Laptops and Notebooks Reviews : Asus

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ASUS UL30A-X5K Thin and Light 13.3-Inch Laptop with Kindle for PC (Black)

I feel robbed

-- 2010-09-01
I bought this laptop because Asus was highly recommended by some of my friends and mainly because they offer and heavily advertise that this computer has a global warranty. This was a present for my younger brother who lives overseas and this was his first experience with a computer. I was very sad to see his disappointment when he tried to connect wifi. He called Asus in that country because the laptop has a global warranty but he was very surprised when an Asus representative told him that the global warranty does not work for Latin America. I guess Asus thinks that Latin America is in another planet. I am very upset because my brother had waited for years to have his first computer and now he cannot use it.
He called Asus in the United States and was told that he could return it to the US for repair. This is a new computer but they said that this has a manufacturing defect. The problem is that this computer only brings 1 wifi antenna "Atheros" and does not work.
This is well documented in many blogs and forums on the internet. DO NOT BUY this computer as it will not work well in a wifi environment. My brother tried using this laptop with a wifi router only 20 feet away from him and this laptop does not give him a wifi signal. READ REVIEWS all over the internet if you are thinking of buying this laptop because most likely will have this problem.
If my brother has to send this laptop to Asus it will cost more than the laptop itself so I don't know why Asus advertises that they offer a global warranty when in practice it is not true.
It seems that Asus tried to save money by using cheap components, this is really a shame. I will never buy an Asus again!!!

Great for Ubuntu (or Linux) users

-- 2010-08-31
I bought this computer from Amazon 2 weeks ago, but as I'm a Linux fan (Ubuntu to be more specific) I was always in doubt of buying or not a computer because of compatibility.

If this is your case, the search is over: Ubuntu 10.04 is 100% compatible. Wonderful, all working "out of the box": Screen, multi-touchpad (impressive), wireless, sound, Fn-shortcuts.

The Intel card is capable also to run de 3d linux compiz desktop effects without a problem, and to run moderate-graphic games.

The battery (at least for me) lasts 6 hours of use on Ubuntu (Windows realistically is about 7 hours) and if you want the battery longer you can install an applet to control the processor speed to save extra time (very similar to the ASUS system that comes pre-installed on windows). To find it just right click on the upper Gnome bar and find on the applets.

I'm not sure about the other distributions, but I guess that Debian based ones will have similar performance.

Hope that this could help.

PS: the dual-graphic "brother" of this computer (ASUS UL30VT-X1K) can work on Linux, but is not yet 100% out-of-the box. You will have to do some research for a solution. But for me as I don't use the Laptop for games, this is 100%.

ASUS UL30A-X5 Thin and Light 13.3-Inch Black Laptop (12 Hours of Battery Life)

Worst consumer experience ever

-- 2010-09-02
I am 25 years old and this product was the worst consumer decision I have ever made in my life. When I first received it, the laptop would not switch on or it would switch on for a few hours, or it would switch on, work perfectly normally for a few minutes or hours and then randomly shut down again. After looking various forums and failing at attempts of self-repair, I sent it in to Asus, and then after that it could switch on but the wireless was completely disabled.

So I called their service line. Their customer service is ATROCIOUS. You call and they put you on hold (which is fine, I can wait even an hour), but after 15 minutes, they hang up on you and you have to call in again. The line is also very bad (and my connection has worked fine with Skype, etc, so I believe the problem is on their side). I was put on hold for at least an hour today and spoke to 3 different reps, having to explain my problem again each time.

Their representative advised me to reboot windows (removing all my programs installed previously, and also making my version of MS office unable to work) which would be acceptable if the wireless started working, but it still does not. And so I have to send it in to Asus again.

I heard a lot of good things about Asus, but I really, really regret buying this laptop and really wish I could get a refund. It was a complete waste of time, money and effort. I bought it in Februrary this year but because I have been travelling in and out of the US, I still have not been able to use this laptop for even a few days, and had to buy another one to tide me over while I waited for Asus to get their act together (which is taking 7 months and counting). I am completely and utterly disappointed with the company and with my laptop.

