ASUS UL80Vt-A1 (Black)
Think of it as the best of both worlds. ASUS’ UL80Vt, the latest member of the company UL Series, matches Intel’s budget- and endurance-minded Ultra-Low Voltage processor with a powerful Nvidia graphics chip, giving this 14-inch thin-and-light notebook strong performance. More importantly, ASUS also incorporated integrated graphics—and the software that tells the system when to switch—so that this notebook can last a whole workday away from an outlet. While it’s held back slightly by a mushy keyboard and limited viewing angles, the UL80Vt-A1 is an attractive choice.
The UL80Vt is all black, with an attractive brushed metal lid. Inside, the tastefully-appointed deck and screen bezel are made of glossy black plastic, while the bottom is simply matte plastic. This uniformity of color and design gives the system a sleek look.
At 4.8 pounds and 13.5 x 9.6 x 1.1 inches, the UL80Vt is one of the thinnest and lightest 14-inch notebook with an optical drive.
The UL80Vt’s island style keyboard is spacious, has its keys in all the proper positions, and doesn’t flex at all. With a dotted surface that sits flush with and blends into the wrist rest, the UL80Vt’s touchpad certainly looks futuristic. Navigating around the desktop was pretty smooth. The single mouse button, which can click left or right, was easy enough to use.
The UL80Vt has all the ports you’d expect from a modern consumer notebook, including audio in/out, HDMI, and three USB connections. An 8-in-1 memory card reader is included for getting pictures or video off of your camera.
