ASUS Lamborghini VX2

After using the VX2 for two weeks, I am impressed overall. As a primary computer, it will suit you well thanks to it’s great specs. It’s good for gaming, multimedia and even getting some work done. This was the third ASUS laptop we’ve taken a look at, and despite the larger screen, the DVD playback was the best on the VX2, at 2h 41m. Just note that book reading will kill the battery faster, unless you have white text on black background since it should use less power.

The most important factor about the laptop is the fact that it retails for $2,699. This is far from cheap, considering comparable notebooks can be had for $1,000 less. There are a few things to take into consideration. As for hardware, the VX2 is near top of the line, thanks to it’s T7400 CPU and 2GB of ram. The midstream 7700 Go GPU wil allow you to get your game on, but more often at lower resolutions than native. Add to that, we have a 160GB Seagate drive, high-quality WiFi and more peripheral connectivity than any one person needs.

As far as special features, we have the fingerprint reader, 1.3 megapixel webcam, Lamborghini styled mouse, leather interior and of course, the fact that it’s Lamborghini inspired. If you want a laptop with Lamborghini’s name on it, or this color for that matter, you’ll have to pick up the VX2. It comes at a premium as I mentioned. Although ASUS obviously does not release information in regards to cost of various aspects, the luxury of the Lamborghini name no doubt costs a few hundred dollars by itself. Coupled then with the largest version of Vista there is, it’s easy to see why it retails for $2,699.

It’s hard to say that this is a good price for the notebook, because really, it isn’t. However, if you are a huge Lamborghini fan/owner, the cost might not be that much of an issue. I admit, if there was a well designed BMW inspired notebook available, I’d easily pay the premium to pick it up. I enjoy Lamborghini’s, but I am not personally such a fan that $2,700 would be warranted. Essentially when it comes down to it, everything that the VX2 offers over less expensive laptops is the unique design and Lamborghini name, not to mention the full-blown Windows. If Lamborghini had nothing to do with the notebook and there was no Windows installed, it would no doubt cost $800 less.

As high as the price may be, I’m not going to weigh it too heavily in my score, simply because this is one of the classiest notebooks on the market and is set out to a specific audience. The closest competitor would be ACER’s Ferrari notebook, which I personally find has bland appeal. Not that Ferrari’s are bland, but the notebook is. It doesn’t come close to the VX2. The ACER however retails for ~$300 less on average, for similar specs. The biggest primary difference is that the VX2 has a slightly better GPU.

The main point to stress is that it’s up to you to determine the value. If you are not a fan of Lamborghini, you should get a normal laptop with comparable specifications.

I am convinced that I love the notebook overall, but no laptop is perfect. None. The primary thing I did not enjoy about the VX2 was the touchpad, but again, that could be just me. If you use your index fingers to deal with the left and right keys, you’ll be fine. If you are like me and use your thumb, it will probably be uncomfortable.

Vista is also a personal gripe of mine, which isn’t helped by the fact that NVIDIAs current mobile Vista drivers are not ideal. Aside from issues I encountered there, Vista worked fine (except when Notepad crashed on that one occasion). Any problems you have in Vista… will be Vista, not the laptop. After I installed XP and the proper drivers, it was smooth sailing.

Aside from those issues, I cannot immediately think of anything else I disliked. The notebook was a joy to use. It’s fast, looks great and never requires an oil change. I give the ASUS Lamborghini VX2 an eight out of ten, and will finish off with a quick pros/cons roundup.

Lamborghini Miura (Pros)
• Great styling; Better than VX1
• Feature packed
• Performance parts
• Fingerprint Reader / 1.3 Megapixel Webcam
• Great battery life
• Gorgeous, high-resolution screen

Austin Mini (Cons)
• Expensive ($2,699)
• Touchpad could be a little more comfortable
• Included mouse is poor
• Windows Vista Ultimate (Depends how you look at it)
• Gaming might not be ideal until better NVIDIA drivers arrive

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