ASUS ZenBook UX303UA 13.3-Inch FHD Touchscreen Laptop, Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, Windows 10 (64 bit)

I did extensive research before buying the Zenbook, ultimately deciding that it was the absolute best option for portability, price and power. Several days into owning the Zenbook, I'm convinced I made a good decision. One of the challenges I had in deciding how to pick a laptop/tablet was figuring out what to prioritize. Through a good deal of Reddit research, polling of Facebook friends and reading online I think I've generated a pretty good foundation of what's important for an average user. I'll share some of that thinking in the context of the Zenbook. Preliminary Guidance: Start by developing a really clear definition of your regular use. Focus on buying a device that thrives in your everyday scenario, not a device that matches a more marginal, rarer use. Example: don't be obsessed with portability if you only travel with a device twice a year. If you can nail down how you are going to use your device 90% of the time, you should focus on finding a device that matches that profile. Don't inflate the importance of the other 10%. In my case, I wanted a powerful laptop that could handle multi-tasking effectively while being easy to move from room to room in my house (a desktop replacement in my office, a device for streaming Netflix while in bed). The Zenbook has been fantastic on both fronts. Breaking Down the Zenbook: First, portability. Yes, there are plenty of lighter devices, but I find it hard to imagine that a device that is 3.3lbs is going to be unwieldy for anyone. It's not going to be obtrusive in your backpack, and you can easily move it around wherever you are in one hand. Unless you have a really unique use situation, I don't recommend viewing the Zenbook's size as anything other than a plus. This is particularly true if this is the first laptop you're buying in a few years. I can almost guarantee that this will feel lighter than any device you are using from a few years ago. Second, price. With tax this device cost me just over $1,200. I consider this a pretty fantastic price for a machine that's as portable and powerful as this one. In my research there wasn't anything even really close to the Zenbook considering the power components I'll discuss below. I'll say this: everyone wants to spend as little as they can on a laptop. But I made the decision early on that a "budget laptop" wasn't the right move for me given I want a machine that will last and thrive for at least three years. I'd urge you to really think about what you want and what you need and stretch for the better Zenbook if you can. If your budget is $1,000 I suggest you really consider taking the $200 hit and upgrading to this device which is more likely to be good for a few years versus a few of the other slightly less expensive options. A key component of this to me: I determined early on that a device with a solid state hard drive (SSD) was worth several hundred dollars based on the likelihood that it'll last longer (more below). Third, power. It's absurd how good laptops are these days. This laptop has the latest generation of Intel processors (Skylake), carries 12GB of RAM and has a SSD. What that practically means for most users is they get really fast, reliable performance while multi-tasking. As I said above, an SSD was a must--a perspective that all of my more technical friends beat into my head. It makes a device work faster, more efficiently without all of the moving pieces that frequently lead to hard drive failure/overheating in laptops after a year or two. I really urge you to make an SSD a must-have in any device you buy. Having the latest generation of processor was also important to me because it makes me encouraged that this device will be able to keep up a few years down the road as technology continues to progress. 12GB of RAM was more than any other device I seriously considered in this price range. That's really nice when you are asking your computer to do multiple things at once. All told, this device is the most powerful package I could find in its class. That's my personal hierarchy of what matters. I hope that helps. A few other tidbits that might help inform your decision: - Typical Use: I multi-task constantly, including running Chrome (3-10 tabs), Spotify (or Netflix) and Minecraft. After reading reviews I was a bit nervous about the Zenbook's ability to run Minecraft effectively (apparently the graphics card is just average). This hasn't been a problem at all. I'm sure other devices can render Minecraft/other games faster, but for me--an average/non-intensive gamer--it runs great. - Desktop replacement: 75% of the time I've used the Zenbook plugged in to two external monitors (make sure you buy a "Thunderbolt to HDMI" convertor if you want to use dual monitors). One drawback on the dual monitors front: I was getting greedy hoping I could use two externals AND the Zenbook as a third monitor--as far as I can tell this can't be done. The Zenbook display runs as a duplicate with one of the external monitors, while the other monitor will act as a second screen. A marginal complaint, in my opinion. - Touch screen: I've had one on my work laptop for a long time and never use it. I haven't found myself using it much on the Zenbook either. Maybe you'll be different than me, but I wouldn't view this as much of a factor one way or the other. One screen complaint I do have is that it seems dark to me (even with the brightness all the way up). If you are particularly sensitive to light, this might be worth investigating further. For me, it just takes some adjusting. - Bloatware: As you'll read other places the Zenbook comes with a good deal of Bloatware. It's annoying, but don't sweat it. Nearly every new laptop will have a similar problem. I suggest you plan for one to two hours of machine maintenance when you first get it to make sure everything is clean and setup the way you like it. For me, I started by installing the latest Windows updates (a must), then began removing unnecessary programs (there are resources online to help you with this if you need guidance), installed my preferred browser (Chrome) and installed a new anti-virus program after removing the annoying/intrusive McAfee. - Last word: I'm a really picky tech consumer and have been told I'm impossible to please. Well the Zenbook has done it--I'm really, really happy with it. Can't recommend it enough.

