New Asus Laptops Really Stink

Asus are proudly proclaiming their status as the first laptop manufacturer to integrate smells into their computers.

We can't help but wonder whether or not being second or third to try this out might have been a better idea as we're far from convinced that it's an idea that's going to take off.

Warmer ...

The hotter the new Asus F6V, a 13.3'' model gets, the more you can smell the perfume built-in under the keyboard.

We went for a sniff this morning and tried four of the different smells Asus are offering up. 

From a rather sweet, sickly aroma on the pink model you can see in the picture below, to something more musky for the black one, we have to say that they didn't smell too good.
Or rather, that they smelled too much, although Asus were keen to reassure us that the aromas only last around six months before all of the special compound has evaporated.

Innovation

In what is now an incredibly competitive field, it is unsurprising that manufacturers are keen to innovate.

Indeed, the arrival of the netbook form factor, from which Asus in particular have profited, has seen some radical changes to portable computers.

Nevertheless, it seems that some innovations are slightly more driven by marketing than is wise.

The F6V, despite Asus' best intentions, probably falls into this last category.


If you're interested anyway, you might like to know that the four models ship in cases featuring interesting designs.

The move away from boring glossy silver frames is definitely something we can appreciate, and the inclusion of a free mouse whose design matches the laptop case with each of these models is a nice addition.