Exterior Design and Ergonomics
The F9E is a typical ASUS notebook with a number of recognizable family traits. Its outline is rounded off yet remains rather angular overall. The edges are beveled but the notebook looks thick due to the small width of the case. The case is painted the color of wet asphalt.
A turnable 1.3-megapixel web-camera sticks out above the LCD panel. It has a glossy coating differing from the rest of the notebook in color. The camera can be turned counterclockwise by 180 degrees and upward by an angle of 30 degrees. There is a tiny activity indicator to the left of the camera’s eye. The rubber rings on the camera ensure softer contact with the notebook’s body. A microphone hole can be seen to the right of the web-camera block.
The manufacturer’s logo is placed on the notebook’s lid.
The notebook doesn’t have a display lock. The lid is held shut by the stiff hinges that stick out of the notebook’s body. You can unfold the notebook by somewhat less than 180 degrees.
The notebook’s interior is painted the same color as the exterior. There are metallized inserts of a different hue, though. There are rubber pads on the screen bezel for softer contact with the notebook’s body when closed. In the bottom part of the bezel there are stereo speakers oriented right at the user.
The ASUS F9E is equipped with a widescreen 12.1-inch LCD matrix that has an aspect ratio of 16:10 (WXGA). Its native resolution is 1280x800 pixels. The matrix’s viewing angles seem to be wide enough for a notebook’s display. The LCD matrix has a glossy coating that makes the image brighter and more saturated but also acts as a mirror, reflecting every bright object behind your back.
As you can see, the notebook has large dimensions due to the thick screen bezel. In fact, its case might have accommodated a larger display as the manufacturers of 13.3-inch models prove.
The F9E offers 16 grades of screen brightness but it is virtually impossible to see anything in the screen at the lowest grades: the image gets too dark. The brightness level is adjusted by pressing Fn together with F5 and F6.
We measured the brightness and contrast of the notebook’s display using a Pantone ColorVision Spyder with OptiCAL version 3.7.8 software. We selected the highest brightness setting before this test. The power-saving technologies did not affect the notebook’s display when we switched to the battery.
AC power source:
- 112.8cd/sq.m brightness, 50:1 contrast ratio
DC power source:
- 110.5cd/sq.m brightness, 53:1 contrast ratio