Customer Reviews

ASUS UL50Vt-A1 Thin and Light 15.6-Inch Black Laptop - 11.5 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I watch the tech market fairly closely. My wife has the 13" Macbook (newer LED aluminium one) and really I love it...the "two finger scrolling" is wonderful, but I need a PC for work.

So, here's what I wanted in a new laptop (not in specific order):

1. 2 finger scrolling or at least dedicated scrolling areas (yes, 1 finger dedicated areas on laptops are nice, but still not quite as nice as 2 finger...plus, w/ the multi-touch pads, you get "right-click" w/ 2 fingers)
2. LONG battery life. And no, I don't mean "3 hours" long...I want 10 hours! (remember, each year a laptop battery will lose 1/3 of its performance, so a new 3 hour battery will only last 2 hours after a year!)
3. Performance
4. LED screen (goes w/ battery life), 15".
5. Quality/Build/Warranty

As odd as it seems, there aren't a "lot" of LED screens out there yet, I was looking at a Lenovo, but only the T400s seemed like what I was looking for, and at the cost and only 14", wasn't a good fit. Dell's have gone LED's on most all models, but not great review's on build quality depending on the model series...plus, compare the price of a similarly equipped Dell to this UL50VT...you'll be spending almost 2x as much.

This UL50VT is a PRO for:

1. Switchable graphics (switch from onboard graphics for long batter life...or when plugged in, switch to the 512mb Nvidia card for performance). Really, the best of BOTH worlds. Want awesome performance when sitting at a desk...but also want long battery life when on the go? Who else can provide this? The dedicated Nvidia obviously helps system performance, allowing graphics to run on the video card, freeing up system RAM etc for other things...or switch to battery mode/onboard graphics and live long & prosper.
2. 8-cell battery quotes 10-12 hours of battery life. I have only had this for 1 week, and still tinkering around with the settings, so haven't confirmed this, but 5-6 hours I've had easy, which is definitely more than you'll get with any other laptop regardless. The "ultra low volt" Intel processor draws less than 10 volts of juice. Its a 1.3ghz Core 2 Duo, but Asus overclocks it by DEFAULT and it arrives to you out of the box running at 1.7ghz. This is key...when you are looking at laptops, you have to remember that the "quad-core" and P9600 Core 2's are high-voltage drains...so you really have to decide "what do I want this laptop for?" If you are very rarely going to be without a power plug, then sure, get some other Asus model with a faster processor & full-time dedicated graphics. For me though, I like to grab the laptop and sit on the couch & not have to move the power cord over to the couch as well...plus I travel quite a bit for business...seriously, after a year or two any standard laptop with 2-3 hours of battery life "new" will only be good for an hour or so before turning off. With this Asus, with the extended 8 cell battery stock, the "ultra low"-volt 1.3ghz overclocked to 1.7ghz, plus the onboard video, you can actually grab this notebook and run to the coffee shop or couch for HOURS without having to worry about the power cord...and isn't that really what a laptop is for? Google "Asus Ul50VT" for other reviews on the processor etc, there are more informative articles if you want more details. The Macbook uses the UL voltage Intel processors as well, albeit a slightly faster one (1.9ghz?). Low volt processor, LED screen are two key ingredients to battery life. If you want a P9600 or quad-core or 3.2ghz processor, don't travel too far w/o your cord:) the 1.7ghz is much faster than my old Toshiba, plus w/ Windows 7 it really is awesome and more than capable of handling the vast majority of any consumer's needs.
3. LED screen looks great...I am apparently not that savvy of a screen consumer as others, so I can't complain about the screen, looks much better than my old LCD Toshiba screen, not that different than the Mac.
4. Windows 7 is AWESOME!!!!! I've long been an apologist for Windows, especially having used the Macbook for awhile, but need not apologize any longer! W7 64bit w/ the 1.7ghz and 4gb DDR3 is simply amazing, by FAR the best Windows product I've ever used...and as other reviews will confirm, this OS is nearly on par w/ Mac. I can LITERALLY go TO sleep, and back FROM sleep to an ACTIVE Outlook or Firefox, in LESS than 5 seconds with this Asus. Remember in the past, you might have wanted to look up something on the computer, but would opt not to, b/c it would take 3-5 minutes for your system to load into a use-able state? Not anymore, W7 is efficient & fast, if you switch the power settings to "sleep" instead of hibernate, it literally turns on & is ready to use in mere seconds, same as Mac's. (plus, drag a window to the left of the screen, it auto-sizes it to the left-half of the screen, drag another window to the right edge of the screen, voila! W7 auto-resizes both windows to share the screen 50/50.)
5. Build & quality: Ask tech's at your local retailer or online retailer, which brand they see back the least for repairs, and you'll hear "Asus" more often than not. Unlike other brands that farm out all the hardware to companies around the world, Asus makes most of the components themselves. Who invented the Netbook? Asus. What brand of motherboard is in many laptops? Asus. Many techies swear by Asus, regardless of the poor review NBR gave the UL80VT.
6. Warranty. Asus is the *ONLY* brand to offer the following standard warranty: 2 year global parts/labor & shipping, PLUS 1 year accidental warranty. Go through the checkout process on any other brand online, and you'll add on $100-200 to your laptop cost to have a similar warranty. Figure that for $800 you are getting 1 year accidental and 2 years parts/labor/shipping, plus Asus' reputation for build, and its close to a no-brainer.

