ASUS is as far as we know vi the only manufacturer to have taken advantage of Windows Vista’s SideShow feature for desktop motherboards. We’ve reported about how several laptops with external displays integrated into the case have appeared, but the technology is perhaps a bit trickier to use with a desktop computer. ASUS has now released their answer through its ScreenDUO technology and two new motherboards in its new Premium Vista Edition series. The common nominator of ASUS’ new Vista series seems to be usability and it will ship its motherboard with a remote control that can be used to turn the computer on or off, aside from running regular applications.
But the thing that interest us the most is of course ASUS ScreenDUO technology, which through an external display makes it possible for users to access functions even when the computer has been turned off. Microsoft calls the technology SideShow, or Auxiliary display, and we have discussed the technology at numerous occasions, but this is what ASUS has to say about ScreenDUO;
Versatile – ScreenDUO
“The ScreenDUO provides a second display panel to enable the user to conveniently view important information without having to start up the PC. ScreenDUO can synchronize information from the PC or websites; display RSS messages, meeting schedules and other important information. This saves the user time and hassle to switch on the PC every time to view vital information”
ASUS ships its Premium Vista Edition motherboards with an external display for this very purpose. We have no detailed information about the display itself, but it seems it’s connected to the motherboard through a regular USB port.
ASUS has also launched a Plus Vista Edition series that lacks the ScreenDUO technology, but other than that offers the same broad Vista functionality. ASUS seems to put a lot of weight into the Vista support and the special functions of the operating system and we’re looking forward to testing this in practice, but also see how much the extra display will cost.