- Background: *Software Engineer for a hospital working mainly on CCL. I bought this for myself as i do app development using cordova/intel xdk/Java/Eclipse/Android Studio. *I would say i am also fairly knowledgeable in computers/hardware. I build my desktops and i enjoy it. *I have an ASUS ROG 17 inch that is my favorite Laptop ever, but it is bulky to move around, so i wanted a ultrabook. I didn't want anything over 4 pounds. If i am buying an new laptop for portability's sake, it might as well be an ultra. *I also have the i7 Lenovo X1 Carbon from work. Not really impressed. Laggy, probably due to the encryption software they installed on it. *I have been researching ultrabooks for about a month now, since i wanted to snatch a deal for Black Friday or Christmas. *The decision came down between this and the Dell Dell XPS9350-4007SLV: Dell XPS9350-4007SLV 13.3 Inch QHD+ Touchscreen Laptop (6th Generation Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD) Microsoft Signature Edition 1)This one has a bit higher specs, including from what i read, the ability to add a 2nd SSD, but i haven't opened the laptop yet, so i am not sure. And i don't think i will need another one for sometime. All my development tools + Win10 filled 15% of the SSD so far. 2)Do not forget the price difference between the two: $836 vs $1188 for the Dell. - Why go i5 over i7: After much research, the difference is only 200MHZ which is insignificant. 200MHZ does not justify me paying $200 - $300 extra. It is said that the difference shows when you are working on resource extensive apps like photoshop, etc. I also do not intend on playing games on this one. So for all my intents and purposes, i5 suites me fine. - Now down to business: *Build: Awesome. Hinges seem very sturdy. I got a friend who bought a Toshiba 6 months ago, now it is in the shop to fix the hinges. And she doesn't use is as much at all. *Color: Awesome rose-gold or smokey-brown. Whatever you want to call. My family loved the color. *Weight: This is very light. Even compared to the X1 Carbon *Processor: Lightening fast. i installed my development tools simultaneously without any hiccups. Sometimes 2 or 3 tools at a time. Extremely fast. *SSD: Has only one partition, which is perfect for me. Not two like others mentioned. Also, lightening fast. (See above: *Processor) *Fan: Is there even a fan in there? It is noiseless. *Keyboard: A little bit small for my fingers, but i will get used to it. it is not that it is uncomfortable, it just needs getting used to. *Track pad: A little bit clicky. Nothing i can't live with. *Screen: Gorgeous screen. No issues with the yellows at all. I was looking for the newer drivers to install but i din't need to after all. from the other reviews, it seems that the most screen issues where with the i7. not i5, like the one i got. *Bloatware: So far, McAfee (which i genuinely hate with all my soul) and ASUS gift. The former, Kaspersky took care of removing it during installation, and the later i un-installed myself. if i find any, i will post. *Heat: Worked on it for 6 straight hours on my lap, and i felt nothing at all. And finally most importantly, *Battery life: So far, for my work, which is pure development on auto screen brightness adjusting, i can go up to 9 hours with full charge. I have't streamed videos or played music. I suspect with those you might go up to 5 - 6 hours, but this is just an estimate. **Conclusion: I am very happy with this ultrabook. I am falling in live with it every time i work on it. if i find anything during the coming few days, i will post it. I do recommend it even development.

