Customer Reviews

ASUS UL80Vt- A2 14-Inch Thin and Light Laptop (Silver)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I needed to get a laptop to take with me before going on an out-of-state summer internship. I did not want a "desktop replacement" type laptop since I already have a very powerful gaming desktop here at home.

After much searching and deliberation, I decided to get the Asus UL80VT. My reasons were:

1) Asus reliability and reputation: I've always had good luck with Asus motherboards for the PCs Ive build for friends and several family members; plus Asus laptops are consistantly more reliable than other brands ([Amazon deleted the link I had here, go to your search engine of choice and look for "Asus laptop reliability" and see what I'm talking about])

2) Battery Life: claimed to be 11.5 hours. Real-world resutls are about 7-9 hours unplugged. This time is for light surfing and word processing, and allowing the Asus "Battery Saver" power profile to dim the screen, etc. You'll get much less times using discrete graphics, bright screen, DVD drive, etc.

3) Powerful, battery-sipping Intel Core2Duo U7300 1.3 GHz processor: this low-voltage processor is plenty powerful enough for everyday tasks, light gaming, watching HD online videos, etc. Asus is even kind enough to include a feature which automatically overclocks the processor when on AC power and your games demand extra "oomph"!

4) Came with Windows 7 pre-installed: Windows 7 is simply the best operating system Microsoft has ever made, period.

5) Size/weight perfect for me: I carry this laptop to class every day in a Case Logic ENS-14 14.1-Inch Neoprene Laptop Sleeve (Black) in my backpack. At 4.8 lbs (plus 0.8 lbs for the AC adapter = 5.6 lbs total), this is about the same weight as one of my textbooks, and infinitely more useful!

6)Chiclet keyboard: I love the spaced-out keys, great for typing, easy to adapt to from a full-size keyboard. (No full-size number pad, but that's to be expected in laptops this size. Get a 15.6" screen laptop if you need that)

7) Fit/Finish good for the price: I love the aluminum top of this laptop, much less smudgy than the black one. The screen bezel is still black on the inside, which does show fingerprints, but that area doesn't get touched very often.

7) Has an optical drive: I looked into 13.3" laptops, but they typically don't have DVD drives, which is a nice feature to have for watching movies on a plane trip, installing software, etc.



Drawbacks:

1) Glossy screen is very shiny, I have a custom screen protector for this I bought online at [...] which cuts down on most of the glare too.

2) Right wrist rest sqeaks/clicks a little when you put your wrist on it. This is not very loud and I don't anticipate being a problem. I knew this was an issue with this model beforehand. Don't be surprised if it happens to you, although yours could be louder/squeak more, etc.


Other thoughts:
* Some people have complained about the track pad buttons being under one solid piece of plastic. This doesn't really bother me at all. It is not difficult to press the left or right side. The left 1/3 is the left click, the right 1/3 is the right click. Only the middle 1/3 of the plastic is unresponsive as it is solid underneath. I should note that I am using the Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging], so to be honest, I am not using the trackpad very often.

*People have also complained about the stickers present on the inside of the laptop. These peel off easily and leave no residue, in my experience. Those are mostly put there so people who don't know any better can know what's inside their laptop.

*Finally, people have complained about the bloatware/junk software present installed on this computer. True, these programs are very annoying. But one could understand why a manufacturer would agree to install these trial programs and come-ons: higher profits. If you're so inclined, take 5 minutes to uninstall the stuff you don't want, this is not a difficult process.


* People ask what kind of computer this is all the time! Classmates/coworkers/friends who haven't seen Asus laptops (too many Dells and HP's out there!) will ask where you got this laptop :)

* I have installed Microsoft Security Essentials as my anti-virus program, and have had 0 issues so far. I highly recommend it. (Free download)


Summary: Overall I would say the build quality of this Asus is about an 8.5/10. I still rate this as 5 stars though because the minor build quality issues are not enough to detract from the overall value of this fast, efficient, and powerful laptop.

Had this laptop for a week now and I am thoroughly impressed. I've installed a couple ASUS motherboards on desktops and was always really happy with their performance. This is the first ASUS laptop I've owned/used, and so far it has lived up to the standards I come to expect from them.

