By Darius Chang
04/05/2006
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/notebooks/0,39050495,39357022,00.htm

	The leather-bound S6 on the left and sporty VX1 on the right. (Click for larger image)

At Singapore's Red Dot Design Museum, Asus proudly announced today its first international headquarters outside of Taiwan. Servicing the Asia-Pacific market, the OEM (original equipment manufacture) company is well-known for its PC mainboards and hardware components. Though the Taiwanese business has been manufacturing notebooks for several big-name brands, it was only in the last few years that it took tentative steps away from the backstage to jump to the forefront with portables under the Asus branding. This latest development is a strong commitment on the Taiwanese manufacturer's part to market products under its own banner. In future, we can expect an Asus research and development facility to complement its headquarter operations.

But even before the opening of the Singapore-based international headquarters, Asus has already stopped outsourcing its support operations and currently runs its own service center. Besides notebooks and hardware components, the product managers at the press conference mentioned to CNET Asia that there are plans to push even more consumer products to the region, from PDAs to Skype-enabled mobile phones and more. However, as the Taiwanese and Asia-Pacific market are under different headquarters, the full range of Asus product lines may not be entirely available regionally. But for today, the main attractions were the Asus S6 leather laptop and Asus Lamborghini VX1 portable.

Following in the footsteps of the Sony Vaio VGN-TX27 and the Editors' Choice Fujitsu LifeBook P7120, the petite Asus S6 is an ultraportable notebook that sports an optical drive and 11.1-inch display. Though it does not have the strong business features of the P7120, this Core Solo machine's main attraction is its coach leather exterior. However, this portable costs a pretty penny and will be coming to Singapore stores next week with a price tag of S$3,888, it will be available in dark grey and brown.

Since it was announced last year, the Lamborghini VX1 was the subject of much speculation. Fueled by precedents like the Acer Ferrari 4000, the public has high expectations for the VX1's aesthetics and performance. The 15-inch notebook has a minimalist design with an exterior reminiscent of a Lamborghini hood. Asus claims that it is lighter than most 14-inch laptops and the initial specifications show enough horsepower to make it worthy of its name. Available in yellow or black, this laptop will be cruising to retail outlets in the third quarter of the year.

Model name	In a nutshell
Asus S6 Click for specs and larger image	Wow factor: Sexy leather-bound notebook with a sleek profile and internal optical drive, which does not compromise on functionality. Other notable frills: 11.1-inch transflective widescreen display Core Solo processor Internal DVD Super Multi drive 1.5kg Available in grey or brown Two-year international warranty  Expected: Available now.
Asus Lamborghini VX1 Click for specs and larger image	Wow factor: This 15-inch notebook has the looks and the horsepower of its namesake. Other notable frills: 15-inch transflective widescreen display Core Duo processor Internal DVD Super Multi drive 2.36kg (with four-cell battery) Available in yellow or black Two-year international warranty  Expected: Q3 2006