Asus joins the sleek with 13.3-inch laptop

(Credit: Asus.com)

With a black piano finish and a leather wrist rest, the Asus U3 joins the Apple MacBook and the Sony VAIO SZ in the ranks of sleek-looking 13.3-inch laptops. Like the others, the U3's 13.3-inch display size definitely hits a sweet spot between portability and usability; its 3.9-pound weight (granted, that's with the tiny three-cell battery) straddles the line between ultraportable and thin-and-light. The screen is large enough for watching movies or to comfortably make it through a workday without squinting.

The Asus U3 incorporates a boatload of professional-level upgrades, including Intel Turbo Memory, 3G wireless, and integrated GPS options, plus a fingerprint scanner and Trusted Platform Module for security. It all runs on Intel's latest Core 2 Duo processors and the Intel GM965 chipset, plus a 128MB Nvidia GeForce 8400M graphics card and a single memory slot for up to 2560MB of RAM. There's even an HDMI-out port.

What it doesn't have: an integrated optical drive. To read and burn discs you'll have to use the (included) external drive. It also doesn't have an official price or availability date, though Laptoping.com, where we spotted this news, cites unofficial reports of a $2,000 price tag and a September ship date.

[XSportSeeker]

Moar liek...

"the Asus U3 joins the Apple MacBook and the Sony VAIO CZ in the ranks of sleek-looking 13.3-inch laptops"
I guess it would be more acuratte if you said it joins Dell's XPS M1330 and Sony VAIO SZ in the ranks of sleek-looking 13.3-inch laptops.
Why? Because of discreet graphics.
I'm thinking of waiting for this one to be released... despite the lack of a integrated DVD Burner, which is a big minus, this could be also good for battery life and weight.
I was going to buy a M1330 today, but local Dell store just pull off the discreet graphics options... I still don't know why, and I don't want the laptop with integrated sh*tty graphics.

[Kev50027]

Well Actually..

You must mean FZ series, Michelle. There is no Vaio CZ series.

[thatcherm]

Correction has been made

The CZ exists! In the rumor mill, at least:
http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9713965-7.html

But it would indeed be more accurate to say the VAIO SZ, which is the existing 13.3-inch VAIO model. The text has been corrected.

[happyguy1]

and don't foreget Toshiba

beside Apple and Sony, there is also Toshiba U305-S5077 $899, I am sure there is other. :)