Nice machine Asus ul30a

-- 2010-09-02
I mostly use it for just basic email and games and facebook. I really like it overall but I have two criticiams. The touchpad is difficult to use and I am very prone to accidental commands while moving around the pad. I may try to get an external mouse, but this is somewhat annoying. Also, the space bar is quite flimsy and is not always responsive when I type, which is also annoying when typing out lengthy emails to friends. I was looking for a replacement machine after my HP unexpectedly died on me (the screen went in about a year). I was initially primarily looking at netbooks, especially next asus up, line but wanted more power, while maintaining the light and small form factor at the same time. I happened to stumble across the machine upon a recommendation from a friend. I have been using it for about a month now and am extremely pleased. Windows 7 runs very smooth, and almost all of my applications run without problems. I am able to play movies without skipping and ouput them to my HDTV via the HDMI output, which was an important feature for me. The screen is very clear as well.

ASUS Republic of Gamers G73JH-A1 17-Inch Gaming Laptop (Black)

PEFRECT

-- 2010-08-27
I bought this on Wed, it was at my door at 2 on Thurs. I have to say that I was shocked when I opened the box, which arrived unscathed from UPS. This thing is HUGE!, but that is what I wanted. Out of the box it is running like a champ... after about3 hours of reloading all my games and music, I can say that this laptop is a beast, it ran CODMW2 at full everything with no problems, and sounds amazing! As others have said, the mouse clicker is stiff, and the number pad and arrows take a little getting used to. This laptop defines "bang for your buck." My hat is of to ASUS for such a quality machine...

Video died on me in ANY 3D game I ran on it...

-- 2010-08-25
Received the product and installed several popular games (World of Warcraft, StarCraft 2, Crysis, Unreal Tournament 3, etc.) and the games would run for 5 minutes, then vertical gray bars would show up and the video would be stuck. Games would lock up frequently, etc. I'm a seasoned gamer with several systems that I've built myself, so I ran the latest ATI drivers, patched the system, etc. and the system would still not be stable as expected. I promptly returned it to Amazon. I was aware of the stability with researching (yet thought it was a great deal for the components versus price), yet had to test it for myself...and it is true. This laptop is not stable and does not hold up.

ASUS UL80Vt-A1 14-Inch Thin and Light Black Laptop (11.5 Hours of Battery Life)

Pros and Cons for ASUS UL80Vt

-- 2010-09-03
It is my second ASUS laptop, and I have been testing it for a week. Here is my review:

Pros:
1. Reasonably priced: Asus UL80Vt is definitely in the lower price range ($709 on Amazon), but very nicely built that actually succeeds other comparable brands.
2. Very good customer support: it has 2 years global warranty, plus 1 year of accident warranty. I called the service line twice since I got the computer. I have no communication problem with the technicians.
3. Very fast: there is no lag when I play computer games that require high processing speed. Other than entertainment, it is also a good work computer with its high capacity. I use it to process imaging data.
4. Long lasting battery: I would say it lasts for 7 to 8 hours, for surfing webs or working on Word.
5. Great color: the glossy screen is definitely a plus. The color is very high contrast, vivid, and bright.
6. Fast turn-on: it takes less than 30 sec to load Windows 7.
7. Extremely cold: ASUS has been very good at making the computer stays at low temperature, even under stress. It constantly stays lukewarm and would not burn your lap.
8. Very quiet.

Cons:
1. Touch pad is too sensitive: I had the same problem with other older Asus series. It is particularly problematic when typing. The pointer would jump, and I would be typing at the wrong line. I assumed it is a problem with the oversensitive Touch Pad.
2. Screen blinks when playing DVD: For some DVDs, the picture would turn blank and back on at randomly moments. According to ASUS tech support, it can be fixed by downloading ASUSDVD 8.
3. It screams!? It is the second time it happened to my ASUS computers, so I think it might be a common problem and worth noting. Somehow the speaker would make high pitch noise when I close the lid with power on. My old ASUS had similar squeaking problem after the warranty is over. I would definitely ask them to fix the squeaking problem for my new ASUS.

Overall, I love ASUS computer, and would recommend to anyone! Even though it is not a big brand in USA, it is pretty well-known in Asia (Made in Taiwan). GREAT product.

Great laptop

-- 2010-08-31
I purchased this laptop after looking around for a couple of weeks. I needed decent specs, 14" screen and great battery life. I got everything I needed in this laptop. I read up on this alot the only drawbacks were build quality and the trackpad. As far as mine is concerned I have absolutly no problems. The build quality is great I have no spaces in my casing and no squeeks, I'm also not able to push the palm rest down at all. I also have no problems with the trackpad the 2 finger scroll is a little quirky bug it does work. To use the trackpad correctly you just have to apply easy pressure. I've onlyused it for 4 days now but so far so great. Lastly in full power mode I'm able to use Autocad 2011 in 2d mode with no hiccups or stutters. A+ laptop !

