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Product Reviews |
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Jesse Colclasure - 05/08/2010 
Computer is fast when it is running. Laptop feels solid in my hands. Maybe I got a lemon here, not sure.... Numerous issues wih stability though. Computer shuts down unexectedly when doing mnudane things like watching hulu, or using a spreadsheet. Internal memory card reader non-functioning. Multiple deads pixels on the montior. Asus service is difficult to work with. The Asus support 800 number was down for days! I notified multiple support personnel and they all said their are no reported issues with their call-in number. They refused to give me a an alternate call-in / direct line to support. So, after 6 hours of emailing and talking through skype (the only way I could talk to a live person, as their 800 number was dead), I finally pried an RMA out of them. Asus warranty is an industry leader, but their support is HORRIBLE.
I would return this laptop, but I already activiated the warranty and Xotic PC will charge me a 15% restocking fee. I would be happy with this laptop if it were not for the stability issues. |
lisa mellors - 03/04/2010 
My review of the Asus N61JQ-A1 that I bought 3 days ago is as follows:
The good:
well spaced and intuitively spaced keys.
extremely quiet running on all power modes.
stunning display despite very glossy screen.
terrific sound when used with external speakers.
beautiful, almost suede-like feel around the keyboard area, and impossible to leave fingerprints.
aesthetically beautiful laptop.
dvd tray, while not slot load, is very sturdy.
Lightweight for a 16" laptop at just under 5 pounds.
touchpad is large and fantastic, with options to turn off features you don't want.
The not so good:
sound is horrible without external speakers, no bass whatsoever.
no latch on the screen/lid.
keyboard has significant flex on the left side and a tinny sound when typing.
widescreen display, while 16" and terrific for movies, looks quite short & squat.
The fundamentals of this laptop are there - the display, the hard drive, the processor, motherboard, etc. The beefs I have listed above, are likely all things I will get used to in time, and I know I'm being super picky.
The things I am most unhappy with are that the screen is SO glossy (and admittedly I am a fan of matte screens) but this one is so glossy that I could literally apply make up in the reflection.
The sound is what was the most disappointing. I wanted a laptop that would sound great on its own without external speakers and I thought that's what I was getting with this one. But I was crushed to listen to this laptop the first time. But then while researching to see if there was a setting I was missing or if other users had the same complaint, I ended up reading that this laptop was MEANT to be used with a subwoofer, and that the speakers that are built in are basically just satellite tweeters. So I plugged in my USB 2 watt Logitech mini's in and WOW!!! what a difference! The sound is fabulous with even just these super basic speakers so I will just have to resign myself to having to use external speakers whenever I "listen" to this laptop. The sounds really is so incredible with external speakers that I have instantly forgiven (and forgotten) ASUS for making this laptop the way they did.
The keyboard does not feel very solid, and while it doesn't feel at all defective, there is a bit more flex to it then I am used to. The tinny sound when typing doesn't lend itself to suggesting it's solidity, but I am chalking this up to it just being unfamiliar.
The touchpad, will all the defaults in place gets in the way when typing, and wayward thumbs have sent documents I am working on into maximum, minimize and basically all over the place. Takes some getting used to. It's large though and very responsive without being overly so. You can select which of the touchpad features you want to leave on and turn off which is a nice touch.
The numeric keyboard is a disappointment though as the keys are rather small and awkward to use which means I could have gotten a smaller laptop for all I'm going to really use them.
I set up a restore point and recovery partition which ended up taking a whopping 50Gb of the 500Gb hard drive.
I have no plans to use this laptop for gaming. Just music and movies, internet and document management, and while unhappy at first, I am warming to this laptop and am sure I will get used to the things I am fussing about now.
The addition of the USB 3.0 is a plus, except that there is nothing out there yet that is compatible without being extremely overpriced, so I will have to wait and see how I like this feature.
The Windows Experience Index is 5.9, with the lowest score being 5.9 for data transfer and memory operations per second (I just have the 4Gb it came with) the highest 6.9 for calculations per second.
A backlit keyboard would have been nice. |
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