ASUS N56VZ Pro Reviews

Before we wrap this up, let's go over the software bundle. It features Windows 7 Home Premium, the limited and ad-supported Microsoft Office Starter 2010, and CyberLink's MediaSuite for disc-creation chores. We found no antivirus app—not even a trial—but a boatload of Asus utilities of varying value, including Asus @Vibe, which provides a full-screen interface for listening to music and Internet radio and shopping for games and books. Should the Asus N56VZ-DS71 be on your short list? Yes, especially if you care about Blu-ray entertainment and great sound. Our only caveat is to suggest you check out the touch pad prior to purchase, if you can, to see if you find it overly finicky. Also, a possible rival to consider is Lenovo's IdeaPad Y580, which boasts a slightly larger 1TB hard drive plus a 32GB SSD. But if you are looking for a do-it-all laptop for home use, the Asus combines strong performance with an attractive and relatively trim package. With a versatile, high-quality display and audio setup, it delivers the goods for a variety of multimedia pursuits.

The first impression of this notebook is promising. The case has good stability and shows good workmanship for the most part. Surfaces are all matte and hence less susceptible to smudges and finger prints. The external sub woofer is also of good quality. Still, in details, we found weaknesses here and there. With interfaces, the N56VZ shines with four USB 3.0 connectors. But the fold-out LAN connector is very jiggly and makes disconnection difficult. All connectors are placed unfavorably toward the front of the notebook. WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 are available for wireless connectivity. The keyboard is well designed. One can type on it comfortably, even for longer periods of time. Thanks to the back light, its possible to work or play in darkness as well. The touch pad is alright in regards to recognition of finger movement, but the implementation of the click pad is a failure. As usual, missing dedicated buttons are particularly annoying for drag and drop operations.