Forged to AV Perfection
Outfitted with state-of-the-art AV capabilities, the BenQ Joybook P53 delivers a premium viewing and listening experience for multimedia content. Best of all, it comes in a thoughtful design with a lid boasting the texture of fine leather and a motif in the metallic band that echoes the essence of digital lifestyle, connectivity.

Double the graphics power
The P53 brings a cinema-class experience to a laptop. The mighty graphics capabilities inside allows it to use a discrete graphics chipset in addition to the one integrated on the system for demanding display tasks. This enables better visual experience you can expect from a discrete graphics chipset.

Perfect the sound effect
Imagine the immersive sound that surrounds you and the bass that rumbles. With the P53, a superior true surround sound effect over speakers and headphones is possible because of the SRS TruSurround HD™ and the SRS Headphone 360™.

Expand the storage capacity
Because there’s so much you can do with it, there’s a bay for a second internal hard disk drive to expand storage capacity. Whether you’re in the mood for a hit film on DVD or the hottest new game, the P53 has got you covered.

Specifications
CPU AMD Turion™ 64 X2 Mobile Technology
-AMD Turion™ 64 X2 Ultra Dual-Core Processor ZM-80
Operating System Windows Vista® Home Premium
Windows Vista® Home Basic
Windows Vista® Business Upgrade Recommended
Chipset AMD RS780MN + SB700 Chipsets
Graphics ATI Radeon HD3450 256MB
Memory DDRII 667 1GB and above (max to 4.0GB)
Hard Drive 120/160/250/320 GB (5400RPM – SATA; max to 640GB)
Optical Drive 8X DVD Super-Multi (Support Double Layer)
Screen Size 15.4″ UltraVivid widescreen
Response Time: 8ms
Resolution WXGA(1280×800)
Brightness 220nits

Inspired by the lights from the windows at city night, the new BenQ Joybook R43 is designed to capture the spirit of a great metropolis. The Joybook R43 features a deep black lid accented by a unique ornamental band. The unique ornamental band was imprinted with Laminar Film technology to outline a great metropolis’ skyline in pop art style. Featuring Intel Core 2 Duo processor and SiS Mirage 3+ chipset with Windows Vista operating system, the Joybook R43 provides multimedia applications, digital home features in combination with performance and data security. The Joybook R43 also allows easy access to the Internet using high-speed Wi-fi networks, and connects easily to Bluetooth-capable phones and peripherals, such as mice and keyboards.

BenQ Joybook R43 is also outfitted with BenQ’s QData Trove technology that ensures information security. With a single press of Alt and F10 keys, a backup of the entire system drive can be initiated into a single designated image file. The BenQ Joybook R43 will firstly be available in China in December, with other countries to follow in the coming months.

BenQ announced the launch of its latest notebook PC, the Joybook A53 on Wednesday. It is the fourth laptop in the company’s A-series range, sitting at the top as its flagship. The 15.4-inch Joybook sports a 2GHz Core 2 Duo processor and BenQ is pushing the A53’s “metropolitan aesthetic” visible in the etched, brushed-metal finish. Other specifications include Windows Vista certification and an optional 8x dual-layer DVD writer.

The sharp-looking laptop also boasts a numeric keypad that pushes the imprinted touch-pad off-center — with keys that are 20 percent larger and with greater spacing between them than standard desktops — for greater ergonomics and ease of use. The large LCD features BenQ’s proprietary UltraVivid technology and DBEF coating that enhance picture quality, and the response time is a fast 8 milliseconds, on par with HDTVs. A 0.3-megapixel camera is built-in above the LCD screen.

Buyers get a 5400rpm SATA hard drive, in a choice of four capacities ranging from 80 to 200GB, while standard memory comes at 512MB but is upgradeable to 2 GB. The Joybook’s seeming downside is the battery life, rated at an approximate 2.3 hours by BenQ.

The A53 is already available in Poland, Russia, China, Thailand and Australia, with more countries getting the new notebook soon. Pricing has not been announced.

Despite barely tipping the S$2,000 (US$1,338.42) price point, we are glad to see that the JoyBook S41 does not skimp on build quality despite its high-end specifications. Based on the Santa Rosa chipset, it is possibly the smallest notebook to offer the powerful Nvidia GeForce 8600M GS graphics card. Though some may appreciate its minimalist design, we felt that it could have offered better value if more dedicated controls grace its facade.

