Okay, that kind of marketing talk is of course completely exaggerated, but considering the small dimensions of the two speakers, which are integrated into the bottom, they tend to please. Even some bigger competitors have a hard time in direct comparison. Games, movies and music sound pretty balanced. ASUS A85D Battery

That the sound seems to be a bit slushy and muffled is not unusual for notebooks. Despite the above average performance, headphones or external speakers should be used if possible. For occasional use the speakers are acceptable. ASUS A85A Battery

Energy Consumption
The switchable graphics make sure the 13-inch device wastes no unnecessary power. With 10 to 17 Watts the consumption during idle is slightly above the Asus UX32VD with a 1.7 GHz Core i5-3317U and a GeForce GT 620M (6-13 Watts). Under load the VivoBook U38DT is more frugal (42-52 Watts against 45-61 Watts). ASUS A85 Battery


The non-removable battery has a capacity of only 48 Wh and the runtimes are very limited. Under load and with maximum brightness the battery keeps the device running for 1.5 hours, with wireless Internet browsing and medium brightness just under 4 hours are possible. The result of the idle test is not listed because of some strange values (Battery Eater seems to be always assigned to the Radeon HD 8550M). A DVD test was not performed due to the lack of an optical drive. ASUS A75VM Battery

If you overlook the limited port equipment and the annoying throttling (multi-tasking reduces the CPU clock to 900 MHz), Asus made almost everything right with the U38DT-R3001H. ASUS A75VJ Battery

The main attraction is the very stylish and very lightweight metal case (only 1.55 kg/~3.42 pounds). Such a high build quality usually cannot be found in devices less than 1000 Euros (~$1365). Apart from some small details the input devices are also very good. The manufacturer shows no weakness with the display either. The matte HD panel offers decent to good values. ASUS A75VD Battery

Considering the low notebook height (less than two centimeters/~0.79 inches) we find the performance reasonable. Further positive aspects are the moderate temperature and noise levels. Even under heavy load the 13-inch device does not get excessively loud or warm. The included notebook bag helps to overlook the missing driver and recovery DVDs. The battery runtime could have been better for our taste. Runtimes over 4 hours are only possible with little load and reduced brightness. ASUS A75V Battery

All in all we can still give a clear buy recommendation for the U38DT-R3001H. Price conscious users who want a small device with high mobility are at the right place.

Manufacturer Asus is well know for their Ultrabook series, called "Zenbook". Not everyone wants to spend more than 500 Euro (~$670) on a thin notebook though - and that's where the X201E comes into play: a cross between a netbook and an Ultrabook, retailing at 270 Euro (~$360) with Linux. Competing models are netbooks like the HP Pavilion dm1 and affordable subnotebooks like the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E130. ASUS A75DE Battery

The Asus X201E is the stripped-down version of the Vivobook S200E. Visually, the two notebooks don't appear to be significantly different - the shape and measurements are identical. The chassis of the X201E is made from plastic while that of the S200E uses brushed aluminum. The cheaper materials don't impact the build quality, which is still on a very high level. An additional benefit of the plastic parts is the reduced weight of 1.31 kilogram (2.89 pounds). The back of the display is also slightly different. While the lid of the VivoBook has a smooth surface, the lid of the X201E is matte and textured, which makes scratches much less noticeable. ASUS A75D Battery

We can't complain about the structural integrity either. Even though the chassis is only 21.7 millimeter (0.85 inches) thick, the subnotebook doesn't lack rigidity. On the contrary, the X201E is torsionally more rigid than some Ultrabooks. The thin display lid also resists pressure and twisting reasonably well. The hinges are stiff and manage to secure the lid nicely, so the display should remain steady even when riding in a car. Since the hinges are rather stiff, both hands are required to open up the display. ASUS A75A Battery , ASUS A75 Battery , ASUS A55VS Battery ,ASUS A55VM Battery ,ASUS A55VJ Battery , ASUS A55VD Battery ,ASUS A55V Battery ,ASUS A55N Battery , ASUS A55DR Battery ,ASUS A55DE Battery , ASUS A55D Battery ,ASUS A55A Battery , ASUS A55 Battery , ASUS A45VS Battery ,ASUS A45VM Battery