CES 2010: Asus partners with Bang & Olufsen for twin-touchpad NX90 multimedia laptop
Asus on Tuesday unveiled the product of a collaboration with Danish firm Bang & Olufsen, the NX90, a multimedi-focused, desktop replacement notebook that has twin touchpads, powered speakers and a polished aluminum exterior.
The NX90 cuts a strange silhouette: its upper lid is larger than the lower half. The company says it's inspired by a grand piano, and its two touchpads are situated on either side of the keyboard -- use one with each hand for new kinds of DJ-style control.
Asus' Rotation Desktop Control software suite manages the input for music and other media applications.
The company stressed the NX90's focus on audio quality during the press conference here in Las Vegas, and its big-top-little-bottom form factor is because of two large speaker panels that flank an 18-inch 1080p display. The speakers have a dedicated power system -- Asus calls it "Sonic Focus."
On the outside is a skin of laser-cut polished aluminum. Inside, you'll find an Intel Core i7 CPU and Nvidia GeForce GT 335M graphics, as well as dual hard drives and a Blu-ray drive.
From the looks of it, this is the future of the desktop -- albeit in conceptual, early adopter form.
The Asus NX90 will be available in early March for $1,999.