Design
Aesthetics is a personal thing, but we really have a love-hate relationship with the JoyBook S41. On one hand, the exterior looks like a cheap plasticky affair made worse by a polka-dot texturing of the top cover (though we must admit that the material is low maintenance as it does not pick up dirt or finger oils). But flip open the display and the sleek minimalist interior almost makes up for the previous faux pax.

The S41 weighs a reasonable 2.05kg with a volume of 337 x 248 x 38.7mm. The JoyBook is rather thick compared to other 14.1-inch models like the LG R405 and ThinkPad R61, both of which also hold discrete graphics cards. However, if you need a powerful gaming machine which does not weigh you down, there is no equivalent to the JoyBook S41.

The keyboard borders and palm rest is molded from dark silver metal, with the circumference of the power button lit with a nice blue glow. The Webcam which sits above is the display flushed with the mirror-finished border. The touchpad is also worthy of mention. The black surface has a slightly rough texture, giving a nice feedback while navigating. There is a single button bar below, similar to those found on Mac notebooks but slimmer. However, unlike Macs, the button allows for both right and left-click functionality. The flushed touchpad may be a beauty, but for those who use their thumbs for a quick click may find themselves hitting the navigation pad instead.

The rear is reserved for the battery and Kensington lock only, with connectivity ports flanking both sides of the JoyBook. The fact that the microphone and dual headphone jacks (one of which is S/PDIF-compatible) are located on the front is a mixed bag. It may prevent wire tangles when typing on the notebook, but looks a little unsightly if you intend to hook up the S41 to an external display for movie viewing. We lament the lack of dedicated multimedia controls, forcing us to use the two-button press system for changing volume, screen brightness, etc.

Features
The S$2,099 (US$1,404.67) JoyBook S41 offers a generous array of connectivity options on the fastest Centrino platform to date. Its strength lies in the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GS graphics processor running under its 14.1-inch chassis. On the multimedia front, it loses to the Lenovo Y410 which has an integrated subwoofer and dedicated multimedia controls, and neither is it a security fort like the ThinkPad T61.

According to BenQ, the 14.1-inch LCD has the world’s fastest response time (for a notebook display) of 16ms. This means that the individual pixels takes 16ms to change colors. However, for gaming and fast-moving animation this may not be fast enough, as a response time of under 12ms is ideal to prevent image ghosting. Fortunately, you can hook up the JoyBook to external displays via the VGA or HDMI output. The widescreen uses transflective technology with a maximum resolution of 1,280 x 800 pixels.

Those who depend on network connectivity to get their work done will appreciate the blazing fast Gigabit Ethernet port and Draft-N Wi-Fi radio built into the JoyBook. A modem is present as well as the ubiquitous Bluetooth. However, some Asia-Pacific countries might not have units with integrated Bluetooth radios and users will have to fork out a little extra for an adapter.

You can link external devices to the generous four USB 2.0 ports, mini-FireWire or ExpressCard/54 slot. A five-in-one memory card reader is compatible with SD/MMC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro and xD-Picture cards. There is a 1.3-megapixel Webcam sitting above the display for video conferencing but, unlike HP Pavilion’s dual-array mics straddling the lens, there is only a single microphone on the palm rest. This may reduce the audio pickup for those who like to multitask talking and typing.

Despite its powerful visual performance, the sound quality from its stereo speakers is rather weak and tinny. The SRS TruSurround XT audio enhancement is best felt through good quality headphones. Fortunately, an S/PDIF jack is available for digital link to an external audio setup.

The full-sized keyboard makes good room of available space to provide keys of adequate size and travel. Like most notebooks, optical storage is handled by the Super Multi DVD writer drive, which can handle almost all flavors of CD, CDRW, DVD and DVD-RW in existence. The drive is integrated into the unit so you can’t upgrade to a HD-DVD or Blu-ray format in the future.

