Gateway NV4402u Laptop / Intel® Pentium Processor / 14" Display / 3GB Memory / 320GB Hard Drive -
HP ProBook 4540s C6Z35UT 15.6' LED Notebook - Intel - Core i3 i3-3110M 2.4GHz - Silver
Sony Vaio VPCEG1BFX/W Intel Core I3-2310M 2.1Ghz 4GB 500GB DVD+/-RW 14.0'' Win 7 HP (White)
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when i found this computer online, i was really hesitant about buying it, but to my surprize i got exactly what i ordered to the T. i would defly recommend this seller. fast shipping, tracking, and great customer service. when i had a question, they emailed me back with minutes with answers.Toshiba Satellite L855D-S5220 Laptop PC
The only downfall for this laptop is the speakers they are not something to brag about. They are truly very bad. My 7 year old dell that broke down had much better speakers than this one.
If you don't care about that then this is a very good laptop.
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this product is great on speed and instant on which I liked about it. Now the biggest downfall about this is the speakers system on this sounds like crap! I had a satellite before this and the sound system rocked and thats why I bought another one, now I'm just dissapointed about this, so if you want proformance this is it, if you want is for sound then forget it!Read Best Reviews of Toshiba Satellite L855D-S5220 Laptop PC Here
What a piece of junk. Lasted 3 days, then started the freeze up, death screens, etc. Not recoverable, it's basically a brick now. Cannot return to Beach Audio (stay away from them, too), an excluded item, so I am stuck with this piece of junk. No more computer purchases from Amazon, or anyone online. I'd give negative stars if they were available. Very dis-appointed, I had a specific use for it, with specific reasons to buy due to the OS and system architecture. now I have a $500+ doorstop. I'll have to buy a new hard drive, replace same in the PC and try a (FREE) Linux deployment on it, but my audio editing software / hardware will not run on Linux,sorry to say. I might be able to have a general use PC in doing so, we'll see. Windows 7 works very well on another laptop I have, so the OS is not the problem.Toshiba Satellite 15.6" AMD Quad-Core 640GB Laptop
Compaq CQ57-210US 15.6-Inch Notebook PC - Black
Let's be realistic and admit the specs are hardly awe inspiring, but I needed a laptop for school and it was either this or a netbook with less RAM, smaller screen, and shorter battery life.
After all, where else can you get a 15.6 inch laptop with a full keyboard that can manage to squeeze nearly 5 hours off a standard battery even with wireless running.
Now for the good points:
* DDR3 RAM instead of the usual DDR2
* RAM is easily upgraded. Hint, remove the battery and the lone screw holding the RAM plate in place will be staring you in the face. Although I'm not sure, this may be a safety precaution to make sure you do remove the battery first.
* 2GB RAM and 250GB HDD standard. Most netbooks cut these specs in close to half
* Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit instead of 32 bit Windows Starter found on most netbooks
* Plays video galore due to upgrade graphics capability over that normally found with the Atom processor
* Crisp, clear screen with no glare
* Speedier than the Atom processor in nearly everything
* No getting confused by buttons on this model. This is as plain Jane as you can get and that's good
* 15.6 inch screen means less page scrolling than with a netbook
* Not as heavy as you might think. Tops, maybe 5 pounds
* Rated at 4.5 hours but I managed to squeak nearly 5 hours
* Slick outside surface doesn't hold fingerprints, an oddity in the low price area
* Keys give decent feedback although it's not in the Lenovo class by any stretch
* Want a surprise? Play a music file and listen to the sound. This sucker comes with Altec Lansing speakers!
* Heat? What heat? This puppy doesn't make much. Even better, I have yet to hear the fan. My last Acer netbook made so much heat I couldn't put it on my lap after a while.
* Cheaper than a tablet and only marginally more expensive than a netbook
Nothing is perfect and this unit is no different:
* It's DDR3 RAM but it's limited to 4GB even though it's a 64 bit OS
* Bloatware galore
* As slab sided and ugly as ugly can get. Black plastic and acres of it without a lick of color anywhere. Guess for $300 you can't get artistic.
* Outside is devoid of fingerprints but interior finish picks them up like a Swiffer picks up dirt
* No dust over or protector for SD card slot. That's odd.
