When you think of Asus and Eee PC, you think “cheap Linux netbook”. With their latest offering, the S101, Asus tries to shatter this stereotype by designing an elegant netbook. The folks over at UMPC Fever got their hands on an S101 and have put together the most extensive collection of photos of this slim and sexy notebook to date. We already have covered the specs of the S101 and they fall right in line with all the other netbooks out there. So what does the Asus S101 have that sets it apart from its competitors and permits it to command its higher price tag? First, it is super thin and tapers to only 18 mm which is a slightly more than the height of a Hong Kong dollar. It is also ships with a few extras like a suede leather pouch with straps instead of the cheap cloth pouch found on the standard Eee PC models. It even includes a pouch for its very compact 12V power adapter. The Asus S101 has upgraded the the design of the casing with a brushed aluminum arm rest, a trackpad with a single button and faux diamonds embedded in the hinges (kind of gaudy?). It features a keyboard that is 92% the size of a standard keyboard (nice!) and the internal look is uncluttered and sleek. Only two buttons and three LED indicators are present near the inside hinge and there is a 0.3MP camera at the top. Most of the peripherals (SD slot, RJ45 port, VGA out, power, Kensington Lock) connect in the back, giving the sides and front of the netbook a smoother look and feel. The bottom of the netbook houses the battery, a door to access the RAM and the stereo speakers. So what do you think? Will the new S101 set the new standard for elegance in netbooks or is it a MacBook Air wannabe with unimpressive specs and a tawdry exterior? Hit the jump for more pictures than you can stand.
S101 in packaging
S101 in suede leather pouch
S101 closed
S101 open with brushed aluminum arm rest
S101 left side
S101right side
S101 back
S101 bottom
S101 closeup of trackpad with single button
S101 diamond-embedded hinge
S101 is slightly thicker than a Hong Kong 50 cents and one dollar coin
