Asus K50IJ At first glance the ASUS K50IJ might not look like anything special. Even the ASUS website describes the K50IJ as being "designed to provide a no-frills computing experience to users while on the move." Well, with glowing prose like that how can we be anything other than impressed?
In all seriousness, the K50IJ isn't a poorly built laptop. The chassis is pretty solid with a mixture of glossy and matte plastics and doesn't suffer from the flex or squeaks that are common to cheap plastics. The glossy palmrests are nice and large with good support and the full-size keyboard with dedicated number pad is comfortable to type on during a full day at work. The one and only obvious area of weak build quality are the plastic covers over the screen hinges ... which can pop off with just a little bit of pressure.
Overall, the K50IJ is a reasonably nice looking desktop replacement. I use the term "desktop replacement" because most people in the market for a 15-inch notebook aren't planning to haul their notebook everywhere during frequent airline travel. The nearly six-pound weight of the K50IJ makes this laptop an unlikely candidate for road warriors.
In all seriousness, the K50IJ isn't a poorly built laptop. The chassis is pretty solid with a mixture of glossy and matte plastics and doesn't suffer from the flex or squeaks that are common to cheap plastics. The glossy palmrests are nice and large with good support and the full-size keyboard with dedicated number pad is comfortable to type on during a full day at work. The one and only obvious area of weak build quality are the plastic covers over the screen hinges ... which can pop off with just a little bit of pressure.
Overall, the K50IJ is a reasonably nice looking desktop replacement. I use the term "desktop replacement" because most people in the market for a 15-inch notebook aren't planning to haul their notebook everywhere during frequent airline travel. The nearly six-pound weight of the K50IJ makes this laptop an unlikely candidate for road warriors.
ASUS K50IJ-C1 Specifications:
Windows Vista Home Premium (SP1, 32-bit)
Intel Core 2 Duo processor T6500 Processor (2.1GHz)
15.6" 16:9 Wide Format (1366 x 768) HD LCD Display
4GB DDR2 800MHz RAM, 1 slot, 4GB Max
Intel GMA X4500M integrated graphics
250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
DVD Super Multi Double Layer optical drive
802.11 B/G/N Wireless LAN
10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
Weight: 5.83 lb. including 6-cell battery
Dimensions: 14.57 (W) x 10.08 (L) x 1.22-1.40 (H) inches
Battery: 6-cell battery
Warranty: 2-year global warranty, 1-year accidental damage, 1-month zero bright dot LCD warranty
Extras: Notebook carrying case and mouse
Retail Price as configured: $699
Windows Vista Home Premium (SP1, 32-bit)
Intel Core 2 Duo processor T6500 Processor (2.1GHz)
15.6" 16:9 Wide Format (1366 x 768) HD LCD Display
4GB DDR2 800MHz RAM, 1 slot, 4GB Max
Intel GMA X4500M integrated graphics
250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
DVD Super Multi Double Layer optical drive
802.11 B/G/N Wireless LAN
10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
Weight: 5.83 lb. including 6-cell battery
Dimensions: 14.57 (W) x 10.08 (L) x 1.22-1.40 (H) inches
Battery: 6-cell battery
Warranty: 2-year global warranty, 1-year accidental damage, 1-month zero bright dot LCD warranty
Extras: Notebook carrying case and mouse
Retail Price as configured: $699
