ASUS G73Jw-A1

This stealth fighter-styled system gets an updated CPU and Nvidia graphics.

Last Spring, ASUS wowed us with its G73Jh gaming notebook, VGP-BPS9/B and now the company is back with a refreshed version that pairs the same great design with a faster processor, a more powerful Nvidia GTX 460 graphics chip, VGP-BPS9 and a USB 3.0 port for good measure. But are the improved specs enough to give this system a leg up on the competition?

Design

The G73JW-A1 is identical to the G73Jh-A2. At 8.8 pounds and 16.6 x 12.8 x 2.3 inches, the ASUS G73JW-A1 VGP-BPS9/S would never be mistaken for an ultraportable, but compared to some other systems we've tested--such as the 10.6-pound, 18-inch Toshiba Qosmio X505--it seems rather svelte. Carrying it and its 2-pound power brick around in an oversize messenger-style bag was no problem even when we had to stand for a long time VGP-BPS9A/B on the bus.

Modeled after the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter, the G73JW-A1 lacks the bling Vostro 1510 Battery of colorful notebooks like the Alienware M17x, but its sleek, angular design and gunmetal gray exterior make it one of the most attractive Inspiron 1545 battery systems we've seen. The dual exhausts on the back combine with the subtle silver ASUS logo and Republic of Gaming emblem to make this product look more like one of the planes you'd fly in a game than the notebook you'd be gaming on. Open up the lid, and the subtle theme continues inside. Only a few small buttons sit on top of the simple black keyboard and the gray touchpad simply blends into the deck. No colorful status lights or bright Latitude E6400 Battery red buttons here.

What really makes the G73JW-A1 stand out is the rubberized material used on both VGP-BPS13B/Q the lid and deck. More notebooks should use this type of material, because it's incredibly comfortable to touch, resists finger prints, stays cool, and provides a significant feeling of durability and quality.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Unfortunately, the G73JW-A1's backlit VGP-BPS13/B keyboard is a huge disappointment, with tiny stiff keys that are difficult for both typists and gamers alike. On the ten thumbs typing test, we got one of our worst scores ever--69 words per minute and a 3-percent error rate as opposed to our average rate of 80 wpm VGP-BPS13 and 1-percent. And that was the third time we tried; on the first two attempts we made so many errors that we just had to restart.

One reason the keyboard is so difficult to touch type on is that the hard keys give really VGP-BPS13A/B weak tactile feedback and require really hard and deliberate strokes. Another issue is that their flat, square shape lacks the kind of curves that make it easy to feel your way around the rows, and the narrow space between them seems smaller than other devices.

Why ASUS decided to not use all available space Dell GD761 Battery for the keyboard remains a mystery. The chassis is 16-inches wide, but has 1.5 inches of empty plastic on either side of the keyboard. Meanwhile, The arrow keys and numeric keypad--both essential for game play--are actually smaller than the rest of the keys, making it difficult to use them as controls. To make matters worse, the sharp incline and deep palm rest (more wasted space) can make it hard to keep your hands from PA3534U-1BRS slipping backward as you type.

Size-wise, the 4.4 x 2.2-inch touchpad has everything going for it: Vostro 1710 Battery a large smooth, but not too smooth surface, multitouch gesture support, and two discrete buttons that offer just the right amount of tactile feedback. However, on the first review unit we received, the cursor would get stuck and then jump unexpectedly Vostro 1720 Battery around the screen; we didn't experience this problem on a second review unit. Considering battery that many gamers use mice, the lack of a touchpad on/off button is a glaring omission.

Heat

For a notebook with a Core i7 CPU and power good battery Nvidia graphics card under the hood, the G73JW-A1 stays extremely cool. After streaming a video at full screen for 15 minutes, we measured the keyboard at a cool 87 degrees, the bottom at a temperate 90 degrees, and the touchpad at a chilly 78 degrees. Unlike other gaming battery notebooks that have hot palm rests and decks, we didn't notice a single hot spot on the G73JW-A1 even when we were gaming and that's battery quite an impressive feat. We consider temperatures below 95 degrees comfortable and below 90 degrees to be basically imperceptible.