Here is my story with ASUS UX303UA and Amazon. I placed the order last Friday, Nov 22, and wait for my UX303UA to come on this Monday. Amazon surprised me by delivering it one day in advance. I was so happy to receive it on Sunday and could not wait to start the unboxing. (5 stat to Amazon) Great packaging but quality control problem: The packaging for UX303 is excellent. First impression for the device is nice and handy. However, my mind extremely down when I found the “W”Button on the keyboard is defective. I try several times to input password for home WIFI, but did not success because incorrect password. And then I figured out it was the “W”Problem. I have to click it hard and precisely to make sure it works. Overall, I like the design and configuration of the device. I decided to give it one more try, so i require for replacement at the end of the day. Two days later, Nov 24, I got another new UX303UA. Great shipping and after-sales service (5 stat to Amazon) After 4 days of using it, no doubt that I like this device, for the nice aspect, high price performance and portability. The update of backlit keyboard, 6th generation i5 and touch screen adds big plus to it. But here comes these disturbing problems to me. let me hesitate whether to require a return or not. 1. Serious problem for me ! Too often, even though i just start my work with the laptop . (check photo) There is a problem with the intel HD Graphic. My browser freezes and display driver crashes several times a day when use IE or Firefox for surfing, no games or heavy software are running. The notification pop up:“ Display driver stopped responding and has recovered. ”Other issue (does anyone has this issue?), Other display problem, flicker (check photo) happen when I watch video on YouTube, especially those 480P or up, flicking happen every 20-30 minutes. I try my old laptop to see the same video, no problem at all. called the ASUS support twice for this issue. First time, was told to hold on the power button for 30 second to restart the system. It did not work out. Second time, was told to update my display drive. Just did it today afternoon, will see if this work out tomorrow. 2. I saw some reviews saying that the trackpad is loud while clicking. I realized this could be a headache when I forgot to take my mouse to the library. I have not got the chance to use it in class yet, but I will definitely not use the click function. 3. I am little bit concern about my battery life. After three days of usage, the duration after a full charge is about 4 and a half hours, using for basic Microsoft office and browsing, with screen light 85% or 90%. It need more times, so I have to take the adaptor with me. The battery report generated by windows10 shows FULL CHARGE CAPACITY is 47,354 mwah, compare to the DESIGN CAPACITY, which is 50,103 mwah. I am not sure is this normal because I do not have knowledge for this gap. Again, I called the support center, and they said it usually take time for a new battery to reach its full capacity. Update: battery lift has no problem. it works well . i set 85% - 95% brightness, with saving mood, quick close to 7 hours. 4. Sounds went off totally – this happen only once and solved by restart. yesterday, I got into the mute mood for a coming call, and after that I could not bring the sound back. The icons showed sounds was on but nothing happen when I try to play a sound. I simply restart and then shoot the issue.

