Asus VX1 Lamborghini notebook reviewed

Extravagant vehicles that oftentimes cost more than the homes we reside in, while immensely desirable, are way out of reach for most common folk. But there's definitely a trend growing that pairs up notebook manufacturers with elite automakers to give average joes (and janes) the ability to feel a small semblance of ownership of the dream-worthy brands. While we're already familiar with Acer's Ferrari lineup and Itronix's Hummer-inspired laptop, ASUS is tired of sitting in pit row getting lapped by its competitors. Though we've seen the VX1 coming for some time now, PCMag finally got its hands on the gleaming machine and has given it a proper breaking in. Upon first inspection, the obligatory Lamborghini raging bull logo that graces the top leaves no doubt about its roots, and it was stated that the lid "slanted downward just like the hood of a real sports car," not to mention the "leathery touchpad" that added another dash of class to the well-refined design. While they stuffed the innards into a case only 1.2-inches thick, reviewers felt it was a tad on the heavy side at 5.7 pounds, but no complaints were noted about the 15-inch 1,400 x 1,050 resolution display. Performance-wise, the Intel Core Duo T2500 (2.0GHz) processor -- matched with 1GB of RAM and 120GB of hard drive space -- scorched through most of the trial runs, but the nVidia GeForce Go 7400 chipset surprisingly lagged behind in the gaming department. ASUS also stuck all four USB 2.0 ports on one side of the machine, and curiously shunned DVD-R / RW by only including a DVD+R dual-layer burner. Another dig on the VX1 was the sub-four hour battery life that apparently left reviewers expecting more; the three hours, 33 minutes they achieved in testing fell a tad short of where they had hoped. Overall, the notebook garnered 3.5 out of 5 stars -- just a touch above average -- due primarily to the premium pricing and limited availability (it's sold exclusively through NewEgg until after this month). Although it performed well in benchmarks, the odd oversights (such as the single-format burner) left the review team in a quandary, and considering you can grab the wheel of an Acer Ferrari 4000 for around 2 grand, paying $2,799 for this ride just seemed like highway robbery.

[anonymous @ Aug 17th 2006 9:17AM]

Would only make sense that it sucks battery just as the Lamborghini sucks gas.

[Mah @ Aug 17th 2006 11:07AM]

This is not that new it is mentioned somewhere in this post: http://www.sybarites.org/2006/02/24/asus-releases-leather-clad-laptop/

I cannot wait to see the leather ones in person though.

[unimental @ Aug 17th 2006 1:42PM]

The NASCAR themed PC is still my favorite of the cross-branded computing crowd. Stunning, but not in a good way:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,123994-page,1-c,desktoppcs/article.html

As for the Ferrari and Lamborghini, I myself would feel a little awkward pulling one of these out at the airport or coffee shop. I have to admit to being curious about the leather, however.

[Poopmaster @ Aug 17th 2006 4:04PM]

This is by far the stupidest trend in marketing and design that I've ever seen. High-end autos hold their value for years; laptops hold theirs for months (unless it's an Apple laptop). So in a year or two, the Ferrari/Lambourghini/NASCAR laptops will be smile-inducing curiosities at the pawn shop and anyone who still has one will be looking at the faded case and feeling burned.

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[Jeff Foster @ Aug 17th 2006 4:29PM]

well isn't that just a cute little gimmick.

[mike @ Dec 7th 2007 1:28PM]

Everyone should report/vote down that advertiser comment. I HATE stupid crap like that.