Asus UL20FT-A1

A relatively powerful Core i3 processor, brushed metal lid, and comfy keyboard make Dell Latitude 131L Battery this ultraportable worth a look, but it's frustrating to use.

Believe it or not, there was a time when 12-inch ultraportables weren't just considered supersized or supercharged netbooks. It was its own laptop category, mostly populated by business machines for road warriors. The Asus UL20FT-A1 focuses more on entertainment, thanks to features such as Altec Lansing speakers, and there's no question that this laptop has enough speed to be your primary work-and-play PC. You also get a stylish sony VGP-BPS9/B Battery brushed aluminum lid and comfy keyboard. But is that enough to justify its $629 price when you can get the 12.1-inch EeePC 1215N netbook for $130 less?

Design and Ports

Handsome but somewhat unassuming, the UL20FT weighs a light 3.4 pounds and features a sturdy and classy brushed metal casing. You won't have Sony VGP-BPS9A/B Battery to worry about fingerprints marring this notebook. The EeePC 1215N is the same weight, but its all-plastic chassis doesn't feel quite as sturdy. Inside the Asus you'll find a plastic sliver deck with a subtle cube pattern that looks elegant, which carriers over to the ridged touchpad, and a glossy black bezel.

The left side of the UL20FT houses an HDMI port, USB port, and headphone and mic jacks. A 5-in-1 memory card reader sony VGP-BPS9 battery and two more USB, VGA, and Ethernet ports line the right side. Above the keyboard is a small power button on the right, as well as a button on the left that doubles as a launcher for the Express Gate instant-on OS (when the system is powered off) and a way for toggling through various power profiles (when the notebook is on).

Heat

The UL20FT managed to keep its cool during testing. After playing sony VGP-BPS9/S battery a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes, we measured relatively low temperatures of 88 degrees Fahrenheit on the touchpad and 86 degrees between the G and H keys. The underside of the notebook got up to 104 degrees by the vent, but the middle of the underside was a reasonable 91 degrees.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Asus doesn't have a reputation for delivering great ergonomics, and the UL20FT doesn't do much to change that perception. On the plus side, the keyboard Dell Vostro 1510 Battery offers good tactile feedback with minimal flex (much less so than the Eee PC 1215N). Our only nitpick here is the shrunken right Shift key.

However, the touchpad button will be a deal-breaker for some. It's entirely too stiff, good battery and it's also small. We resorted to double tapping the touchpad to make selections, and whenever we had to right-click we were reminded why we avoided the button. The ridged touchpad offered smooth navigation as well as smooth pinch-to-zoom gesturing. Too bad the pad measures a mere 2.5 x 1.5 inches (versus a relatively mammoth 3.3 x 1.9 inches for the 1215N). We wish Asus could combine the keyboard on this notebook with the touchpad on its souped-up netbook.

Trigem Averatec N1200

Trigem doesn’t come out with laptops all that often, and when it does, they’re usually Sony VGP-BPS13A/B Battery inexpensive and stylish, but just miss the mark in one aspect or another. The company’s latest effort, the Averatec N1200, continues this pattern. While this $349 netbook sports a gorgeous aluminum lid and is considerably lighter than the competition, its wimpy two-cell battery just doesn’t cut the mustard. Don’t even Fujitsu Laptop Battery think about buying the N1200 without the six-cell battery (bringing the cost to $379). Yet even HP/Compaq Laptop Battery with that necessity there are other weaknesses that will cause many netbook shoppers to pass.

Design

Reminiscent of the HP Mini 5102, the Sony PCGA-BP2V Averatec N1200 has a brushed magnesium alloy lid that not only repels fingerprints, but also makes the system more rugged than the typical all-plastic netbook. It adds a touch of class, too, and we like the subtle Averatec logo. In fact, the N1200 looks cooler and sleeker than most systems in Sony VGP-BPL9 its class. The bottom of the system is a matte black plastic, as is the keyboard.

Netbooks are known for their small size and weight, but at 10.7 x 6.5 x 0.9 inches and 2.2 pounds Sony VGP-BPS13 the N1200 is thinner and lighter than most. Of course, this is partially due to the fact that the configuration we tested has a two-cell battery—smaller than on most netbooks these days.

