Asus W90Vp 18.4" Gaming Notebook
Introduction
As of late, much of the spotlight on Asus products has focused on the company's diminutive Eee PC netbook line. With a near constant stream of new models to fit nearly any possible set of requirements, it's easy to see why the Eee brand has become Asus' most recognizable. That said, the company's mobile product offerings are definitely about more than just 8- to 10-inch machines, and that's clearly evidenced by the Asus-branded rig that we're looking at today, the W90Vp.
The W90Vp pulls no punches, makes no excuses, apologies or attempts whatsoever to be something it's not. We've always heard that judging a book by its cover (or a notebook by its lid) was a bad idea, but we can tell you right now -- the W90Vp is exactly what you think it is. Big, beastly, brawny and not for the weak of heart.
The Asus W90Vp
Quite frankly, it's almost laughable that this computer can be considered a "notebook." All it takes it one moment with it on your lap, and you too will have a tough time classifying it as such. Asus has absolutely thrown caution to the wind and forged ahead with a machine that will only appeal to a niche of gamers and enthusiasts, but we definitely appreciate that someone's still willing to do it. With all the focus these days being put on bargain basement machines that can fit in oversized cargo pockets, it's a breath of fresh air to see something as completely over-the-top as the W90Vp. Not that "ridiculous" is a bad thing -- don't get us wrong -- but there's hardly a better way to describe a laptop that's over 2.25" thick at places, 17.7" from end to end and around 12 pounds with the battery installed.
On one hand, it's easy to say that Asus made no compromises here. It didn't bother scaling back the processor or GPU in order to shove everything into a slimmer case. Nor did it replace the twin HDD setup with an SSD setup to save space and weight. Neither did they leave off the numerical keypad. Heck, they even threw in a Blu-ray drive, which seems pretty smart given that the 18.4" Full HD display just might be larger than your bedroom television. On the other hand, though, we can't ignore that Asus did in fact compromise in some areas. With an absolutely gigantic surface to work with, it placed a trackpad that's smaller than that found on the 13" MacBook Air. Asus could have fit a miniature Wacom tablet on this thing, yet it chose to take the path of least resistance.
The Asus W90Vp Keyboard and Touchpad
Similar curious decisions are splattered about, making the W90Vp a bona fide Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. If you're interested in seeing exactly what corners were cut, what envelopes were pushed and what barriers were broken down, follow us through the rest of this evaluations as we break the intricacies down on one of the world's largest notebooks.
The W90Vp pulls no punches, makes no excuses, apologies or attempts whatsoever to be something it's not. We've always heard that judging a book by its cover (or a notebook by its lid) was a bad idea, but we can tell you right now -- the W90Vp is exactly what you think it is. Big, beastly, brawny and not for the weak of heart.
The Asus W90Vp
Quite frankly, it's almost laughable that this computer can be considered a "notebook." All it takes it one moment with it on your lap, and you too will have a tough time classifying it as such. Asus has absolutely thrown caution to the wind and forged ahead with a machine that will only appeal to a niche of gamers and enthusiasts, but we definitely appreciate that someone's still willing to do it. With all the focus these days being put on bargain basement machines that can fit in oversized cargo pockets, it's a breath of fresh air to see something as completely over-the-top as the W90Vp. Not that "ridiculous" is a bad thing -- don't get us wrong -- but there's hardly a better way to describe a laptop that's over 2.25" thick at places, 17.7" from end to end and around 12 pounds with the battery installed.
On one hand, it's easy to say that Asus made no compromises here. It didn't bother scaling back the processor or GPU in order to shove everything into a slimmer case. Nor did it replace the twin HDD setup with an SSD setup to save space and weight. Neither did they leave off the numerical keypad. Heck, they even threw in a Blu-ray drive, which seems pretty smart given that the 18.4" Full HD display just might be larger than your bedroom television. On the other hand, though, we can't ignore that Asus did in fact compromise in some areas. With an absolutely gigantic surface to work with, it placed a trackpad that's smaller than that found on the 13" MacBook Air. Asus could have fit a miniature Wacom tablet on this thing, yet it chose to take the path of least resistance.
The Asus W90Vp Keyboard and Touchpad
Similar curious decisions are splattered about, making the W90Vp a bona fide Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. If you're interested in seeing exactly what corners were cut, what envelopes were pushed and what barriers were broken down, follow us through the rest of this evaluations as we break the intricacies down on one of the world's largest notebooks.