ASUS Republic of Gamers G51JX-X3 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop (Blue)

Very happy with it

-- 2010-09-03
I echo the positive feedback given by the other reviewers, but can add these notes:

I don't think you can use this without a cooling pad. People are not kidding when they say it gets HOT...the exhaust air burns your skin to the point that you have to put something between it and your lap. I do look forward to this feature in the winter, as it'll help warm the room. Since it's wider than my other LTs, I'm going to buy a wider cooler to make balancing it easier, but the smaller $10 Targus one I bought at Staples cools it just fine...you don't need turbo charged fans, but you do need some kind of fan.

The face recognition software is really nice, and makes for part of the fastest start-up I've ever seen.

It takes 6 DVDs to make the boot disc, and took me 3 hours.

I don't have any problem with the reflective glare from the screen that others have mentioned.

The speakers sound good for laptop speakers.

The blue lights & cover art look attractive to me...this is a nice looking laptop. I know others have mentioned it looking out of place at work, but it looks very interesting anywhere else.

I paid 1K for it from Amazon, and 3 weeks later, still think I got a great deal.

BSOD

-- 2010-08-31
I like the computer except that I get the Blue Screen of Death anywhere from once a day to several times per hour when just doing normal, light duty things, not playing games. Am exchanging the unit for another one. Hopefully it was this unit only and not a problem this model has.

ASUS UL30VT-X1K Thin and Light 13.3-Inch Laptop with Kindle for PC (Black)

Just awesome!!!

-- 2010-09-02
Battery life is great, quiet, stays cool, easy and innovative mousepad, good graphics. I've had the laptop for a about 1 month, and I cant find any problems with it. I love it, am very happy with it, and would highly recommend it to others.

Love it

-- 2010-09-01
I've been in the market for a portable computer I could get work done on. I'm a web developer, and I need a device that supports OpenCL, which somewhat limited my selection to computers with discrete graphics. I thought about stepping up to a computer with a 2010 Core processor (Core i3, or i5), but the were always out of my price range when paired with a decent graphics card, or had sub standard battery performance.

Pros:
So I ended up with this computer. So far after a week, I love it. It works, the keyboard is comfortable, the touch pad required some getting used to but I adapted to it quickly. The battery life has been incredible even on turbo with the graphics card on it will make it though most of a day of work without charging. With the card off, and with turbo disabled it lasts for the bus ride into work, a full day of work, and the ride home, which is what I wanted and needed since I consider that time on the bus as potentially useful, and so far it has been. If nothing else I get to go over scripts and read books while I ride, sometimes I put in actual work too.

Cons:
There is a screen flicker. This is generally when the graphics card is switching. You can control this by setting the Control Panel up correctly. If you don't know what's going on, when you unplug it the screen will dim, and after a few minutes the screen will go black then come back on. This is the computer switching off the Nvidia 210 to the intel chipset's 4500HD which is far less powerful, but relatively power efficient, which happens after 15 minutes as configured out of the box in the OS. It also tends to happen when waking up from sleep.

My only other real complaint has to do with the turbo mode which requires you to restart the computer. On days where I know that I won't be in front of a plug for awhile I turn it off before I head out the door. Otherwise I just leave it on. I've managed to get 7 hours with turbo on, and the battery wasn't out of joice, so it's not much of a problem...

Other than that it's the nicest laptop in the house by quite a large margin. Most of our other devices are at least 5 years old, heavy, don't do what I need, and last maybe an hour off the plug, so this computer has been a breath of fresh air.

The speakers are surprisingly loud for the size, they positively beat up my wife's HP laptop, even if they don't have impressive bass.

The screen is glossy, but I can still read it even in direct sunlight if I crank up the brightness. Color is pretty darn good, and the verticle viewing angles are good considering it has a TN panel and all.

My other real complaint is that the inside of the computer (the deck, and bezel around the screen) show dust like no one's business. I'm almost wishing I'd shelled out the extra 20 bucks for the silver version of the laptop. As it is, I've learned to keep a microfibre cloth in my computer bag, but it does sometimes bug me.

Otherwise this has been one of the best purchasing decisions I've made in a while. The computer has the right mix of performance, portability, and battery life to meet all my needs.

Asus K50IJ-X3 15.6-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop - Black

Excellent Laptop for the price

-- 2010-09-03
I have purchased this laptop on August 27th for this coming fall for college. delivery tracking said the estimated delivery date would be on September 02, 2010. Received it on schedule and on time.

so after unpacking and initializing the laptop;

Pros: Fast and responsive, have yet to receive any problems so far.