Really early review for my UX303UB, but I wanted to get it out there. I've had it for almost a week, and have basically set it up and used for working (online, at home job). I'll give some background on my situation, then give pros/cons. To preface, I'm a loyal Asus buyer (despite notoriously sub-par customer service). Basically that means I'm used to their weird "click pad" touch pad and the chicklet keyboard, and I expect crappy speakers. This is replacing a Q500A, so I haven't had a new laptop in like 4 years (well I have an eeebook, but that doesn't really count). I needed to downsize to something more portable, but I wanted enough power for decent gaming (GW2, Saints Row, Sims, Skyrim, Witcher, etc.). Haven't gotten around to gaming yet, so cannot comment, but, based on other online reviews, I'm not playing anything too heavy for this computer. I don't care for the touch screen, so I turned that off. My last laptop was about $700, so this is the first actually high-end laptop I've bought (due to some nice xmas cash flow), making it expectedly more impressive than former computers. So for starters, I made some tweaks to the laptop right away: Straight off the bat I did a clean install (after finding my product key just in case). Comes with a lot of bloatware, so it was just easier for me to do that. Then I went ahead and updated all of the drivers just to be safe. I was a little disappointed to see that the hard drive is split into 190 GB C drive and 286 GB D drive, but whatever. I changed the default program save to the D drive, and put the D drive as the location for documents, downloads, etc. I'm not a crazy computer genius, so all of these things I did was from finding instructions online. However, I still needed to manually change the install location on some programs to the d drive, so something may have gone wrong there. Also, I don't care for the touch screen, so I turned that off (and thus will not be reviewing it). I also lowered the resolution, because some programs were too tiny with it up so high. Okay, so now the points of importance: PROS: -It comes with a bunch of stuff: sleeve (decent quality), cloth for cleaning screen, extra velcro strap thing (for cord), VGA adapter, and ethernet adapter. -Backlit keyboard is a must, so that's great. -More RAM than I'll ever need, which will give good resale value in the future. -I love the auto detect for screen brightness. -It's super light and thin, which I love. -No problems running anything. Haven't gamed yet (will update after), but everything I've done (web browsing and game downloading, mainly) has been seamless. -It starts up in like under 30 seconds, which is awesome (remember, last computer was 4 years ago). -Windows 10 is cool, at least compared to 8/8.1. Not sure I'd purposefully upgrade to 10, but I have no complaints (not that it's something to attribute to the computer itself anyway). -I'm impressed with the screen resolution and images. Color is a little different than my last computer, but not in a bad way. -The USB port that will charge a device (phone) while the computer is asleep is genius. Why isn't that standard on all computers? -Minor, but the color is good. I was a little unsure of what it would actually look like, but it is more silver than in the picture, which I approve of. "Smokey brown" is super vague and weird, so I didn't really know what to expect. I'm not too much into gold, so I was pleasantly surprised to see it was more silver than the picture. But it's basically a mix between gold and silver (40 gold:60 silver?), if I had to describe it. (I'll consider taking/adding pictures later, some with size reference.) CONS (all minor or fixable, in my opinion): -BIGGEST COMPLAINT: The power cord is SO SHORT. Holy what. I haven't measured, but like....MAYBE 7 feet. Maybe. Probably 6 feet. It's stupid how close to an outlet I need to be. Also it's got the power brick at the prongs, which takes up a lot of outlet space. I did a ton of research to find a compatible power cord and dropped another $20 to get an off-brand normal cord. The adapter section of the new cord will be 6' by itself, so that will be a huge improvement. But really disappointed at how useless the original cord is. (I'm actually dumbfounded over this and cannot get over how someone thought it was okay.) -The keyboard is a little resistant. I definitely have to press harder than with any other computer, so right now I'll miss a letter here and there. Not a big deal, I'll strengthen my fingers and that's cool. -The power button being a regular button next to the delete key is a little worrisome. However, I've been super conscious of it and haven't had problems, but there's great potential to accidentally press the power button instead of delete. -The fans vent out the bottom, so that's weird and can get warm if you keep it on your lap. The keys also can get warm too from venting, so I would hesitate to use a cover over the keyboard (but I'm gonna anyway). -Like I said, there are 2 drives instead of 1, so plan carefully for where you wanna save stuff (if you have lots to put on the laptop). -Battery isn't great (like 5 hours?). It also takes a bit to charge, like almost 2 hours to charge around 80/90% of it. In all honesty I'll be plugged in most of the time anyway, so it's not a big deal (but that power cord, though). -Speakers aren't great, as to be expected. Asus seriously needs to step up that game. I'm used to speakers being on the bottom of their laptops (which is the worst), so having them on both sides is a slight improvement, but they still don't get very loud. Again, I expected that, so no big deal, but worth noting for those who have never owned Asus. -Along the line of speakers, I've always hated that you have to press FN to use the volume keys on Asus laptops. Never looked into changing that, but this review may spark that research. -Not the