Review: Asus V2Je Review

Introduction and Overview
The Asus V2JE is a new high-end business 14” notebook. The V2JE offers a sleek design with silver accenting. The Asus V2JE reviewed here comes Core 2 Duo T7200, 14” WXGA+ (1440x900), ATI Mobility X1450 256mb (512 hypermemory), 8x DVDRW Supermulti, 120Gb @ 5400rpm, 1x 1GB DDR2 @ 667mhz. The laptop is preinstalled Vista Business, it also comes with a 2 years Asus Global Warranty and Zero Bright Dot Guarantee for 30 days. The notebook offers many features which will be described in the review.


Reasons for Purchasing
The Asus V2JE is a 14” notebook that is targeted to business users looking for great features and flexibility. The notebook has a great screen with a higher than normal resolution compared to other 14” notebooks, at 1440x900. This allows for more real estate. The price of the V2JE is $1800 USD and $2150 CAD, it is expect that a 3.5G version of the V2 to be released in the future at a ~$500 premium.

Here is a list of other notebooks one may want to look at for business notebooks, ThinkPad (Lenovo) T60 14”, HP Compaq nc6400 and the Toshiba Tecra M5. The Asus V2JE can be purchased from any Certified Asus retailers. The V2JE is one of the top business notebook contenders for the performance, price and quality.

Specs of the Laptop

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 (2.0 GHz; 667 MHz w/ 4mb Cache)
• Display: 14" WXGA+ (1440 x 900) Color Shine, AUO1247
• Mobile Intel® 945 PM Express Chipset + ICH7M
• Memory: 1024MB DDR2 667 (1x 1024mb)
• Hard Drive: 120GB @5400RPM SATA
• Graphic: ATI Mobility Radeon X1450 256MB (512MB Hypermemory)
• Wireless: Built-In Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 A/B/G
• Optical: 8x Super Multi DVD Burner
• Battery: The 6 cells, 4800mah, 11.1V and 53whr. 9 cell 7800mah, 11.1V and 85whr.
• Operating System: Windows Vista Business
• Dimensions: 13.5” length x 10.7” width x 1.3”/1.5” height (front back).
• Weight: 5.1lbs with 6 cell and 5.4lbs with 9 cells
• Warranty: ASUS 2 Years Global Warranty + Zero Bright Dot LCD Policy (30 Days)
• Ports: 1x Express Card, 1x VGA port, 1x Headphone-out jack (SPDIF), 1x Microphone-in jack, 1x RJ11 Modem, 1x RJ45 LAN, 3x USB 2.0 ports, 1x IEEE 1394 port, 1x TV-Out, 1x Docking Port, 1x μ-DVI, 1x Kensington
• 6-in-1 Card Reader (MMC/SD/Mini-SD/XD/Memory Stick/MS Pro)

What's in the Box?

• V2JE 14" Notebook
• Standard Capacity; 6 Cell and extended battery 9 cell.
• Asus Design Gaming Series Notebook Backpack made by Targus
• Asus Wireless Mouse made by Logitech (USB Dongle)
• U-DVI to DVI Cable/Adapter
• Asus Cable Holder Strap (Used to wrap around your cables for travel)
• AC Adapter (19v DC, 1.5A, 90W)
• Software:
• AsusDVD (CD)
• PowerDirector Pro (CD)
• Medi@Show (CD)
• Nero Burning Rom OEM Suite (CD)
• V2 Driver and Utility (CD)
• Asus Recovery Disc for Windows Vista Business (DVD)

Packaging
The packaging of the V2JE is nice, just like most other Asus laptops. Asus decided to use a basic V2 box, instead of a box with a colorful design like other Asus laptops have. There is no rattling inside the box, everything is tightly packed. The overall weight of the shipping box is good, not to heavy, but also not light.



Design
The Asus V2JE has a very clean design, it appeals to the business user. The color of the laptop is primarily a dark grey and a carbon fiber black which gives the notebook a contemporary look. The laptop has silver accents which mimic the Asus V1JP brother. There is a silver trim around the lid, the edge of the chassis and around the touchpad.



My initial impression of the laptop was that it would be fit for a business user looking for styling, good performance, and a swivel webcam and fingerprint reader. The design is very inviting, and once you open the laptop, you see a very clean design. The webcam draws you in, and also the silver accent around the touchpad with the fingerprint reader in the middle of the buttons.



Screen
The screen on the Asus V2JE is quite nice and is glossy. It is 14” and widescreen, using a resolution of 1440x900 (WXGA+) which is a great, because this allows users to have more real-estate compared to other laptops which only come with a 1280x768 resolution. I ran Everest Ultimate to find out who the manufacturer of the screen is. It is an AUO1247, and I feel that this screen to be pleasant to use. The lid does not have a latch; it does take 2 hands to open the laptop. This is just like the W3 series, it closes shut and stays that way, and it will not open on its own.



