Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Helped a friend set up his new i3 laptop, I'm pretty impressed for this relative low end CPU.
My biggest beef with this machine is the 18 (EIGHTEEN) shortcuts I found on the desktop when I booted up. All flavors of crapware that you don't want and don't need that include a 90 day subscription to Trend Micro Anti-Virus which MaximumPC magazine rated as the WORST AV package on the market in their May 2010 edition. Now I know that doesn't mean much, but its disquieting when the defacto Hardware Champion of the entire computer industry (IMO) loads up a new machine with a truckload of unrecognizable garbageware like Splendid Utility and AP Bank, among others I've never heard of and don't have any use for. Oh well, while cleaning all this junk out of the HD I also noticed the boot time is right at 4 minutes, that's with the included utility Asus Fast Boot engaged!!!
On the upside, the display is bright and crisp and the graphics are amazing. And, the real good news here this machine is easily upgradable to 6 or 8Gig which I highly recommend. Not a fan of the chicklet keyboard either, and you will find it difficult navigate in the dark. There is no resident media player like Power DVD 10, only Windows Media Player so you may want to install VLC for your DVD or if you want better performance then Power DVD 10 Deluxe should be the ticket since it upconverts DVDs to HD.
Now that you've gotten rid of all the pre-installed junk provided by Asus this machine performs pretty well. This machine is a multimedia/multitasking monster, and the Power 4 Gear power settings will give you about 2 1/2 hours on the battery, and it runs very cool, no heat discharge at all. The display is the most impressive thing about this laptop. And the graphics nothing short of incredible, and the boot time is just over 1 minute now that we've got the startup programs under control.
The biggest complaint about this laptop is the touchpad (Elan Smart-Pad) is very erratic. And thats after turning off ALL of its services except the basic functions. HELLO ASUS, FIX THIS PROBLEM!!!! If you buy an Asus laptop you have to expect to have touchpad problems out of the gate, complaints are posted all over the web dating back 3-4 years, and you cannot install the latest drivers....they just wont install, Asus prevents it. The best fix for this touchpad is a Microsoft 3500 mouse which you should buy when you get this machine. Problem solved. A 5 star product if not for this pathetic Elan Tech "Smart-Pad" which Asus should have fixed 6 months ago.
BTW, any new Windows 7 laptop will benefit from a memory upgrade to at least 6Gig. This is because your video has allocated to it a set amount of system ram, usually 1Gig or more. Just for kicks, go to Crucial's website and run their System Analyzer to tell you exactly what you need, including speeds and timing to exactly match the specs of this Asus machine. It takes about 5 minutes to remove the backplate and replace one of the memory sticks with a new 4Gig module and the performance increase is well worth the $50 you might spend. For example, I upgraded my own Asus i5 and the Windows Experience number went from 5.9 to 6.6 with the upgrade going from 4 to 6Gig.
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ASUS A52F-XA2 15.6-Inch Laptop (Dark Gray) The New Jack-of-all-trades Powered by the Intel Core i3-370M processor, the 15.6-inch A52F-XA2 notebook transcends your mobility at an unbelievable value. This versatile notebook is designed with a scratch-resistant Infusion design to keep it looking new day after day. Along with a compact style, the A52F-XA2 takes you further with ASUS Power4Gear that lets you instantly select from a host of preset power profiles for high performance or battery savings. ASUS Palm-Proof technology enhances the multi-touch trackpad by ensuring the cursor doesn't accidentally reposition if your palm unintentionally grazes the trackpad when typing. Its brilliant 15.6-inch HD display, as well as HDMI connectivity, lets you indulge with clear visuals and HD cinema. The A52F-XA2 also boasts a smudge-resistant palm rest, 3GB DDR3 system memory, 0.3 megapixel webcam, 320GB hard drive, high-speed wireless N connectivity, and Windows 7 Home Premium.