Performance And Battery Life
Our review unit of the JoyBook S41 holds a Core 2 Duo T7100 1.8GHz processor with 1GB of system RAM and 100GB harddisk. We couldn’t run MobileMark on the installed Windows Vista Home Premium Edition as yet (or any other flavor of Vista for that matter), though the 64-bit capable platform performed smoothly through productivity and multimedia applications. But where it really shined was during our 3DMark06 gaming test. The Nvidia GeForce 8600M GS graphics card (GPU) has 1GB of TurboCache memory, which takes system RAM to supplement its dedicated video memory during heavy computing load. The high-end DirectX 10-compatible GPU blazed through the benchmark with an impressive score of 2,743. This puts it in the same gaming performance league as larger 15.4-inch machines like the ASUS Lamborghini VX2 and Acer Aspire 5920G. It should have no problems running the latest or even upcoming games, though realistically you should still settle for gaming desktops if you expect high frame rates at exceptional resolutions.

Design
BenQ’s Joybook R55 is a desktop replacement designed for both work and play. As expected, mobility isn’t one of the notebook’s trump cards, and its weight of 2.8kg (with battery) and dimensions of 355mm by 254.6mm by 25.5-35.5mm can certainly attest to this.

Looks-wise, the R55, with its multi-shaded purple chassis is certainly unique, although it may appear somewhat out-of-place in a typical office environment. That said, it’s definitely a welcomed change from the typical grey/black designs we’re so used to by now.

The first indication that this is a notebook that’s well-suited to multimedia applications is the line of ports along the front — there’s a line-out/headphone jack, line-in for connecting up a portable audio player (also supports digital S/PDIF connections) , a microphone jack and a mini-Firewire port. To the right lies two USB 2.0 ports, a 56Kbps modem port, an Express Card slot and a 4-in-1 memory card reader (supporting MS, MS Pro, SD and MMC cards). The back of the unit is bare, but on the left you’ll find two more USB 2.0 ports, S-Video and VGA outputs for connecting up an external display, and a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port. Also on the left is a connector for hooking up the optional port replicator, which provides a VGA port, two USB 2.0 ports, printer port, Ethernet jack, COM port, headphone jack, and DC-in socket.

Curiously, unlike many multimedia laptops we’ve seen, the R55 offers no multimedia quick-launch buttons for easily navigating between tracks or adjusting the volume. Instead, some of the keys on the keyboard double as these multimedia controls, but this method is more cumbersome as you’re forced to hold down the “Function” key at the same time as the desired multimedia key. To be fair, some traditional quick-launch buttons are present — e-mail, Web browser and one to enable/disable the 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi chip — but none are user-programmable.

The trackpad and mouse buttons are large and comfortable to use, but it must be said that the latter make a far louder “clicking” sound when depressed than what we’re used to. The keyboard is also comfortable, offering large keys and an adequate pitch of 19.05mm.

Features
By far the standout feature of the R55 is its display, which measures 15.4 inches and offers a WXGA resolution of 1280×800. Its response time is 16ms, which BenQ says is the “fastest response time” offered by any laptop display. The advantage of this is that fast-paced action sequences are shown without any noticeable motion blurring. From our testing we can confirm that the screen produces sharp images with little to no blurring effects.

Considering its low price of AU$2299, the R55 offers some high-end internal components. We are particularly impressed with the Nvidia GeForce Go 7400 graphics chip offered, which should accommodate most gamers’ needs, although you may need to wind down the image quality settings on some of the latest titles.  The 1GB of memory on offer is also impressive (similarly-priced notebooks typically come with 512MB), while the 1.66GHz Core Duo processor and 80GB 5400RPM hard drive is sufficient but far from the faster or largest you’ll find.

Those with a penchant for video conferencing should note that the R55 doesn’t offer a webcam, but if you’re happy with audio-only the dual microphones allow for great sound quality and range.

Finally, a number of proprietary BenQ applications enhance the laptop’s multimedia features tremendously. BenQ QMedia opens up a handy media centre interface that floats on the desktop and gives users fast access to their Web browser, e-mail client, BenQ’s QMusic audio playback software, PowerDVD, Nero and Photo Explorer. Other bundled applications include Trend Micro Anti Virus (12 month licence), BenQ Q-DataTrove (for one-touch data backups) and Skype Voice Mail.

Performance
Considering its relatively slow processor, we were very pleased with the R55’s MobileMark2005 office productivity performance rating of 206. This is only a couple of points faster than Acer’s Aspire 5765WLHi, but becomes very impressive when you consider that the Acer unit packs a 2.16GHz processor (compared to the R55’s 1.66GHz model).