Full review for Asus Laptop UL80VT-A2

I love my Asus UL80-VT -A2. For those of you who might be contemplating a notebook purchase, I have to comment on how well it performs.   My work is much easier for me since I bought it.

My Asus Laptop UL80-A2

My Asus Laptop UL80-A2

People at work kept asking how the new Asus UL80VT-A2 notebook was working, (guess they were curious due to the many hours and long days I spent researching notebooks). I think what they really want to know is— did I make the right choice, and is the Asus everything I thought it would be? The answer to those questions is yes and yes. There is so much to this laptop I still have not gotten around to all that it offers.

I researched all lap tops and note books on sale at the time which included HP, Dell, Toshiba, Apple, and Lenovo.

I was looking for a laptop which offered these specifications.

* Light weight and portable less then 5lbs.

* Long battery life

* Intel processor

* 4 GB of RAM

* At least 320GB of storage

* HD graphics and graphics card

* Built in card reader

* 14inch LCD screen

* Operating System:  Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

* All for under $800.00

I wasn’t asking for much, Ha-ha! However, after many days and long hours of research, three computer companies stood out best for me, Apple macbook, Lenovo think pad, or Asus.

At that time, I hadn’t heard of Asus until I googled a comparison between Apple and Lenovo.  That was when I read a review comparing Apple macbook and Asus UL series. That caught my attention, and from there I began to learn more.

The review had enough positive information which lead me to the Asus website to read about the different models from which to choose.  Another review compared this specific model UL80-VT to MacBook Pro and compared it side by side, giving details about build, quality and other important factors.

Apple has such a strong reputation in terms of build and quality, however the price is twice as much, considering all the special software for the Apple. Don’t get me wrong, I love Apple too, I own one. However for this deal, I had a set price range in mind, and wasn’t willing to budge; having said that, my choice narrowed between Asus, and Lenovo think pad. 

Let’s face it when it comes to technology—a good deal gets high praise, but a bad deal hurts our pocket books, and makes a person uneasy about spending too much next time around.

 The last time I purchased a laptop (other than the ibook) it barely survived 4 years, had to replace parts after one year, totaling $3,000.00—in the end it completely crashed and burned. I lost ALL of my data files, media—everything! Not to mention, it ran slow, and had to be rebooted on a very regular basis. Perhaps that is what did it in!

Needless to say, I made a promise to myself that this time I wasn’t going to spend more than $800.00 nor would the name or having all the bells and whistles going to be the sole reason for my decisions. 

Some computer companies such as Sony, for instance, place more enfaces on the outer beauty rather than quality. Notice, Sony wasn’t part of my research? I know all too well what I went through and sadly I won’t buy Sony again. (Sorry Sony)

Sometimes (just out of curiosity) while buying a cup of coffee at Starbucks or doing research at the local library, I will eye ball the laptops and notebooks; it comes natural, as I secretly count how many Apple Macbook Pro’s or ibooks I see or how many HP’s or Dells.

I found that “just as I”, was taken in by the “name” or “great deal’s and advertisements”, most people don’t really know any better. When it comes to computers or laptops they want the sales person to tell them what the best deal on the market is or what is best for their needs.

I suggest doing the research, and trusting in the consumer reports instead of the sales clerks. 

I decided to write this review for two reasons:

First, I consider it a contribution to help other customers (like myself) who don’t want to spend a fortune to get what they need in a lap top and help save someone the trouble of learning the hard way.

Second reason, as a customer I appreciate good quality and reliable products, who deliver what they promise.  If it’s joined with a company who sets reasonable price tags and great customer service? That goes a long way in today’s society and in my mind.  If it has those four elements then it’s worth spreading the good news!   I have to love it, or I wouldn’t waste my time writing or sharing.  I also enjoy the opportunity to counter compare a bad review others may have shared simply because Asus wasn’t the Apple computer they couldn’t afford.

 If you want to retain better than average quality and performance, but don’t want to spend a fortune, you won’t go wrong with Asus.

I wouldn’t have known about Asus, if it wasn’t for the reviews of others, so I’m thankful to them because the determination to get all that I needed in one laptop which would hold up for a while was well worth the research and the great find.

