I actually got this at staples with a coupon for $100 off the sales price.This notebook looks amazing! The top cover and inside frame are aluminum with the exception of the bottom being a smooth-rubberdized finished. The one that I got (black) have a very subtle brown appearance when coming in contact with bright light. The 11.6" screen have a very glossy finish which makes it very fingerprint prone. Trying to find a screen protector for the s200e is a little tricky, as Asus doesn't have a Buy option on their website (it's there but you can't buy it). Other sellers carry a wide variety of 11.6" screen protector, however I'm looking for one that covers the frame along with a hole for the camera. I came across a company called Kai (from HK)and ordered it to see if it will fit or not (order hasn't come in yet).
I'm not an advance computer person but I do appreciate the 3rd gen intel processor that came with this notebook. The speed is fast, from the time that I turn it on to the time I shut it down. It loads quickly and perform on the same level if not a little faster than the average notebook. I've ordered a crucial m4 128GB ssd to replace the seagate 500gb hdd. Windows 8 runs great with the touchscreen. Scrolling and zooming through websites, apps, news, is effortless easy and fun! Battery life is phenomenal, I get around 4-5 hours before I have to find the charger and plug it in. However, replacing the battery will be a difficult task as it is internal. With networking, I do noticed that the wifi wasn't that great compared to my other dell notebooks. I don't know if it is the wifi chip or windows 8 that I can't connect to one of my main school's network (I had to use the "guest"). Typing on this thing is rather a challenge. It's not that the keyboard is small, but rather the sleekness of the keys itself. They are slippery and my fingers tend to slide pass the keys that I'm aiming for.
Overall, I would recommend getting this notebook if you're looking for a small ultrabook notebook that has touchscreen capability and good overall performance.
For me:
Pros:
+ touchscreen
+ lightweight
+ very high quality build
+ good processor
+ sleek and very attractive
+ HDMI, 1x USB 3.0
+ battery life (~5 hours)
Cons:
wifi signal/chip?
screen/display is too glossy
slippery keys
It measures EXACTLY 12 inches from the OUTER edges. Although it's very slim in design, it's a tad heavier than you think it would be. The brushed aluminum has a bronze look to it that I really like. It's made extremely well. No issues there. The only thing is the battery life. You COULD get 5 hours if you were just doing word processing. Playing (I mean) doing work on the internet and other light applications drops it down to 3 1/2 to 4 hours. My advice would be to buy an external battery pack like the Lenmar PowerPort External battery and charger. That will add an extra 4 hours!!
Windows 8 is okay. I'm getting use to it now and the touchscreen is so much fun!! The only thing I don't like is that it keeps asking you to setup a Microsoft online account to 'personalize' your computer. Just another information scam in my humble opinion. Also, the screen itself is sort of small, but it's better than a netbook.
This model is the one in-between the Q200E and the X202E. Don't get the Q200E!!! That one has a slower processor. This model, the S200E is the middle version with the faster processor. The only thing it doesn't have is blue-tooth which I don't really use anyway and the last model, the VIVO X202E apparently has some issues with the hard-drive even though that one has blue tooth. I posted some pictures for everyone. I hope my review is helpful. :P
UPDATE: Not that this is specific for everyone, but the Adobe Reader in Windows 8 with the READ ALOUD function actually sounds like A REAL PERSON!! That's a big deal to me because I use mine for writing. :)As other reviewers have said this is a great laptop that doesn't skim on the quality for a budget pricetag. I also purchased this computer with a coupon from Staples for $425 +tax. It weighs as light as a netbook but with a sleek metal casing. There is a learning curve to Windows 8, and it's quite frustrating. I have had this laptop for a week, and several times my keyboard both touchscreen and physical froze up occasionally. At times, while typing my cursor jumped a few lines down. I assumed this was a driver issue, so uninstalled SmartGesture touchpad application and reinstalled the touchpad driver from the ASUS website and everything is resolved so far. I doubt this is a hardware issue so I blame Window 8 for now. The touchscreen is extremely responsive however one must understand the full capability of Windows 8 to utilize it well. It can be tedious to move from the home apps screen to the classic Windows screen. Once I started getting to used to the gestures of the touchpad and the touchscreen I love the versatility although more complex than previous versions of windows. The screen resolution is adequate and bright enough for my viewing purposes (watching DVDs, browsing, word processing, no gaming). Also, this Asus comes with a DVD-RW external drive with a slot to store it's own USB cord, albeit one that is extremely short. Reviewers have complained about the fan being loud. The fan isn't loud but a persistent low hum runs in the background. I have heard of people customizing and switching the HDD to a SSD which may resolve the humming but I am by no means a computer expert. The battery is internal so you cannot upgrade the battery but battery life will get you 4 or so hours with browsing and checking e-mails. I would say if you are looking for a second laptop for traveling, or a light user who doesn't game this is a great laptop for you.Update 26-Jun-2013: Hurray! The touchpad issues have been normalized with a driver update from ASUS. I downloaded and installed SmartGesture_Win7_8_VER201 from ASUS website. It fixes the issues with the touchpad. However, I still prefer turning off all features in ASUS Smart Gesture except for single touch "Select" and "Activate". Also, I prefer, in Control Panel->Mouse->Pointer Options, select "Fast" in pointer speed and check "Enhanced pointer precision". These have been a major improvement so I've raised my rating to a full 5 stars.
