Asus Model: Q501LA-BBI5T03

Anyone know anything about Asus 15.6" TouchScreen Laptop 6GB Memory 750GB Hard Drive Q501LA-BBI5T03 - Best Buy ?
I went to Bestbuy to look at the Sony Vaio Fit. For my needs it specs right. But I noticed it sucked on the web. I was messing with Asus Ultrabook 13.3" TouchScreen Laptop 4GB Memory 128GB Solid State Drive UX31A-BHI5T11 - Best Buy. It was fast and look kick as. But the ssd drive may not be enough? I read the Sony Fit has web connect problems also? But when i saw the other Asus it seems like a better buy bt can't find any info?? Worth the try? Or wait? Need one in a month. Also just going to be home use so doesn't need to be ultra but do want it small.Unless theres other options hi res under $900? Tia

 

I noticed this unit as well. Looks like an extremely good unit. If someone posted some battery life numbers and I can get around 6 hours with standard use I'd probably pick one up.

 

I found another one on BestBuy, very similar to the aforementioned Asus model.

Acer - Aspire 15.6" Laptop - 8GB Memory - 1TB Hard Drive - Cold Steel - V5-573-9863 - Best Buy

Also, can any of you help me with a link to the official page for the Asus Q501LA?

 

I recently bought one and despite pining to get an N550JV I decided that the 501 suits me perfectly. It's very thin and fairly light. Two things really stand out about it for me so far:

First is the IPS fullHD screen. This is actually what attracted me to it initally. Having it now for a couple of weeks I would NEVER get anything other than IPS. The viewing angles are incredible and it's very bright and clear.

Second is battery life. This weekend I got on a Netflix kick (getting spooled-up for Breaking Bad's finale start this weekend) and watched all 8 5th season episodes in two sittings of four hours each. Unplugged, at about full volumn (audio is not very loud as the speakers are on the bottom edges) and half screen brightness, it used about 45% of a full charge through each evening sitting. While battery life is very subjective, I am extremely pleased as my last laptop MIGHT last 2 hours unplugged. I use it all the time now and only plug it in to recharge overnight.

Couple of things I don't like, which are probably nit-picks are: no dedicated volumn buttons, and, worst of all, the power button is the extreme upper right keyboard key. I had to diable it as I kept pushing it inavertently and shutting it down. Asus should have provided an option or made it a long keypress to ensure a deliberate shutdown is commanded. The lack of a CD drive is paid for in the unit's slim profile. I bought an external drive and don't miss having one built-in as much as I thought I would. Finally, the black anodized, brushed aluminum, finish on the cover is a fingerprint/smudge magnet so if you're anal in that regard you find that irritating. It's definitly not a gaming machine either so if that's your goal look elsewhere.

Very nice laptop for general web surfing and productivity tasks with great battery life. Seems like a very good value for $750.

 

As far as I can determine, this is a Best Buy-only model and Asus doesn't have it on their site.

 

The Acer's screen isn't fullHD and isn't an IPS panel, the i7-4500U is actually a dual-core processor whose performance isn't that much better than the Q501's i5, and it is more expensive and the build-quality feels cheaper than the Q501.

 

2 hours ? Is that a mistype? Haha.

Wow, that is pretty insane. If the battery life is truly that great while streaming video this might be the laptop for me. All I will be doing is some very basic CAD work for my upper division college classes, and I don't really play games. Think I might pick this up when I am back in the United States.

I don't know why this laptop isn't getting any love. Seriously it seems like the perfect package.

 

By the way could you maybe post a video of the laptop on YouTube? Even if it is like a minute long that would be great!

Oh, and is the HDD bay easily accessible? I'm going to toss a Crucial M4 in there the first day I get it.

 

Thanks for the replies. The screen is what caught my eye, Its for my wife anyways.I have a gaming machine. For the $$ it looks pretty good. How the response time?? I think as long as she can navigate the internet find I will same $$ by not putting in a ssd. My lap tops were always 1920x1080. Was kinda hard to like anything less.

 

Comes up from a cold boot in in 30-40 seconds. From sleep in 5-10 seconds. Unless you have the metabolism of a hummingbird, it's plenty fast enough for anything other than gaming. For me it's all about how nice the screen is and the battery life. Both of which are exceptional for my needs and uses.