greatest construction. Not bad, just not what you might expect for paying over a grand. I think it's a little less solid than expected to keep the weight down. It's not going to be solid metal build and stay this light, so it's a trade off. But it's not cheap either. Just worth mentioning. Okay, hopefully I will remember to update in a month or so, after I've done some gaming and had more time to run into potential problems (cause none so far!). -------------------- UPDATE 1/6: So after a little more time I have some more updates to make. -Keyboard gets way easier to use. I think I had about a week of normal use before I was back to my normal typing accuracy. -I am disappointed that there's no little edging on the laptop lid to help open it. I just find myself having a hard time getting it open, and I realized it's because there's no little lip or grip to help separate the lid and body. On my old Asus there was, and I must have used it because without it I'm struggling, haha. -Gaming is great. I've only played a couple, but I'm really happy. Sims 3 runs really smooth, loads quickly, and can support high graphics. I also played some GW2. The graphics are great (there are textures on my clothes I had never seen before) with no lagging (unless my internet is bad) on med-high (I let it auto detect graphics). Overall I'm really satisfied with the gaming aspect, so just keep in mind what you plan on playing. -Keyboard heats up when gaming, seems some of the heat escapes that route instead of the downward facing fans. Not a huge deal, but definitely keep in mind. The laptop can definitely get hot gaming, but the performance doesn't suffer, so I'll deal with the heat. -Oh, a weird thing is that the SD card only goes in the slot halfway. Kind of weird/annoying. I uploaded a couple pics. One of the SD card, and one of it compared to my old laptop (17 inch w/ optical drive). I just put a skin on it, so not great to get pictures of anymore. Figured a couple were better than nothing, though.

I have been using a UX303UB as my primary computer for about month because I have been traveling a lot. I totally agree that it is an excelent computer, especially for the price. I use it mainly for Java and Android development. It seems to be as fast as my desktop which is a few years old and also has an i7 processor. First, let me say that I would buy this computer again, and recommend it to friends and colleagues. Now, I'll rant about what I don't like. The UX303UB's high DPI display is unusable with some software programs. Second, the glorious spacious 500GB drive is partitioned into 2 pathetically skimpy 250GB drives. Third, I frequently use the computer with a second HDMI display, extending my desktop. Once every couple of days, the displays go blank for a second, and then recover after displaying an error message. I do not know if this only happens with the dual display setup I usually use. The UX303UB's display is unusable with certain programs due to its high DPI display. I think this is a general problem for a number of high DPI tablets and computers. Specifically, the fonts and icons are too small to read for Eclipse (a development environment), WinSCP (a secure FTP program), and E-TradePro (an investment trading program). I am sure there are other programs that suffer from this problem. There is a work around, but it cannot be fixed easily by just increasing font sizes or lowering the display resolution. I discuss the work around below. When I received my computer, the gloriously spacious 500GB SSD drive that I paid for was partitioned into 2 pathetically skimpy 250GB drives (a C: and a D:). I do not understand the logic of doing this unless the OS is unable to to handle a 500GB drive. Maybe someone can enlighten me. I've dealt it before. I hate it. Every program you install will default to loading on the C: drive, and keeping its data on the C: drive. You will have to constantly fight every program to try to not fill the skimpy C: drive, and use the empty D: drive. There is a work around to this too, which I discuss below. Do not attempt this procedure unless you are comfortable with modifying the Windows Registry. The tiny font and icon problem can be fixed for Eclipse and many other programs by installing an xml file in the same directory as the executable, and naming it elipse.exe.manifest. Also you have to add a registry key to tell Windows to use the file. Here is a link to a posting by Mathew Cochrane who explains the fix and provides a link to the file you need [...] Do not attempt this procedure unless you are comfortable with using the Windows Disk Manager to re-partion drives. Since I have been traveling a lot, I have not followed this procedure, so I cannot vouch for it 100%. Here is how you can get back the glorious 500GB you paid for. If you try to re-partition the drive with Windows Disk Manager (WDM), you will not be able to do it. WDM will only expand your skimpy 250GB drive if you are expanding into physically contiguous space on the disk. Asus has inconviently created a small recovery partition physically right next to the C: drive. So you are stuck. You have 2 choices. Either get and trust a 3rd party Disk Manager or delete your recovery partition. You should not delete your recovery partition unless you make a new recovery USB drive or have some other way to recover your OS when, not if, the computer crashes. So you will have to take several steps: 1) Do not do this unless you understand the procedure. Google for more info. 2) Make a USB recovery drive 3) Backup any needed data on your puny D: drive 4) Delete the recovery partition on your UX303UB SSD drive 5) Shrink your puny D: 250GB drive to zero losing all info on it 6) Expand your C: drive to its glorious 500GB potential Again, let me repeat that I recommend this computer, and would buy it again despite a few problems. It is a great buy.