Key Features
Intel Core i3-370M processor with Intel Hyper-Threading technology that enables 4-way multitasking per processor core to let you do more at the same time (Learn more)
ASUS Infusion technology for eye-catching style and scratch-resistant protection (Learn more)
15.6-inch HD display for clear, crisp high-definition visuals
Altec Lansing speakers enhanced with SRS Premium Sound produce crisp, clear audio reproduction (Learn more)
Multi-touch trackpad with ASUS Palm-Proof technology lets you intuitively navigate through web pages, documents, and pictures while helping to prevent typing errors (Learn more)
Super Multi DVD drive plays as well as writes your favorite DVDs and CDs
HDMI high-definition videoand digital audio output allows simple output of high-definition video and digital audio to your HDTV or LCD (Learn more)
0.3 megapixel webcam for video chatting with friends and family
Learn More
Relax, ASUS Has You Covered Ranked as the #1 most reliable PC brand by 3 independent sources1, readers and editors alike choose ASUS as their trusted notebook and netbook. ASUS tirelessly strives to exceed expectations of quality to ensure you an unmatched peace of mind every time you start your PC. This notebook is also backed by the industry's most comprehensive warranty.
1 Year ASUS Global Warranty2 Offers a level of coverage that would add hundreds of dollars to the price of competing laptops:
1 year global warranty
30 day Flawless Display Guarantee
2-way free standard shipping
24/7 tech support
1 Year Accidental Damage Warranty (ADW)2 Whether your notebook is damaged by accidental spills, drops, electrical surges, or fire, ASUS will fix it or replace it for you during the first year after purchase.
Covers accidental drops, spills, power surges, and fire damage
Target 3 business day turnaround time for repair / replacement; not including receiving and shipping time
1-way shipping (from ASUS to the user) at no additional cost
24/7 toll-free phone support
What's in the Box
A52F-XA2 notebook
AC Adapter
6 cell Battery Pack
Warranty Information Card
Specifications
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Display: 15.6-inch HD display (1366 x 768)
Processor: Intel Core i3-370M processor (2.40 GHz)
Chipset: Intel HM55
Graphics: Intel HD graphics
WLAN: 802.11 b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz)
LAN: 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
Memory: 3GB DDR3-1066 DRAM, 2 x SODIMM Sockets (up to 8GB)
Storage: 320GB 5400RPM hard drive
Optical Drive: Super Multi DVD drive
Camera: 0.3 megapixel
Speakers: Altec Lansing speakers
Microphone: Microphone
Card Reader: 4-in-1 card reader (SD, MMC, MS, MS Pro)
Input / Output: 1 x Mic-in, 1 x Headphone-out, 1 x VGA port/Mini D-Sub 15-pin for external monitor, 1 x RJ-45 LAN, 3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x HDMI
Battery: 6 cell
Dimensions: 15.2 x 10.2 x 1.4 –inches (W x D x H)
Weight: 5.8 lbs (with 6 cell battery)
Color: Grey
© 2010 ASUS Computer International. All Rights Reserved. ASUS is a registered trademark of ASUSTeK Computer. All specifications and terms are subject to change without notice. Please check with your supplier for exact offers on selected models. Products may not be available in all markets. Product may not be exactly as shown in photos. 1Rated number 1 Windows-based PC maker in PCMag.com's Service & Reliability Report 2010. Rated number 1 PC brand according to SquareTrade, the leading direct-to-consumer warranty company (for more information visit http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/laptop-reliability-1109/ ). Rated number 1 reliable PC maker in Q2 2010's RESCUECOM report http://www.rescuecom.com/2010-2nd-Quarter-Computer-Reliability-Report.html 2ASUS reserves the right to exclude certain SKUs; check with your retailer to confirm coverage of specific models. Valid for notebooks purchased in the US and Canada only. Certain retailers do not participate in ADW coverage. For complete details, please visit: usa.asus.com/event/ASUS360 and adw.asus.com/.
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