CONS for the UL50VT:

1. NOTE! The UL50VT and the UL50AG ARE NOT THE SAME! This is probably my main pet peeve with the "VT"...when I tried out a UL50AG at Best Buy for $675, I was in love with it! Why? B/c the surface around the keyboard/touch pad is a matte rubber...no finger prints! So I ordered the "VT" for $100 ore and am disappointed...Asus, along w/ Dell, HP, Toshiba, etc figures that 99% of all laptop users must be in high school. I mean, high-school kids like shiny things right? Who doesn't like neat shiny surfaces!? Well Asus (& HP & Toshiba) here's an unknown fact for you...most people that actually "use" a laptop instead of polishing it & placing it on a mantle as a room decoration, *HATE* glossy/shiny surfaces...If the UL50VT came w/ the same matte rubber deck as the "AG" this would be a 5 star notebook, but it is a serious flaw IMO.
2. The mouse left/right buttons are a sure bet to develop repetitive stress injury (RSI). Unlike most right/left buttons, which have two different buttons/pads...this has "one" long button, that has a pivot point in the middle of the button. As such, the button is near impossible to use without pressing on the far edge of either side of the button, and your fingers/thumb will certainly get tired copy & pasting, dragging & scrolling as it requires considerable force to hold the button down.
3. 2 plastic stickers over the screw on the bottom of the screen panel look like they'll come off soon. The DVD tray seems to vibrate against the chassis when in use (loud noise)...I use a CD/DVD like 3 times a year, so this isn't an issue for me, and I'm not sure if this is an issue for all units or just mine.

Solutions:
1. If you can find a skin to put around the keyboard/touchpad, that'll fix the finger-print issue. [...] has one, but they won't sell you the skin unless you buy the Asus from them:( Skinit.com really only sells the "A" surface skin (the back lid)...I might have to buy a generic skin and try & cut it out to fit around the keys/pad, or carry around a lens cleaning cloth!
2. Luckily, the Asus comes with the Elan mouse driver...which supports the multi-touch/multi-touchpad. Asus really just needs to realize PC's are trying to catch up with Macbook's here and not try to re-invent the wheel. The default settings it comes with must be changed for best results. Change the "right-click" to be actioned by "two-finger" tap, instead of three-finger tap by default. Now, you can scroll up & down (& left/right) with two fingers anywhere on the touchpad (not just the right edge as w/ one-finger scrolling). You can left click with one finger tap. You can now right-click with two-finger tap...just like the Macbook glass touchpad. You double tap with one finger then scroll left/right to highlight text, then tap the highlighted selection w/ two fingers to bring up the right-click menu (copy/paste/etc). Once you get used to using the touchpad like a Mac, w/o the left/right button, you'll forget how bad the right/left buttons are (plus its more efficient in the long-run to just use the touchpad I think...two finger scrolling will make you wonder why you wasted years and caused carpel-tunnel on a PC...too bad they wasted space w/ the RSI causing buttons instead of a bigger touchpad).