Cons: Nothing major/serious.

Some minor cons: Glossy screen and frame can collect fingerprints and dust (but that can easily be cleaned from using Windex or an alternate friendly cleaning product). Minor bloatware to deal with (which can be easily uninstalled with out struggle using Ccleaner or a similar program)

Other thoughts: i would personally recommend this laptop to other people that may be going to college, or needing a new or a replacement. Though i do somewhat disagree with the first review on how the keyboard may seem to feel flimsy, and i'm not exactly sure how the user not being able to type well because the key resizing from the built-in numpad affects the product, which both is a personal feeling or judgement.

I love it, BUT...

-- 2010-09-02
I just got this notebook 2 days ago. One thing that I noticed it that is freezes A LOT! At first I just thought it was the Google Chrome that I downloaded on it. I took it off the computer and I am still having a lot of problems with the computer freezing and being slow. I ordered a replacement of this notebook and should be getting it soon today. I really hope I do not have the same problems. Overall I do love the computer. If I still have problems with this model I did find a different model of the ASUS that I will get for $50 more from Best Buy that has a couple extra features I like. We will have to see.

ASUS N61JV-X2 16-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Dark Brown)

Love it except...

-- 2010-08-23
After doing some research on product reliability as well as studying customer and tech reviews, I felt like this was the laptop for me. Fast processor, good amount of RAM, and plenty of hard drive space were the features I was looking for in a moderately priced laptop. Basically the most bang for my buck. But most of all reliability. I don't want to have to replace my laptop after 2 or 3 years. Heck, I'm still using my antiquated, 8-year old SONY desktop. And I hate having to send anything back for warranty work or spending time on the phone with tech support. So far this laptop has lived up to my expectations; no problems. It even has a 1 year replacement warranty if you drop it or spill something on it. I'm clumsy. I use it for work running some complex emergency response programs and for play. Mostly browsing the internet doing product research for potential purchases, e-mail, and watching movies. I don't have to have blu-ray on my laptop to enjoy a movie on it. It comes with some fancy audio system that doesn't seem to produce a better sound than any other laptop, but I always use a set of basic headphones anyways. It also comes with an alternate fast boot for quick surfing of the internet, skype, and access to photos and music without entering the Windows operating system. As far as gaming, I'm not much of one, but I've been meaning to do some so I like the fact that it comes with the NVidia graphics card for when I do. All in all it's a perfect laptop for me. The only reason I give it four stars is the battery life. It has to be fully charged in order for me to watch a movie without having to plug it in. Hopefully, ASUS will offer a longer lasting battery for these models. But seeing how this is my first laptop I don't know if that is typical battery performance compared to other notebooks. Good Buy.

ASUS Laptop

-- 2010-08-21
This is a great laptop. Big enough serve in place of a desktop, small enough to tote around. Great features and functions, not much bloatware to remove. Great value.

ASUS UL20A-A1 Thin and Light 12.1-Inch Silver Laptop - 7.5 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)

ASUS Does NOT honor their free Accidental Damage Warranty

-- 2010-08-22
ASUS promises an Accidental Damage Warranty and even includes the registration card in the box. You are instructed to send it in POSTMARKED within 60 days of purchase date but it's the wrong address. When the registration card comes back to you marked not deliverable as addressed and you call ASUS (OUTSOURCED TECH SUPPORT-GOOD LUCK!) THEN they tell you that it must REACH them within 60 days of purchase date. Plus they tell you that you are supposed to register online and why did we attempt to send it. Well perhaps it was because the registration card did not indicate that it was no longer the incorrect address nor did it state the need to only register online. I have been a long time buyer on Amazon and J&R Music (the Amazon seller) have both been good in the past. Due to the product not being "as described" in the ad I have requested to return it for a full refund and am waiting to see how these two companies treat their customers. I don't want to keep the computer because if ASUS won't honor their agreement up front then I don't want to deal with them in the future when I really need them. It's a nice little computer but I rely on good tech support when I buy cameras and computers and I won't EVER purchase another ASUS product again. If you don't care about tech support and don't mind hold times of 45 plus minutes and being shuffled from person to person for more waits when you call-then it's a nice computer. If your time is too valuable to waste on hours of hold and nothing done....go with a company who cares for their customers.

Impressed!

-- 2010-08-19
Very impressed. As light as a netbook with enough power and screen real estate to replace a full-fledged notebook. Vibrant screen, 4-5 hours of battery life in High Performance mode, quiet and cool. Can't say enough about this laptop for the mobile warrior.