* One USB port is right next to power plug entry meaning no fat dongles allowed in that slot
* BIOS settings, while effective, are straight out of DOS in terms of design. May be a little nit-picky but instead of using the cursor to make choices you have to read a menu and press the appropriate F key to activate menu options
* Trackpad is worthless. No scrolling and since it's the same color as the casing it's impossible to see in the dark
* Like warning lights telling you about HDD activity, blah, blah, blah? Ain't happening here. Just one light to the left telling you the power is on and another to the right advising that wireless is working. No indication when plugged in that it's even charging (blind faith on that one)
Overall, I give this unit high marks because it's so much more than you might expect for the money all while being as plain a package as you can get.I ordered this notebook for my father. It was delivered very fast. We like the appearance and the keyboard is very comfortable. However, my father found some flashing black lines across the screen at the first use. The lines were not always there, but once they appeared, they stuck around until the window was closed and reopened. Most of the times, even the close-and-reopen strategy didn't work. We let it rest for one night and give it another try the second day, but things didn't get better. I returned it.
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Touch pad, same color as notebook.DVD eject button not very easy to reach.
Cheap laptop for school, email, word processing .. etc.
Generally a slow computer at great price.
I would not buy it.
Read Best Reviews of Compaq CQ57-210US 15.6-Inch Notebook PC - Black Here
I have had hardware issues with this laptop since I bought it. I've sent it back to the factory because of the modem, and it still doesn't work correctly. At least once a day the modem decides to stop working. I bumped the unit slightly with my hand when I picked it up and it dumped all my information and did an emergency shut down. This was literally a slight bump! The mousepad is a nightmare. I've had this computer for about 8 months and have had problems with it the whole time. When it is running, it runs slowly. I'm sure that is due to hardware issues as well. I will probably buy myself another computer just to end the aggravation, but it won't be another Compaq!Want Compaq CQ57-210US 15.6-Inch Notebook PC - Black Discount?
FUE RECIBIDO EN MUY BUENAS CONDICIONES, EL PRODUCTO ES EXCELENTE, FULL RAPIDA, MUY BUENA, LA PRESENTACION ES BUENA, ES RESISTENTEHP Pavilion dv5-2230us 14.5-Inch Entertainment Notebook PC - Black
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At the beginning it was great, wonderful. Before warranty time this note began to give me headaches. It crashed for no reason and nothing could bring it up. I was in UK and tried to use the support system there, as it was in the warranty time, but the support in UK was terrible, they kept me waiting and waiting. Then I shipped it back to US to be repaired (and then shipped it back to UK!). They repaired it in US but soon after a couple of months it had a problem in the HD and it began to crash all the time. I now face the prospect of waisting more money (I have waisted a lot on it) or buy a new one. I surely am not ever going to buy an HP note again in my life. Their support sucks and the computers do not worth the headache.Read Best Reviews of HP Pavilion dv5-2230us 14.5-Inch Entertainment Notebook PC - Black Here
Inspiron 15R Notebook 5520
I have the model with 8GB of DDR3 memory and the Intel Core i5-3210 @ 2.5Ghz CPU.
Everything on this laptop works great with the exception of the slow hard drive @ 5400rpm. It's a great amount of space, but I want my operating system and applications to load faster, so I'll be throwing in a Solid State Drive in this thing.
Through some research I've found that this particular model typically does not have support for mSATA devices, but there is a part # from Dell that you can order for around $15 that will allow you to install a SSD without removing the primary hard disk or the CDROM drive. The part number is N7JHH (Daughterboard w/ mSATA port) from Dell. Once you've installed this part, you can install an mSATA drive to the board to host your operating system, and leave the 1TB 5400RPM drive to host your data.
If you don't like the idea of buying the daughterboard from DELL and installing it, you can also buy a "2nd HDD Caddy" or a new "Disk Bay Adapter" for the laptop, which just replaces the CD-ROM drive with a SATA drive (its okay, you can use an external cdrom drive or just use USB drives for everything). A good place to look is newmodeus.com
I love how all of the USB ports are now 3.0 and it has the 3rd Gen Intel Chip w/ graphics.
I dislike how the power port and RJ45 now on the sides instead of the back like in the older models, but its a minor flaw.I've had this laptop since Christmas of last year, and I really like it, but, it can be a bit slow at times, plus it takes me about about 10 minutes to get it into a useable state after already logging on, that may be just me, but I think it has something to do with the laptop.
