order, but your card will not be charged until your order is shipped (or the product is made available for download). Pre-orders are covered by our Pre-Order Price Guarantee and can be reviewed, updated, or canceled at any time before pre-order items are released. Please see our Pre-Order Policy for more information. *Battery life varies by configuration, operating conditions, and other factors. Maximum battery capacity decreases with time and use. Purchase a skin for this product from SkinIt.

Specs and retailers

More specifications Less specifications	$1,099.00 Buy from Amazon CompareView ()
Operating system	Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Screen	12.1" WSVGA (1280x800)
Processor	1.3 GHz Intel Core i5-470um
RAM	4 GB DDR3 1333 MHz
Storage	64 GB SSD
Video card	("shared") 0 MB dedicated
Weight	2.6 lbs
Audio	Hi-Definition Audio CODEC
Ports	2 USB 2.0, 1 HDMI
Wireless	B, G, N, Bluetooth
Dimensions	8.2" x 0.7" x 12.3"
Touchscreen	Touchscreen
Tablet	Tablet
	$1,099.00

Screen Size

Big or small?

Choose screen size based on how you'll use the computer. Larger screens are better for viewing and can increase productivity, while smaller screens are lighter, more portable, and generally provide better battery life.

The three important numbers for screens are:

Size is measured in inches diagonally (ex. 14")
Aspect ratio is width to height (ex. 4:3 is more square and 16:9 is widescreen)
Resolution is detail level expressed as horizontal x vertical (ex. 1024 x 768)

Weight

Size vs. portability

A laptop's weight is all about tradeoffs. In general, if you want a larger screen and higher performance, you'll need a heavier machine. If your laptop runs standard programs and goes everywhere you do, compact and light may be right for you. General guidelines are:

Netbook PCs = Under 3 lbs.
Thin and Light = under 5 lbs.
Standard = 5 to 7 lbs.
Desktop Replacement = over 7 lbs.
Ultra Performance = over 10 lbs.

Remember that small size and high performance tend to be more costly.

Speed

A combined effort

When you're thinking about laptop speed, consider both the processor specs and the amount of RAM installed. This will affect the type and number of programs a laptop can run effectively.

To evaluate processors, look at these three characteristics, ensuring the type and # of cores are equal before comparing speeds:

Type, either 32-bit or 64-bit
Cores, the number in the chip
Speed, measured in GHz

RAM is measured in GB (gigabytes) and more RAM means more work can be done faster.

OS

The great unifier

Windows 7 is our operating system of choice. Windows 7 is designed to make your PC simpler and the things you do every day easier. Consider these editions of Windows 7 for your PC:

Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to enjoy your favorite TV shows, photos, videos, and music.
Windows 7 Professional has all the features you need for business along with all the great media and entertainment features of Home Premium.
With Windows 7 Ultimate, you get all the entertainment features of Home Premium and business features of Professional–plus added security and the flexibility to work in multiple languages.

Storage

Get the right amount

When you're considering storage drives, it's important to know what you need to store. The average user is fine with a 100 GB hard drive, but if you tend to collect media files, you may need something bigger. For reference, 1 gigabyte (GB) holds about 1,250 digital photos, or 50,000 pages of standard documents. With drives ranging from 30 to over 500 GB, you'll be able to find one that fits.

Solid-state drives are becoming more popular, so if quietness and shock-resistance are important to you, be sure to consider these.

Optical Drives

CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray

An optical drive, also known as a disc drive, is the hardware that retrieves and stores data from discs–like CDs and DVDs. So when you put your favorite album or movie on a disc in your laptop, it's the optical drive that lets you open and play the files. Make sure to get a drive that does what you want–like burn music or play Blu-ray movies.

The three disc types are:

CD for music or other files. 1 disc = 700 MB
DVD for movies. 1 disc = 4.7 GB
Blu-ray for HD movies. 1 disc = 25 GB

Video cards

Art student or da Vinci?

Video cards, also called graphics cards, figure out how to display all your visual data on your screen.

These cards come in two types:

Integrated video cards are built into the main processor and share your computer's RAM.
Dedicated video cards have their own dedicated processor and RAM custom built for that job.

Choose between an integrated or dedicated video card based on how much you need high-end video and graphics capabilities.

Ports

No laptop is an island

Your laptop is your connection to your digital life. So be sure you have the right type and number of ports to make the most of your experience. This includes devices like digital cameras, MP3 players, mobile phones, keyboards, and printers.

The common ports to consider are:

USB for things like cameras, phones, and music players. Most people like to have multiple USB ports because so many common devices require them.
Ethernet for modem and network connections.
VGA, DVI, and HDMI for video and monitors. HDMI is nice for movies with HD video and sound in one cable.
FireWire for high-speed video and storage transfers.
Memory card slots for photos.
Wireless “ports” like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and WWAN for cable-less connectivity.

TV Tuner

PC meets DVR

If you're a big entertainment buff, consider a TV tuner for your laptop. With a TV tuner, you can plug your television cable directly into your PC and take full advantage of Windows Media Center in Windows 7, which lets you watch, pause, rewind, and record live TV. It's like a fully featured digital video recorder, but without the subscription cost. If you have an HDTV monitor and cable or satellite TV service, a laptop with an HDMI port/cord lets you put digital audio and video TV on your screen with just one cable.

Style

Make it your own

Your computer can be as unique as you are. Choose from a variety of screen styles, sleek colors, and unique casing options if available.

Order yours starting at $1099 MSRP

Introducing a PC that's not very PC.

The ASUS® Eee Slate

Full Laptop PC

Integrated Stylus

Touchscreen Slate

Soft Keyboard

Front-Facing Webcam

Work & Play

ASUS Eee Slate 121