Summary: If only the UL50VT came in the same material the UL50AG came in and with a right/left mouse button that didn't cause RSI (repetitive stress syndrome), it would be 5 out of 5 stars; a true Macbook killer for 1/2 the cost!!! Long battery life, LED screen, Full size-keyboard (Number Pad), Chicklet keys to keep out dust, ultra-low voltage processor, reliable quality, awesome standard warranty, switchable graphics and DDR3 memory on a 64bit W7 OS. For $823 you can get the UL50VT, or for $100 less (don't forget taxes if buying locally), you can get the UL50AG. Honestly, if you are on a budget, I think the "AG" is a steal of a deal and saves you the glossy/fingerprints. For $100 more w/ the VT, I'll take the upgrade to DDR3 instead of DDR2 memory with the AG, plus switchable graphics (read: increased performance while plugged in). For $800 I'm not worried about extended warranties, although if I were paying $1500 with a Dell or Macbook I would be forced to buy one. In terms of performance/cost/features/value/battery life, the "VT" is almost a true home run. With the glossy cover, and poor right/left buttons, I'll still give it a standing "triple" base hit instead of home-run; for the cost its tough to go wrong with this Asus:) You could certainly spend a lot more and get a lot less.

This is my first computer since my Apple Powerbook G4. I decided to shop around for a new PC because a new Mac simply doesn't exist for the amount of money that I was looking to spend.

I shopped around for a few weeks and once I finally came across this model, I jumped on it.

The laptop arrived in two days thanks to Amazon. After all of the bad press about Vista I was hesitant about coming back to the PC world. Now after using Windows 7 for a week, I am hesitant to ever go back to a Mac.

I was immediately impressed with the look of the brushed aluminum lid and the chiclet style keyboard. The numeric pad is also nice and overall the laptop has a very sleek, impressive look. However, coming from a zero gloss aluminum Powerbook, it took me a while to adjust to the high gloss of the UL50VT. The screen, the plastic surrounding the screen, and everywhere else besides the aluminum lid and underside are all glossy black plastic. The track pad is directly on this glossy plastic which takes a little getting used to. Also the mouse buttons are a little stiff and I wish they were two separate buttons instead of just one. These small gripes almost turned me against my new laptop, but after a week I am used to the look and feel of the laptop and more importantly, I am very happy with its performance.

With an Intel rated 5 star Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, I have no complaints about performance. I use my laptop for movies, music, web browsing, and college. I don't often play games but it is nice to know it's a definite possibility.

The UL50VT boots up fast and lasts for a long time. With brightness maxed out while doing web surfing and homework, I am averaging about 6-8 hours. This is more than enough already and if I lower the performance and brightness the battery lasts for around 10.

The screen is widescreen and bright. I do wish the resolution was higher than 1366 x 768. For a 15 inch laptop I found that to be a little low, but it is not a show stopper.

Overall the Asus UL50VT is a sleek, well performing portable laptop. This laptop is well worth the price and so far has easily handled everything that I have thrown at it. If you don't mind the glossy appearance and can get past the less than great track pad and mouse buttons, the Asus UL50VT is a very solid purchase.

I have been playing around with this laptop for about a week now. I dont know what people are doing to their keyboards. I type very fast using this notebook and do not see the complaint about it flexing.

Now I am not new to computers or notebooks. I have believed the hype and bought an Alienware a few years back. It was probably beautiful on paper and reality it was something else.

This time around though. I was looking for two things. Portability and good graphics. I found this laptop with switchable or hybrid graphics. It is quite impressive to say the least. I enjoy the portability of it. First time I took it out of the house. I had to check the bag to make sure it was in it. It is that light. If you turn off the wireless radio when using it. You can get over 10 hours of battery life and with the wireless radio on. You average about 7-8.

The heat situation in laptops is something else people talk about. I don't think this even generates heat. I have yet to feel any type of discomfort due to the heat issues. You can not say that about the previous laptop. I probably could have cooked an egg on the shell.

I really dont mind the glossy shiny coating. It stands out and says to people walking by "Hey Look at me!" If you want a dull leather wrappings that crack with age. Then go for it. But i prefer the gloss. It serves as a reminder to wipe the laptop down and keep it clean.

The speed is great. Windows 7 is great. Its very responsive and you can hit that power button and be literally working on your computer in less than 30 seconds. Its that fast.

On the warranty, You can apply for it online. You dont have to send that card in. You can register and go about your merry way.

