ASUS W5FE Intel Sideshow

As laptops continue to grow in popularity and continue to replace desktops as main computing machines, manufacturers are searching for new ways to introduce innovative new features without drastically re-designing the existing laptop form. One such feature that was recently introduced along with Windows Vista was Sideshow, which is a technology that would allow users to interact with their PCs via external screens. This would allow an end-user to check his mail, listen to music, view images and other activities... all of it without booting up his machine via a tiny embedded screen on top of a laptop. This is in essence similar to an external LCD panel that is found on most flip-based mobile phones. This technology was first demonstrated at CES 2007 and one of the stars of the show then was the Asus W5FE laptop.

It’s been sometime since CES and the W5FE has finally arrived at the Tech2 Labs. We have been able to put it through its paces nicely. Read on to find out if the promised Sideshow technology delivers and more importantly how does the laptop itself fare against competition?