CNET Asia @ Computex Taipei
TAIPEI, TAIWAN--It’s June, and once again visitors and natives alike converge with single-minded purpose on Taipei’s World Trade Center and International Convention Center. The occasion: The 26th annual Computex Taipei 2006 fair. World Cup fever muted for the moment, we found ourselves jostling with fellow tech geeks and vendors jam packing the showfloor where over 1,300 exhibitors were busy hawking their wares.
Computex is the second-largest computer trade show in the world, second only to CeBIT Germany. But the former’s importance in this region of the world cannot be discounted, and is expected to attract well over 133,000 visitors to this year’s five-day event which kicked off early Tuesday.
Promising a host of beguiling tech innovations ranging from multimedia products to component-level PC peripherals, the sheer range and quantity of products on showcase this year certainly helped expand the playing field for the tradeshow’s annual Best Choice Awards of Computex. With 408 entries representing some 11 categories, 21 winners were picked during the opening ceremony.
The usual stalwarts were present, with Intel and Microsoft alongside Taiwan-based bigwigs like BenQ and Acer showcasing their latest and greatest. Among the notable key trends spotted was the emerging popularity of mobile TV devices and integrated digital video broadcast (DVB). We also saw how the big vendors were tackling the integration of digital solutions into home entertainment setups.
For CNET Asia, the IT fair made the experience of getting lost amid a sea of high-tech gadgetry smell like sweet manna. Get a whiff here of gadgets that competed for the spotlight at Computex Taipei 2006.
Asus A636N
Adding to its predecessor's (A636) win of the Best Choice of Computex award for the mobile product category last year, the new A636N comes coupled with updated 802.11g and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity. Lost aficionados would be delighted to know that when it comes down to GPS tracking abilities, the A636N user can afford to remain missing for up to 7 hours.
- Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0
- 3.5-inch TFT-LCD screen
- Windows Media Player 10
- SiRF Star III GPS chipset and 25 x 25mm GPS swivel patch antenna
- SD slot
- WLAN 802.11b/g
- Bluetooth 2.0
- 7 hours GPS navigation
- 18 hours audio playback
Ferrari 1000
Va va vroom. This hotrod laptop is back. In a bag-able 1.55kg form factor with an AMD Turion 64 X2 processor under the engine hood, this baby is all set to scorch the tracks. And just to capture your windswept hair behind the steering wheel, there's an Acer Orbicam placed right on top of the LCD display.
- 200-nit 12.1-inch LCD panel
- ATI Radeon Xpress graphics 1150 chipset supporting up 512MB
- Acer Empowering Technology user interface
- Acer ezDock
- Bundled software including Adobe Reader, Norton AntiVirus and CyberLink PowerDVD or CyberLink Power Producer and Acer GridVista software suite
Shuttle XPC X100
Blame it on the Mac, but lifestyle will now always be a big part of the PC experience. The XPC X100 is the latest ultraslim form factor desktop computer from the Taiwanese hardware taipan. Last seen at CeBIT 2006, the X100 marks its Taipei debut by revealing yummy technical specs under its Kate Moss-like façade. The X100 will soon be available in the US, Europe and Taiwan. Availability in Japan is slated for a later date.
- Intel Core Duo T2400 1.83GHz (667Mhz, 2MB L2 cache)
- DDR2 533 Dual Channel Sodimm 256MB x 2
- ATI M58 graphics card
- 250GB SATAII hard drive
- 7.1 channel HD audio
- Intel 802.11 a/b/g
- 4-in-1 card reader
BenQ WMS111(TX)
The mouthy name sure doesn't do this sleek display any justice. The WMS111 is truly a wireless 802.11a/b/g LCD TV that lets you view anything from videos to pictures within a 30m range from the broadcasting source. Add the remote control and this baby looks all set to rule our lilac bathroom with a view.
- MPEG4 decoder/encoder
- 802.11a/b/g
- 10/100Mbps Ethernet
- Component/S-video input
- Up to 30m range
- Remote control
E-Ten X10
To know exactly where you are seems to be the latest geek fad. The X10 pairs a GPS module with a superset of multimedia features to take the tedium out of analyzing digital cartography. Besides music playback, the 400MHz CPU-powered device can also receive digitally broadcasted content (DMB/DAB). If Tom Hanks had to choose between a volleyball and the X10, we are sure the Cast Away survivor would pick the latter.
- Microsoft Windows CE 5.0
- SiRF Star III GPS chipset
- 3.5-inch TFT LCD
- 320 x 240 QVGA display
- 128MB flash ROM/ 64MB RAM
- Bluetooth 2.0
- Mini USB slave 1.1
- MiniSD slot
- 136.7 x 91.1 x 16.7mm
Acer Aspire iDea 500
While home entertainment mavens like Marantz and Yamaha have been churning out charming component decks, the computer folks have been lagging behind in the design stakes. The iDea 500 Windows Media Center must have been Acer's aesthetic light bulb. Its slim form factor puts it right at home among your stereo decks while its myriad features prove its mettle in serious home entertainment.
As a multimedia gateway, its connectivity suite covers HDMI, DVH, component/composite video, S-video and SCART ports, thus futureproofing as well as ensuring backward compatibility. Be impressed by its twin mini-PCI tuner cards for digital and analog TV broadcasts, the Intel Core Duo processor and a 250GB hard drive; it's a perfect blend of form and function.
- Choice of digital or analog 2-, 5-, 7.1-channel audio output
- Intel 945GT Express chipset
- 1GB DDR2 memory
- Dual-layer DVD burner
- 802.11b/g
PBJ Smart Caddie
If you are one of those who swears by the purity of white, Japanese company PBJ has the Origami for you. Folded in an ivory chassis, this UMPC deviates from the norm by slipping in a Via C7M processor when others are decked out with Intel's Celeron chips. However, it has a battery life shorter than Chen Kaige's The Promise.
- 1GHz Via C7M processor
- 7-inch display (800 x 480)
- Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radio
- 2 hour 30 minute battery life
Trigem Lluon All In One LXLA712-0
From the land of kimchi and the cult TV hit Jewel in the Palace comes the MCPC answer to the iMac. Hiding all its wires and silicon behind the 17-inch widescreen, the clean lines and white facade bear more than a passing resemblance to its Apple counterpart. But don't be fooled by this baby as the Lluon crams high-end features inside its sleek body.
- Pentium D processor
- 17-inch widescreen display
- DVD optical
drive
- 120GB harddisk
- Windows XP Media Center Edition
- Wi-Fi radio
- Integrated TV tuner
Asus R2
If you have been desiring a Sony PSP but don't want to shell out the dough for just another gaming machine, the multimedia Asus R2 is here to the rescue. The glossy black exterior holds a generous (compared with the PSP) 7-inch widescreen. And for a bit of variety, this machine can run a wide variety of PC games as well as a host of computing tasks. If you have the propensity to lose your way, its integrated GPS radio is invaluable.
- 900MHz Intel Celeron processor
- 7-inch display
- Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
- GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth radio
- 1.3-megapixel camera
- Biometric fringerprint scanner
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