My original choice as I may have mentioned, was Lenovo’s Think Pad.   I was a button away from purchasing. I was in the process of custom designing to meet all my needs, but I couldn’t get the 4GB ram, in the one I chose.  This addition changed the Think Pad’s price tag up another hundred making it $200.00 over what the Asus UL80VT-A2 was going for.

Needless to say I wasn’t willing to compromise the ram or pay the extra money to have it built in, so Asus became the number one choice, and won the deal! I couldn’t be more pleased and happy with my decision.

REVIEW of Asus UL80VT-A2

Honestly, have no idea what the difference is between the UL80VT-A1 or UL80VT-A2. 

Good news about Amazon. I purchased from Amazon’s three day delivery. It was not shipped out on time so Amazon refunded my shipping fees which were about $72.00.  It was disappointing to have to wait an additional two days, but amazon refunded the shipping fees and I was happy.

On arrival, I opened the box, and found a nice looking, lightweight, very cool looking notebook. It was sturdy unlike the review I read which claimed it was cheap. It’s not cheap; however it’s not built like an Apple in terms of durable outer shell.  The build of an Asus, is pretty good other than the spacer in between the keys. I’d also have to say that the power and graphics x boost switch button sits a little low in the surrounding frame. The power button, has actually gotten stuck, and I had to use a paper clip to pop it back out.

Chick let Key pad and multi-touch trackpad - Not bad, but it does make a clicking noise.  I guess that’s why they call it chick let? In some cases you can hear an echo, like from the keys hitting the metal, or maybe it’s the frame. For instance, the right side of the key board, like (jkl;’ and enter) all sound somewhat quite compared to the other side of the key board (fdsa and capital lock) while the left side makes a little bit more echo noise, it’s just a little weird. Perhaps it is because of the hardware inside. This is a minor disturbance (if anyone would consider this to be.) I like the feel of the keys, they are comfortable in spite of the clicking noise. As for the Trackpad- could have a smoother scroll; it takes some getting used to, but it’s nice to have. Sometimes it’s so sensitive that it’s moving folders around or opening and closing files or doing things I’m unaware. It’s fast technology for sure, and it takes some practice. After several months, I’m still getting the hang of how it works. Like using two finger tips to scroll, or tap touching in order to move a file.

 I don’t care for the uni button; it’s a little hard, compared to most I’ve used. However, it is nothing a mouse cannot remedy. I would still recommend becoming familiar with the track pad and click button, especially if you plan to use your laptop mobile as I do.

Weight- I love that it’s light enough to carry anywhere with me.  If I have photo’s to edit, I can edit in the car for our family camping trips or any weekend get a-ways.  I can use it to instantly save my photos from my camera, which frees up the photo disc.

Ultra-low-voltage Intel Core2 Duo processor SU7300, -

The greatest part about this notebook is the speed. It’s the fastest computer I’ve ever owned. It boots up quickly. I can pull up page after page, on the internet and work with multiple programs all at once without losing speed or function to the programs. It’s amazing.

8 cell Battery- holds at least 6 hour charge using Intel graphics, but can last up to 11 hours easily with battery saver options or if it’s operated in battery save mode. To tell the truth, I haven’t timed the usage, but I have been able to pull away on battery for hours. Long enough, and the battery has never ran out on me.

I love the fact that it charges really--really fast, and anything I plug in which needs to be charged also charges quickly.

Downloading or uploading is a breeze; I rarely have to wait long periods of time for photos or music.

Customer service -I found the Asus Customer Service to be the best I’ve ever encountered. Someone always answers the phone and is ready to help any way they can. They are knowledgeable with positive attitude.

Affordable price-I loved the price tag, and all that it offers.  Its light weight portability is something that works well for me.

I love the fact that is has two disc drives c and d. Asus does this in the event that if the computer ever needs recovery, all the files saved to the d drive won’t be touched. It’s much like a desktop computer except in a lightweight notebook.

This also allows more space for speed and functionality, so if you purchase an Asus notebook. Make sure to take advantage of saving pictures, music and other files to your d drive.

All this and it’s a beauty to look at !