On the graphics on it. I was running high settings in Dalaran on a heavily populated Warcraft server with zero lag. Not even a bit. That is something that i thought was impossible.

Being this is the first generation in a new direction in laptops. I look forward to seeing what ASUS can do with it. I know Nvidia is planning more for Hybrid Graphics and we as laptop users can finally get the best of both worlds. So in two years or more. I am going to look forward into seeing what asus has to offer. They earned a new customer and that loyalty is not misplaced.

So take the chance on this laptop. You will not reget it.

(Update)

Smooth Gameplay when playing Modern Warfare 2 and still no heat issues.

So, maybe you don't get 12 hours? But at least that's a ballpark figure being thrown around... Especially when you consider the smart power management Asus has thrown in this peppy, thin, cool to the multi-touch, 4GB DDR3, 16:9 LED, laptop. The intel core 2 duo + nvidia G210M is a potent combonation.

The system claims EXPRESS GATE boots in 8 secs, and it really is 20 secs to a Hulu video. Windows 7 Premium took my picture instead of a password after an impressive 1:05 and was streaming video in another 12. I easily overclocked the 1.3Ghz duo by 5% using the super customizable Asus bios. I want to tweak the embedded linux, or maybe just run ubuntu on that 500GB hard drive (it came pre-partitioned with two 250GB partitions).

There are two POWER buttons. One controls windows power options; stepping down the processor. It has 4 power modes, that could frankly use some tuning. Too bad I can do a better job customising, but Windows 7 isn't saving my desktop prefrences right now.

Turning off the discrete grapics also turns off Aero. Then this HUGE 15" becomes a netbook, seemingly gaining unplugged longevity by closing the lid. Standby resumes in an impressive sub 5 secs. Maybe I'm the only one who remembers when computers were slow. I haven't had this computer plugged in all day! The touch pad seems a bit off at first, but then you realize that it has to be offset to the left to keep your palms out of the way. This allows for a full keypad to the right and a plethora of FN keys. And did I mention the multi touch trackpad? It does three fingers. Now I'm considering the 2 yr warranty and 1 year accidental damage that is included?!

Best machine for the OPTIONS!

[EDIT]
I have loaded Ubuntu 9 (thus triple booting the laptop). You can enable all CompizFusion desktop effects, including the desktop cube with no jitter (very smooth animations)! Very fast, very impressive. Also, unexpectedly, Ubuntu picked up on the multi-touch trackpad. I haven't played around with it too much to figure out how to change the two finger tap to be right click (it is set to do some desktop effect right now), but knowing it is possible is awesome.

Also, I only plug in this laptop at night, while I am sleeping. I have been using it all day at work (I am an IT systems administrator) and even watched a couple full length movies while working and still never had to plug it in. WOW! Asus has it loaded up with the "Power4Gear Hybrid" program that lets you set your power options (High Performance, Entertainment, Quiet Office, & Battery Saving). The built in defaults are fine for most people, but again the options are what sets this baby apart. You can define the Maximum and Minimum processor state, toggle Turbo mode, adjust display brightness, change sleep / hibernate options, enable disable devices (camera & ODD), and base it all on the plugged in state (thus giving you eight 8! power modes).

[...]

This computer replaced a six-year old Toshiba Satellite laptop that served flawlessly, but is clearly in its final, noisy days.

While it's far too soon to know if this Asus product can match that length of service, their motherboards enjoy a good reputation among the build-it-yourself crowd and their netbooks have been well received. After exercising this computer for a short time, I'm very impressed.

This laptop is very strong in four areas that helped me narrow my selection from a dizzying array of laptop choices in its price range:
(1) display size and quality (15.6 inches, crisp and bright, separate video processor with 512 MB of its own memory)
(2) system memory (4 GB DDR3)
(3) battery life (Asus advertises 12 hours; more on how they get to this below); even without the tweaks that get you to the high end, it offers great battery performance.
(4) length and scope of warranty coverage.

About the battery life which other reviewers have criticized as not meeting the marketing hyperbole (Amazon indicated 11+ hours and a sticker in the packaging claims 12+ hours)....
Asus has a power control scheme offering the option to select from two video adapters: a discrete NVIDIA Gforce G210M video processor or the integrated Intel display adapter. Users then have to decide whether they want enhanced video or extended battery life. A small power button above the keyboard lets you make this selection. You can also select an auto mode, which makes the choice for you based on whether using AC power or the battery is being used.

