ASUS VivoBook S500CA Pro Reviews

A remarkable price for a classy 15.6in touchscreen laptop, but performance is seriously lacking

The Asus S500C is far from a bad machine, but the 720p display, relatively slow processor and limited memory mean that it's not one for the demanding user. It's also not exactly bargain of the century either, and users who want a simple web experience might find themselves better served with one of Asus's brilliant Android tablets instead. That said, if you're after a simple Windows 8 machine that has a solid touchscreen and great keyboard, then there's more than enough here to satisfy your needs. We'd honestly say this laptop would quite suit use as a general family computer, and could certainly be used as a media centre and for accessing iPlayer and catch-up TV. If the price were lower and the screen and battery more impressive, then this would be a great laptop. As it stands, in this spec, it's just a good one.

The Asus outlasted its peers in our demanding video-rundown test, running for almost five hours before hitting the wall. That's shy of the six- to seven-hour battery life of a MacBook Pro, but it's about as good as you'll get from the current crop of big-screen touch notebooks: With the VivoBook S500CA, Asus maintains its rep for offering mid- to high-end notebooks for mid- to low-end prices and supporting them well. The S500CA is a big-screen, touch-screen desktop replacement with a lot to recommend it, from its perky performance to its above-average audio. That said, it also carries a few compromises when competing in an increasingly crowded field, mostly to do with its bulk and the likelihood that you'll want to plug in your favorite keyboard and mouse. The VivoBook S500CA is worth a look, but it's not a slam dunk.

This slim touchscreen laptop has plenty of features but minimal performance

If you’re a budget Windows 8 laptop hunter, want a touch screen, and value a physically large screen more than better battery life or screen resolution, then the VivoBook S500CA’s worth a look. It’s also a pretty good cover-the-bases laptop for most people, especially if you’re keeping it on a desk most of the time. Just keep in mind that it’s larger, and bulkier, than the "ultrabook" moniker implies.

The Asus VivoBook S500CA-DS51t's trim chassis, responsive touch screen, and reasonable price tag work together to create to an affordable Windows 8 experience, but its disappointing keyboard/ touchpad duo and so-so battery life hold it back.

While the ASUS Vivobook S500C Ultrabook may be pushing the size limits of an Ultrabook, it handles the rest of the requirements with ease and is a joy to use. Throw on the low price point of $699.00 and we have a great deal on a great product!