Pros:
Good for students
relatively small
not windows 8 ;)
Cons:
a bit slow
pretty bad display
low battery life
loaded with useless dell media drivers that slow it down further
I'd recommend it if your on a budget, other than that... no.
Sony Vaio VPCEE23FX/T AMD Athlon II X2 P320 2.1GHz 4GB 320GB DVDR/RW 15.5'' Win7 (Brown)
Awakes from stand-by in 4 seconds and from hibernation in about 12 seconds. My colleagues, family, and friends are impressed by its processing speed. Truly!
Despite its large 15.5" screen it isn't heavy in my briefcase. Maybe because of the lighter than usual power charger, which I also like because of its cable junction design (it won't break as with all my previous HPs)
If I wanted something different I probably asked for a larger hard drive, but, I worry that making any change may mess its apparently unique configuration.
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After doing some light research, I bought this laptop as a quick fix to serve as my go-to AutoCAD tool for school. I already have a Mac so the stakes were high for this machine. Right out of the box the thing worked like a charm. It detected my wi-fi and printer in almost seconds so I was ready to go. Loading the AutoCAD software was easy as well, no hiccups, and I've been able to use it consistantly for 3 months without incident. Overall, I'm extremely pleased with this laptop and I have to say Windows 7 isn't half bad either. I have yet to spring for the full-blown MS Office 2010, but the Office Starter that comes with the machine has worked perfectly enough that I find I don't need the full version yet. I'm able to work in Excel and Word without a problem, inclusive of editing and creating new docs. I use Excel a LOT and have yet to be hindered with the Office Starter capabilities. It is a free tool, which means there are ads present, but they are shuffled to the right margin and never jump out into the document itself. Granted, you lose a fair chunk of working space, but it IS a free tool so consider what you are getting for the money. For my school needs, I'm just fine working around that for now.A couple nits:
1) the constant Windows Updates. It seems like everyday, either Windows or VAIO wants to load something new on my machine. I've started becoming selective based on my needs, but if this sort of thing doesn't bother you then its a non-issue. It has died down since the first days of having the machine so it probably just needed to catch up with the current info once it started up for the first time.
2) the screen is HIGHLY reflective and that can get annoying if your light source isn't in the exact, right spot. I've not quite found that sweet spot, but it's definitely not behind or directly overhead. Off to the side and not directly pointed at the screen seems to work well.
Other reviews I read poo-pooed the power cord placement on the side of the laptop vs. the back, but this hasn't been a thorn in my side or anything so it's all personal preference.
For under $700, I am extremely happy with my purchase and definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a cheaper alternative that will still handle most tasks with ease.
PS I've streamed Netflix over my home wi-fi very successfully as well.Everything on this computer is slow or slower. Opening a window like My Computer can take about 30-45 seconds. Closing one even longer. If a window freezes while sufacing, go get a cup of coffee because that revolving circular thingy will be going for at least a minute. It's insane. This new operating system has none of the snap that Windows XP had. Everything kind of 'floats' open, like it's in no rush. Despite having 4GB of RAM and a 320GB Hard Drive and doing little more than surfing and some word processing, this computer is just plain garbage. I will say, after my HD fried, SONY did provide excellent customer service as it was still under the one year warranty. Stay away!!!Though I didn't purchase my PC through Amazon, I feel that I have an obligation to review this PC. I bought it last August and have to say between now and then I have had it running at least 2/3 of the time since. I fall asleep to movies in my MediaGo library. I use it to record local music. I use it to make music. I go to college online with it. I work this machine, there are always at least 4-5 programs running. It rarely crashes because of hardware issues. No problem running and Adobe CS5 program. This computer is truly a beast, I could keep listing what I have put this machine through all night. I have put this machine through hell, it comes everywhere with me. In the time that I have had it, I have only had 2 issues. The first I easily fixed myself because it was a software malfunction, I had to restore the system to factory settings which is a grueling process when you create and accumulate as much data as I do. Though my computer is still a fully functional machine after the few hours it took to get it to where it needed to be. The second issue is that sometimes when I put it down swiftly when it is closed, it shuts down. The strange thing about that is.... It doesn't recognize that it shut down incorrectly when I turn it back on. But this happens few and far between, like I said I've put this thing through the electronic equivalent of hell, and there is no handbasket involved. I have definitely received output of data that is far beyond the financial input for this laptop. I find SONY to be a very reliable company, any time I have had a problem or question they have been easy to deal with. I look forward to upgrading the Hard Drive and RAM in the next coming months. I enjoy its aesthetic, and the full sized keyboard. Its not heavy, it does run a bit hot. The power button is awkwardly placed, I accidentally put it to sleep sometimes when I pick it up open. (reminiscent of the poorly place power switch on the PSP, when intensely involved in a game it is easy to accidentally power off... I guess that's the price we pay for smaller and smaller electronics). All in all, if you are looking for a PC that is reasonably priced, will meet your entertainment (besides hard core gaming (though oblivion runs fine on it... prolly not skyrim though), and can handle multitasking too, SERIOUSLY consider this Machine.
