I'm editing this post in order to avoid confusion. My first post originally had questions about the cheaper model (N80VN-X1), and I don't want people mixing up the specs, etc.
First impressions:
Look and Feel
It's VERY glossy. Virtually everything on this laptop - the screen, the trim, the casing, the control buttons, the trackpad buttons, etc. are all very shiny. It looks great, but it's definately not for someone that wants a plain-jane notebook with no frills, and it also shows fingerprints very quickly. It's dark gray / black and comes with some kind of dotted pattern on it (imagine the green numbers in the background from The Matrix, just too small to read, and light gray instead of green).
Size and Weight
For someone like me that brings a laptop back and forth to school, work, and other places, it's the perfect size. The screen is just big enough for watching a movie or playing a game, but the overall size is small enough to be very portable. It's advertised as 5.7 lbs, but it feels more like 3. Coming from a two year old HP 15.4" laptop, this thing is so much easier to lug around.
Display
The screen is very bright and the color quality is amazing. I have the laptop sitting next to the 2408WFP I'm typing on and I can tell a world of difference. Now if only I had a good colormeter for the Dell monitor.
It's native resolution is 1280x800 which is a little smaller than I prefer, but for productivity, taking notes, watching the occasional movie, etc. it doesn't seem to be an issue. There were no dead or stuck pixels.
Speakers
The Altec Lansing speakers won't rival a home threater system, but they do sound particularly good compared to the other laptops I've listened to. I haven't tried anything bassy yet, but the highs and mids are crisp and clean. For what it's worth, the laptop has a Dolby Home Theater logo on it. I'd still suggest carrying around a good pair of (expensive) headphones if you want the best audio you can get, though. For everything but the best of the best, these speakers should be just fine.
Keyboard
The keyboard doesn't have a major problem with missed keys or responsiveness, though it is a bit more difficult to type on than a standard keyboard (expected) or my girlfriend's XPS M1530. It works fine; it's just a little harder to adjust to. My only gripe is the Fn key location: it's in a great spot if you use the Fn key often, but it's right where the Ctrl key should be. For any long typing sessions, WPM races, etc. I would look into a docking station with a built-in keyboard, or consider hooking up a USB keyboard.
Trackpad and Mouse
The trackpad is mediocre at best. It is just big enough and it comes with a vertical scroll bar; however, the buttons are very stiff and difficult to press, and the trackpad often thinks I'm tapping to left click when I place my finger gently on the trackpad just to move the mouse. Luckily ASUS supplies a corded USB optical mouse that works just fine. Don't expect it to beat an expensive desktop mouse for FPS gaming, but it gets the job done. It has a side-scrolling mouse wheel, but unfortunately no thumb buttons. It's very small (what do you expect with a computer designed for portability?) so those of you that like to palm you mouse will probably hate it. I ordered a VX Nano anyway to give that a shot.
Connectivity
It comes with two USB ports on the right side, two on the back (towards the right), and one on the left side (though I may have overlooked one somewhere). It also VGA out, HDMI, E-SATA, FireWire, Express Slot, a card reader (I didn't check which types are compatible), and Gigabit Ethernet. The fan is located on the right side towards the back, and it exhausts air that is somewhere between warm and hot while starting up (probably worse if you start doing some 3D gaming), and it's very quiet. It has a normal pop-out DVD double layer drive; a slot-load like my girlfriend's XPS would have been a nice touch, though I can't really complain. It also comes with a fingerprint reader (between the trackpad buttons) and a 1.3M pixel webcam. It looks like it has an integrated mic, but I haven't confirmed that. It comes with an 802.11n wireless card (works fine on b/g networks) and bluetooth, which I haven't tried yet.
AC Adapter
The AC adapter is much smaller than my previous laptop, though it still gets very warm to the touch. Interestingly, the cords are rather short. The cord that plugs into the AC outlet is only about 2-2.5 feet long (most of the ones I've seen are 3-5 feet), and the cord that plugs into the laptop itself is significantly longer, though not quite as long as the other two laptops I've mentioned. The overall length seems just about pefect for most scenarios, though it may be a problem if you're used to plugging it in half way across the room.
