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Microsoft Store

$249 ASUS X551MAV

Member
User avatar
Aug 10, 2013
231 posts
23 upvotes
Toronto, Canada
shocknawe wrote: So which one is the better $249 laptop from the MS store? Dell or Asus?
Look like I was wrong with Asus to , neither are good . The battery and hard drive is all under one cover which you got to dismantle the whole unit. I never seen a laptop like that before, that would really suck if you ever needed to change the drive or battery or anything . Back this goes to MS
Deal Guru
Jul 19, 2012
14763 posts
4912 upvotes
Montreal
aviador wrote: Most new laptops - particularly netbooks, notebooks, ultrabooks- come with a single back cover with no hatches or ports for easy access for swapping or adding parts, with integrated battery (no detachable without untaping and unwiring stuff, so changing the battery or the hdd is a project on itself), soldered cpu (no upgrade path) and one soldered ram chip (hence unmatching size ram sticks if maxed out, or which even might not work in dual channel if same size.) To add to the frustration, some covers snap on with latches that can get broken easily.
that's why I like my acer 11.6" models - easily remove one back panel and you can upgrade pretty well anything.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Dec 12, 2009
29539 posts
20458 upvotes
aviador wrote: Most new laptops - particularly netbooks, notebooks, ultrabooks- come with a single back cover with no hatches or ports for easy access for swapping or adding parts, with integrated battery (no detachable without untaping and unwiring stuff, so changing the battery or the hdd is a project on itself), soldered cpu (no upgrade path) and one soldered ram chip (hence unmatching size ram sticks if maxed out, or which even might not work in dual channel if same size.) To add to the frustration, some covers snap on with latches that can get broken easily.
They are made with obsolescence in mind. Don't think about upgrading ram, hard drive or anything like that. Get one that has all the required specs. Hope it lasts 3-4 years. Price the purchase based on the assumption that it gets recycled on the first major hardware failure because repair are not economical.
Member
May 11, 2011
376 posts
470 upvotes
Vancouver
Smart86 wrote: Look like I was wrong with Asus to , neither are good . The battery and hard drive is all under one cover which you got to dismantle the whole unit. I never seen a laptop like that before, that would really suck if you ever needed to change the drive or battery or anything . Back this goes to MS
The Dell is upgradeable - you can max out to 8GB( 1 dimm). It is easy to access the hard drive and battery. The battery comes out with 2 finger press on 2 latches. Some people removed the hard drive and added a SSD.
Deal Expert
Aug 22, 2006
31271 posts
17295 upvotes
Smart86 wrote: Look like I was wrong with Asus to , neither are good . The battery and hard drive is all under one cover which you got to dismantle the whole unit. I never seen a laptop like that before, that would really suck if you ever needed to change the drive or battery or anything . Back this goes to MS
Count yourself lucky. I have a few notebooks where you have to remove the keyboard in order to get to the HDD.
I hate this new trend. I almost always swap the HDD for something bigger or swap it for an SSD.
Member
User avatar
Nov 29, 2011
486 posts
718 upvotes
London
Chloey wrote: Thanks for the DVD answer. I have the $249 Dell and it has excellent build quality - really solid machine. So if the next Asus you get is still not good. Try the Dell.
You're welcome. Thanks for commenting on the build quality of the Dell, I was thinking of buying that one but the only drawback for me is no Ethernet port. My current laptop has an Ethernet port which I'm using as my wireless only works intermittently right now (laptop is dying), so I'd prefer to have one in future too.

Edit: I just found out you can use an Ethernet adapter to get an Ethernet connection, something like the one below. So think I will order the Dell and see if I prefer it to the Asus.

http://accessories.dell.com/sna/product ... eSearch%3E
Member
User avatar
Aug 10, 2013
231 posts
23 upvotes
Toronto, Canada
aviador wrote: Most new laptops - particularly netbooks, notebooks, ultrabooks- come with a single back cover with no hatches or ports for easy access for swapping or adding parts, with integrated battery (no detachable without untaping and unwiring stuff, so changing the battery or the hdd is a project on itself), soldered cpu (no upgrade path) and one soldered ram chip (hence unmatching size ram sticks if maxed out, or which even might not work in dual channel if same size.) To add to the frustration, some covers snap on with latches that can get broken easily.
I was just told this when I returned my laptop from a MS rep . They say because they're making them thinner. I don't like that .
Member
User avatar
Aug 10, 2013
231 posts
23 upvotes
Toronto, Canada
death_hawk wrote: Count yourself lucky. I have a few notebooks where you have to remove the keyboard in order to get to the HDD.
I hate this new trend. I almost always swap the HDD for something bigger or swap it for an SSD.
I'm with you there, I to hate this new trend. I was even told they're making them now were you wouldn't be able to even dismantle them, they will have some sore of sticker/seal were if you break the seal the manufacturers wouldn't warranty the unit, this really sucks
Member
May 11, 2011
376 posts
470 upvotes
Vancouver
kayeyeare wrote: You're welcome. Thanks for commenting on the build quality of the Dell, I was thinking of buying that one but the only drawback for me is no Ethernet port. My current laptop has an Ethernet port which I'm using as my wireless only works intermittently right now (laptop is dying), so I'd prefer to have one in future too.