The horizontal viewing angles are very wide. I am able to see text, icon and images from roughly 145 degrees from the center. The vertical viewing angles are not so good, they only allow for a little leeway before they wash out. In my opinion it is roughly 100 degrees up and down.




The brightness of screen is good, there are 16 levels brightness. The lowest level does not turn the screen black, and I feel comfortable using the lowest screen brightness for work and optimize battery life. At the highest brightness, I also felt comfortable; it is great to use it when watching movies and some gaming.

Maximum Brightness--------------------------------------- Minimum Brightness


When considering the backlight there some light leakage at the bottom of the screen. The contrast levels look good. Overall I found the screen to perform quite well under all situations, gaming, movies and regular use.

Keyboard
Asus provides a spill proof keyboard that can withstand a small spill of your drink. One of the great things I like is that Asus placed the FN key to the right of the CTRL key. So now the CTRL key is on the far left corner. This is how keyboards are supposed to be in my opinion, thumbs up for that.



The keyboard is black with white lettering that is a little grey. The sizes of the keys are great. I felt comfortable typing on the notebook. The keys have a good amount of travel and the sound of the clicking is soft, I would feel comfortable typing in a class or library setting without disturbing others.


There is a considerable amount of flex on the right side of the keyboard. I don’t feel that it hinders my ability to type. The middle of the keyboard has some flex and the right side of the laptop has little to no flex.

Touchpad
Physically the touchpad area is aesthetically pleasing, and using it is even more enjoyable. I am able to glide my finger across the touchpad as if it was silk. You can really feel the quality of the touchpad.



The touchpad buttons were also good, they have an ergonomic shape and the pressure required to press them is decent. The buttons are not as soft like the Asus G2, but not as hard as the Asus V1JP.

Features
Webcam
The Asus V2JE is equipped with a 1.3 mega pixel camera, located above the screen and it does swivel. The quality of the camera is decent; I would feel comfortable using it for video conferencing and using it to entertain people. The flash is just a screen, so if your taking a picture of something close up, then it will brighten the picture, here’s an example below.

Without Flash-------------------------------------------------With Flash




Spill proof keyboard
Asus placed a spill proof keyboard for those business users who may accidentally spill a small amount of liquid on the laptop. This is a great feature and no I have not tested this, nor plan to, Ha Ha.

3.5G Wireless
This is an optional feature on the V2JE which costs an estimate $500 to have. This will allow you to connect to the internet using a special service, and it is much faster than the previous technology. This is a great feature for those people who need to be on the internet at high speeds on the road.

Docking Station
The docking station is something new to Asus laptops, and fortunately the V2JE has a docking station port located at the bottom of the laptop. The docking station has a variety of ports that allow users to connect more devices.

Bluetooth 2.0
The V2JE has a nice toggle switch at the front of the laptop which turns on and off the Bluetooth and WIFI. Bluetooth technology allows users to connect up to 8 devices, like mice, keyboards, headsets, cell phones and more.

Fingerprint Reader
Many business users are looking for additional security, and Asus offers the fingerprint reader so that it can further protect the data on the notebook. It is located in between the touchpad buttons and is easy to use after a few tries.



Wireless
The V2JE has a toggle switch in which you can turn on the WIFI and Bluetooth on and off at the same time. If you want one or the other, turn on the switch and then use the software, FN + F2 to change which wireless connectivity you want. The WIFI worked great, it was very fast around the store.



Sound System
The speakers are located at the front of the laptop and are slightly facing downward, and the sound emanates to the user in front. The treble of sounds good, the loudness of the speakers is good, however is an evident lack of bass. The sound card is Realtek High Definition Audio.

The sound quality using headphones and ear buds is excellent, just as expected. The treble and bass are clear and crisps .Overall I found the speakers to be good, since this is a 14” laptop you really can’t expect much more than this.

Input and Output Ports


Front Side Ports

• Left Speaker
• Right Speaker
• WIFI Toggle Switch

Right Side Ports

• Mic In
• Headphone Jack (SPDIF)
• ExpressCard Slot
• 6-1 SD Card Reader
• 8x DVDRW Supermulti
• LAN Port
• Modem Port
• USB Port
• 1394 Port

Left Side Ports

• Vent
• VGA out
• S-Video
• U-DVI
• 2x USB

Back side Ports

• Battery Bay
• Power Input
• Kensington Lock Port

LED Indicators

• Power
• Battery
• Email
• WIFI
• Bluetooth

Lid LED Indicators

• Power
• Battery

Build Quality
Asus is known for making quality products, let’s indulge ourselves on how the V2JE performs under certain stress tests of quality. Firstly, the lid and screen section is one of the most used parts of a laptop aside form the keyboard. The bottom of the lid is strong, where the hinges are located, I am able to apply a consider amount of pressure to the lid. When I am applying pressure to the middle of the lid there is some flex and evident rippling. At the top of the lid where the webcam is located, there is a considerable amount of flex, and the entire top portion does move.



