January 8, 2007 This looks like it might offer some significant advantages in the way we use our laptops when we’re on the move. ASUS today introduced a compact 12" wide notebook with an external 2.8" QVGA TFT LCD auxiliary display on the LCD cover with the new W5 series design dubbed SideShow. SideShow is an independent operating system that it can be switched on without booting up the whole system. With imbedded flash memory, users can save selected data (text, image and audio) to SideShow for later review. The external system is well synchronized with the main operating system and users can set for automatic outlook (emails, calendar and meeting appointments) update when the main system is powered on.

The W5Fe's auxiliary display is a short cut to viewing a wide range of information, including meeting schedules, phone numbers, addresses, and recent e-mail messages. This comes as a very handy tool when, for instance, one needs to take a quick look at the meeting agenda in a crowded elevator. On the entertainment front, the outer display can be used to view photos, play music and games such as Solitaire. In addition, SideShow can even act as the mobile navigation device and guide the way with map display!