In terms of external features, this laptop seems to offer a good bit, sporting an HDMI and VGA port, USB 3.0 port, multitouch track pad and a Webcam. Overall, the features are very good for the price you pay for it.
Internal's on this laptop are on par with other budget laptops. Intel Pentium processor, 2-4GB of RAM and Intel integrated graphics wont hold up running AutoCAD or Photoshop very well but handle essential business apps like Outlook, Word and internet browsing just fine. Some apps like VLC can take up to 20 seconds to load but after loading, they run without issue.
Overall construction isn't the best ive ever seen but its certainly not the worst. Laptop manufacturers these days have moved away from making laptops out of tough matte casing that lasts for years to shiny casing that looks good in-store but holds up poorly in day-to-day use. The casing on this laptop skips the gloss but still attracts some fingerprints and the screen is also glossy though a screen protector should fix that. Overall I've found the casing to be better than other budget laptops but still nothing compared to the casing found on proper business laptops (think Dell Precision and HP EliteBook). However you get what you pay for and for the money its not that bad.
The laptop ships with Windows 7 Home Premium and there isn't too much to be said here in terms of features. The laptop is slowed somewhat by bloatware and the 64bit flavor of Windows 7. However if you're willing to get your hands dirty, re-installing Windows in the 32bit flavor and leaving out the bloatware should speed things up considerably.
Overall you get what you pay for. For the money this laptop is one of the best deals on the market and with a few tweaks on the software side, this laptop will be a perfect companion for basic computing tasks.
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If, like me, you're a normal person (i.e. NOT a techie) wanting to get the real deal on a low price laptop, this is it.Before Christmas, I read several dozen reviews before purchasing this laptop. The main thing for me was the price, since none of my laptops have lasted more than 3 years, and my last one (Dell-500.00) only lasted 2yrs. So I was very tempted to buy this ASUS, as it was advertised for $325 around the holidays. I didn't really see very consistent complaints on the various websites I looked at (Best Buy, etc), so took the plunge but now wish that I hadn't.
IT's not that this laptop is terrible. It's not. And it certainly has all the features I really needed: Windows 7, webcam, ok speakers, and good screen size. It also is very light--a real plus. It has good battery life so far, doesn't get hot, and doesn't have the annoying keyboard panel that is so common these days (the side panel with the extra set of numbers on it). From a list of externals, the computer fits the bill.
FYI, it does NOT have an internal CD/DVD drive.
also FYI, the speakers are on the bottom of the computer (where your legs hit), which is not a dealbreaker but weird. Ok volume but makes it kind of muted.
The big down side is the touchpad. It's a dealbreaker. A lot of people complained about odd things concerning the touchpad, like the sensitivity, but that kind of thing is fixable if you know what menu you're looking for. What is not fixable is the actual design of the touchpad. Firstly, the right and left click buttons are not raised or separated from the touchpad itself; nor are they distinguished from one another. There is just a line painted on the pad that divides right from left. This means that it is very awkward to click, select, and drag. It's very easy to delete a whole selection you're highlighting, or right click when you mean to left click. Many times I touch/click and nothing happens at all. So far, after a month, my fingers have still not adjusted to this new set up--and I am having a hard time selecting/dragging, etc, accurately and quickly. It seems like maybe something under the pad does not have the right design/sensitivity because I have never struggled with this kind of thing before, not even on those computers which have the raised dot touchpad in the center of the keyboard. This one is just OFF in a funny way.
Also, it seems like the touchpad is located rather left of center. So if you're left-handed, this may be the touchpad for you. But if you are right handed like me, your right hand has to stretch quite a ways over to click/select.
This is definitely the most annoying feature for me, enough to make me wish I had tried it out in the store first. But I also have had some trouble with audio-visual speed/internet speed/printing speed which may or may not be related to the computer--but I sure didn't have trouble with my previous laptop, nor does anyone else experience it on our other house computers. I think it might be a memory/RAM problem because I cannot watch Netflix (or listen to iTunes) and print/surf at the same time. Lots of delays which, like I said, might be a problem with something else but I wouldn't take the chance.