Update: Decided to actually measure the boot time to the log in screen. Cold boot, 16 seconds, sleep 3 seconds. These times are from power button push or lid opening. That's pretty damn speedy. Of course my last laptop was a Pentium-powered Compaq CQ62 so these times may just be normal to anyone used to a better machine.

 

Was hopin for smaller/lighter w/similar specs but man... bigger screen = more bootiful images, might just be worth it.

For those who have one already: is it heavy?

 

5.1 pounds according to Best Buy. Thing is it's very thin (less than one inch) and so while it's not heavy per se it feels "dense". It's very MacbookProish if you know what I mean. Feels very solid.

 

^Yeah I'll hit up BB tomorrow to check it out.

Only question is: is it worth it to buy NOW, or do you guys think the price will drop more for Back2School season, or may BB package something like "100$ GC with all Windows 8 laptops" etc. (made that up)?

I'm a student, this laptop seems perfect but I'm trying to get it as cheap as possible.

 

Thanks. The first # made me think slooowwww. But the actual # look pretty good. To me its the screen also. But if it was to slow I could add a sdd drive. But seems fast enough not to. Thanks.

 

Thats what I hope for Back to school or something.But doubt it??? I believe they will credit you the difference? I know if they do it within 15 day you can just return it if they don't and get another....But for me its going to be a travel in the house laptop. A student may want something smaller?? The picture is really nice

 

another question. Is the fan noise very loud?

 

Fan is barely perceptible and hardly ever comes on. It stays very cool. It does get warm on the bottom back edge but I don't ever feel it.

 

pappy35, do you think you could post a video of the unit on Youtube? I'd absolutely love you if you could do that, I really want to see this unit! Unfortunately I won't be back from my business trip until next weekend so I can't look at the unit myself!

 

Fondled it at BB for a while, here are my imprexxns:

*Not that heavy.
I am using an ASUS U46E (14"), which is listed ~4.5lb., and this is supposed to be heavier, but didn't feel that way. Maybe because of the larger size, my brain didn't feel like it was "especially heavy".

*Highly disappointed w/the hyped IPS display.
It isn't especially bright and the colors aren't especially vivid. Also, it's glossy, with lotsa glare. I wish I could say I have high standards, but I have only owned budget-tier crappy 1366x768 displays in the past. The screen on the Toshiba P55 on display near this model @ BB was much better than this one, for instance.

*Yes, smudge-magnet.
All surfaces will smudge.

*Man this thing is DEEP.
When I placed my hands on the keyboard, I wasn't used to the space between the ends of my fingers and the edge of the screen, because this is 15.6" I guess, I'm not used to the sheer depth/size of it. I really wanted this but as a student, for portability reasons, I think I'll have to reconsider, get something smaller.

 

I agree for student if you need to travel with it I would look at something 13-14" .But imo I compared this Asus screen next to all the Acer next to it with 1366x768 and the Sony fit with 1600 res. The screen was alot of nicer imo. The smudge won't bother me I have a few Asus laptops. They get wiped down all the time anyway.Takes longer to boot up then to wipe them down . Its just hard to find something nice under $700.If someone does let me know I will put that on my short list. If i went with a $1500 I could find something easy JMO

 

Agree with the glossy screen being a distraction. I bought a matte screen protector and will give it a try. As for the IPS, I'm not picky about color reproduction and I it is BRIGHT. What I like about it is that the viewing angles are so wide. Other TFT displays are horrible in this regard. I mean playing with them at BB I'd have to readjust the screen angle for even the smallest of changes in my position relative to the screen. This one's screen is fine no matter where it's set.

 

The Toshiba is 1920 x 1080 so being better then the Asus sure . But the Asus looked better then any touch screen I saw at best buy in that price range. I want a touch. Windows 8 to me isn't as good. I'm just trying to find a decent cpu for my wife to play with and stay off mine . Mine is a Monster Machine. Battery sucking hog. I just want touch,decent battery life nice screen. Thats Toshiba isn't a touch or I would go look at it. Especially for $50 less

 

^No, the Asus Q501LA (the one we're talking about in this thread) is 1920x1080 (1080p) as well.