Update 18-Mar-2013: Wanted to specifically mention that battery endurance is impressive for my usage. I can get up to four hours of web surfing if I needed it. I find that I'm more productive with this computer because the processor and SSD (user upgrade) are quite fast. My morning web surfing episodes are noticeably shorter.
Update 15-Mar-2013: I improved the touchpad by installing ASUS touchpad driver from their website and customizing features. The current driver is named SmartGesture_ASUS_Win7_8_VER1036.zip. Once installed, double click the ASUS SmartGesture icon in the taskbar (usually bottom-right on desktop). My preference, YMMV, was to uncheck all features except Select and Activate. I still don't like the touchpad but now it's more predictable. I also changed Control Panel->Mouse->Pointer Options->select-a-pointer-speed a couple notches faster.
The ASUS X202e (ASUS S200e) is an excellent value despite its flaws. Here's some tweaks to share. Some require hacker-level experience. I use the X202e mainly for web surfing. Your tweaks may vary with use case.
1. Replace the hard drive with an SSD for much faster speed. The processor is quite fast for web surfing but you'll really appreciate the added speed of an SSD. I only need a 60GB+ SSD for my usage. Be sure the SSD is a 7mm height drive such as a Samsung 840.
2. I hate bloatware. I reinstalled Windows 8 from a generic 64-bit Windows 8 DVD. No activation key was needed. The only driver I needed beyond what Windows 8 installed was the audio drivers for the microphone. I downloaded from ASUS support web page. I installed using a generic USB DVD drive.
3. The default screen settings make the display a bit washed out looking. To fix, right click on the desktop->Graphics Properties->Display->Color Enhancements. Change Brightness to -20, Contrast to 51 and Gamma to 0.9.
4. I use Ninite.com to quickly install many often used programs.
5. I swear the touchpad has been improved by an initial cleaning. I used window cleaner.
6. I haven't found a better touchpad driver than the stock Windows 8 driver. I'm open to alternate drivers. Please make recommendations in comments but please, document any non-standard settings.
7. I reset the BIOS to defaults and then chose "Optimal Settings". Don't assume the manufacturer installed with optimal settings selected.
8. I love Windows 8 but only when with the Windows 7 shell, so I installed EX7FORW8 software. Recommended. Touch continues to work.
With these tweaks, you'll get a much better X202E experience. I'm hoping a new driver will improve the too touchy touchpad. Yes, the screen could be a bit better but it's acceptable. Battery life is ample with my usage. I get about 4 hours web surfing -more than expected and more than needed for my usage.Maybe we should call it a "LapBook". My 17" laptop runs an i7 first generation processor but I have to say, the i3 third gen. is a pretty fast unit. I run everything on the 11" ASUS, except Photoshop CS5...for obvious reasons, that I run on the i7, 17 inch laptop. A partial list, Office 2010, QuickBooks Pro, Sky 6, a Professional Astronomy program, Acronis, McAfee, Skype and others.
Both Laptops are networked together, (wireless), so I share data between the two and this allows me to work on anything by sharing files. I could use "the cloud" but this is OK as I just update both PC's when I save a new or updated file.
A "touch pen" works very well on this screen. This eliminates the fingerprint smudges and when typing, I use the pen or keyboard as I have big fingers. I wish the lettering on the keyboard was brighter. When typing in my recliner, I angle the unit in my lap in a 90 degree "V" and this gives a great view of the screen but the keys aren't as visible and I need to tip it back down to type. (not really a complaint) I suppose I could use two pens and type on-screen.
In January I updated from W7 to Windows 8 Pro + Media Center on my 17" and Windows 8 (NOT RT) came on the ASUS. When I switch between the two, I find I'm always reaching for the BIG screen to do "stuff". W8 took getting used to but it is designed for a touch screen and it really shines on the ASUS. There's not a significant difference between the two as far as performance, (what's a few seconds) but I enjoy the ASUS for the touch screen. Using the BIG mouse on the 17" is becoming a pain. Tapping with the pen is a snap! If I didn't need the larger screen to render images with PS-CS5, I'd probably just use the ASUS! I'm sure it will run PS but the screen is just too small for image processing. (This wasn't the plan) I could connect this to a monitor but...maybe when the 17" dies.
The DVD-RW "outrigger" is a great inclusion with the ASUS. This allows for a smaller Unit and it isn't used except for running my Acronis backups. I have a 500GB USB3 external HDD I save the backups to. I boot with the DVD-RW and save on the USB 3 HDD. You will need to change the BIOS to boot from the DVD-RW. (very easy) There are two USB-2 and one USB-3 port. Almost forgot the SD Card slot. No slots or jacks in the front or back, everything is accessible on the sides.
I would like to add a 128 GB SSD to this unit and be able to change batteries BUT to open the box voids the warrantee. I'll wait a year and see how it holds out before I jump in. This is a great unit as it performs well for all I need it to do and battery life has been OK, even when giving presentations with Power Point. I haven't used it with Sky 6 and the telescope but will wait for better (warmer) weather to play outdoors.
The ASUS is about a month old now but it "feels" like an old friend. Much easier to transport for presentations and it comes with full size connectors for video and HDMI so you don't need the "micro" connectors on this unit. I was in the market for an iPad but I'm glad I found this. Most of the Apps are shut down to improve boot time and I only use two or three of them, when I have the time. I recommend this "little" unit to anyone looking for a good touch screen for productivity and fun!
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