I love the 14" screen size/overall laptop size, fast CPU/RAM speed, switchable graphics (very cool, helps conserve quite a bit of battery when unplugged, but still has some muscle to game when needed.) Battery life is amazing for this computer's size and power, I'm getting 8-9 hours with average surfing. Also, I am so far liking Windows 7, after trying Vista and absolutely hating it, it seems like they got it right this time.

Cons - seriously take these with a grain of salt, I didn't rate the laptop 5 stars for nothing. The touchpad takes a little getting used to, it's a bit sticky at first but once you get some skin oil on there it works fine. I have had no trouble with the multitouch features others have complained about, in fact it's a pretty cool feature of this touchpad. The mouse button on the touch pad does suck, it's a one-piece, rocker button and it squeaks when I press it (BTW other than that squeak issue on the touchpad, it seems that ASUS has really improved their build quality from previous reviews, I have noticed no other poor build quality-related issues with this laptop.) The LCD screen quality is definitely lacking, the reflections can get bad when you've got a backlight behind you and the poor black contrast makes it look a bit washed out when compared to other LCDs. Finally, the speakers are pretty terrible, but hey, they work - which is an infinite improvement from my old laptop...

Overall, excellent laptop. If you are looking for the perfect mix of power and portability, you've found it.

This is the third ASUS we've added to our stable and am very happy with what we've received from the company. You get a very high quality laptop without paying the premium that others charge.

a) Build Quality 10/10 -- was very nervous about the build quality given some of the previous reviews. ASUS LISTENED. This is better than the Sony VAIO (bought less than a year ago) that we just recycled, the Dell I have from work and the HP that we bought a few months ago. Everything is tight.
b) Keyboard 9/10 -- I actually care about how the keyboard feels when typing as I learned how to type of a manual, then selectric many years ago. This keyboard is almost on par with what you can get from Lenovo. And, no, there is no flex that I can feel at this point. I save 10/10 for Lenovo
c) Screen 10/10 -- One of the most clear screens that I've seen. Have watched HD movies and also have manipulated images using Adobe Photoshop. Cannot be beat.
d) Video Card 9/10 -- Hybrid Nvidia/Intel MHD is awesome. Cutting to the intel chip with battery is seamless and you really cannot tell that you're in powersaving mode. Only reason why not a 10/10 is because the Nvidia chip only has 512Meg on the GBU... Should be 1 Gig.
e) Case -- 10/10 -- as stated in build quality... this looks awesome. Had to really work to figure out which panel was aluminum and which was plastic.
f) Hard Drive -- 5/10. I was a bit surprised that the HDD was only a 5400 rpm drive. I immediately created an image, replaced with a 7200 rpm drive and reloaded. I have found the 7200 doesn't seem to hurt battery life and does improve performance a bit. Given the prices of HDD's today, there should be no reason for not having a 7200 rpm.
g) RAM -- DDR3. Need I say more?
h) CPU -- Intel. Need I say more?
i) Battery life 10/10. I have done quite a bit with numerous laptops to try to extend battery life. I don't like having to drag around power cords when visiting clients. I am able to get almost 8 hours in battery saving mode.
j) Bloatware -- ASUS seems to be increasing the amount of bloatware they install on their laptops. I just unloaded everything that said ASUS and the laptop still works very well... Some of the 'smart keys' don't work, but that doesn't bother me. The trade off between quick boots and flicking keys to change power modes is worth it to me.

I wouldn't look much further if you're looking for a laptop that can be lugged around all day. The secret for a 14" screen is the laptop isn't much bigger than a 13.3" case, but feels as if you're looking at a much larger screen.

I received my silver asus ul80vt laptop today, and I absolutely love it! This is my first review, but I thought it was necessary because it was such a great deal! In the price range, (I bought it for around $750) this was top of the line. The battery life is incredible, it was delivered in excellent condition, and best of all it's lightweight! The screen is, in my opinion, of great quality. The viewing angles are not nearly as bad as some of the reviews I read, and the color is awesome! Also, it's the perfect size. It's small, but big enough so that you don't have to squint! It's about the size of a hard back textbook, but much thinner. The processor is great, and the hard drive is adequate. Internet connection works great, and the camera is a lot better quality than I was expecting. I was expecting to have trouble with the trackpad, but so far it seems normal to me. The only thing I noticed is that I tend to move the mouse with the base of my hand while typing on occasion, but that's nothing major. I have heard that asus makes the motherboards for mac computers, and while I considered splurging for a macbook pro, I couldn't justify the cost difference. I could buy TWO of these for the price of a mac and it has more features!