The bezel and keyboard deck on the N1200—including the touchpad—are a glossy black, which shows fingerprints fairly easily. Oddly, the N1200 has a webcam that sits on the left side of the bezel instead of above the Sony VGP-BPS2B Battery display, resulting in extremely awkward video chats. And we have no idea why there needs to be a strip to Lenovo/IBM Thinkpad R51E Battery the right of the keyboard that houses the power button and two LEDs of Num Lock and Caps Lock. That’s a serious waste of space, and it negatively impacts the typing experience.

Heat

The thermal readings of the N1200 were a study in extremes. After playing a Hulu video for 15 minutes at full screen, both the space between the G and H keys and the middle of the underside were a relatively cool 91 sony vgp-bps13/b degrees Fahrenheit. However, the touchpad registered a hot 105 degrees, and the front left underside—Sony VGP-BPS9/S Battery which rests on your thigh—was an uncomfortable 120 degrees. We consider anything over 100 degrees to be a good battery cause for concern.

Acer Aspire One D260

If we could use one word to describe Acer's Aspire One D260 (23797), HP Compaq 6715B Battery would be "cute." While other netbooks might cringe at such an epithet, the D260 soaks it up. The target audience for this netbook is users who care more about good looks than battery life, and whomever these people are, they will certainly get their wish. Still, cute isn't a dirty word, especially when the D260 manages to be thinner, lighter, sony battery and less expensive than most other models in its class. Is the charm factor enough to make this slim and pretty $299 netbook fly off the shelves?

Design

Weighing just 2.6 pounds and measuring 10.2 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches, the lithe D260 feels feather-light. Unlike Acer's larger notebooks, the branding on the D260Sony VGP-BPS9/S Battery is much more overt: the upper left-hand corner has Acer's logo in dark gray, and "Aspire One" is emblazoned in chrome across the middle. The light matte gray finish of the lid extends to the deck surrounding the Fine Tip keyboard, and is interrupted only by a gently glowing blue power button at the top and four sony vgp-bps13/b status LEDs on the bottom left.

Those who find a gray finish too staid Sony VGP-BPS9/B Battery can get the netbook with an aquamarine black, pink, or purple lid. The black and charcoal lids are solid, but the others feature a flake-like pattern that extends to the palm rest.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Like other Acer netbooks, this one sports a 93-percent of full-size FineTip keyboard that isolates the keys slightly. Though some may find the keys positioned too close together, we didn't mind Sony VGP-BPS10 . During our typing sessions the keyboard offered strong tactile feedback, and we appreciated the large right Shift and Enter keys. The shrunken arrow keys were easy to locate without looking.

We'd like to see Acer follow the lead of other manufacturers and turn the function key shortcuts into Dell GD761 Battery direct action keys in the top row. For example, to raise the volume you have to press Fn + Up Arrow, when it should just be a dedicated button.

Oddly (but pleasingly), the 3 x 1.6-inch touchpad on the D260 is larger that of the 11-inch Aspire 721 and provides ample room for executing multitouch gestures. Also unlike the Aspire 721, the D260's touchpad is slightly raised from the rest of the deck, providing a tactile clue if your finger strays. The low-friction surface is smooth, making it easy to zoom around the screen. Though we usually prefer separate left and right mouse buttons, the single bar Toshiba PA3534U-1BRS on the D260 is long; we were always able to distinguish between the two buttons.

Heat

After streaming a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes, the D260 remained cool, reaching 84 degrees Fahrenheit on the touchpad, 86 degrees battery between the G and H keys, and 88 degrees underneath. The only part of the machine that got uncomfortable was near the vent, which registered 102 degrees.

Display and Audio

The picture on the Aspire One D260's glossy 1024 x 600-pixel display Acer Aspire One Battery was bright and crisp when surfing the web and viewing images. Though there was plenty of detail when watching standard-definition episodes of Lost, narrow viewing angles and reflections during dark scenes made the overall experience less enjoyable.

