Sean Looi Says

There are already many reviews on the internet, so I will post my thoughts and comments on this notebook. You can get the technical specifications in these following websites:
http://www.cnet.com.au/laptops/laptops/0,39035649,40059621,00.htm
http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/review.php?reviewId=1423

There are many specification possibilities for the A6J, but the one I am having has the following specs:
Intel Core Duo 2.0GHz (T2500)
1024MB DDR2 RAM100GB HDD
ATI Mobility X1600 512MB RAM (Hyper memory)
DVD Super Multi Drive
15.4” Widescreen WXGA (1280x800)
Wireless IEEE 802.11a/b/g
Bluetooth
Integrated Webcam and Mic
Card Reader: SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO

DESIGN
It has a simple and elegant design, nothing fancy. Below the keyboard are some playback buttons which will allow you to enable the Audio CD playing function without turning on the computer. There are buttons to play/pause, stop and change tracks.


One problem is that there is no external volume control. Adjusting the volume requires a button combination of the Function key and F11/F12, so we can forget about listening to CD’s with the lid down. Another reason why you would want your screen up is that when the music is playing, heat is being generated. A suggestion to this is to keep the volume at max and control it using external speakers. In the upper right of the keyboard are some buttons. In order, these are the power scheme chooser, email program, web browser, enable/disable touchpad, power button.

KEYBOARD
The keyboard is pretty much standard for notebooks. However, instead of the Control (Ctrl) key, the Function (Fn) key is located at the far left of the keyboard. This will take some getting used to because on conventional keyboards, the Ctrl key is at the far left. Not a very good move IMHO.

The feel of the keyboard isn’t exactly comfortable when compared to other notebooks (i.e. Fujitsu, which feels soft and effortless). I’d say that the keys are a little stiff and cheap. Also, the spacing between the keys and the ‘base’ is quite noticeable because when you have a key pressed and when your fingers move to the next key (e.g. from “j” to “u”), in some instances my finger got stuck/wedged under the next key.

For precautionary measures, you might want to make sure your hands are clean and oil free because heavy use of the keyboard will wear off its coating. The WASD keys and a portion of the keyboard are already shiny with use.

BUILT IN WEBCAM & MIC
There is a built-in webcam and microphone on top of the monitor. The camera quality is not very impressive, but it is good enough for video conversations. It works best for indoor use, which I will demonstrate in the following shots. It has a mediocre auto-brightness control, so pictures outdoor will look white. Here are the examples:




The microphone works very well. I tested it with Sound Recorder and I was surprised that it still could pick up some sound waves even though I stood around 6ft away. A downside to this is it will pick up any background noises with ease. (Note: for the microphone to work properly, you will have to disable the mic volume and line in volume in the Realtek Audio Manager and use Windows Volume Manager instead).

PERFORMANCE
With Intel’s Core Duo, I was able to run quite a number of applications at the same time. I could download things and play games at the same time; I could have 4-5 Internet Explorer windows on without any problems. I did experience some lag when it comes to DVD related programs, i.e. burning, copying data, reading, etc.

GRAPHICS
With ATI’s Mobility X1600 256MB, I was able to play a majority of games with almost full settings. You may be able to max everything out except Anti Aliasing, which is acceptable for me. I can play Need for Speed Underground 2 at 1280x800 with everything up except AA and V-sync. I turned off motion blur as well to get a few extra frame rates in. Other games that I could run without a problem included Half Life 2: Episode One (1024x600). For a notebook, this graphic card is really impressive.

ATI’s control panel also has an option for Power Play, this option lets you determine how much power is used for games when the notebook is running on batteries. The default is full performance when on AC power, and balanced performance when on batteries. For me, I disable Power Play because I find playing games a bad experience as there will be a noticeable lag. With a full charge, I was able to play Need for Speed Underground 2 for approximately 1hr 30min. Depending on the game, the time span could vary.

BATTERY LIFE
This brings me to the battery life, it is not very flattering when compared to other notebooks which are capable of running up to 3.5hours. At full charge, this notebook can only last around 2.5hours. To increase battery life, you can dim or turn off the monitor (yes, A6J has that option), or put it in Battery Saving mode, which reduces your performance; however, I don’t notice any noticeable improvement in battery life.

HEAT GENERATION
It’d be best to use the A6J in a ventilated or air-conditioned place because it does generate a lot of heat with use. Take this extreme case, I was in the car outside Starbucks using the internet (before we got broadband), I was sweating away and the windows fogged up. There is an air ‘exhaust’ on the back of the laptop and it will really blow out hot air especially when you are playing graphically intense games, which is a good thing, as it gets rid of the heat inside.

SOUND QUALITY
I am not too happy with the sounds. The sound is loud for some file formats and then barely audible for others i.e. DVD playback it is extremely soft. You are not able to hear anything if you are in a living room. The notebook speakers are not very good because at higher levels it will sound scratchy and get a little distorted. Plug in a pair of good headphones or some good speakers (i.e. like me, the 2.1 Altec Lansing speakers) and the quality is superb.

OTHER STUFF
There are other bonuses included in the A6J. The integrated card reader makes it simple to transfer pictures from your digital camera/phone without any wires. You can sync your Bluetooth capable mobile with the PC. Power4Gear gives you multiple schemes, including a battery saving function. You can even connect the laptop to a TV using an S-Video cable or DVI-port.

WEIGHT
Weighing at 2.8kg (including the battery), the A6J is not a featherweight. Put it in a bag with all the accessories i.e. power adaptor, your backup cd’s, etc. it will be quite a chore to lug it around. But that is the price to pay when you’ve got a notebook with such high specs. To be fair, it is considered relatively light when compared to other desktop replacement notebooks, which can go up to 3.6kg.

CONCLUSION
To conclude this, I am happy with this laptop because it is powerful enough for my needs. I am a PC gamer and the graphic card performs satisfactorily. I do understand it is not able to play graphic intensive games, i.e. Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, at full graphic settings, but at least I am given the option to do so. I hope this helped you in your decision in purchasing the Asus A6J. If you need to know anything else, please feel free to leave questions/comments. I will answer the best I can. Cheers!