The hinges are very sturdy; they hold the screen up very well. There is only a little amount of wobbling, and there is no creaking sound. I feel very comfortable using the laptop in any position and the screen will hold its position.

As previously mentioned the keyboard has a considerable amount of flex in the right and middle, but little to no flex on the left hand side. Overall the quality of the keyboard is good, and having the extra feature of a spill proof keyboards keeps me from worrying.

The wrist pads, also known as palm rests are indeed very strong, high quality, very little flex when excessive amounts of pressure is applied. I am very pleased about this.

I feel comfortable carrying and holding the laptop in my hands and in different positions. Overall I find the build quality to be good, it does share similar flex issues like the V1JP, and however I feel confident that this will not be a problem.

Size and Weight
The length of the V2JE is 13.5”, the width is 10.7” and the thickness is 1.3”/1.5” (front back). The weight of the laptop is 5.1 pounds with the 6 cell battery. When placing the 9 cell extended battery into the laptop, it weighs roughly 5.4 pounds. The 9 cell battery protrudes about half an inch outwards from the back of the laptop.

Overall the laptop feels very nice to carry, it is light and the size is just right. I would feel comfortable taking it to school in a backpack with other books inside, or to work in a briefcase with a sleeve.

Heat and Noise
I have been using the notebook for a very long time, installing application, running benchmarks, browsing the internet and typing. Only the right side gets mildly warm, the right palm rest and keyboard side. The touchpad also gets warm. The left side of the laptop is cool and only gets as warm as your skin is touching it. Overall I am happy that the vent is on the left side since I use mouse on the right hand side.

During gaming the heat is quite good, sure there is warm air coming out of the vent, and the right side of the laptop, but overall there so little noise. I am very impressed with this laptops cooling solution.

Overall the noise is only evident when you place your ear near the left side of the laptop, then you will hear the vent blowing out air and some clicking sounds. These sounds are not easy to hear and I would feel very comfortable using this in school and in work.

Processor and Performance
The Asus V2JE is equipped with a fast 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo, and using it in Vista, I don’t feel any slow downs. Overall the notebook performed well in Vista while doing light to medium tasks. I also had Aero Glass running the entire time. To further see how well the notebook performs, please check out the benchmarks and gaming portion of the review.

Battery Life
I normally test battery life under the following settings to maximize battery life for real life usage. Using the 9 cell battery, the screen brightness will be 1/16, in Vista the power mode is battery saving. The battery life is 3 hours and 35 minutes . When I changed the brightness to 100% (16/16) the battery life was 3 hours and 15 minutes .



Using the 6 cell battery, the screen brightness will be 1/16, in Vista the power mode is battery saving. The battery life is 2 hours and 05 minutes . When I changed the brightness to 100% (16/16) the battery life was 1 hours and 45 minutes .



The 9 cell battery has 7800mah, 11.1V, which results in an 85whr battery which is really nice and big. The 6 cell battery has 4800mah and 11.1V, which results in a 53whr, which is a normal sized battery.





I found that the battery life to be quite poor, than what I expected. I was expecting closer to 2 hours and 45 minutes on the 6 cell battery, while I was expecting 4 hours and 15 minutes using the 9 cell battery. I do find that this to be one of the negatives to the Asus V2JE, and we can not only blame the laptop, but Windows Vista may have contributed negatively to the battery life.

Comparison
Here are some comparison picture of the V2JE beside a V1JP. As you can see the V2 is smaller than the V1. Also the V2 is about them same thickness as the V1, only 1-2 millimeters in difference.







When I compare the V2JE to the W3 series and A8 series notebook you can see that they are similar in size and dimensions. The V2 weighs less than the W3 and you can feel it. The V2 and W3 are roughly the same in thickness only 1-2 millimeters in difference.








Benchmarks

SuperPi
Here’s a screenshot of SuperPi, the ASUS V2JE calculated 2 million calculations in 1 minute and 5 seconds.


3DMark05
This tests the graphics and performance of the laptop. I had the laptop plugged in and using High Performance as the power mode.



3DMark06
This tests the graphics and performance of the laptop using Shader Model 3. I had the laptop plugged in and using High Performance as the power mode.


PCMark05
This tests the overall performance of the laptop. This score is on average compared to other notebooks with similar specifications which is good.


Windows Experience Index
The Windows Experience Index shows how well your computer is compared to what Vista demands.


HDTune
This is used to test how well the hard drive performs, and I felt it performed on par with other notebooks hard drives.


