ASUS V6-V
The V6-V is a late generation Centrino notebook based around the Pentium-M, DDR2 memory and a 15 inch LCD screen. The configuration I've been using features the 2GHz Pentium-M 'Dothan' with 2MiB of level 2 cache memory, 1GiB of DDR2-533 in dual-channel configuration, 128MiB ATI Mobility Radeon X600 graphics, DVD writer, 80GB 5400rpm hard disk and 802.11g Wifi connectivity. Additional features include a card reader (SD, MMC, MS and MS Pro), 4 USB2.0 ports, 4-pin Firewire 400 port and infra-red port.
The screen is a 15 inch SXGA+ (1400x1050) panel, a 4:3 resolution that sits well with how I arrange my workspace (it's the same aspect ratio as 1600x1200), which also has the advantage of a high pixel count and therefore decent screen real estate for which to work in. However any real advantage to be gained with size and space is negated by the reflective nature of the screen. I'm not entirely sure what genius decided it would be cool to make displays, designed to be used when there's a light on or the sun shining, reflective.
I first saw a screen like it on the SavRow Katana notebook, and despised it. I got a Sony PSP and I want to throw the bloody thing at someone when I try to play it outside, because I can see everything but the pixels if the sun's out. And now this ASUS V6-V has a similar screen. So sat here in the shade of Aberdeen train station, in the doom and gloom, it's cool. There's no bright light source to distract and frustrate. But on the train up here a few days ago, I had to sit contorted at my table to get a view of the screen where one of the overhead lights in the carriage wasn't reflected back at me.
I'm not looking forward to using it on the train down. Otherwise I'm generally happy with it. It's a snappy notebook to use once it's booted and the virus protection is in memory and not raping the somewhat slow hard disk (ASUS shipped it to me with Norton, which I would be happy to never use again). 1GiB of system memory helps and the 2GHz Dothan is more than a bit nippy for general desktop use, too.
The Wi-Fi connectivity never let me down, all the USB ports worked (they're all on one side of the notebook and I'd plug my laptop mouse into any of them at random) and while I wish the media reader would do Compact Flash for my camera, the reader worked great for stuff on SD, miniSD (with adaptor) and Memory Stick, all of which I use daily when I'm out and about.
The laptop has Bluetooth, too, letting me get on the net using my new mobile phone when out of range of a Wi-Fi signal. The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios can be turned on and off separately, which rocks if you just want one to take a breather. Awesome, my train is here, give me a second to get on board and sat down....
Cool, there's a power point next to the table so I can give the V6-V a bit more juice. With radios off and nothing but the screen doing anything heavy, as I write this, I can get over three hours out of the notebook before it wants to be shut down and recharged. This first leg of my journey before I change at Newcastle is four hours, so I'll be glad of the charge.