Asus also includes a power management utility offering four power setting scenarios (high performance, entertainment, quiet office or battery saving). Each of these can be further customized (display blanking, screen savers, sleep mode, etc.) as you determine your balance of performance vs. battery life.

So: can you really get 11 or 12 hours of battery time? Maybe.
IF you select the battery saving mode, and IF you accept the diminished video performance, and IF you give up power-hungry goodies (like with Windows sidebar) and if you avoid power-intensive tasks (like CD burning or video rendering)...you might get there. I always figure the marketing figures are make some best-case assumptions...

What I have done it used this machine for six untethered hours while enjoying the enhanced video and writing to multiple DVDs. As an upgrade to an old machine that could barely get to 90 minutes away from an AC outlet: six hours battery time for full-featured operation is excellent.

Their support seems better than many other manufacturers. I registered with the Asus support site, and posted a question about operating the webcam. Within five hours, I had an email response. Very impressive. Although I haven't tried it --or had a need to-- they also have a 24/7 toll free number.

Asus offers the following mix of warranties on this computer in the US and Canada:
-30 days for "bright dot" (hot pixels...they don't say anything about about dead ones!) on the display. ANY singe pixel qualifies for this.
-1 year on the the battery
-2 years on the computer
-1 year accidental damage coverage (which they immediately extend to 2 years when you register online)
-two way shipping for any repair/RMA situations.

For the money, this is a superb laptop choice and Asus appears ready to stand behind it.

Why not five stars?
Small issues with the overall package.
Each is minor, a and couple are a matter of personal preference rather than an actual flaw. However, they probably reflect how Asus achieved this combination of price point and computer performance. While they don't detract from the overall value of this machine, they collectively stand between four and five stars. If there were a 4.5 star option, this computer would be there.
Gripes:
(1) No recovery media is included. An automated utility prompts you to run it at setup (or you can do so anytime you'd like to afterward). You will need four DVDs to do this; if you use DVD-RW media, this will take well over an hour). Just like with user manuals in soft copy: this is something that should not be pushed to the consumer, and should have been in the box. Even though the utility interface indicates success (or not), I'm left with less confidence in my self-made recovery media than I would have with media that shipped from the factory.
(2) No speaker volume control wheel. Volume is controlled either with via the task bar (using a mouse or touchpad) or FN keys.
(3) No physical switch to turn the wireless adapter on/off. This is done either through a FN key or a task bar icon (and you may not remember the latter, because it can be hidden under Windows 7 options!).
(4) The webcam software was not easy to identify. This was mostly because of a silly, cartoonish user interface that also makes it hard to use. They could have done better by talking to at least one user.
(5) Others have written about the super glossy wrist-rest area. It's an an absolute fingerprint magnet and skin oil pallate. A matte or brushed finish, similar to this machine's outside cover could have eliminated this. I'm considering fine-grain sandpaper to roughen this area up!
(6) I prefer a power adapter that plugs in at the rear of a laptop. This one plugs in on the left side, which can be in issue depending on the AC outlet location.
(7) One of the three USB ports is at the front right of the machine. If you use this for a mouse (as many right-handers might), you'll have mouse cordage right where you might prefer to place the actual mouse.

None of those are serious enough to diminish a "buy with confidence" bottom line for this computer. It's light, powerful, power-stingy and full-featured.

I did a fair amount of research on machines in this category...for the money, ASUS is the clear winner. This is one sleek machine! The battery life is great, it feels like it's built to last and the performance (overclocked cpu with the VT's) is great for this class of machine (thin/light/long battery life). The only negatives are tolerable: 1. It could stand to have a better(1.3mp) webcam. 2) The display does have somewhat limited viewing angles, but then again how many viewing angles does one person need?? I was initially concerned about these two drawbacks before I purchased the machine but now that I have it...it's really of no concern any longer, I'm very pleased with this machine. Did I mention that this a damned good looking piece of hardware! LOL!

Another note worth mentioning, ASUS recently beat "everyone" in laptop reliability ratings, including Apple and Sony...and it wasn't even close!

You can lay your money down for this machine and not be disappointed.

