Asus this week announced the SDRW-08U5S-U external DVD writer. This sleek DVD writer is targeted at ultrabooks and Asus (of course) has its own Zenbook in mind, since it's styled to match its design. The sleek Zen design will come in three colors: Lively Mellow Metallic, Bright Berry and Dusty Rose. All three come with the brushed aluminum "concentric-circle hairline texture" and measure just 13 mm thick.
Beyond the pretty styling the units also carry a flexible built-in stand (not visible in the image). Regardless, its purpose is so that users can easily switch between a horizontal or vertical placement.
Lastly, the drive supports Asus' Disc Encryption II, which allows users to encrypt the data with customizable passwords and encode filenames. This should be good for keeping away prying eyes and hiding personal data.
So far there is no word on pricing or availability.