I based my purchase off all the good reviews I read about the system. Now, I've had it for 8 months, and have had problems for at least 6 months. Many of the ASUS start-up files crash at system start up. Creating a recovery CD will cause a crash too. Also, system restore attempts often fail. I wish I'd read about all this 8 months ago.

The best part about this laptop is that there is dual operating system built-in where there's a Windows based system button and a Linux based button, so when the windows system crashed (daily) I could still check my email in the reliable Linux system. There was a period of time when I just didn't power down at all to avoid the startup issues.

Another good thing is if you call customer service you won't wait 30 minutes to talk to a person. They're good about that. Now, whether they actually fix your problem is an issue that remains to be seen in my case.

The touchpad and keyboard design has been a big problem as well. Even when I'm typing very carefully the mouse will jump around to other text boxes. This is a big problem when filling out any kind of form on the internet as well as typing a Word document. I've opted for a external mouse and have disabled the touchpad altogether.

I don't believe today's laptops are made to last, but I do think you can find a better one that will work as expected for a reasonable amount of time. I would not choose this model/brand again.


****UPDATE*****
I sent this laptop back within the 1-year warranty to be repaired by ASUS. It worked normally for 1/2 a day, and went right back to the previous issues of crashing. I truly believe their fix was merely to re-format the computer only. I could have done that myself. I declined to send it back again because I do not believe they'll resolve the issue nor do I have the time. ASUS has not updated ANY of the drivers the computer needs to function properly. I guess ASUS ripped me off. $700 out of my pockets for a bad product.

I bought this laptop because of its price, size, and advertised battery life. So far I've had it for almost a month
and I'm very happy with it. Normally I spend more on laptops, but I thought the time has come when one does not need to pay
a lot for a really good laptop, and so far it seems I was right.

Concerning the battery life: I didn't really like much the setting that leads to the advertised 12 hour life,
but I'm perfectly happy with having nice colours and a 6-8 hour battery life.

Two things that needs improvement: 1) the mouse buttons. It's not great, but not too bad either. I do like the touchpad though, better than any laptops I've had before. 2) the built-in webcam. It's ok for ocasional skyping but that's about it.

For linux users: installing dual boot was a breeze (i'm using Fedora 12) and everything I've tried worked easily and right away (sound, wireless, usb,webcam). Battery life is 6-8, again with nice settings. May be better with some tweaking, but so far I did not care.

Just as background info, I have owned many laptops including portable, multimedia and gaming laptops. There are already tons of review so I will just post keypoint.

1) YES! I can play StarCraft 2 on UL80VT-A2 perfectly at 1280 x 720 with detail mix low and medium. There's absolutely no lag even at the biggest online multi-player maps.

2) This model does come with 5600mah battery and on idle in entertainment (not power saver) mode, windows shows 10 hours of battery life at 95% battery with 1 bar of brightness.

3) The fan noise is silent when using integrated video and barely audible when dedicated video card is engaged.

4) NO! this model does not have any wireless connection/dropping issue that is plaguing the newer UL80JT series. I owned two UL80JT which both had constant disconnect wireless issue and default to wireless off when booting up computer. Just go to bestbuy product link or google said issues, you will find quite a few and there's no fix right now. Both JT have been returned.

5) Yes, UL80VT has a much longer battery life than UL80JT due to the fact you can manually control which video card to use. Lots of HD video can be handled by integrated just fine and Optimus technology is still in its infancy and engage far too often which wasted battery life. Real world battery life is maybe 1/2 of UL80VT.

6) Upon research, new JT's I3-330UM cpu compare with this SU7300 cpu, the real world processing power is nearly indistinquishuable. Even on bench mark these two CPU place nearly head to head against each other. New G310M 1GB video card in JT series is also just a slightly faster G210M found in UL80VT. UL80JT's 1GB G310M video card is just a slightly faster version of UL80VT's 512MB G210m and UL80VT's 512 card is more than enough for 1366 x 768 resolution.

Spec for spec, price for price, battery life for battery life, UL80VT comes out way way way ahead of UL80JT and any other laptop in this price range. I'm a power user with core i7 desktop overclocked and GTX 480 video card. I game, code high def videos. For browsing, light gaming and daily tasks, this laptop is more than capable and did not lag at all. This is absolutely the best laptop you can get for the price.

