AsusW7j
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Asus W7J 13.3-inch Core Duo notebook reviewed
While more than a few portables have gone the Core Duo way, the Asus W7J intrigued us a few months back thanks to its dedicated GeForce 7400 Go graphics, very respectable pricetag, and gigantic stickers on the palmrests. The 13.3-inch lightweight notebook has finally come to fruition, and although the specs on PC Perspective's test unit were a bit tamer than we originally hoped, it still proved to be a solid performer. The unit was highly praised for combining the graphics of a gamer-centric laptop (albeit a mid-level one) with the mobility of an ultraportable, all while throwing in a "superb user experience" to boot. Every aspect of the W7J was said to be "polished," and niceties such as the firm, responsive keyboard, plethora of wireless options, integrated webcam / microphone, and the above average 1.83GHz Core Duo CPU and 1GB of RAM that comes standard were regarded quite highly. The biggest digs came from the puny speakers, uninspiring battery life (about 2.5 hours), and the uncomfortable amount of heat this little guy emitted; particularly when taxing that dedicated GPU, it was recommended to stay away from "soft surfaces" to keep the excessive heat from marring your carpet, or worse, starting a blaze. Overall, the laptop performed very well (considering the size limitations), and was recommended to "business users and students" looking for a small footprint and the occasional fragfest -- if that's you they're talking about, the nimble (yet toasty) W7J can be snapped up now for a very modest $1,498.
