(I'll try to remember to update this in a few months as I'm only 24 hours in to using the laptop, but I know I could have used more reviews when I was shopping so I wanted to share some initial thoughts.)This unit is exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a bigger screen than a netbook, but something small/light enough to easily carry around and this is perfect for that. So far battery life is great and I've had no problems connecting to various wifi networks, printers, etc.
Set-up went smoothly. There was the typical time to let Windows update (this product DOES have Windows 7huge sell for me!) and then it was good to go. I did choose to uninstall some of the existing programs, but that seems to be a standard issue on most units. I have since installed all of my software (skype, itunes, stata, etc) and they are all running perfectly, including some work with a pretty big data set. You do have to make your own back-up discs (which again, standard) and submit some information for the warranty, but I consider that time well invested.
Since other reviews have mentioned the trackpadit's definitely wider than on any of my previous laptops. However, I haven't had any problems with accidental dragging or my palm touching while typing. I'm not sure if I have smaller hands, or just hold my wrists up higher anyway, but if that has you on the fence I would try to find one in a store to test out. I may end up disabling some of the zoom features as I don't intend to use them, but I haven't had any problems so far.
Things that I wish were a little better: the webcam quality is kind of lownot bad, but not any better than my previous laptop (several years old) and I was hoping to see some improvement. However, people I've skyped with have reported hearing me clearly, so the built in microphone apparently works well. The speakers are on the bottom of the unit, and while the volume is fine, the quality is kind of off. The music sounds kind of tinny, or like there's an echo. However, when I plug in headphones, that sound quality is fine. So I guess I'll be using headphones (or maybe external speakers) more often. However, I don't consider either of these to detract from my ability to use the laptop for all its necessary functions, and I expect to lose some of the bells and whistles when I buy a mid-price laptop, so I'm still giving five stars.
UPDATE: Less than 48 hours after first turning on this laptop, I am getting a boot failure screen indicative of hard drive failure. After an hour on the phone with tech support I am being instructed to send it to a service center (I pay for shipping and the box). Since it's still under warranty the actual fix is at no cost, but I am still going to be without my new laptop for weeks while they fix the problem. This is my first Asus product and is likely to be the last the way things are going. I really liked the laptop while it was working but 48 hours to hard drive failure is ridiculous.
UPDATE #2: On the suggestion of a friend I took it to Best Buy before mailing it in. The guy opened it up and the hard drive wasn't connected to the rest of the laptop. For whatever reason, there weren't any screws holding it in place. He found some screws, put it all together and made it stay together, and now it's fine. I'm glad it was such an easy fix, but I'm taking a star off my original review for Asus selling laptops that are apparently not put together well.
I mainly use my computer for web browsing, listening to music, and producing and mixing music. This machine gets the job done with ease. There's rarely any sign it's having a hard time processing my request. I first want to list a few of the things I love about this computer:
What I love:
Backlit keyboard
Chicklet keys (like a Mac!)
Speed of the computer
Comes with bluetooth capabilities
Matte screen (really keeps those finger prints at bay)
Cool to the touch (doesn't get hot at all compared to my old Dell, and it will be even cooler after I install my Samsung 840 SSD.
Touchpads abilities (works like Macbook controllers ex/ two finger tap=right click, two fingers to scroll, and three fingers down to view desktop)
Design (I think this computer looks like a Macbook, it's very sexy, I just hope to God it doesn't scratch easily)
Windows 7 (so glad I didn't get stuck with another awful Vista and I didn't have to go up to Windows 8 which I've heard terrible things about
Starts up quick (comes back from sleep instantly)
I love this computer so far but I'd like to list the things that bug me about it:
Problems:
Bloatware (everyone complains about it, this thing has its fair share, but really only takes about 30 mins-hour to get it all off)
Touchpad(everyone who uses this thing complains about touching the touch pad while typing. I'm having a very hard time not moving the mouse while using it, and I can't seem to find a program that disables the touchpad completely while typing)
HDD (doesn't have an SSD. I purchased a Samsung 840 to put in this thing but couldn't figure out for the life of me how to install Windows on it. I even tried burning an .iso of Windows 7 and booting it up off of that but kept coming back with a "drivers not found". I ordered a SATA cable and will clone the HDD to the SSD. I may update how that goes and comment on the speed of the system if I can get it running properly)
Touchpad continued... this thing drives me absolutely nuts. I can't stand clicking by actually pressing the pad, I need to tap it. The pad is so hard to press down. It feels as though I've broken it in a little but it's still too firm for me.