(BIG)pros
Quality Screen
Upgradable Hard Drive, RAM, and Optical Drive
Full Size Keyboard
great for Everyday Entertainment use
and... It still Multi-tasks amazingly.
CONS
poorly placed power button (minor nuisance)
has needed maintenance (after 15 months, but it was easy to DIY)
lots of Bloatware... (easy to fix)
loud optical drive (minor nuisance)
Dell Inspiron 14R 1181MRB 14-Inch Laptop (Mars Black)
Update: Laptop still is going very strong. Only downside is part of the letter came off on the N key...will replace the keyboard within the next year.
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I stalked this particular laptop on dell's website for a few days. Compact, fast, cool. Everything I needed to help myself become a digital dj. Then I found it on amazon for about 80 dollars less? It only took me about 2 seconds to think about it before I hit the "add to cart" button. This thing is fly.The only thing I can say is that the shift button is a little smaller so sometimes I press the enter button instead, and the track pad is hard to tell from the surrounding area of the rest of the computer..so you think you're all set to scroll the crap out of something and nothing happens..haha. These are just silly things compared to how happy I am.
Read Best Reviews of Dell Inspiron 14R 1181MRB 14-Inch Laptop (Mars Black) Here
I have owned several laptops ranging from high end Sony Vaio, to heavily discounted HPs, and I've never had any issue with any of them. Also, beware of Dell's customer service, they are not helpful at all. The product page states that the laptop has a 1 year hardware warranty but they are trying to make me purchase a $100 hardware warranty for a year. This is the second bad experience with Dell's customer service, so I suggest stay away from Dell until they do something about their customer service.Want Dell Inspiron 14R 1181MRB 14-Inch Laptop (Mars Black) Discount?
I bought this for my wife. she's not a power user by any means but she loves it. mostly web surfing, email and maybe a little photo editing with photoshop elements 7. she like the small size. i have a 17" dell and prefer the bigger screen. she likes the light portability of the 14". to each their own.The price on amazon was somewhat better than the dell site and with free shipping and no tax...this was the place to buy.
Acer Ultrabook NX.V7QAA.009;TMB113-M-6825 11.6-Inch Laptop
Pros:
Lightweighta hair over 4 lbs which makes it almost an ultrabook
Full-featuredits a business laptop but still has a webcam and USB 3 port
Fastlighting fast so far. Acer doesn't bog their pcs down with a bunch of crap and its faster to boot up than any computer I have used. That includes comparable Dell, Lenovo, and Toshiba models.
Inexpensivefound mine for just over $600. Couldn't find a comparable model from the other guys for less than $750.
Cons:
Not stylish in anywaysturdy black plastic, no keyboard backlighting
Screen resolutionis not as sharp as some of the newer guys. A step down from HD.
Sony VAIO E Series SVE1413BCXP 14-Inch Laptop (Pink)
The only thing for which I do not give 5 stars is the mouse pad. Here it was where Sony make the saving. The mouse sometimes you do not know where the left and right side begin, kind of annoying at the beginning but after a while you get use to.
It comes with some bottoms that allow you to use hot keys, like the FN key
I love the led keyboard that came with it.
