Key Specs
2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T58004GB RAM
320GB hard drive
DVD±RW
14.1 inches
Nvidia Geforce 9650M GT (1GB)
5.7 pounds
1.4x13.3x9.8 inches
Windows Vista Home Premium
Built for professionals who require a bit more 3D muscle than most business notebooks offer, the Asus N80Vn-A1 ($999) delivers solid performance and state-of-the-art security technology in a durable 14-inch chassis. It suffers from a few flaws, however, including subpar battery life (attributable to its discrete graphics) and a temperamental touch pad.
The 5.7-pound N80Vn-A1 is done up in a shiny, dark purple, scratch-resistant finish designed to maintain its high-gloss luster even after extended use. A subtle silver bead design infused into the lid’s finish gives the system a high-tech look without appearing gaudy.
Beneath the lid sits a bright 14.1-inch LED display with a resolution of 1,280x800. The screen is coated with a glossy antiglare treatment that is somewhat reflective but not overly so. The panel produced crisp and uniform colors, and the viewing angles were quite good from either side. A set of down-firing Altec Lansing speakers provides decent audio output but tends to distort when the volume is cranked up.
The full-size keyboard is firm and offers plenty of room for comfortable typing, but the touch pad is skittish. Despite our efforts to adjust the pad’s sensitivity and speed settings, cursor movement was intermittently slow and stubborn. A fingerprint reader is sandwiched between the two mouse buttons, which were more responsive than the touch pad but produced a loud clicking noise.
At the top of the keyboard deck are the power switch, buttons for enabling and disabling the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios, a Splendid key that toggles through five display modes with preset luminance characteristics, and a Power4Gear key that cycles through four power-saving modes, from Battery Saving to High Performance.
Last but not least is a button that opens Express Gate, a Linux-based interface from Splashtop. Express Gate lets you quickly access certain applications such as a Web browser, a music player, a photo manager, Skype, and Splashtop’s online gaming portal, all without booting into Windows.