 

I know. You like the Toshiba better then the Asus. I can understand.That 1920x 1080. But Not one 1366 x 768 looked better to ME in the store then the Asus Q5. I was looking a the Toshiba todays they seemed to have a slower response then the Asus. Dunno. I'm not stuck on the Asus but for the $$..I can upgrade the HHD to a ssd for ~$200 and bet it would be fast? But the stock one maybe good enough for simple web browsing? I'm still looking

 

I bought this model on 7/30. I've yet to find a good, detailed overview of this model so I'll go ahead and write my thoughts so far. This is by no means an organized review of the Q501LA, simply my 1AM thoughts on the topic.

This is an absolute steal for $750. That's the price I bought it and as of now (8/11), I see it on BB's website for $699. I honestly cannot believe this machine is priced so low. Sure, it isn't perfect but I don't expect perfection from my computers. I've owned probably 30 computers in my lifetime and this is the best value I have ever come across.

First and most obvious, the 1080p IPS is gorgeous. I saw someone respond saying the screen wasn't that impressive. I've been using this for almost two weeks and the screen still amazes me. The IPS panel is very similar to most other 1080p displays but has highly improved viewing angels. Text is crisp and clear like you'd expect from a 1080 screen. Even now, I'm typing this on the Q501LA in my bed with the brightness on the lowest setting, keyboard backlight on the highest setting. Even on the lowest setting, I could still turn it down a notch or two and be comfortable. I did, though, notice the screen wasn't SO impressive in-store. Maybe it has something to do with the fluorescent lighting but I have been way more impressed with it since I got it home. The touchscreen is fantastic and responsive.

Another thing I really love is the keyboard. It's sunken a bit but has great travel and feels VERY high-end. The keys have a very nice finish that feel grippy and premium. They are very responsive and make virtually no noise while you're typing. It's a strange thing to be so in love with but it's one of my favorite parts of this model. One thing I'm not super keen on is the backlight. I love having a backlit keyboard but the white lights behind light gray keys can make it a little hard to read. Truthfully, I only have this problem in total darkness with the brightness all the way up (and even then, it's only from certain angles). Overall though, the keyboard is killer and runs laps around the keyboard on my Asus S500CA. A weird quirk that this model has is the black body/silver keys. I think it looks stunning and it has an unexpected benefit. With the screen backlight up all the way with no keyboard backlight, the gray keys seem to "glow" a little and give a negative space illusion. That makes the black letters on the keys really pop, making them easier to see even without the backlight on. On my S500CA, I had the opposite problem (black keys with light gray letters washed out terribly in the light).

I don't use my computer for many things that would benefit from the Haswell chip. Sure, I love having the cutting edge technology but I don't utilize. Therefore, I don't feel confident writing that part of this review. I will say that I have had absolutely zero hiccups and the computer is as snappy as snappy gets. Same goes for the 6GB RAM. I'm a graphic designer so I use Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Bridge, etc simultaneously. On top of those, I use iTunes and others. Still, no hiccups. Obviously, I'd prefer 8GB+ but 6GB handles everything I throw at it.

I'm not crazy about the 750GB HDD. True, I'm happier with it than the standard 500GB HDDs that plague the market right now. The added size is nice but obviously an SSD would have been ideal. However, I don't expect an SSD at $699 so I'm not complaining. Anyway, I've already ordered a 1TB hybrid drive to replace it. It's literally the only thing I dislike about this model but I feel very unfair giving it a "lower score" due to the HDD. Ideal? No. But I'll hardly throw a fit. It runs a tad loud at times but I've only ever noticed it when I'm using my computer in a silent room.

I am absolutely crazy about the build quality. Let me repeat that. I am absolutely crazy about the build quality. The black aluminium/magnesium body looks so good in person. It feels very high-end and almost soft to the touch. It feels remarkably reminiscent of my 2012 MacBook Pro (non-Retina). The aluminium feels very similar, they have nearly the same footprint (~1 inch thin, slightly less), similar weight/weight distribution, etc. The bottom has a high-end, soft touch plastic. I typically can't stand soft touch but this is great. It's somehow soft yet grippy, plastic yet premium. This model seems to have found the sweet-spot between value and premium parts.

I've experimented with various screen/keyboard backlight combinations to see what gets the best battery life. So far, using it with the screen on 100% and no keyboard backlight, I get about 6 hours. That's while using Chrome just browsing and doing homework in Word/Powerpoint. I've been very impressed with the battery life. I know that the in-store placard says "4.5 hours battery life" but I've experience much higher. Coming from a 2012 MBP, I really wanted something that could last me all day. I am not disappointed.