I would improve this review in the future. Let see if it last.http://esupport.sony.com/US/p/model-home.pl?mdl=SVE1413BCXW&template_id=1®ion_id=1&tab=download#/downloadTab.I just received this laptop today, and I am blown away at how amazing it truly is. This computer runs very quickly and the keyboard and trackpad are great. I'm not the biggest fan of windows 8, but after playing around with it for a few minutes, you get used to it. This laptop is just the right for a college student or someone who wants another portable computer for everyday use. The backlit keyboard is great if you want to use this computer late at night but don't want to turn on another light in the room to see. Overall, this computer runs smoothly and seems to be great quality for a low price. I would highly, highly recommend this computer for regular tasks!
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On time, New Windows is great, My wife love the pink computer and the new windows. I will sugest you to buy itRead Best Reviews of Sony VAIO E Series SVE1413BCXP 14-Inch Laptop (Pink) Here
The HD read/write operations are slow, which compromises the performance of the whole computer. Perhaps the computer needs more RAm memoryWant Sony VAIO E Series SVE1413BCXP 14-Inch Laptop (Pink) Discount?
This is a very low quality product, it even feels cheep. The track pad is all over the place. You can not stream a video without pauses. I really expected more from SONY. I have returned this product.Sony VAIO VGN-TZ191N/X 11.1" Notebook (1.2GHz Core 2 Duo U7600 2GB RAM 32GB HDD DL DVD-RW Vista Bus
This thing is small and thin. Feels like it has no battery. Actually does weigh just a tad over 2.5 pounds. The carbon fiber is impressive.
Speakers are lots better than my netbook, not near as loud as my other laptops. At their highest, movies are, let's say, comfortable.
The keys are chicklet style--widely separated and little push. But unlike my older VAIO S150, the cursor won't skip around while typing, so no need for Touch Freeze. Tight here.
At 11 inches it is much easier to type on than the my netbook, but not at all like my regular laptops. Probably no extended typing on this one.
The screen is...OMG! It's not that the color is brighter it's the saturation! Colors are high contrast and just jump off the High Definition screen. Like nothing I've ever seen! It's the saturation, the WHITE (no yellow) background, and the razor (and I do mean razor) sharp HD screen. When desktop icons make you stare.....
Processor speed. The Core 2 Duo Ultra Lo Voltage chip is as fast as any of my other Core 2 Duos. With the Core 2 Duo and Windows 7 Professional, absolutely no need for more than a gig of RAM. It has infinite settings and adjustments for everything possible. I set the power on the chip at 75% to extend the battery life (and not dim the screen), and it is sufficiently fast, but you can feel the chip tugging on the bridle. Powered down to 75%, and the ubiquitos Sony fan turned down to 'quiet', the battery gets 4 hours. I guess that's OK for the (LOTS of) use it has apparently seen.
The blue tooth, fingerprint reader, web cam, etc., I haven't messed with.
Biggest unexpected surprises--the saturation and sharpness of the LED Hi Def screen. Second, how fast that processor is. I guess I was expecting what I get with Goggle Chrome stripped down on my netbook, not what I'm getting with a real laptop and full-blown Windows 7 Professional. Third, how light and thin it is--even with the dual-layer DVD burner. Fourth the wifi--picks up places I didn't know existed. Has wireless a/b/g/n--and I still don't own an 'n' router. Finally, how quiet and tight it feels. 'Lean' I guess is the word, No fat anywhere. Not a speck of wasted space.
Disappointments--impossible to type on in poor light (those dark keys and pale lettering), and the mouse buttons are right on the front edge. Takes getting used to.
All in all, how Sony packed all the stuff into what looks like a netbook, I don't know. Nobody else certainly did. It is aptly described as ultra portable.
Probably more than you wanted to know, but it is a powerfully packed little unit that once was prohibitively expensive, and beyond the reach of us mortals.I purchased this computer in September of 08. It is an expensive computer and of course, I bought the fancy case. I truly appreciated the smaller notebook configuration and the fact that I could carry it easily. It worked very well for two years. In January of 2011, the hard drive failed. This was one year and two months after the warranty was out. I went to Sony customer service and found that, yes, I could send it in. However, the cost to me, minus shipping, would be between $400 and $500 for a new hard drive. I have communicated with three other persons who have experienced exactly the same hard drive failure with this computer. It is a newer, smaller hard drive and obviously does not function over time. If you do decide to purchase this computer I would make sure to purchase the extended warranty.