Bought this in June. The laptop crashes every few days, either with hardware or software problem (according to the minidump file). Check ASUS website and no solution. Sent a support request and have not heard back from ASUS for two days.
Working on Windows software is my daily job. If I had hard time figuring out why it crashes frequently, think about what the others can do to this laptop.

Help. Unable to get the HDMI port to work with my HD TV. The manual for the product has no mention of the HDMI port or the seperate graphics card.

Bought the laptop for web surfing (which it's doing great) and being able to stream netflix to the TV (which its not doing at all).

Asus has an extensive web site for service but there is no phone number to speak with someone, I purchased a model with HDMI and a seperate graphics card but the user manuals make no mention of them. It's very frustrating to pay for components that aren't working and having documentation that say they don't exist -- Even though you can find them when you search on the hard drive.


Can someone assist me with this?

After a year and a half, it's likely that no one is in the market for this model of laptop anymore, but I wanted to address a few of the issues that developed in the time that I've had the ASUS (and which might be applicable to later versions or others in the series). The original review, for those of you dying to read it, is below.

- The touchpad is truly atrocious. I have learned to control it as best as I can, but I only use it for limited periods of time. A separate mouse is necessary, otherwise as you mouse along the screen you will click links, open documents, and downsize windows - whether you wanted to or not. While the fix is simple (buy a mouse! I recommend Logitech - like Logitech M305 Wireless Mouse (Black) - any of the models with a USB so tiny that it's barely there), the complete lack of attention to such an integral part of the notebook speaks to how ASUS creates its products.

- Battery life has remained excellent. I say that you can probably get 10+ hours, if you dim the screen, use the integrated card, and only word process. But getting a solid six or seven by just taking a few power-saving measures is impressive, and given its light weight, I contend that this laptop is great for any student/coffee shop hopper.

- Laptop feels a little flimsy, but no more so than it did when I originally received it. Slightly "mushy" case around the keyboard and floppy screen. I think that this would be a problem is a bulkier, weightier computer. This laptop is practically made of air, and nothing has fallen apart on me yet.

- The dedicated graphics card is what makes this laptop special. For those of you who game LIGHTLY, it works well. I can run The Sims 3 on this laptop, with high settings, and it moves very fluidly. That being said, it has begun to slow down a little and cause my graphics-demanding game to crash. Deciding to remedy to the situation by updating my video driver, I found NVIDIA's update for the 200 series GeForce card. Big surprise! They don't make an update for laptops that use integrated graphics, so you're stuck with what you have. While this really doesn't create a huge problem for me, for more dedicated gamers - steer clear, as well as from other products with the hybrid card. This also seems indicative of how ASUS and NVIDIA treat their customers: fairly uncaring of our needs.

- Customer service. This would be applicable to anyone buying an ASUS product and using their much lauded warranty system. After a year of owning the laptop, it began to just ... fail. I'm somewhat computer literate, but it was difficult to pin down the reason for the problem. The computer took forever to open My Documents, to transfer files, or to save anything. After speaking with customer service, I sent the laptop along to have it fixed. This part was pain-free, until it was returned with no fix, except a claim that the speakers (which I mentioned had made a stuttering noise, I thought because of memory problems) had been fixed. After a frustrating process of insisting that the laptop had NOT been fixed, ASUS took it back and ultimately fixed the registry. Four months later, the problem has not recurred, though the problem was way more hassle than it was worth.

At the same time, it cost me no money, the shipping was free (materials were not), and ultimately the problem was resolved. As a note, however, the laptop returned with the bottom panel screwed on incorrectly, so a lip of it sticks out the bottom. So while I know for sure that they did something with my laptop, I can also attest that they're not terribly careful with their products.

My original review was five stars, and I'm bumping it down to four. I think in this day and age, where laptops are built to self destruct in about eighteen months to two years, the ASUS is a solid purchase. Their customer service has its flaws, but they are responsive and ultimately get the job done. This laptop is not high-end, but its value and construction for the price are notable. Of course, this model is no longer available, but I would take these flaws into consideration when buying the next version or another product in the series.

Or, you know, just bite the bullet and buy a Mac.

*ORIGINAL REVIEW*

In looking for a laptop, I wanted one with portability, a long battery life, and a dedicated graphics card, but on a limited budget. The ASUS UL80Vt has delivered on all of these things and, after a month's use, I am still delighted with this purchase. It's very light, easy to pack, the processor is quick enough for everything I need it do, and I love having the NVIDIA card.