Accessories
It comes with a the normal manuals, recovery disk, drivers CD, etc. However, it also comes with a carrying case that everything fits in perfectly. It's certainly not a $100 case, but it's much smoother than the $35 case I bought for the 15.4". The other case was more rugged - the ASUS case is similar to a backpack in flexibility, though it has padding between the different compartments. As I mentioned before, it also comes with a wired USB optical mouse.
Software / Bloatware
It came preinstalled with a 90 day trial of Norton Internet Security (which I'm actually going to try, considering I've been using McAfee for three years now), and a 60 day trial of Microsoft Office. Other than that, the preinstalled software is mostly ASUS stuff (their logon / security suite, a couple media programs, etc.) and device programs (Lightscribe, etc.) It's definately not the most bloated I've seen, though not the cleanest either. The hard drive comes from the factory partitioned into a 150GB OS partition, and a 139 GB data partition.
Finally, incase you're reading this and you don't want to look up the system specs, here they are:
Technical Specs
ASUS N80VN-GP011C
Price: $1,150 (Newegg)
Screen / Size: 14.1" WXGA LED backlit (1280 x 800 native)
Weight: 5.71 lbs
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 2.4GHz (Penryn 45nm, ~1.1-1.25v)
Motherboard: ASUS N80Vn, Intel PM45 chipset / ICH9-M Southbridge
Graphics: nVidia Geforce 9650M GT 1GB dedicated
Memory: 4GB DDR2 800, dual channel, 6-6-6-18
Hard Drive: 320GB 5400 RPM
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16834220391
Final Thoughts
Overall, I'm VERY impressed. This is the best $1,150 I've spent in a long time, and I really feel good about the purchase. It's not the most amazing laptop ever created by any means, but what you get for the price is not a bad deal at all.
There are a few things that could be improved. I'd pefer a slightly better keyboard (something like Dell's XPS line), and a better trackpad (or at least buttons that I can click with less force) would be nice. A higher resolution display would always be welcome, depending on how much it adds to the price. With the other hardware specs, it would make more sense (to me) to include a 7200RPM hard drive instead of 5400, even if it was only a 160 or 200GB model. I have no idea how much it costs them, but offering the laptop alone without the bag and mouse for $30-50 less would be a nice option as well.
If anyone has any questions, feel free. I don't have a camera right now to take pictures, and I haven't tested the battery life, FPS in games, etc. yet unfortunately.
First impressions:
Look and Feel
It's VERY glossy. Virtually everything on this laptop - the screen, the trim, the casing, the control buttons, the trackpad buttons, etc. are all very shiny. It looks great, but it's definately not for someone that wants a plain-jane notebook with no frills, and it also shows fingerprints very quickly. It's dark gray / black and comes with some kind of dotted pattern on it (imagine the green numbers in the background from The Matrix, just too small to read, and light gray instead of green).
Size and Weight
For someone like me that brings a laptop back and forth to school, work, and other places, it's the perfect size. The screen is just big enough for watching a movie or playing a game, but the overall size is small enough to be very portable. It's advertised as 5.7 lbs, but it feels more like 3. Coming from a two year old HP 15.4" laptop, this thing is so much easier to lug around.
Display
The screen is very bright and the color quality is amazing. I have the laptop sitting next to the 2408WFP I'm typing on and I can tell a world of difference. Now if only I had a good colormeter for the Dell monitor.
It's native resolution is 1280x800 which is a little smaller than I prefer, but for productivity, taking notes, watching the occasional movie, etc. it doesn't seem to be an issue. There were no dead or stuck pixels.Speakers
The Altec Lansing speakers won't rival a home threater system, but they do sound particularly good compared to the other laptops I've listened to. I haven't tried anything bassy yet, but the highs and mids are crisp and clean. For what it's worth, the laptop has a Dolby Home Theater logo on it. I'd still suggest carrying around a good pair of (expensive) headphones if you want the best audio you can get, though. For everything but the best of the best, these speakers should be just fine.
Keyboard
The keyboard doesn't have a major problem with missed keys or responsiveness, though it is a bit more difficult to type on than a standard keyboard (expected) or my girlfriend's XPS M1530. It works fine; it's just a little harder to adjust to. My only gripe is the Fn key location: it's in a great spot if you use the Fn key often, but it's right where the Ctrl key should be. For any long typing sessions, WPM races, etc. I would look into a docking station with a built-in keyboard, or consider hooking up a USB keyboard.
