asus-g51j-a1

When it comes to playing the latest titles on a notebook, you want the best of both worlds: high frame rates and plenty of detail. The ASUS G51J-A1 delivers on both counts, thanks to its Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia GeForce GTX 260M graphics, and full HD display. You also get 640GB of storage space. Moreover, this is a sleek system that you’ll be psyched to whip out of your backpack at the next LAN party. The best part is the price; at $1,499, the G51J-A1 gives you a lot of bang for your buck.

An update to the ASUS G51Vx, the G51J-A1 sports a glossy blue lid and is adorned with a backlit ASUS Republic Of Gamers logo. There is also a light bar located on the lower portion on the lid. Taken as a whole, these touches tell you that this is a serious gaming rig.

When we lifted the lid of the 14.6 x 10.3 x 1.6-inch system, our eyes were treated to a highly attractive interior. The bezel surrounding the 15.6-inch display and the keyboard are glossy and reflective, making the system an immediate attention-grabber, though highly susceptible to fingerprints and smudges. A rubberized slip-proof (and smudge-resistant) palm rest inhabits the space below the keyboard, and has a great feel.

Above the keyboard is a speaker strip with several touch-sensitive buttons: Adjusting the gamma correction, enabling Turbo mode, disabling the touchpad, and booting into Express Gate are among the options.

Like all ASUS gaming notebooks, the G51J-A1 comes with a gaming backpack and a Razer Copperhead gaming mouse; while they may not be top-of-the-line, it’s still a thoughtful inclusion.

When most people think of the best keyboard on the market, the Lenovo ThinkPad keyboard is always at the top of the list. Lenovo recognized this and came out with an external keyboard designed for desktop and notebook users who want the same typing experience but might not own a ThinkPad. In this review we take a look at the newest ThinkPad USB keyboard and see if its updated design is worth buying.

Lenovo ThinkPad USB Keyboard Specifications:

• Legendary ThinkPad keyboard look and feel
• Low profile, ergonomic design
• Integrated TrackPoint
• Spill resistant design
• Function (Fn) key provides access to variety of ThinkPad features
• Red backlit buttons for volume and microphone mute
• Volume up/down keys
• 3-year warranty
• Compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7

Build and Design
The new ThinkPad USB keyboard uses the same keyboard assembly from the newer ThinkPad laptops, with a plastic frame and palmrest surrounding it. Compared to older design made under the IBM name they removed the touchpad and updated the keyboard to the newest version seen in the ThinkPad T400s and X200 series. The design is very basic with a thin frame and a large fixed palmrest. Lenovo kept the same large palmrest design from the older model even though they removed the integrated touchpad. This turned out to be an arguing point for some of the editors in the office. Some were split on it being wasted space and others enjoyed the added comfort of it being a huge palmrest.

The keyboard feels every bit as good in the external frame as it does inside the ThinkPad T400s. The plastic frame does a good job of providing support while laying flat and only has minimal flex when it is supported by its two extending feet. The design also incorporates rubber pads which keep the keyboard firmly planted on your desk. Lenovo did a good job of making an external chassis for one of their keyboards usually only seen in notebooks. (more…)

You must have heard the news about Intel’s new Core i7 processors released at IDF. Step by step they keep arriving to notebook manufacturers, and it’s a joy for us to see all this good stuff coming out soon. This time it’s Asus that adds a new Core i7 based notebook to its M60 series. M60J is a proper multimedia rig and I personally can hardly think of a task that will put it in frustration. Everything is on its place apart from price and availability date. They are yet hold in the Asus lobby, but with rivals light on their feet, and that’s not just us thinking so, very soon M60J must be found on a shelf in your local store.

Apart from powerful hardware, Asus M60J also stands out with a long list of options for almost every major technical aspect. This is obscure why other manufacturers just let us choose between two hard drives and an extra memory stick. Because it’s not the case, here is the list of what is available for Asus M60J: (more…)