I was only going to give it 4 stars because it would not turn on after 7 months but I later found out my nephew dropped it and it broke the charger pin and he tried to use a different charger and I think he shorted something out within the computer. Well for the first 6 mos or so I was sooo happy with this ultrabook. It has the backlit keyboard and son I'm here to tell you I had MacBook Air 11, MacBook Air 13 and MacBook Pro Retina 13. And this thing is just better!!! Now don't get me wrong I ain't no windows fanboy, nor am I a Applephite but let's be honest the MacBook Pro Retina is a sight to behold as well as simplistic closed operating system with counter intuitive command names (common you Applefanfarts you know I'm telling the truth). The trackpad on Apple is smoother without the annoying mechanical "click" However once I relearned a new Window format (Windows 10) this Asus has become like my second self, my alter ego so to speak.. anyway back to the zen book. I opted for the i5 256gb sad and while it has been gone for these last 2 weeks for warranty repair ( because I don't know what happened it just will not power up) as I told the warranty consultant, a wonderfully pleasant female by the name of Tisha (I think). She had me perform a few last ditch attempts to power up and they failed. ( this only took 10 min at most.) but the wonderful voice she projected was a pleasure to listen to and I dutifully complied with all her requests and I found myself almost breathless waiting for her next command. She asked for my email address and I new this would be the beginning of a very satisfying relationship between us, but alas it was not to be for she emailed me the FedEx shipping label and that was all. No personal cell number, no smiling emojis or blushing kissy faces. Our relationship was purely professional to her and I was just another case number for her warranty File. Well with a heavy heart I boxed my Zenbook in a not original box because she said It will in all likelihood will not be sent back to me when the work is done. Well it has been excaxtly 10 days since I sent my zenbook off when I received a notice of return shipping from an obscure town in Cali with a little not saying my Zenbook was received with no damage and would not turn on, with warranty work complete, the Zenbook was received by FedEx on its return journey. I am so excited I am beside myself because you see I have had to go back to my MacBook Pro Retina for the past 12 days. Relying on it for me Emails, Research(internet browsing) and docs. It has been such a bore!!! It is almost as if that Zenbook had become apart of me in the last 7 months and there is a whole in me we're my Zenbook used to be. I don't know if it's the spiral scalloped metallic feel of the luminasent pinkish gray aluminum, which I must say was a little emasculating when I first opened the box those 7 long months ago, but turned into my heart gladdining blip I felt everytime I got home from work and settle in my favorite chair after family dinner and rub my hand across her sexy ridged aluminisent body. Ahhhm well can you tell that I have simply feel head over heel in love with this Zenbook? Well I have and I miss her terribly I hope above all hope it will be returned to me no later than Tuesday afternoon. ( the end of the 5 days it should take to get from Cali to my home). Well there you have it the most heartfelt review I have ever written. I look back on it and read these words and honestly do not know what came over me! So take it or leave it.