Hi,

I really don't feel the need to waste my time on reviewing half the products I have because usually I am not satisfied and as much as I want to spread the word to everyone I know, I find myself with very little time to constantly write reviews so I save my breathe, or should I say "key strokes", for amazing products because I feel they deserve the praise and I can only hope that the companies are reading these reviews and keeps up the great work.

This machine I have only had for a day, but it is far from being my first laptop or first Asus computer. This is my second Asus product and I know other friends that have Asus so I have enough experience overall to give a fair review. I have the Asus Eee Pc1000H and well I will put it this way....it is a nice little machine, extremely stylish when compared with the other plastic garbage out there, and the screen is just absolutely gorgeous...don't take my word for it...try it! The speakers were God awful (ironically it says "dolby digital" on the sticker that they slapped on it) but you don't buy a netbook because you are ready to roll down the street blaring your Asus Netbook sound system. I have also had 3 Sony Vaios (which btw...NEVER EVER BUY SONY....unless you want to spend another $1000-$2000 in about a year and a half), 1 HP, 1 Lenovo, 2 Toshibas, and an Acer 18.4" (which again btw is probably the most amazing 18.4" laptop you will ever encounter in your life...try the 5.1 speakers that comes on it and you will thank me again later)

Now on to this Asus UL50VT. I purchased this at Best Buy yesterday (3/11/10) for actually $729.99 (cheaper than Amazon oddly enough) and let me say I have absolutely no regrets on this purchase as I type this review on this very same laptop. The screen, yes, can be crisper but I am truly fine with it and I do think it looks very nice, but you have to understand that the resolution appears differently to your eyes than a traditional lcd display so keep that in mind when thinking about it. I promise you though that it looks good and I bet you will still love it as you play around with the unit. The keyboard is the best on the market in my opinion. I may say that Lenovo makes the best keyboards but you pay for that build quality. If I had money, I think I would have a Lenovo for home and this laptop for the road....even though this computer can do it all...I love technology so I wouldn't mind having both manufacturers to enjoy. The first thing I think of when anyone says the word "Asus" is "build quality." Asus makes rock solid motherboards and over the past couple of years have been pushing to be the number one laptop manufacturer. I was as skeptical as next guy about them pulling off such a difficult task, but just get your hands on an Asus before you pass judgment. The chicklet keyboard is so easy to work off of, the kind of matte/rubbery texture to the palm rest is so elegant looking and really feels so good when you rest your palms on it and type on the computer. The mousepad i need to given and standing ovation for. I heard others talking about the stiffness of the buttons, but I really have not found that to be a problem and I rather have solid build quality then wondering when those buttons are going to snap off. The mousepad itself is why I am clapping. It is very responsive and silky smooth to the touch. It is impossible to explain it until you try it for yourself. It's the first time I ever felt anything this good, and I thought my Asus netbook was the best, but man was I wrong :). The speakers are actually pretty darn good. I never expect much out of speakers, and when you are as spoiled as I am having Acer 5.1 speaker/subwoofer surround sound in the 18.4" laptop, nothing can ever top it. The Acer has a 17.3" model that apparently has the same speakers...try them...you will never want to go back to another manufacturer again (if high quality speakers are a must for you)! The quality of this Asus UL50VT is just so darn solid. I pick up a Toshiba or a Dell and I feel like I have to gently touch it or it will snap in half, but this guy is solid at every corner. The exterior styling is so classy and elegant that my friends and random strangers I run into ask me if this unit cost $1600. Yes, I know I have only had it for a day, but I go to coffee shops daily and I am in med school so I do interact with many people and I already got 5 comments on this computer asking me what it is and where I got it. Another thing that even worried me was how the weight would feel and how big it was because in the store, the battery wasn't on it so I couldn't truly feel the weight, and it was in some medal encasing so it was hard to see the thickness. Simply put, this laptop DOES NOT feel like 5.5 lbs...I would say at max it feel likes 3.8 lbs. The weight distribution must be so evenly distributed that you mind thinks it's lighter than it really is because the battery believe it or not is actually not that heavy. I was surprised myself. Plus, the unit is so slim and sleek that you can put it anywhere.