Games
The overall gaming experience was good, I found the ATI Mobility X1450 to be a decent little graphic card. I was able to play many games, but as we know Windows Vista is not optimized for gaming yet, so these results in games may have been hindered. Unfortunately I was unable to play STALKER, it installed but I couldn’t get playable FPS mainly because the lowest resolution was locked at 1024x768, which is too high. You can expect more performance gains all round by using XP Pro.

NFS Carbon
The overall experience was fine decent the graphics were decent.

• 800x600
• 2x AA
• Anistropic Filtering
• Particles/Motion Blur On
• Medium to Low Details
• FPS 13-19

BF2142
This game ran pretty well with decent graphics and resolution.

• 1024x768
• 2x AA
• V-Distance 90%
• Medium/Low Details
• Range 18-25

Oblivion
Overall Oblivion is fun game to play and the X1450 256mb did a good job.

• 800x480
• 2x AA
• Medium/Low Details
• Bloom On
• Indoor Range of FPS 20-55
• Outdoor Range of FPS 18-40

Supreme Commander
Despite low FPS the game was something new, and unfortunately the game locked the lowest resolution at 1024x768.

• 1024x768
• No AA
• Graphic Settings are all Low
• FPS 10-15

Software
Asus provides Windows Vista Business; it is preinstalled on the laptop with a vast amount of other programs. There are some programs you may not want to have, like Norton, Asus Live Update and there could be others that many would want to remove. By removing these programs it will free up resources and will make your laptop run smoother and faster. I would recommend people who are keen on doing a clean install to do so, in order to get the maximum performance out of the laptop.

Customer Support
Asus support in North America is excellent, many have used it and they have been satisfied with their experiences. Another factor to consider is who will be your reseller, even it if it an Asus ensemble unit or ASMOBILE (Barebone) laptop. Overall you can expect good service from both Asus and your reseller, especially from the ones here on the forums.

Accessories and Miscellaneous



The V2JE comes with a few goodies that are packed with the laptop. The first thing you will see is the Asus bag made by Targus. It is quite nice, the lining, quality and looks, I would use it from time to time depending on the situation.



Asus also provides a wireless mouse made by Logitech, it is not Bluetooth, instead comes with a USB dongle for wireless connectivity.



The other accessory that stands out is the cable holder, which is a small strip of fabric with Velcro to hold your cables when you take your notebook for traveling. This is nice since my cables get tangled with each other.

Rating

• Design – 8/10
• Screen – 7.0/10
• Keyboard – 7/10
• Touchpad – 8/10
• Sound System – 6.5/10
• Ports – 8.5/10
• Build Quality – 8.5/10
• Battery Life – 4.0/10
• Heat & Noise – 8.0/10
• Value (Price/Performance/Features) – 7.5/10
• Overall (Compare this business notebook to others in the same target market and come up with your own evaluation)

Pros:

• Screen <- Good horizontal, decent brightness, and contrast
• Graphics <- X1450 256mb in such a small package
• Performance <- The overall performance was good
• Touchpad <-Textured feel, worked well right away, with vertical and horizontal scroll
• Build Quality <- Good build quality all around
• Heat & Noise <- there is a regular amount of heat and little noise
• Ports <- great layout of ports and variety of ports
• Freebies <- Asus Bag and Wireless Mouse
• Weight & Dimensions <- The weight is decent, and has nice dimensions
• Features <- Webcam, Spill proof keyboard, docking station (optional), future models available with 3.5G
• Latch Design <- The V2JE has a no latch design

Cons:

• Lid Flex <- The lid flexes in certain spots (most notebooks do)
• Multi-bay <- We all expected a Multi-bay and Asus did not provide one
• Keyboard <- considerable amount of flex
• Heat <- The warmth is felt on the left side (depends on location of the vent)
• Screen <- Satisfactory vertical view angles and the glossy screen exhibits reflections
• Battery Life <- With the 6 cell battery, I feel that 2 hours is not enough (Use 9 cell), overall it is quite poor
• Bloatware <- Most brands have a lot, Asus does have a small amount, but I still prefer a clean installation of Windows XP or Vista

Conclusion
The Asus V2JE is a great notebook and it was a pleasure to use. The price is $1800 USD and I find it to fit that price well for a business notebook. It offers so many features and flexibility. The overall design and quality is good, I would feel confident in using this notebook daily for school or work and even some graphic demanding tasks.

When comparing this notebook to other business notebooks in the market, I found this notebook to be amongst the top 5 contenders; however battery life is poor. If you require more battery life and do not mind carrying 2 batteries then this may be an option for you. On the other hand, the battery life is did not live up to its expectations and this is one major flaw for this laptop; however Asus provides both 6 cell and 9 cell batteries.

Thanks,

This review is completed by Akhil Parujanwala, a notebook reviewer at www.MilestonePC.com