So, if you're on the fence about this machine like I was, and not able to really interpret other reviews to make a good decision, don't take the plunge just to save the money. Maybe try the cheap Toshiba, which is also around $300, and, while heavy, cumbersome, and ugly, didn't have any of these problems.
Best Deals for Asus Matte Deep Blue Square 14" X401U-EBL4 Laptop PC with AMD E1
I got mines from my local Walmart and it's working good!It plays both 720p and 1080p Youtube videos FLAWLESSLY. Maybe it's my good connection.
My touchpad is working good so far and if indeed gets damage I have a tiny mouse for backup.
I don't need a cd drive as I have always used Usb hard drives.
The HDMI is wonderful , I play a movie and connect this baby to my tv and its awesome!!!
WARNING: IT COMES WITH A LOT OF BLOATWARE , BUT YOU CAN JUST UNINSTALL BUT LEAVE THE ONE THAT SAYS ASUS RECOVERY ALONE.
Honest reviews on Asus Matte Deep Blue Square 14" X401U-EBL4 Laptop PC with AMD E1
I love this lap top. I wanted Windows 7 & this is it. Others said the mouse is too touchy, but there are adjustments built in for the preferred touch. The speakers underneath does hinder the sound. I'm going to purchase an extra speaker, tho.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Asus Matte Deep Blue Square 14" X401U-EBL4 Laptop PC with AMD E1
I got mines from my local Walmart and it's working good!It plays both 720p and 1080p Youtube videos FLAWLESSLY. Maybe it's my good connection.
My touchpad is working good so far and if indeed gets damage I have a tiny mouse for backup.
I don't need a cd drive as I have always used Usb hard drives.
The HDMI is wonderful , I play a movie and connect this baby to my tv and its awesome!!!
WARNING: IT COMES WITH A LOT OF BLOATWARE , BUT YOU CAN JUST UNINSTALL BUT LEAVE THE ONE THAT SAYS ASUS RECOVERY ALONE.
UPDATE Please read all
Things you need:
http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Cruzer-Flash-Drive-SDCZ36-004G-AFFP/dp/B007JR531I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1351680984&sr=8-2&keywords=4+gb+usb+sandiskYour Windows OEM key which is located on the sticker on the back of you're Laptop
OKAY now to what I want to say
.....I've been starting to get a few problems with this laptop to the point that I wanted to sell it back, But I found out that the OS *operating system* has been modified for some unknown reason and this causes bugs from the keyboard, to the touchpad..AND I found a way to fix it, which is a simple solution. ALSO this makes your Laptop MUCH FASTER...
If you're planning to get this laptop I recommend to buy a 4 gb usb drive and download Windows 7 usb/dvd download tool and burn a Windows 7 Home premium 32/64 bit, ((depending on your Laptop)) ISO file to the Usb drive with the program.
After burning the ISO file to the USB, disconnect it and connect it again.. Start up the Windows Installer and install the new fresh copy and follow instruction
This removes EVERYTHING from your current OS from files to programs BUT DO NOT FEAR..
After installing the OS FORMAT the USB drive and Use another computer or the library to download necessary files from the Asus support website...
and download Atheros Wireless Lan Driver and Application ... and also Foxconn Wireless Lan Driver and Application.. COPY it to the USB drive and put it on your Laptop....
Install these to put Wifi back on your laptop...after you put Wifi back , Use the laptop to download more files, like the bluetooth one or the mouse / touchpad settings one..
Download every file that looks necessary and install them on your Laptop... ALSO do a Windows Update.. BUT you can't do an Update unless you verify that you have a legit copy of windows By going to Start Control Panel System and Security System Scroll down to where it says Windows activation and Activate Now! , use the key on the sticker on the back of your Laptop
DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN ALSO INSTALL UBUNTU ON THIS
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