Though the front lip of the netbook tapers up to give the speakers beneath a boost in volume, we were never able to fill a small room while listening to music. Volume for Hulu was decent, though. Once we put the D260 in our lap the sound was almost completely muffled, just as with the 721. Despite these drawbacks, the quality of the audio impressed us, pumping the bass line in Superchick's "One Girl Revolution" and separating different layers Acer Aspire 5670 Battery of music enough that we heard the flute in Guns n' Roses' "November Rain" over the guitar solo.

Ports and Webcam

Acer included the standard spread of ports along the left and right sides--Ethernet, one USB, headphone, mic, and memory card reader line the right, acer aspire 9800 battery and the remaining two USB ports and VGA connector line the left.

We weren't impressed with the 1.3-megapixel webcam. Even good battery with backlight correction set to its highest level, the images it captured were dark and didn't represent colors well. While chatting with a friend on Skype they reported that we looked blocky and blurry whenever we moved.

Toshiba Satellite T235 (Intel)

For less than 600 bucks, HP Compaq 6715B Battery doesn't get any better than this. With its lightweight chassis, long battery life, comfy keyboard, sony battery and unique style, Toshiba's Satellite T235 is one of the best consumer ultraportables yet. It's great for students or anyone else on the go. Though the T235 series is compelling in both the AMD- and Intel-powered configurations, we give the edge to the $598 Intel-based Satellite T235-S1350 because of its longer endurance and stronger wireless performance. Yes, you can get a more powerful Core i3 notebook instead of this Pentium-powered machine for around the same price, but if you care about Sony VGP-BPS9/S Battery portability it's more than worth the trade-off.

Design

At 12.7 x 8.8 x 1 inches, the Satellite T235 sony vgp-bps13/b is a lot thinner than last year's 1.4-inch thick Satellite T135. With a weight of only 3.8 Sony VGP-BPS9/B Battery pounds, the notebook is so light that we hardly noticed it when we carried both the AMD and Intel versions and their AC adapters in our bag.

Despite its sub-$600 price tag, the Toshiba Satellite

T235 looks like a more expensive notebook. Its shiny lid (available in charcoal, red, or white) Sony VGP-BPS10 has a subtle wave pattern overlaid on top of an even more subtle grid imprint. Though the glossy surface picked up fingerprints, they weren't too prominent. The thin profile, which tapers from under 0.8 inches thick on the front lip to just over an inch thick in the back, makes the system look extra-svelte. We also like that Dell GD761 Battery the keyboard inclines slightly for a more comfortable typing position.

However, the real star of the show is the chrome-colored deck, keyboard, and touchpad. While the keyboard's keys and base are both matte chrome, the palm rest and area above the keyboard have a gorgeous shiny surface with a battery slightly rough texture, which Toshiba calls a Fusion chrome finish. We'll just call it one of the best-looking Toshiba PA3534U-1BRS and most comfortable palm rests we've tested. The touchpad sports a smooth surface that continues the Fusion pattern (which some may find to be a little loud), while the two mouse buttons and front lip are a glossy, pattern-free chrome.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The Satellite T235's keyboard is one of the best we've used on any consumer notebook, even more Acer Aspire One Battery comfortable than that on the Satellite T645. The keys are generously spaced, offer strong tactile feedback, and have no flex at all. Using this keyboard, we were able to achieve a score of 92 words per minute on the Ten Thumbs Typing Test, which matches our all-time high score.

The 3.3 x 1.5-inch touchpad offered just the right amount Acer Aspire 5670 Battery of resistance, allowing us to navigate around the desktop with ease. It also supports multitouch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom. Its two discrete buttons provided good tactile feedback without feeling stiff.

Heat

A notebook of this size is likely to spend much of its life on your lap, so ambient temperature becomes even more important than acer aspire 9800 battery they would on a larger system. Fortunately, the T235 stayed incredibly cool through our testing. Even after we streamed a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes with the notebook on high-performance mode, we measured the touchpad, keyboard, and bottom at only 95 degrees Fahrenheit--well within comfortable good battery temperatures. Even better, we didn't detect any warm spots on the palm rest, bottom, or sides. By contrast, the AMD-powered Satellite T235D got a bit warmer, with a 97-degree touchpad and a warm spot on the left side of the palm rest.