Trackpad and Mouse
The trackpad is mediocre at best. It is just big enough and it comes with a vertical scroll bar; however, the buttons are very stiff and difficult to press, and the trackpad often thinks I'm tapping to left click when I place my finger gently on the trackpad just to move the mouse. Luckily ASUS supplies a corded USB optical mouse that works just fine. Don't expect it to beat an expensive desktop mouse for FPS gaming, but it gets the job done. It has a side-scrolling mouse wheel, but unfortunately no thumb buttons. It's very small (what do you expect with a computer designed for portability?) so those of you that like to palm you mouse will probably hate it. I ordered a VX Nano anyway to give that a shot.
Connectivity
It comes with two USB ports on the right side, two on the back (towards the right), and one on the left side (though I may have overlooked one somewhere). It also VGA out, HDMI, E-SATA, FireWire, Express Slot, a card reader (I didn't check which types are compatible), and Gigabit Ethernet. The fan is located on the right side towards the back, and it exhausts air that is somewhere between warm and hot while starting up (probably worse if you start doing some 3D gaming), and it's very quiet. It has a normal pop-out DVD double layer drive; a slot-load like my girlfriend's XPS would have been a nice touch, though I can't really complain. It also comes with a fingerprint reader (between the trackpad buttons) and a 1.3M pixel webcam. It looks like it has an integrated mic, but I haven't confirmed that. It comes with an 802.11n wireless card (works fine on b/g networks) and bluetooth, which I haven't tried yet.
AC Adapter
The AC adapter is much smaller than my previous laptop, though it still gets very warm to the touch. Interestingly, the cords are rather short. The cord that plugs into the AC outlet is only about 2-2.5 feet long (most of the ones I've seen are 3-5 feet), and the cord that plugs into the laptop itself is significantly longer, though not quite as long as the other two laptops I've mentioned. The overall length seems just about pefect for most scenarios, though it may be a problem if you're used to plugging it in half way across the room.
Accessories
It comes with a the normal manuals, recovery disk, drivers CD, etc. However, it also comes with a carrying case that everything fits in perfectly. It's certainly not a $100 case, but it's much smoother than the $35 case I bought for the 15.4". The other case was more rugged - the ASUS case is similar to a backpack in flexibility, though it has padding between the different compartments. As I mentioned before, it also comes with a wired USB optical mouse.
Software / Bloatware
It came preinstalled with a 90 day trial of Norton Internet Security (which I'm actually going to try, considering I've been using McAfee for three years now), and a 60 day trial of Microsoft Office. Other than that, the preinstalled software is mostly ASUS stuff (their logon / security suite, a couple media programs, etc.) and device programs (Lightscribe, etc.) It's definately not the most bloated I've seen, though not the cleanest either. The hard drive comes from the factory partitioned into a 150GB OS partition, and a 139 GB data partition.
Finally, incase you're reading this and you don't want to look up the system specs, here they are:
Technical Specs
ASUS N80VN-GP011C
Price: $1,150 (Newegg)
Screen / Size: 14.1" WXGA LED backlit (1280 x 800 native)
Weight: 5.71 lbs
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 2.4GHz (Penryn 45nm, ~1.1-1.25v)
Motherboard: ASUS N80Vn, Intel PM45 chipset / ICH9-M Southbridge
Graphics: nVidia Geforce 9650M GT 1GB dedicated
Memory: 4GB DDR2 800, dual channel, 6-6-6-18
Hard Drive: 320GB 5400 RPM
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16834220391
Final Thoughts
Overall, I'm VERY impressed. This is the best $1,150 I've spent in a long time, and I really feel good about the purchase. It's not the most amazing laptop ever created by any means, but what you get for the price is not a bad deal at all.
There are a few things that could be improved. I'd pefer a slightly better keyboard (something like Dell's XPS line), and a better trackpad (or at least buttons that I can click with less force) would be nice. A higher resolution display would always be welcome, depending on how much it adds to the price. With the other hardware specs, it would make more sense (to me) to include a 7200RPM hard drive instead of 5400, even if it was only a 160 or 200GB model. I have no idea how much it costs them, but offering the laptop alone without the bag and mouse for $30-50 less would be a nice option as well.
If anyone has any questions, feel free. I don't have a camera right now to take pictures, and I haven't tested the battery life, FPS in games, etc. yet unfortunately.
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