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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.