I'm a bit unsure why this model hasn't gotten more attention. Hell, I can't even find anything about it on Asus' website!! If you're in the market for a 15" computer for less than $1000 or so, this should be a consideration (if not at the top of your list). The combination of 1080p touchscreen and Haswell chip is unheard of at $700.

 

You beat me to it. BB now has it for $699. At that price point this is absolutely the best laptop in the whole store. Haswell (all day battery life), IPS, FullHD, $699. No brainer if there ever was one.

 

I agree, it is a steal for the price. I'll have to see if the size is appropriate for me though. The Series 7 Ultra and UX31A touch have dual core IB CPU's and similar battery life but they weigh 2-2.5lbs less. Since I'll be commuting to campus every day idk if a 5+ pound unit would be appropriate for me. Especially since I'll be commuting on a drop bar commuter bike.

I'll have to see how it feels in person. I may just invest in one of those very cool backpacks that distributes weight well. I just seriously want to purchase this unit since it is $300 cheaper than the Series 7 Ultra and UX31 touch.

Sent from my SGH-I747

 

$749.99 today. IMO if I was using it to commute I would want a 14" or smaller. Does seem kinda big/wide to commute with IMO

 

Bummer the price went back up. Good thing I had my receipt and got the $50 back.

I agree it might be too large to haul around from class to class.

 

I called about an hour ago and they said there's nothing they can do for me. I called the BB store I bought it from four days ago and they said they "weren't sure if they could give me the $50". Then the BB hotline says they typically do give rebates but couldn't offer me one because the price went back up. Shady.

I take it to/from class everyday with no problem. Weighs less than a book and fits perfectly in my bag. No issues here.

 

If you bought it 4 days ago it shoulda been $699? Price went up Sat midnight. I bought it on Friday for the $699 and saw it Sat for $749.Still decent. Unless you were buying another? If i were to carry one i would like a 13.3 My daughter has one seems like a good size. But sure the bigger lap top is always nicer to use

 

Hey everybody. I'm new to this forum and came across it because I, too, was searching for info about this laptop. Usually I'd read comments on sites that I'm not a member and continue on my way, but since there is so little about this model, I figured I'd chime in, too.

First, I purchased this computer this past Saturday. I was looking for a decently powered laptop with some bells and whistles (1080p, usb 3.0, gigabit ethernet, at least 6 gigs RAM, etc.) and a cheap price. I couldn't believe I had stumbled upon this at BB, as I was there to look at other PCs.

At first it didn't catch my attention because it was listed as $699, and not as though it were on sale. (As I stated before, I wanted something cheap) I started reading the specs, however, and became really attached. My wife LOVED the screen resolution and my daughter immediately took to the touchscreen.

Long story short, we bought it and I did my usual, checking online to see if the price would drop so I could get the reduction. Not only was I amazed to see that the price went up Sunday morning, but that it was not available for purchase online anymore. (I had bought the last one at my store the day before.)

Don't worry, I checked online today and it's available again, just not at any of my 10 "local" stores, unless you have it shipped there for pickup in 3-5 days.

Here's my quick review in the short time we've had it:
First, it looks great! Nice metals that look like brushed aluminum on top with a rubberized bottom, similar to the Nexus 7. I love it. And the screen is beautiful. Very little lag with the touchscreen and it makes our first ownership of Windows 8 very tolerable.

It's fairly quick. This is in comparison to my desktop SB i7 with dedicated video card, 12 gigs RAM and other goodies. We'll primarily be using it for surfing, email, music, videos, and basic stuff like that, so I believe the Haswell will handle those things for quite a while with no problems.

The chicklet style keyboard is decent. The backlight looks nice, though I haven't used it in the dark yet. It's large enough for a keypad, but no dedicated volume buttons.

The weight is average. Not light, but not ridiculously heavy, either. I believe someone earlier stated it felt solid and I agree.

The speakers are decent, even though they are located on the bottom.

There's no disc drive, similar to ultrabooks and other slim notebooks, but if I need one I'll buy an external for those times.

It might be a little big for commuting, but if you really want what it has to offer, I'm sure you'll figure out a way to travel with it conveniently. I honestly can't emphasize how attractive this laptop is and how high quality it appears for the price. Even the ASUS logo on the back lights up like Apple.