Today is my second day using this device. I must say I like the design and the usability thus far. It does take some getting used to as the keypad can be a bit buggy but I am getting accustomed to it. The reason for the three stars however, is the fact that upon my very first use yesterday, I noticed the screen flicker about 3 to 4 time. I checked other reviews from asus users and found some had the same issue. I have tried contacting Asus support from the laptop's "My Asus" but my complaint never went through. I finally filled an online support application a few minutes ago so I am waiting on some feedback on this issue. I am disappointed that my brand new laptop aready has glitches and I also think the ASUS support centre should be more user friendly and accessible. I really hope they get this sorted because otherwise, I really like this laptop and I would like to keep it and not have to send it back. Update So I changed my rating from 3 stars to one and if I could change it from 1 to zero I would. The 1 star I guess is simply because I actually liked this laptop, its very fast in everything it does, I loved the appearance and it was easy to use. My issue here is with ASUS customer service. This has truly been a nightmare and ASUS has done NOT ONE thing to assist me with a device that has had issues from the very day I received it. Further to a conversation with an ASUS representative, they assured me that if I sent in the device it would be replaced as the flickering screen is most likely a factory defect. Upon sending the laptop in to the California repair center as instructed, they have had my laptop for three whole days without updating the RMA status. I decided to call to find out what was taking place only to find out from a representative that they will be repairing the laptop and not replacing it. Imagine my utter annoyance and frustration when the representative, after being given all of my information, kept me on the phone for the next 30 mins repeating that ASUS is not responsible for replacing the laptop and will only be repairing. No escalation, no attempt to assist, she simply repeated verbatim the line I'm am almost certain she was trained to say to the various ASUS customers who have had issues with this product. After such a horrible experience I resorted to calling Amazon again to let them know what was taking place with my brand new device. This was another call that took more than an hour to explain my problem to a representative who I wasn't entirely sure understood English. After almost two hours on the phone I was emailed a return label for the "repaired" item to be sent back to Amazon who will then issue a refund for the purchase. I am thoroughly disappointed and livid with ASUS and their level of customer service. To think that I was initially thinking of purchasing another device for my father for Christmas. ASUS is a joke, I have not ever been this infuriated with a provider, but I can assure anyone thinking to purchase this item that ASUS will not support your purchase. They do not stand by their product and you the buyer will be left with a problem on your hands. Their so-called Accident protection can only be redeemed once during the warranty period, so if your hinges break and then the super sensitive screen cracks from simply closing the lid, then guess what? You better hope they happen at the same time when you can send to repair all together. If not, it becomes your cost to fix what was essentially a faulty item to begin with. The software on this thing is good but do not be fooled, the physical design is awful and ASUS doesn't care.

This is a great laptop! Form factor: I have a macbook pro for work, and this is a bit thinner and lighter. And at 13.3", it's unobtrusive and easy to carry around. The body is metallic and feels very sturdy, and both the keyboard and touchpad seem solid. The hinges are great; there's a little give, but if you don't jab the screen it'll return to its normal position. That's good, because it is also a touch screen. Keyboard / Touchpad: The keyboard is good for a laptop. Typing on it feels fine, and I don't ever find myself having to press a key twice to get it to register. It's also backlit with variable brightness, which is nice. The touchpad feels smooth, and supports multitouch with bells and whistles like two-finger scrolling. POWERRRRRRR: Great for the form factor/price. You won't be running the latest games with great graphics on this, but the processor is respectable and power-efficient, and the GPU is...well, it has a GPU that isn't made by Intel. The 940m is one of the weakest chipsets that Nvidia makes, especially considering the current-gen 1060s, but again - 13.3" with a svelte form factor, and less than $1250. I still see huge performance boosts while using it - Optimus means that you can swap GPUs on a per-program basis - and I can happily use this laptop while developing with Blender, OpenGL, etc. 12GB of RAM is enough to run a VM comfortably in the background too, although that might impact battery life. Screen: I'm not sure. Blood keeps coming out of my eyes when I crank the resolution all the way up, so I only use it at 1080p. But it's bright, crisp, and I can touch it when I don't feel like using a mouse. Kind of dim in sunlight though, and that's when you're probably going to be running on battery and wanting the brightness turned down. But that's what you get with a glossy laptop screen; maybe a polarizing filter or something would help. Loonix: This is a solid Linux laptop. I put Mint 18 on it. Nvidia's proprietary drivers work well, although I prefer bumblebee/primus to nvidia-prime because the latter requires logging out to switch GPUs. If you use a Debian-based distro like Ubuntu or Mint, don't listen to the haters; bumblebee does still work with xenial. The wifi card worked out of the box for me, as did the multitouch features on the mousepad and - believe it or not - the touchscreen. I did have to use touchegg to enable two-finger scrolling with the touch screen, though. But all in all, installing linux on this laptop is a breeze. Other stuff: Wifi works well, there are plenty of ports, battery life is pretty good at ~5-7 hours under my normal use, but the power cord that it comes with is a little bit short.