Design
Asus' designers must have had one thing - and one thing only - on their minds when designing notebooks, as so far, we've seen the W1N, W3V and now the W2V, and for the most part they've shared a very simple design philosophy. Slight cosmetic differences aside, you'd be hard pressed to tell the differences between them without flipping them over to check the label on the base. The W2V is a large notebook that fits more comfortably in the "luggable" category (Asus calls the W series its "Digital Home" series) than as a truly portable notebook.
Like the W3V, the W2V omits any kind of screen latch, relying on a magnetic attraction between screen and base to keep your display intact. That'll make some people nervous, although a notebook with a 17" display isn't really all that luggable in the first place, so it hopefully shouldn't come up all that often.
The W2V is, to put it politely, a fuller figured notebook. At full dimensions, it measures in at 395 x 288.6 x 33.8 mm and weighs in at 3.4kg, further cementing its non-portable status. Like the W3V, it's encased in graphite black casing that's quite cold to the touch, although as with many notebooks, prolonged usage can turn this unit into a mini-cooker.
Features
The W2V runs off a Mobile Pentium M 760 running at 2.13GHz, with 1GB of memory and an ATI X700 graphics processor with 128MB of dedicated memory. It's equipped with a slot loading DVD burner and the suitable Intel innards to earn it a little shiny Centrino badge, something that stands out quite starkly against the flat black finish of the notebook. Four USB ports, one Firewire and a multi-card reader complete the W2V's PC-based offering. Like its other Digital Home notebooks, the W2V also takes aim at Microsoft's Windows Media Center OS, as it includes dedicated software and hardware designed to turn it into an entertainment centre. On the hardware front, this includes an integrated digital TV tuner that connects to an external antennae from the side. There's also a remote control for couch junkies, although we were unable to test this as it was accidentally omitted from our test kit.
Performance
We've been mostly impressed with the performance of Asus laptops in the past - be they home-branded laptops or the variety that they make for other vendors - and the W2V didn't disappoint us. Its MobileMark 2002 score of 235 puts it in the top tier of most notebook designs in terms of sheer grunt. It's probably a good job that its size limits the amount you'll lug it, as the battery conked out in the performance test just shy of two hours at 111 minutes. Even dropping to the less intensive reader test only added another five minutes battery life to the equation. It's always a delicate balance between performance and power, and we suspect the bright 17" display is more than a little bit guilty of sucking up what power the W2V has to offer.
Slot loading drives on notebooks undoubtedly look really cool, but we're yet to see a slot-loading model with sufficient noise dampening. The W2V's slot loading drive is no better or worse than any other we've seen, with the practical upshot being that it rattles more than just a bit when active - especially when burning discs.
The 17" display is beautiful and bright, with a wide viewing angle - exactly what you'd want in a mobile theatre notebook. The integrated digital tuner is a nice inclusion as well, although the accompanying Mobile Theatre software is a bit kludgy in places, especially as it can be quite slow to respond to selections. Then again, the same can be said of some existing Windows Media Center packages, so it's hardly a unique problem for a TV-capable notebook.
At AU$4999, the W2V is hardly a casual purchase notebook, but it's certainly a good contender in the desktop replacement category, especially if you've got an eye on a notebook that'll look good on your desk at work and play well into the evening.
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Anon
23/09/2006, 11:53 PM
rating
7/10
If looks could kill, this would stun
Shopping around for the best laptop I settled on this thinking, at the time, how cool + slick this was. Main reason being a multimedia desktop replacement notebook with good application specs. I dont game much but it did pretty ok with some. Reading rave reviews about great build quality, cool the slot load, how nice it was, 5.1 (virtual) sound, and home media center replacement (student), sadly none of these came true except in some respects. When I ordered, ads touted wireless TV capabilities, have PCMIA stowable remote, 5.1 (virtual) sound and no Windows Media Center but the sound driver/horrible sound issue has yet to be resolved (1 year+ later), PCMIA remote has issues and replaced TV sized remote requiring clunky IR reciever, wireless TV only available w/ compatible providers in Europe and the ASUS MCE replacement had issues so so I got MCE. Build quality was NOT what I expected, touchpad sticky, screen hinge stiff but wobbly still, the "cool" magnetic cover for ports is flimsy, quick access buttons not that handy (but I think theyre customizable with some searching) and my main quirk; the keyboard is not firm at all, out of the box it was loose in the corners and resellers actually suggested double side tape to remedy. My mom got a new Inspiron E1505, and though Im not a fan of Dell the build quality is much better than my 2.5X priced Asus; dress that with al and big screen and its competition. After a yrs use its lost its cool factor, its getting uglier (to me), is really not that portable, slot load drive is loud when insert/ejecting cds + some discs spin fast/loud, good thing I bought it from a reseller that gave me 2GB ram and 2 yr warranty. If I could choose again I definitely wouldnt choose this, in fact Im looking at the new laptops and they look comparable granted its a yr old. I wouldve bought the Toshiba Qosmio if it wasnt so $$$ or an HP if it werent for the integrated video card. This laptop serves/d me well but there are issues that still dont sit right with me and Id gladly trade it in for something else.
Pros: Slick aluminum surfaces, minimalistic design, nice screen + real estate, decent features, comes w/ bag and "matching" aluminum mouse to match, fairly lightweight & decent battery life for a DR notebook, good wow factor, decent software package and good but soon to be outdated performance (no dual core or 64bit)
Cons: Bloated build quality assessments, runs fast but also runs hot and runs loud, keyboard doesnt feel as nice as it should being a $2500 laptop, none of the selling points came across for it, not really portable if using all features, especially in the states, weak user manual, audio driver problems, touted "cool slot-load" drive is now unable to write CD's after a year of very mild use, not really that aesthetically pleasing and not very ergonomic.
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Tekin
18/04/2006, 01:37 AM
Nothing out there compares...nothing!
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psyco
31/10/2005, 01:18 AM
awesome speeds
this thing has everything you will ever need
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anonymous
29/09/2005, 04:50 PM
bad
No notebook screen latch
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Herc
03/09/2005, 01:22 AM
Fantastic for writers
A great recommendation for most office workers. Purchased 300 and not one complaint from employees.
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panos
02/09/2005, 04:53 AM
style and features that help you reach a verdict
A really worth considering laptop in the multimedia category. Perhaps not the best for hardcore gamers(not one of them)however it's powerful, well built(fantastic hinges)and good looking. Toshiba G20 is a second option for those with strong muscles and big pockets(in 3 years time you will need a new one-so a bit of a waste).
The only rival would be Fujitsu's Amilo M 4438 with strong hard drives, good screen and top graphics but the sound and style of the former are unbeatable(no bluetooth as well). Connections on the front just a battery at the rear, makes it a posh lappy in your office or living room(for the professionals,not brain dead gamers)>
A good buy but bit costy
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22/08/2005, 10:54 AM
The best
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