In summary...I really am in love with this laptop, and it is very rare for me to actually get excited about a product because I always find flaws. I am averaging about 6 hrs and 42 min of battery because I have WiFi on, but I can push about 9hr 45min...maybe 10hr with WiFi off, but to achieve the 12 hrs you need to turn their Turbo 33 feature off, but I really don't care. 10 Hrs is fine for me at the moment and I rather have the faster boot ups. Also the graphics card apparently is working very well. I honestly have not even pushed it close to what it is capable of yet, but even with the dedicated graphics card turned off (Fn + Space Bar to switch between the 4 profiles), I have found this thing to be very speedy. What I mean is that, I just returned an HP TM2 Table Pc the other day because it didn't work too well, and even THAT computer (with very similar specs minus the dedicated graphics card) wasn't as zippy and fast as this asus is. I am telling you that the difference was VERY noticable.

Overall...amazing machinery and Asus has convinced me that for years to come, they will always be my laptop manufacturer and that is final! Only exception is for BIG laptops I will go with Acer for the amazing surround sound, but if Asus does something like that...then back to Asus I will go. I have tried every single manufacturer out there and I have been so POed for years with the terrible quality of each one, but now I am happy to report that my problems have finally washed away. Thank You Asus for another amazing product.

[...].....you can E-mail me with any questions and I will try to respond when I have time. I put the e-mail there because I am showing that this is an honest review and I feel that a product like this deserves this kind of credit. You will NOT find anything even close to this if you are looking for an all-in-one quality package.

I should give this computer a 5 star rating, but since 5 stars should be "Perfect" I have to give it 4. In order to to be "Perfect" This computer would need to have blue-tooth, bluray, fix the flex in the keyboard, and add 2 mouse buttons. THAT'S IT. Now that being said this computer is as close to perfect as I have seen yet. The screen is great, it doesn't get hot, killer battery life (8 hours without taking drastic steps). The keyboard flexes a bit, but it doesn't affect typing and the mouse button is a single bar and that means you have to hit it on the outer edges to make it work great. This keyboard doesn't have the asus lag that most their computers suffer from. Windows 7 is great, the quick boot is great for checking email (8 seconds to online). The graphics card allows me to play Batman AA on native rez with no lag. The overclock mode gets the pc performance on par with what this system should be all the time, but the 1.3 mode helps the battery life by about 30-50 minutes and is more than fine for everything but gaming.

I have had this computer for about a week now and it hasn't crashed once, the dell system I got my wife has the EXACT same programs on it and it has crashed almost daily. Asus has been well known in the computer parts world, and I have to say their computers are living up to the high standards they set with their parts.

I will keep this up to date if anything changes. For the $800 this system cost you get a portable full sized laptop with the performance to match, but the battery life of a compact portable with no computing power.


oh, one more down side is it is hard to find a case since most fit a 15.4" laptop, and this is 15.6.

I should have listened to those who complained about the screen & the fact it has a very narrow sweet spot for viewing.

ASUS really dropped the ball on this & I ended up paying for it. It is surprising to me that it got into production this way. Somebody in the company should have said: Stop! and fix it.

Great product, well designed, very ergonomic, well thought out. The battery life is not a hoax (I thought it would be). I haven't gone to 12 hours yet, but have gotten to 10 hours with about 22% battery life left.
I'm very familiar with ASUS components from multiple desktop PCs I've built over the last 15 years, and have always been impressed with their quality, features and performance. This laptop, a new foray in finished products for ASUS is a success.
The discrete and integrated video cards transition involves a 1-time blinking of the monitor, but it's not annoying, especially when you realize the battery savings you're making when switching to the Intel card. When you wish it you have an ultra fast Nvidia G210 at your fingertips. I believe the addition of the discrete Nvidia in addition to the integrated Intel graphics card, is well worth the 50 or so dollar difference of the UL50V vs the UL50A.
The ultra low voltage CPU is overclockable and you have a noticeable improvement in performance when doing graphics and processing intensive applications such as photoshop or video editing. It's very satisfying in standard mode as well, but the overclocking ability is unique to ASUS from my prior research.
My other laptop is an HP Pavillion DV 9200t. It's a monster size-wise compared to this laptop, without any noticeable performance advantage despite a 2GHz dual core 2 CPU. The fact this had DD3 memory vs the HP's DDR2 may be part of the reason.
I endorse this ASUS product without reservation.