![[2021 Version]ASUS Vivobook Laptop L210 11.6” ultra thin, Intel Celeron N4020 Processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC storage, Windows](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/810BY5U9baL._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg)
The computer itself feels very sturdy and well-built. However, I noticed it does not lock when you close it. I personally don't mind, but some people might. Also, the mousepad could have been better. Instead of being one pad above two separate buttons, it's a left/right button and touchpad integrated into one large surface that you must click from the bottom or middle left. It feels uncomfortable and cheap, and misclicks quite often. I highly recommend getting a wireless mouse and disabling the touchpad.
Windows 8 is also another headache. Microsoft seems to always do this with their operating systems: they release an outstanding operating system one year, and then a flop of an OS the next year. Since Windows 7 was such a great operating system, perhaps they decided it was time for another failure OS. Windows 8 tries to turn a laptop into a tablet or phone, but the concept doesn't work if you want to get real work done (ie - typing reports and writing e-mails, as opposed to browsing facebooks and playing with apps). Essentially, think of a laptop with Windows 8 as a giant keyboard phone (that can't make calls) with a desktop "app" that you must click to open every time. In order to make Windows 8 more useable, you must install (and in some cases buy) several third-party programs such as the start button and metroUI deactivator, among other things. I would prefer a laptop to be useable right out of the box, without having to buy something as basic as the start menu.
That's not to say that Windows 8 prevents you from doing work; you can still do work, but it almost seems like the desktop setup was added in later as an afterthought, with the phone-like metroUI being at the forefront. It gets annoying having to always slide a page up just to login, then click a tile on the metroUI to access the desktop, every single time you open the computer. Windows 8 focuses too much on facebook and useless apps, and not enough on productivity. It is too easy to access apps I will never use, and too slow to resume work programs. Worst of all, you cannot disable these annoying "features" without installing/buying third party programs on your brand new computer. As a full-time college student juggling school and a demanding job, I want to be able to write lecture notes, close the screen when lecture ends, open it to write an e-mail quickly between classes, then go to the next class and resume writing lecture notes, with minimal time and effort. Windows 8 make it so that I must pull an unnecessary login screen up as if it were a tablet/phone, go to the metroUI, and click the desktop tile every single time I want to resume my work. It gets old fast.
Combine the cheap trackpad and Windows 8 (which relies so heavily on trackpad gestures from a laptop for some ungodly reason) and you get a rather frustrating experience for the average user. I would not recommend Win8 for anyone who expects to write more reports/essays/e-mails than facebook posts. For the price point, the laptop is a good deal, but it could have been so much better with windows 7 and a proper touchpad. If you plan on getting this laptop add in the cost of a portable mouse and make sure you have a copy of Linux/Win7 on hand. If you do not know how to install a new OS, or can't get someone to do it for you, consider a laptop with Win7. There are still a few out there.
Laptop: 4/5
Win8: 2/5
| Standing screen display size | 15.6 Inches |
|---|---|
| Max Screen Resolution | 1366x768 |
| Processor | 1.9 GHz A_Series_Quad_Core_A8_4500M |
| RAM | 4 GB DDR3 |
| Memory Speed | 1600 MHz |
| Hard Drive | 500 GB |
| Graphics Coprocessor | ATI HD 7640G |
| Chipset Brand | AMD |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Wireless Type | 802.11bgn |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 2 |
