X-bit labs

ASUS V6J Notebook on Intel Dual-Core Processor (page 3)

Category: Mobile

by Alexander Britvin

[ 04/21/2006 | 10:36 AM ]

The ASUS V6J (V6X00J) is equipped with a 15” display with a maximum resolution of 1400x1050 pixels and an aspect ratio of 4:3 (SXGA+). The viewing angles are subjectively wide enough for comfortable work. The model with a 1.66GHz processor comes with a glass matrix that makes you take care about external lighting unless you want to see your own face on the screen. The tech sample has an ordinary screen which is visually inferior to the off-the-shelf model in color saturation.

The manufacturer offers a 30-day LCD Zero Bright Dot warranty for the entire V6J series. So if you spot dead pixels in the matrix in the first 30 days after purchase, you can have it replaced in a service center free of charge.

The notebook offers 16 degrees of screen brightness, but the lowest setting is rather too dark for any work.

I measured the brightness and contrast of the screen using a Pantone ColorVision Spyder with OptiCAL version 3.7.8 software. I selected the highest brightness setting before this test, but the screen brightness was considerably lower when the notebooks worked on their batteries as they switched into power-saving mode. The contrast parameters of the off-the-shelf model proved to be rather poor, as opposed to the tech sample’s:

AC power source:

• ASUS V6X00J (1.66GHz): 131cd/sq.m brightness, 28:1 contrast ratio
• ASUS V6X00J (1.83GHz): 122.5cd/sq.m brightness, 49:1 contrast ratio

DC power source:

• ASUS V6X00J (1.66GHz): 109.6cd/sq.m brightness, 28:1 contrast ratio
• ASUS V6X00J (1.83GHz): 99.8cd/sq.m brightness, 55:1 contrast ratio

The touchpad looks exactly like in any other latest notebook model from ASUS. The touch-sensitive panel is dotted with light points; a special scrolling zone is on the right. There is no joystick for scrolling text. A special feature of this touchpad is the blue highlighting between its buttons that you can see when the notebook is turned on.

The center of the touchpad on our sample of the notebook was somewhat defective as you couldn’t select an object or do a double-click using this area. I hope this is only a problem of our particular sample and it also may have been due to errors in the driver (it was after installing the driver that I took notice of this).

Tiny dots cover the front part of the notebook’s bottom, flowing around the touchpad. They are used to camouflage two stereo speakers located at the left and right edges. A group of indicators is nestled in the front left corner – they are copies of the indicators that you can see on the lid plus one:

• Touchpad Off indicator (alight after you press the appropriate button)
• Power indicator (alight when the notebook is on, and blinking when in standby mode)
• Battery charge indicator (alight when the battery is being recharged; doesn't shine when the battery is charged or fully discharged)
• Bluetooth indicator (alight when you turn on the Bluetooth adapter with the appropriate button above the keyboard)
• WLAN indicator (blinking when the integrated WLAN adapter is receiving or sending data packets)

You can only see these indicators if you’re looking closely at them. Otherwise they are not visible, and this is a drawback of this notebook model.