It was meant to be - my new S5n

Last night I became the proud owner of an ASUS S5n. After a good deal of deliberation and dithering, this was the road I chose. Due to circumstances that were mostly out of my control my financial situation made the S5n the most realistic choice for me for the time being. Portability was my #1 thing, and the S5n was the perfect choice in that respect.

I put in 512MB extra memory (I can give exact brand and specs if anyone is interested) and decided to just stick with the HD that's in there for now.

First, what came in the box:

- The computer and its battery
- The wireless mouse
- The external drive in its own packaging as if purchased separately
- Windows XP Pro software (unopened)
- ASUS utilities CD
- Some software that I haven't even looked at yet
- The power brick and cord
- A well translated manual
- Some funky stickers for the touch pad
- A telephone cable (?)
- A really handy credit card sized card that lists all of the ASUS global service members by country in case you're travelling and something goes wrong and you need to get your notebook fixed (nice!)
- A cleaning cloth for your LCD (nice)
- A big folded card with some of the more important stuff from the manual in about 30 different languages (fun for learning words like "Batterijpakket" and phrases like "Installering av batteri pakken" and "Apning av LCD display panelet")
- Carrying case and sleeve

Everything was very nicely packed and well wrapped and clean.

After many hours playing with this very cute little computer, here is a fairly detailed review and my initial impressions.

- C O M P U T E R -

Size, Weight & Build: It is amazingly light and compact. I even have trouble believing it weighs what it says in the specs. Yet it still feels very solid and well-built. I was ginger with it at first because it's so small it gives one the illusion that it is delicate, but after playing with it enough and carrying it around, it is quite clear that it is very durable and not delicate at all.

Keyboard: The keyboard is strong and doesn't have any give as far as I can tell. The keys are a bit clicky. I personally like that for tactile reasons, but I do wonder if it will be a bit loud when I type in class.

Noise: It's silent. I have not heard it make a sound yet except the small hard drive murmerings all computers make sometimes. These are only audible if you are basically sitting right next to it. I certainly haven't maxed it out yet, but I still have not heard the fan come on. Sometimes I've closed it and completely forgotten that it's even on because it is so quiet.

Speed: It is FAST. Even with only 768MB RAM, it is very zippy. It literally takes less than 10 seconds for Windows to boot up and load my preferences, etc. And that's with a number of programs that run at startup like McAfee and Kerio PF installed.

Battery: The battery life is, as expected, dismal. The power brick is very small and not heavy, so as long as I can find a power source, I don't mind toting the power cord and brick around. I'd say the battery averages 2 hours with power savings. But the Power4 Gear software is great and as soon as the battery gets low, you get a couple minutes warning and then it will automatically save everything and stabilize before it goes into hibernation. Loss of data seems to be almost impossible unless you really screw up. For me, weight and size were more important than battery life, so I don't mind. I'll probably get the extra battery for situations when I will want more battery life, but for now I'm fine with the default battery. The battery is really easy to remove and put back in. Very nice design there.

Keys & Touchpad: The keyboard is a bit difficult to get used to at first. The space bar is not wide enough, and that is my only serious complaint about the S5n. The longer I have used it, the more comfortable I am with the keys, but it definitely took some getting used to. If you can't handle typing on anything that doesn't have a full sized keyboard, I'd recommend you stay away from this guy, because you will hate typing on it. The keys are a sort of clearish white color and would probably look better if they were completely opaque like the W5's keys, but I like them anyway. The touchpad is quite small and the mouse buttons are slightly hard to depress, but you get used to it.

Screen: The screen is clear and bright and the colors are good. It doesn't have the 16 million colors that many models do, but it hasn't been a problem for me so far.

External Monitor Compatibility: I've already tried connecting it to my desktop monitor and it worked like a charm. The special function keys are great, especially the one that toggles between monitors.

Speakers: Do I even need to talk about the speakers? They're typical laptop speakers. They're not very good. Exactly what you'd expect. Put on some headphones and you'll be fine.

Heat: I have not noticed the computer getting hot at all. If you pick it up after you've been using it, the bottom is slightly warm and so is the place where it has been sitting, but it is certainly not hot at all. I wouldn't have any problem working with this on my lap - though you gents are not supposed to!

Ports: 3 USB 2.0 are well positioned. PCMCIA slot and the multi-card reader are there but I probably will never use them. Monitor out, headphones, LAN, modem, 1394 (what is this for?), etc.

Wireless Connection: Works great. It had no problem detecting my home wireless network as well as several others nearby! However, the Intel/XP wireless software situation was mildly confusing at first and for some reason I have two wireless status icons in my system tray - one is the Intel and the other is the standard XP icon and they both seem to have to be enabled for the wireless to work. Maybe I'm being stupid, but I find that odd.

