ASUS X551MAV-RCLN06 Laptop (Windows 8, Intel Celeron N2830 2.16GHz, 15" LCD Screen, Storage: 500 GB, RAM: 4 GB) Black

Being a first-year college student, I needed a reliable computer that could do simple tasks--run a word processor, access the Internet to watch YouTube videos, and whatever else I would need for school. I didn't need anything too powerful and of course, something relatively cheap. If you are in the same boat as me (need a new computer for lighter for school, etc.) then look no further, because you have found a fantastic machine. It is surprisingly swift, it boots up in a matter of 10-15 seconds, and it is overall very reliable. You get a webcam, built-in microphone, FANTASTIC speakers, an optical drive, an SD card reader, 2 USB ports (one of which is the new 3.0 super fast port), HDMI, Ethernet--man, the list goes on and on. Is it cheap? Maybe, but the design does not suggest that. Does it have a backlit keyboard? Let's be serious right now, why is that such a big deal? No, it doesn't, but with everything it else it DOES have for how CHEAP it is, who cares?Pros:All the features listed aboveTHE SPEAKERS, LIKE OMGVery thin and lightweightCons:Windows 8? Maybe?-Being a gamer that's familiar with the layout of my Xbox 360, I had no problems whatsoever navigating Windows 8. It is beautiful, innovative, but may take a little getting used to.No Microsoft Office pre-installed-That is a bit of a bummer, but take a little of that extra money you have left over from saving money with this computer and invest in it.Overall, this is a fantastic computer for a college student, someone who may need a reliable back-up, or someone who wants a lightly recreation computer.-This is NOT a gaming laptop. It is not meant for that, so don't rate it based on that fact.

wow! man is amazon beautiful! three months ago when I started shopping the new pc replacement project; I saw this pc at best buy for 800 dollars! what a great sale price at amazon! so back to the mighty asus x551.my favorite feature for me is the fierce carbon-fiber type finish on most of the pc body plus it comes with a brushed aluminum look in the key-board area.drop-dead gorgeous! a really great all around work horse.it has a really clear focus camera,it plays dvds and cds,it has tons of memory! my hp 5500 printer was very easy to set up! I like this key board a lot you know it is the most important and overlooked part of the pc.believe me I tried many models that lacked the feel or did not print when you know you hit the key.this is a solid feel, not sloppy or loose that gives a solid click,very tight with no board flexing.i believe this is an asus trade-mark.the extra -long cord on the ac adapter is all so a plus.now remember that the asus 551 does not have all the bells and whistles the high end models have,remember this pc does not have touch screen,but you do get a lot for your dollar.hope this helps.

This is an excellent entry-level laptop with decent performance, a nice bright screen, and a light footprint at about 5 pounds. It also has a smaller a/c adapter sort of like an iPad instead of the older style "bricks" which is nice - I'm surprised it's taking manufacturers so long to copy Apple's lead in the small a/c adapter area. The keyboard does feel exceedingly cheap (much cheaper than my $299 HP Chromebook) and the entire keyboard vibrates as you are typing. If you push down on the "G" key with normal force, you will see that entire part of the keyboard (T,F,H,V,B) sink in which is a little disconcerting. The keyboard is definitely the weak link in this system. ALSO, it pays you to shop around.... there is a major price war going on and I was able to buy this at a local office supply chain which matched the price at the big box electronics store down the street....both of which were significantly less than the current price here on Amazon. ONE MORE TIP: There are two models of this computer that are identical EXCEPT one has a DVD player and one does not. As of this writing the one without has been hovering around $200 and the one with the DVD player is around $220. It is very easy to get them confused as they have the same box and almost the same model number, so be sure to look for the full model number when you are searching: X551MAV-RCLN06. Both boxes will say "X551" in big letters but you have to read the small print next to the serial number to make sure you are getting the correct one. I ordered this one and was shipped the non-DVD drive unit by an Amazon seller and had to return it.Wow, this keyboard is really cheap.. I'm typing this review on it and it keeps dropping letters as I type. I will update this review as I'm concerned if it's this bad in week one it will not last.Pro's and Con's...Pro's:- Price- Basic black, not stylish but doesn't scream "cheap"... just looks like a basic laptop- Great screen - bright, good resolution- Fast enough for word processing and internet surfing. This is obviously not a gaming computer.- Small profile a/c adapter brick, one piece- NO bloatware preinstalled.... no "Click on this for Ebay" links or trial versions of bad virus software- Really fast boot... 2-4 seconds- Windows 8 not so bad once you install free utility called "Classic Shell" which makes start button etc work like Windows 7- Major price war going on with this computer, so you will get a good deal- USB ports, one of which is 3.0, also HDMI out and ethernet connections. Everything you could need.- DVD player / writer, works well... still need one of these.Con's:- Touchpad sensitivity.... way too sensitive and I've searched all the ASUS gesture configurations and there seems to be NO adjustment for sensitivity. Google ASUS touchpad sensitivity and there are major threads on this so clearly a significant issue that ASUS is not effectively addressing.- Keyboard. Exceedingly cheap. OMG. As I type this it sounds like a rock rolling around on a dashboard of a car as you drive it. The whole thing shakes and shimmies. I think I can live with this but will update this review if I can't. Try it out at local store first if you can.For me, the pro's outweigh the con's, with a lingering concern about the keyboard. If there is interest, I will update this review as I use this system more, but overall I think it's a good one and I will end up keeping it.Hope this helps!UPDATE ONE YEAR LATER:This laptop has not been a great purchase for us. It appears it has been replaced with a newer model so perhaps that one is better, but the touchpad has been terrible on this one -- very unreliable even with driver updates etc.... and even though I've kept it virus-free, the computer has slowed down considerably with a frequent "spinning blue circle" as the computer struggles to process the most basic of tasks. So this goes into the "regretted purchase" category for me -- I won't purchase another ASUS after this experience. Meanwhile my 2 year old Chromebook is still going strong and I love it.... (using it right now to write this review!)

Es more than what I was expecting for the price