I have decided not to repair it and certainly will not purchase another Sony computer. We have an HP that is an 04 and going strong. My next purchase will be an I-book.
ASUS Zenbook UX31E-DH52 13.3-Inch Thin and Light Ultrabook (Silver Aluminum)
I do hope you find it useful please vote this up if you did, to inform prospective buyers. Thanks!
Physical outlook:
The Zenbook largely resembles the MacBook Air in terms of svelteness. Even the tapering of the chasis 17mm-3mm is the same as the MacBook. This is a good thing because the Zenbook looks better than the MacBook air. The edges look more clean cut, more industrial looking. Definitely something for the corporate board.
Keyboard:
This is a hit and miss issue with many users. You either love it or hate it. I found the keyboard better than the MacBook because I could actually type faster on this laptop.
1. The keys have much lesser travel than the MacBook Air.
2. They are well spaced.
Some people were complaining about how unresponsive the keys would be. I had found that to be true when I first used the laptop, but adapted to the typing style, applying a little more pressure with each keystroke. Now I can type faster than I can with my iMac wireless keyboard!
It's just a matter of getting used to.
Poor Trackpad:
This is perhaps one of my most pertinent gripes about the Zenbook. The trackpad, like the keyboard is a matter of getting used to. Asus did a poor job in this aspect because they did not standardize the parts used in their Zenbook series. Some Zenbooks came with the Elan touchpad. Others came with the more inferior Sentallics branded touchpad. Both touchpads had different drivers and performance. The sentallics version performed poorly even with updated drivers and felt like using a year 20000-esque trackpad. There was very poor control over the trackpad, it seemed to have a mind of it's own especially when using multitouch gestures.
I managed to get the Elan trackpad, and my experience was not better off. When using two fingers on the trackpad in Opera (one finger on left click, the other to move the cursor around) the Zenbook did not recognize this even though my other finger was on the left click BUTTON. It kept recognizing this as a pinch and zoom, resizing the page I was browsing. This is irritating as I have to adapt to using the laptop with one finger. MacBook Airs don't even have a specific left click button and they don't accidentally recgnize my gestures as pinch to zoom. In this aspect, Asus has tragically failed in one of the key aspects of interaction with a laptop the touchpad.
Slow SSD:
As with the trackpad, the Zenbook shipped with two 128GB SSD variants, the slower Sandisk u100 and the faster, more superior ADATA SANDFORCE. I received the Sandisk variant and I'm seriously having buyers remorse on the purchase. Major reviewers (engadget, anandtech, pocketlint, ars technica) somehow received the superior ADATA variants as their test units, and based their judgement on the drive they received. Most buyers purchase because of the positive reviews made by them. Their reviews would have been much different with the SANDISK SSD.
What Asus did was misleading, and very inappropriate. Advertising the faster ADATA SSD's then shipping other units with the lousier Sandisk units.
The benchmarks I done using Crystal Disk Mark showed the vast difference in speeds. Below:
SANDISK
Size Read Write
4K 16.92 12.49
512K 253.2 21.81******
1GB 460.2 247.1
ADATA (Data from notebookcheck.net)
SIZE Read Write
4K 26.38 51.15
512K 374.7 131.7*****
1GB 429.6 132.8
As you can see, the speeds on the ADATA is easily 6 times faster on write speeds. The 1GB is similar but for day to day usage like surfing and microsoft office, the most commonly used size is below 512K. Thus, the ADATA offers a tremendous speed increase compared to the Sandisk.
As a consumer paying the same amount for a laptop, it is only fair that we receive what we expect. There should be no deviation from what Asus advertises and what we receive.
In this instance, getting a perfect Zenbook combination was like striking the lottery given the amount of permutations given. We only have a 1 in 4 chance of getting both the Elan touchpad and ADATA SSD.
Wireless Problem:
Many users were facing problems with their Wireless card receiving slow speeds. An updated driver would solve the problem. I did not experience the Wifi problem and the Zenbook worked fine out of the box.
I found that the weak wireless problem may be attributed to the Power Options settings. Goto power options -> change plan settings -> changed advanced power settings -> Wireless Adapter settings -> Power saving mode -> MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE.
Audio Hissing Sound:
Some users complained (in the UX21 reviews) that they heard very loud hissing sounds coming out of their earphone port with earphones. I did not hear it on my unit. Perhaps he received a lemon?
