Sayap Timur

I got a new toy again; this time is from BenQ, the powerful notebook with up to 1 GB graphics memory (under Vista). My friend bought this pretty 14” notebook yesterday and asks me to take it home and start to install the XP Operating System on it.
Look at the full specification of this BenQ S41-448 listed bellow (specification may be differ, depend on the country and the store).

Intel Centrino processor technology - Intel Core 2 Duo processor T5550 - 1.83GHz (2MB L2Cache, 533MHz FSB)
Linpus Linux OS
Intel PM965 Chipset
nVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS (Max.1GB TurboCache)
14.1″ widescreen display WXGA (1280×800)/200 nits
DDRII-667 1024MB and above (Max. to 4GB)
Drive 120GB (5400RPM-SATA) HDD
DVD SuperMulti (+/-; RAM)
4 x USB 2.0, HDMI output, FireWire (IEEE 1394), RJ-45, RJ-11, Microphone-in, Headphone-out, DC-IN, VGA, ExpressCard Slot, and Line-in.
6-cell Lithium-ion Battery, 52Whr (4800mAh)
Built-in 56K / V.92 modem
Built-in 10 / 100 /1000 Ethernet
Built-in 802.11b/g Wireless LAN
Reader 5-in-1 card reader: MS/MS-Pro/SD/MMC/xD
Built-in Microphone, 2 x Built-in 1.5W speakers, Sound System x 2 channels
Sound Blaster Pro Compatible, HD Audio, Noise Suppression & Echo Cancellation supported, SRS TruSurround XT
Dimensions 337 x 248 x 26.6 (front) ~ 38.7 (rear) mm(LxWxH)
Weight 2.05kg (without battery
Webcam Built-in QEye 1.3-megapixel webcam

Software:
BenQ QMedia Bar / BenQ QShot / BenQ Surround / Adobe Reader / Nero Express / Anti-Virus Software / Power DVD / WebCam Companion / Magic-I

Pretty nice isn’t it?

My friend said he wouldn’t need the Linpus, so, just install Windows and bla bla bla like usual.
It’s not like other new notebooks (such as Acer and HP-Compaq), this S41-448 doesn’t need any SATA-driver (such as f6) when installing Windows XP, so it just run smoothly like installing a desktop PC. Well, I still use Windows XP Professional SP2 for this notebook and intend to upgrade it to the new SP3 after the installation. Vista? Not yet until it really stable and supporting any Geo-applications.
The problems that might show are drivers for hardware in the notebook. There are only Vista divers including in the selling package, no XP. But as usual, the store can give you the driver downloaded from somewhere I don’t know.
Not too much trouble on this one, but I just don’t like the webcam application (and driver), because it use the same “SUYIN” application like the Acer 4920. And it makes the notebook won’t shutdown.
This is the step I took to install the driver and application for this S41 from BenQ after installing fresh Windows XP Professional SP 2.

• Installing Chipset v.8.3.0.1013 from Driver and Application disk.
• Graphic Adapter (nVidia GeForce Go 8600), you may download it from here, be careful for the executable (.exe) file.
• Sound, use WDM_R1.72 from here. When the system asks to install “Modem device on High Definition Audio Bus” and “Realtek High Definition Audio”, you may try to click the option to make the system search trough the drives. But the system might not found the right drivers for them. Use driver from Driver and Application Disk (Vista, NOT the 64 bit version). And for the Modem device will be installed with the next step.
• Modem (Foxconn Agere), you may download it from here, and the problem above will be disappear.
• LAN (Marvell Yukon) v.5.61.4.3 for win 32 can be downloaded from here.
• Card Reader (Flashmedia) you can use the driver from the driver and application disk.
• Bluetooth WIDCOMM 5.0.1.1500 can be downloaded from here. Remember to turn on the Bluetooth from the switch and the shortcut.
• WIFI Atheros 5.0.0.107 can be downloaded from here, remember to install the driver only, and don’t install the application.

And that would be all.

Next things to do are installing applications for BenQ, and you may use all the application from the drivers and application disk even tough it said that they all for Vista.

• Q-Hotkey Manager, to make on-screen display appears when you hit the fn (fuction) + key.
• QShot, to make you Quick Shot button works for capturing desktop at anytime.
• ArcSoft WebCam Companion 2.0
• BenQ Surround, to make the Surround button works to turn on or off the Surround feature from the speakers.
• ArcSoft Magic-i 3

And that would be all of it.

Please don’t use the webcam driver from the drivers and application disk (it said that it is for Vista), because you notebook might get hang when u shutdown you S41. And don’t use the touchpad from the disk too, because the XP has already works well for the touchpad, and when I tried installing the driver from the disk, I could not use the “scroll” feature.
Ok, this one is not hard to installed, but for this nice notebook, I think it’s a good idea for a post.