Edit: I just found out you can use an Ethernet adapter to get an Ethernet connection, something like the one below. So think I will order the Dell and see if I prefer it to the Asus.

http://accessories.dell.com/sna/product ... eSearch%3E
I got this ethernet adapter from eBay for $2.56 free shipping. I also got a bluetooth adapter and a usb hub for a couple of dollars on eBay and amazon

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-2-0-To-LAN- ... 27e323c3c6

I posted it in the Dell $249 thread - lots of info there if you get the Dell. I got the Dell Wireless Touchpad for $30 from Dell and it is better than a mouse or the touchpad on the laptop. More responsive, smoother. Worth the $
Member
User avatar
Nov 29, 2011
486 posts
718 upvotes
London
Chloey wrote: I got this ethernet adapter from eBay for $2.56 free shipping. I also got a bluetooth adapter and a usb hub for a couple of dollars on eBay and amazon

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-2-0-To-LAN- ... 27e323c3c6

I posted it in the Dell $249 thread - lots of info there if you get the Dell. I got the Dell Wireless Touchpad for $30 from Dell and it is better than a mouse or the touchpad on the laptop. More responsive, smoother. Worth the $
Thanks Chloey, that's great :) I just ordered the Dell. I'll check out the thread for more info, I appreciate it.
Sr. Member
Jan 20, 2012
559 posts
494 upvotes
LONDON
Got this laptop yesterday, came pre-installed with Windows 8.1. After playing around with it for a while, I've come to these conclusions:

- Battery life is decent, I got about 4 and a half hours give or take with browsing and installing a few things. I put it on the charger around 20%, so I might have been able to get a bit more out of it.
- Not the fastest, but what do you expect for a brand new $250 computer? It was especially slow first at initial setup, but as time went on, it got a lot better. Browsing around Windows 8.1 and on the web is decent for speed. Haven't tried playing videos yet.
- Laptop stays cool when doing browsing on the web. Very quiet.
- Keyboard and trackpad could be a lot better. Keys feel very cheap and the trackpad's response is finicky.
- Build quality isn't the greatest. There is a slight gap between the LCD plastic bezel and the LCD itself on the one side, but the other side is perfectly fine. Plastic body feels pretty flimsy, so be careful not to bang it around too much.

If you want good build quality, I'd strongly recommend to look elsewhere. This would be perfect for anyone with basic needs, such as school or browsing the net and videos, and those that just need something for a couple years. I was going to use this for my own use but it's hard coming from an i7 Gaming Laptop. I'll be giving this to my father (he has a Pentium 4 Desktop, so it's still a huge upgrade for him).

For those wondering:
- It does have an HDMI Port and a VGA Port.
It has an SD card Slot, Ethernet, Headphone/Microphone Jack
- It has one USB 3.0 Port, and one USB 2.0 Port
- It has no Optical Drive
Newbie
Oct 6, 2011
19 posts
12 upvotes
SURREY
oh my bad, just realized my work computer's VPN is stationed in California.
Member
User avatar
Aug 10, 2013
231 posts
23 upvotes
Toronto, Canada
kellmike626 wrote: Got this laptop yesterday, came pre-installed with Windows 8.1. After playing around with it for a while, I've come to these conclusions:

- Battery life is decent, I got about 4 and a half hours give or take with browsing and installing a few things. I put it on the charger around 20%, so I might have been able to get a bit more out of it.
- Not the fastest, but what do you expect for a brand new $250 computer? It was especially slow first at initial setup, but as time went on, it got a lot better. Browsing around Windows 8.1 and on the web is decent for speed. Haven't tried playing videos yet.
- Laptop stays cool when doing browsing on the web. Very quiet.
- Keyboard and trackpad could be a lot better. Keys feel very cheap and the trackpad's response is finicky.
- Build quality isn't the greatest. There is a slight gap between the LCD plastic bezel and the LCD itself on the one side, but the other side is perfectly fine. Plastic body feels pretty flimsy, so be careful not to bang it around too much.

If you want good build quality, I'd strongly recommend to look elsewhere. This would be perfect for anyone with basic needs, such as school or browsing the net and videos, and those that just need something for a couple years. I was going to use this for my own use but it's hard coming from an i7 Gaming Laptop. I'll be giving this to my father (he has a Pentium 4 Desktop, so it's still a huge upgrade for him).

For those wondering:
- It does have an HDMI Port and a VGA Port.
It has an SD card Slot, Ethernet, Headphone/Microphone Jack
- It has one USB 3.0 Port, and one USB 2.0 Port
- It has no Optical Drive
What I notice from what you already mention is the power adapter plug in isn't that good, I can see people having problems later on with the adapter breaking

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