In conculsion:
Truth be said, I am not an Apple fan and was very happy to see such a good looking ultraportable that trumps the MacBook Air's air of sexiness. The zenbook is downright awesome to look at. The full aluminium chasis offers the kind of durability no other laptop can offer in it's class.
But with further comparison, the Apple ships with same compenents across the board. We appreciate this reliablility because we KNOW what components we are getting.
We aren't playing the lottery Asus, and this Zenbook certainly isn't my idea of a $1000 lottery ticket.This is a great notebook with awsome battery life (5+ hours of standward def video with 20% battery left), good keyboard (not as good as Lenovo's), good trackpad (after driver upgrade), good scren and great look. I do wish that I can find a place to purchase another power supply as I usually have one charger at work and one at home. Although the power supply is thin and small, I would love to have 2, but I cannot find any retailer's online that sells the power supply for this notebook. I also wish there is some soft of port aggregator for this notebook. On the right side of the notebook, you have power, USB3, mini VGA and mini HDMI port. ASUS could easily make an psudo dock that plugs into all 4 port then you have in instant notebook dock. Coming from a T series Lenovo, I miss the docking feature and not having to plug 3 things in everything I goto my desk (power, USB 3, and mini HDMI).
Warning: DO NOT UNINSTALL Instant on, PowerWiz and Power4Gear. When I did so, my computer begin to blue screen. I believe it has to do with how the hardware operates in sleep mode and how Windows expect it to behave in sleep mode. Those 3 software bridge the gap between what Windows expect and how the hardware behaves. Without it, don't expect a stable notebook.
HINT: I've had some wireless stability problem earlier, but that was solved by disabling MIMO power save in the advance setting of the wireless adaptor by going to Network and Sharing Center, Change Adaptor setting, right click the adaptor, properties, configure, Advanced, and set Dynamic MIMO power save to disabled.
Buy ASUS Zenbook UX31E-DH52 13.3-Inch Thin and Light Ultrabook (Silver Aluminum) Now
This is a brief video review of the Asus Zenbook UX31. I recommend this notebook for anyone looking for an ultra-portable and fast laptop that has a great design.I've been using the Asus UX31 for almost 2 weeks now and I have to say that I love it.
My reasons for purchasing this specific model were for 2 reasons.
First, screen resolution. I have perfect eyesight and for me "screen real estate" is based on how many pixels there are, not how big the screen is physically. 1600x900 at 13" is the best you can do unless you want to shell out $3000 for a top of the line Sony VIAO.
My second reason for purchasing this laptop was build quality. I am preparing for a 2 year service in the Peace Corps. I wanted something small, powerful, and most importantly, physically strong. This baby has a solid aluminum frame with no "give". And with no moving parts (thanks to the SSD) I won't mind if it takes a few knocks whether it's powered on or off.
Keyboard: It's fine for work on the go, but this external: () fits nicely into my bag for setting up a mobile workspace.
Trackpad: Pain in the ass with settings as shipped. If you've read many other reviews you'll understand. I found that the best solution is to disable the ASUS SmartSense settings entirely and use this program instead: TouchFreeze Using TouchFreeze has been a wonderful solution for me but I'd still like to see ASUS fix the issue with a driver update so that I don't have to use a separate application.
Storage: If you think that 128GB is not enough, than you need to learn to use an external hard drive effectively. Your media (music, videos, full res photos) don't need to be stored locally. Even large programs and games can be installed to an external drive. A small portable USB powered 1TB external does the trick for me.
Graphics: The other day I plugged my UX31 up to a giant 1920x1080 display and ran an extended desktop with no problems. I don't play very many modern games, but I have been able to run Civilization IV with full specs even using the battery saver power configuration.
All the other reviews should cover everything else you need to know, so read them! I'm a software developer and a hardware snob as well. This machine is meeting all my current demands except one: the 4GB RAM cannot be upgraded. To be in the ultrabook category, you must compromise there.
One last thing you should know: I was initially overly zealous about uninstalling the bloatware that ASUS included. There are a few programs that need to be kept running to keep things stable. Those are Power4Gear Hybrid, PowerWiz, InstantOn, PWR Option, ATK Package, WinFlash, Wireless Console 3, and ASUS Splendid Vid ET. Those are the ones I decided to keep, uninstall them at your own risk.