Status Lights: The status lights on the palmrest are really cool. When the screen is closed, you can still see them through tiny windows built into the lid. The one that flashes regularly to show your wireless is working is very handy. They are all very small and are multi-colored so you don't even really have to look to see which is which, as you learn based on what color they are (e.g. wireless light is indigo, battery charging light is amber). When it is hibernating the pretty blue power button light blinks slowly, which is good because otherwise you wouldn't even know that it was on because it is so quiet!

- P E R I P H E R A L S -

Wireless Mouse: The wireless mouse is very cute and very tiny and has a really nice texture, but it doesn't work. I'm sure I screwed it up somehow when I was trying to sync it. I plan to try to get it to work again, but it's definitely something I'm not going to worry about because I have a perfectly good USB mouse that works fine for me and doesn't require AAA batteries (grumble).

External Drive: The CD-RW/DVD-Rom drive is really slick. I rarely even use the CD-RW drive on my desktop computer, so this was one of the things that really turned me on about the S5. I can just use the external one when I need it, but don't have that additional weight built into the machine itself. It works great with the computer; as soon as you plug it in it's ready to go. My only complaint is that when it first starts running a disc, it is pretty loud. However, I'm mostly going to be using it at home - and rarely at that - so I don't care.

Carrying Case: AWESOME! It has a really snug padded pocket within the main inner-compartment that the computer fits in perfectly, so you can carry the computer safely and securely while also carrying regular sized documents in the main compartment. I love that! I've already had some fun putting the computer, the external drive, all the necessary cables, my regular Microsoft optical mouse, the power brick and power cord, some papers and a book in there and carried it around and it's fine. It's like a magic trick; the bag looks like it could never accommodate all of that, yet it does! It also has a nice little inner pocket where you could put some pens and there are also a couple CD-sized inner pockets. On the outside it has one long pocket. The slickest thing about the bag is the way you can hide the carrying handles when you are just using the shoulder strap. There are two little pockets that they can slide into and you don't even know they are there. That is so cool. The bag is nice quality and looks good and has a small ASUS badge on it. Have I said yet how much I love the bag?

Sleeve: It is very snug and cozy, but it doesn't fit in the special pocket inside the carrying case with the computer, so that option is out. It's nice to have and would be good to use inside another bag, but if you use the carrying case that comes with the computer, you wouldn't have much need for the sleeve very often.

- P R O S -

- Size (!)
- Weight (!)
- Stylishness + Cuteness
- Durability
- Stiff, good keyboard (even though it's small)
- Clear, bright screen
- Incredibly quiet
- Very fast with the memory upgrade
- Really slick, versatile carrying case
- 3 USB 2.0 ports which are well positioned in my opinion
- Doesn't get hot at all
- External drive is small and light and integrates perfectly
- Picks up wireless signals very well
- The Power4 Gear button that toggles between power saving modes is great, and the icons are cute

- C O N S -

- Battery life
- Very small number, F keys and space bar
- Small mouse buttons on the touchpad which are a bit hard to depress
- CD-RW/DVD-Rom drive is loud + doesn't come with DVD decoder software (tsk tsk tsk)
- My wireless mouse doesn't work!

Overall I am INCREDIBLY pleased with this computer. I've only had it for a day, but I've had no problems (no dead pixels!) and it ran like a charm out of the box. I love carrying it around and I think it looks killer. Keep in mind, the last notebook I owned was a hand-me-down Dell Inspiron 7000 doorstop from 1999 (which still looks better than a brand new IBM, but I digress), so I might be easily impressed.

I give this bad boy 8.5/10 stars. It's not for everyone, but I would never hesitate to recommend it - especially for the price. It makes the 12" iBook (its obvious design inspiration) look like a big fatso, which is pretty amazing if you think about it.

And I must say, it looks cute as hell with an iPod Shuffle sticking out the side.

I took some pretty nice photos so if anyone is interested I can post them, but just let me know.

- U P D A T E -

I've had this computer now for over a week and I've been using it a lot. I just wanted to add a couple more thoughts to this based on using it longer. People who are thinking of buying an S5 when the refreshed versions come out should probably know a few more things.

I know I said earlier that I didn't care about the lack of a built-in optical drive, but I would urge anyone thinking of purchasing an S5 to really think about whether or not this is something you can live without. I haven't really regretted that this computer doesn't have a built-in drive, but it definitely makes the prospect of watching DVDs on the airplane a bit less appealing. Having to get the external drive out in order to do that would mean I wouldn't have enough tiny tray room, and this could get annoying. Even playing games that require the CD (Sim City, etc) is out. So I would urge you to think about things like that. In my day-to-day life I haven't missed the built-in optical drive at all, but I know I will miss it when flying.