Overall I can't dock any stars, this machine does everything I need and want it to do and more. I will continue to update this review as I use the computer more and more. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a notebook with an ultrabook look.
Update: I installed my Samsung MZ-7TD250BW 840 Series Solid State Drive (SSD) 250 GB Sata 2.5-Inch into my Asus U47A and it is much much faster!! From a cold boot I am able to see the desktop at 18 seconds and the desktop and all of the services and background apps are loaded by 25 seconds. Not only is the boot time faster but also the time it takes to launch programs... it's almost instant. My internet also feels faster, not sure if that's from the SSD but I don't think it hurts. Before installing the Samsung 840 I need to purchase Vantec CB-ISATAU2 SATA/IDE to USB 2.0 Adapter Supports 2.5-Inch, 3.5-Inch, 5.25-Inch Hard Disk Drives (Black) and used the Samsung data migration software and was able to clone the Asus U47A hard drive (so Windows 7 would launch) and it worked flawlessly.
Very happy with all of my purchases. Would recommend everything listed, especially the Asus U47A.
Buy ASUS U47A-RS51 i5-3210M 2.5GHz 14.1" Notebook Now
The laptop is nice looking. I like the back-lit keyboard. It seems plenty quick but then the problems start.The wifi connection kept turning off. The only way I could restore it was to let the windows troubleshooter fix it. It would tell me that the wifi is not enabled. What? I enabled it five minutes ago, using the same troubleshooter application! I look into it further and the problem is with "wireless console 3" which is an asus add-on bloatware. I mess around with it and I think its stabilized. For now anyway.
The touchpad is too big. There is no way I can type on this thing without brushing up against it and moving my cursor around everywhere. If I'm not careful I'll end up messing with the entire screen, zooming in or out etc. The only way, really, is to hold my wrists up and out from the center of the keyboard. Not comfortable at all.
I'll continue to work with it and see if its something I need to get the hang of. If not then I am going to try and return it.
Read Best Reviews of ASUS U47A-RS51 i5-3210M 2.5GHz 14.1" Notebook Here
The sticker on the computer itself says 750GB HDD. Came with two separate hard drives, a 254GB (209 w/ OS) and a 419GB (Empty) drive that total to 673GB. This is well below the advertised capacity.I was pleased that the computer ran so quickly when it first came but it has quickly become sluggish and slow to boot up.
A wireless mouse is a must with this laptop. Absolute worst trackpad I've used in my life. The keyboard is very nice and comparable to my Macbook Pro in quality.
I bought this for schoolwork (engineering) and it fulfills that task adequately, but I will be sticking to my 2012 MacBook Pro for everyday computer use.
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Before I say anything else: the trackpad's working great for me! The trackpad was something that I was worried about after ordering and reading all the reviews. Right now I'm removing some bloatware and installing programs while surfing the web. So far, the trackpad hasn't given me any problems, and the gestures work perfectly. It clung to my fingers a bit when I initially used it, but I guess it was because it's brand new, because it's doing fine now.For not-so savvy people, make sure you pop in the laptop's battery when you get it!
I'm installing Photoshop CS2 currently, and I'll update this with how well it runs. I'm sure that it'll be fine though-compared to my old laptop (good ol' Thinkpad X41 served me well), it's wonderfully quick in everything.
Screen is matte, which I like. Speakers are placed on the side facing you, so the sound quality's pretty good (my last laptop had the speakers on the bottom, which was weird and ill-placed). Keyboard is wonderful to type on! Backlit keyboard looked funny initially at an angle, but it's nice. The computer is like a Mac design-wise, but the proportions of the laptop don't give it that Mac-feel (if that's what you're going for), since the shape of this laptop is more rectangular (due to 14" screen). But it's a very pretty laptop. :) It's heavier than my old laptop (which was 12" and ridiculously light), but it's much lighter than the laptop my sister has. I think I would be able to carry this laptop around in a bag, along with a few other items (which was one of the main things that I was looking for when I was researching for a laptop).
Overall, super satisfied with this product! I'm taking this laptop with me to college this fall, and I'm sure that it'll be perfect for the job. :)
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