Some negatives that people had pointed out was the flimsy feel of the case, the variable battery life, a tendency to attract fingerprints, and an awkward mouse pad. To address these:

The case does feel a little delicate, occasionally it feels as if the battery pack is a little loose in its socket and it slides into place when I set it down, making the base rattle. However, concerns that the case was "mushy", I have not found to be a problem. There were reports that bottom of the keyboard made a cracking noise, and before purchasing I saw videos of people demonstrating this problem on the A1. I tested my own laptop thoroughly once I got it and found no problems - either the error has been corrected or the silver version (A2) of the ASUS does not have the same issue. The lid of the case does give under pressure, which makes me handle it more cautiously. The CD drive also seems a little flimsy, but I just support it with a hand when I pop it out and treat it as carefully as possible.

With regards to the battery life, 11.5 hours might be a bit of a generous estimate. On battery saving, with the Windows Aero theme turned off, running the integrated graphics card, and the light dimmed, I can squeeze out about ten hours while running basic programs like Chrome and Word. Watching movies - depending on different factors like screen brightness and which power plan I'm using - I can watch about two movies, or about five hours' worth. Playing a graphics-demanding game, I got a little less than two hours. On average, without making the laptop work on the bare minimum of power, I can use it for almost an entire day of off and on processing, emailing, and watching a few television shows before I get a notice. The fact that you can switch between graphics cards and power plans allows you choice depending on how long you need the battery to last.

In the case of fingerprints - yes, it gets them. Especially on the bezel - but we all know that'll happen. I bought the silver version not merely because I thought it was "prettier" but in the hopes that the brushed aluminum would show up finger prints less easily, and it does, though you can see them in certain lights. I do find myself wiping them off fairly regularly, but I'm still in the throes of a new purchase and want to keep it looking as good as new for as long as possible. They're easy enough to wipe off.

As for the mouse pad - it sucks. This is by far the computer's worst feature. It is highly sensitive to pressure, so even the slightest touch it reads as a "click". Trying to direct the cursor across the screen, especially on a webpage full of links, I find myself constantly opening windows (or closing windows) that I never intended to touch. I couldn't manipulate the sensitivity very much, though I did lower cursor speed to gain more control, but it was still an issue. The bar for clicking is uncomfortable to use due to the fact that it is a single piece of metal; you have to train yourself to use the side of the bar for it to respond to left click/right click. I did not find the dimpling to be an issue, it helps to locate where the pad is, and I did like the two finger scrolling. However, to save yourself the headache I would suggest that you take the discount that you receive on the price (currently the laptop is $709) and go buy yourself a nice wireless mouse, saving yourself the hassle of dealing with this shoddy piece of manufacturing.

Other than that, however, the laptop is great. Battery life is excellent. The keyboard is more Mac-like, but works well and I find it very easy and comfortable to type on. I make my living as a writer and have had no issues with the keyboard's size or the chiclet-style keys. I love the dedicated graphics card: for all you soft-core gamers out there, the NVIDIA is highly capable of running The Sims 3 on high detail graphics, while maintaining a smooth, speedy gameplay (translate that as you wil to your own gaming needs). The laptop maintains a very low temperature, though it does heat up occasionally (when gaming), however the sound of the fan is minimal - my old laptop sounded like an airplane taking off. The speakers put out a good sound, however because it is a laptop it is not extremely loud, especially when the laptop is in your lap because the speakers are at the front. Despite the fact that there are no extra buttons for volume or playing DVDs/music, it's easy enough to learn to use the function keys. The laptop boots up and closes down quickly.

As a side note, I hate the face recognition log-on software. It has never once recognized my face, and it does slow down initially logging on to the computer as the camera boots up. Also, while you can manually switch between graphics plans through the use of the silver button at the top left of the computer, it is not a sure-fire way to turn on the NVIDIA card, sometimes restarting and plugging in the laptop is necessary.

Other than that, I am very, very pleased with this product. It is extremely light, I can cart it around to as many coffee shops as I want, it slips easily into my bag, lighter than some of my books, even. This is the perfect laptop for someone who has to be mobile - if only I had had this in college! - but it still indulges your need for entertainment. A very good pick and for its price, and what I expected of it, a solid 5 out of 5.