Overall, we're satisfied and think that it's a great deal (even at the current $749 price) for the specs included. I checked out Samsung, Acer.....pretty much everything, and nothing compared in that price range. I may add some RAM later, but besides that we're happy.

 

Yup for the price even at $750; Its good imo. The CD ppl give it bad reviews on BB site. But ppl know it doesn't have one. And now with all the ultras most ppl have one cd/bluray player for many laptops when they want to watch movies??? But for just surfing the net , stupid Facebook games,emails and Movies. Its a good laptop cuz it have a killer screen imo.Most screens 1920x1080 go for $1k and if you want more speed you can add a ssd cheaper then buying a laptop with one. JMO Don't have mine yet..can't wait. Even thou the laptop I'm typing on is 3x as nice....wife will be happy She uses an old 2 gig 1200 something resolution Dell.

 

Will this laptop run any games like the sims 3??

 

Light gaming should be fine on this unit. Games like League of Legends, Starcraft 2, and other popular, light games should run fine.

Sent from my SGH-I747

 

Has anyone experienced issues with the Atheros wifi card in this model? I purchased one for my wife this past weekend and after updating all the drivers I am getting ridiculously slow throughput on the wifi card. I've never been a fan of Atheros cards, but I'm hoping we just got a bad unit and it's not a model wide issue.

 

It's not easy to replace the HD.

I tried on mine. I took off all 10 screws on the back, but the back cover still on the machine. Don't know how to take it off..........

 

I can do it. If they can put it together I can take it apart . But if you give it time there will be vids on You tube someday or put some post out there. Someone will show how its done. Probally has an area that snaps into place. Pretty common. Was the HDD way to slow??

 

Not really slow when I'm using the laptop. But I don't want to wait when it's starting up or resuming.

 

I understand. I am in the same boat... trying to figure it out also. I just bought a kingston hyper x ssd and it's just sitting there until I can figure it out.

 

That bad huh?? Well when you guys do post your findings or trick on how? Or maybe ask Asus support or there forum?

 

So I was browsing the interwebs trying to get the bottom off this laptop and I was able to do it. Here's some pictures...

http://i.imgur.com/vsRpoCa.jpg - In this photo I used a cell phone prying tool in the corner to undo the first connector thingy. This will probably ruin the prying tool a little cause it did it to mine.

http://i.imgur.com/SwDrI42.jpg - I used a card (Boater Exam Card, doesn't matter what you use) and slid it around the edges to separate the other connectors. Use a card that you don't care about cause it could slice up the card a little.

http://i.imgur.com/UH2vkiC.jpg - Keep on sliding the card around to separate all the edges. Hold the uplifted edges so they don't snap back in place. This will be easier as you get farther along.

http://i.imgur.com/MAGnhZs.jpg - Here's picture with the back off.

 

Nice job. What are you replacing it with? Or was that just for fun. I figured that would be it. They don't make them so you can just take the screws out and the cover comes apart anymore...Guess if you can't figure it out you would need to take it in to get done ??

 

I can't believe they raised the price (back) to $749.99!

 

Well I bought it for college and I don't want to lose my stuff or get it stolen, so I took off the bottom to melt my name into it with a soldering iron. I know it messes up the sleekness of the laptop but I need to and I just don't care. It still works regardless of the nicks on the outside. I realized that on the bottom there is a covering of a different type of plastic and then there's another type of plastic underneath. The underneath plastic has a lower melting temperature so I was able to melt the underneath plastic without melting the outside plastic. I'll try to post a picture later to show what happened.

 

Shoulda melted the outside so you can see it?? Or paint it?

 

I melted the outside, it's just on the bottom. I wanted something that would be difficult to get rid of. The only way to get rid of it is to replace the bottom.

Edit: Here's a picture. http://i.imgur.com/4mOgGZl.jpg I figured out the right way to melt it as I got farther along. My first name looks crappy but my last is better. I melted my name into my calculator too. N-Spire CX CAS

 

This is an amazing unit.

 

I was able to melt the underneath plastic without melting the outside plastic. I'll try to post a picture later to show what happened.
Thats what confused me. Looks fine . On the bottom anyways

 

Hope so mine is here on Friday. 8/16.