Go somewhere and practise typing on a compact keyboard. The keyboard on the refreshed S5 will be redesigned, but I still would urge you to see what it's like typing on a small keyboard. If you do it a lot, you get used to it, but if you're switching between a full-sized keyboard and the small one, you will get frustrated very quickly with the typing mistakes you make. I love my S5 but really, really wish it had a more usable keyboard. I think this will be the case with the refreshes - at least they will have full-sized number keys - but still think about it.

If you buy the extended battery, you are going to use it more than your old battery, that's just a fact. I haven't put my old battery in since I bought the new one. So I would urge you to think about whether or not having the extended battery sticking out the back is something you can live with. It doesn't stick out as much as it appears to in photos, but it defiitely sticks out, and it definitely throws off the balance of the computer. If the whole sleekness thing is why you're buying the S5, keep in mind that if you put an extended battery in it, most of that sleekness is out the window. I don't personally care and I still think it looks wicked, but this is something to consider.

Also remember that the LCD on this computer does not have 16m colors and you WILL notice the difference if you are used to using a good quality desktop display. It is not bad and I don't mind, but colors are definitely a bit more muted and toned down. I've done some graphics work on it and it's fine, but you just have to remember that what you do will look different on a 16m color display. If you're using exact color codes that you've already established on a better display, you should be fine, but if you're trying to "eye-ball" it, you might be in trouble.

On a more positive note, I'm more impressed with the build quality every day. I did the test of applying pressure to the lid to see if the LCD ripples and it would take a lot of pressure to make that happen. Naturally I didn't go that far, but I was very impressed with how stiff and sturdy the case is. I'm also still constantly impressed by how light and compact it is. I saw an iBook the other day and almost laughed at how thick and fat it looked compared to my computer. I don't think you can imagine how thin and compact it is until you actually see one.

That's about all I can think of for now. Don't let any of this confuse you - I still adore my S5 and don't regret my purchase for a second. I take it everywhere with me and I am totally happy with it. But these are things that I've noticed since I got it that I think are important for anyone who is considering buying one to know.

Sencha

_{I am one escroww}

 

Congrats on your purchase [ ]
My brother owned an S5N and he loved it... but then sold it because he decided he didn't need it.
I had the opportunity to play with it and I must say that it IS silent and very light... a very attractive notebook overall.

I'm sure you'll be happy for months, maybe years to come [ ]

ASUS M6800Ne, P-M 1.5 Dothan, 512MB Ram, Toshiba Combo drive, Samsung Spinpoint M 40G HDD with 8M cache, Mobility Radeon 9700

 

Ahaaaa

Now we know why you were busy ,the last couple of days and missing from this forum [ ]

Congrats for your new 'baby' [ ]



Cheers

Asus Z71V
-----------

1.86 Pentium -M Sonoma
2 GB DDR2 PC-4200 RAM
NVidia 6600go 128 meg
60gb/7200 rpm Hitachi HDD
Dual-Layer DVD +RW
BOOQ Vyper 15" Sleeve

 

Well I only got him last night. But I kind of knew it was coming and it's a bit bittersweet.

But I'm happy and figure I'll be able to afford the W3 or whatever HAWT new things ASUS comes out with next year, but for now this was the most practical choice for a wee student.

_{I am one escroww}

 

congrats on your new purchase [ ]!

i myself have the s5n, but the ULV 1.0 GHz version of the old. great little laptop, but i must admit those new asus that are coming out look fantastic.

i may end up selling this and forking over my $$$ for the w5n. [ ]

 

Sencha, thanks for your thoughts and review on the S5n here, much appreciated [8D]

DigitalCameraReview.com | BargainPDA.com | TabletPCReviewSpot.com

 

My pleasure.

Thanks to everyone for the congrats. [ ]

_{I am one escroww}

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Sencha
I took some pretty nice photos so if anyone is interested I can post them, but just let me know.
<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>

If you don't mind, can you post the pics?

Jean

 

Well I must say..... your emails all read like your description of your notebook above....... not that I care about reading them... or responding to every one of them...... but I obviously should limit myself because although I never consider my time wasted on even the dumbest questions (in general... you wrote novels and asked some good stuff) ...... You *think* you wasted my time, but I never mind helping people make the right decision.

Enjoy.

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]

 

Hey great review sencha, I've made it sticky so that it doesn't get lost in forum wasteland...
If ya feel like posting pics thats great, and any updates on your lappie would also be fantastic.
Congrats
a


ASUS M6Ne 15.4" WSXGA 1.7 PM ATI9700 80Gb HDD 1Gb RAM

 

Thanks for the sticky. [:I]

I only made my review so long and detailed because when I was shopping, I found those were the reviews that helped me the most. Even what seems like the smallest bit of infortmation was appreciated, so I apologize if you found it a bit over-the-top in length.

Here are some pics of my S5n:

Thumbnails:









And here's a comparison of the included wireless mouse with a regular sized Microsoft Optical mouse:



_{I am one escroww}