Want ASUS Zenbook UX31E-DH52 13.3-Inch Thin and Light Ultrabook (Silver Aluminum) Discount?
To start with, I consider myself to be very tech-saavy and tech-educated. I don't discriminate on brand but rather on form and function. I've owned iPhones and Androids...I've used macbooks, laptops, and desktops and have built them (desktops) from scratch, etc. etc. When it comes to a machine like this, it is a whole different ballpark. At first, I was hesitant at purchasing the Zenbook. I wasn't sure if I wanted to purchase this or the Lenovo U300s or the Macbook Air (13 inch). I read reviews about how people hated the keyboard and the touchpad, how there were issues with the touchpad along with the wireless card and this scared me. Of course, the saying goes, an unhappy customer is louder than a happy one. Besides these issues, which I will address later, the specs on paper looked extremely good. The Zenbook is significantly faster than the Lenovo U300s and is neck in neck with the Macbook Air with a smaller price tag. The Macbook Air has better battery life but I think in this case, it is an operating system thing because if you bootcamp Windows 7 on a 13 inch Macbook Air, the battery life goes down to 4-5 hours compared to the Zenbook's 6-7 hr battery life (I haven't reversed it and installed Mac OS on the Zenbook so I can't give you details on that). So on paper, the Zenbook seemed to be the winner. As for looks, I personally prefer the Zenbook. I think it is one of the most beautiful laptop computers ever made. The Macbook Air looks bland next to the Zenbook and several of my coworkers fell in love with the design when they saw it and not knowing that it was mine, started talking about it behind my back. Looks and specs aside, user interactions are one of the most critical aspects of a good computer. I am currently typing this review on my Zenbook. Coming from Lenovo keyboards, my personal favorite the Logitech DiNovo Edge, and MacBook keyboards, there is a bit of stretch (maybe a couple days max) of getting comfortable with the keyboard but I wouldn't say it was a bad experience, it was a nice change and typing on the keyboard feels nice now. The trackpad, I have had no issues with. After reading the reviews stating that the trackpad was horrible and that it was okay after driver updates, I immediately updated drivers and the bios when I got the Zenbook and have no problems whatsoever.Right now, if this were to be my review, this product would have 5 out of 5 stars however...this is actually my 2nd Zenbook. The first one I returned after noticing wifi problems. I uninstalled and updated drivers, I checked forums, I did tweaks but the wifi thing was killer for me. It would go from one bar to five even though I hadn't moved. Speed fluctuations all the time, I just couldn't take it and so I returned it and gave the Zenbook another chance. The one I have now has been smooth since day 1. No issues at all but because of inconsistency in production because I believe the wifi issue is a hardware issue and not a software issue that's a full star down.
Now for the more definite pros and cons list + comparisons.
PROS
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1. Number 1 on the list has got the be the screen and the screen resolution. Macbook Air has a screen resolution of 1440 x 900. Lenovo U300s, 1366 x 768. The Zenbook trumps them all with a screen resolution of 1600 x 900. In my opinion, 1366 x 768 does not look good. Everything is huge and it's difficult to do work in. The Macbook Air has a slightly better resolution but the Zenbook really hits the spot. I can have two documents side by side or a browser on one side and my thesis work on the other...having a larger screen resolution, without breaking the bank, is crucial. Zenbook has got that hands down. As for the quality, it is a glossy screen and doesn't have as much pop in colors as the Macbook Air but it is still beautiful.
2. Speed. The solid state drive makes life so much faster! I've used solid state drives for years now and they make bootups and regular activity faster and snappier. The Zenbook boots up in about 25 seconds (that's loading up Windows and every random program that is in startup like the iTunes stuff, antivirus, etc.) It also wakes up from sleep in about 2 seconds, which makes resuming activity smooth and seamless. Also, gotta give credit to the Intel 2nd gen Sandy Bridge processor powering this thing. Works like a charm.
On a more technical note, the Zenbook comes equipped with a 128 GB ADATA Sandforce solid state drive. Read/write speeds are 550/500 MB/s. This is way faster than the solid state drive in the Macbook Air, which is a Toshiba SSD with read/write speeds of 200/190 MB/s (Mid 2011 Macbook Air).
3. Quiet

