ASUS K55A-BBL4 Notebook Intel Core i5 3210M(2.50GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD±R/RW Intel HD Graphics 4000

Pros: Very fast, good video quality, hd4000 does a good job for many games "not all", good sound quality, boots incredibly fast, and I really like the feel of the keyboard and mouse pad. Also having a number pad is a great plus.

Cons: Had to reformat, not really sure what happened, but the ASUS support really sucks so don't even try. After I reformatted I even reinstalled some of the bloat ware, that I found useful. It can all be found and downloaded on the ASUS site. Its pretty heavy too.

Other Thoughts: I use this laptop daily, for nearly all applications. I walk around a lot with it, at school and it kind of gets annoying, not too bad though. Want to install a SSD I think that will really increase the value of this laptop. Im not sure why people say they don't like the mouse pad, I find it to be very usable and I don't really even use the wireless mouse I bought for it unless im working with a program where its easier.

Pros: - looked virtualy like new
- booted fine
- good video
- fast shipping

Cons: - touch pad loose on one corner, but not a big deal.

Other Thoughts: Very nice laptop, once the harddrive and the memory is upgraded it will be an awesome laptop.

Pros: Good processor for the money

Cons: Hard drive failed in under 90 days. Tried to warranty drive only to find that asus will make you bring it to an authorized service center. Only three in the entire company. and they don't do mail in service. So I am suppose to drive from MA to NY to get my drive replaced under warranty. Are they out of their minds? Also, only support was through web chat, not telephone which made things even more frustrating!

Pros: Computer delivered in 2 days.
Well packaged, not a scratch on it.
- Visited the Asus support and updated bios
- Restart then hit F2 - Set Video mem at highest level
- Installed wireless mouse and disabled touchpad
Computer has a quality feel, runs like a dream on steroids.

Cons: Not really an Asus problem, but make sure you download the 80 updates for Windows 7.

Other Thoughts: Don't forget to get the ADP Accidental Damage Protection not mentioned in product information. You can get 1 year of protection for everything including coffee spills (does not include consumables like batteries). Make sure you have already registered your product and have an Asus account. Then, goto www.service.asus.com and choose Accidential Damage, select notebooks only. Follow the steps. You will have to upload a copy of your purchase receipt. Once done you will get a confirmation email that you are now covered for 1 year. Cheers!

Pros: Havent got it yet

Cons: ^

Other Thoughts: I'm really hoping i dont get a crapped out one :/ didnt see it wasnt refundable and i've heard all over the web about asus support being really bad and hard to work with.

Will change my review once i get the laptop.

Pros: + BUDGET NOTEBOOK AWARD
+ EXCELLENT CPU (3rd gen i5)
+ HD 4000 (most for the price have HD 3000)
+ DDR3 1600 (Fast. Also easy and cheap to expand to 8GB)
+ BATTERY LIFE (surprisingly long)
+ Nice large keyboard with numeric key pad
+ Nice LCD display, vibrant colors

Cons: - MOUSE PAD (too large, must adapt)
- NO DEDICATED VIDEO (HD 4000 is sufficient, but no dedicated slot)

Other Thoughts: First off, you can't get an Ivy Bridge i5 notebook/laptop for under $600, and most will have a Intel HD 3000 integrated video, this one has a 4000, on average about 20% better performance than the HD 3000. I have been researching a while before making a budget purchase of a notebook. This was the best one I could find, also souring other competitor sites, but this one was the best one.

It came shipped and looked completely flawless, and brand new. I have been using this notebook nearly a week, and also purchased another stick of RAM (now up to 8GB), and the windows performance index jumped from a 5.0 to a 7.1 for the Memory category. I also notice a difference as well. If you can stand the mouse pad getting in the way once in a while, this is for you.

I personally, departitioned and reformatted my own copy of Windows 7 to maximize space and clear of bloat ware. And I am pleasantly surprised to witness the processing power. Albeit I would like to put and SSD into this baby and call it a day, but I'm still waiting for the price to come down. If you get an SSD and maximize the RAM, this notebook is nearly a $1000 notebook.

Also be sure to update the BIOS and increase the dedicated video to 512 from the BIOS, this will help as well.

Pros: Great specs for the price
Runs Linux well
Good build quality
Good screen

Cons: The touchpad buttons are part of the pad itself, making it a bit silly if you aren't used to that sort of thing.
Was missing one of the rubber things on the bottom that it sits on, but it dosen't really make a difference.

Other Thoughts: I'm worried that one day i'll be drinking from a water fountain, and someone will come up from behind me and slam my head down.

Pros: This is a very fast computer and good for the price.

Cons: The quality of the webcam is not that good, and i think they should have put more effort in it. also the mouse pad to not good, i keep hitting it and it just get in the way.

Pros: -awesome specs
-great finish on the outside and inside
-is great for some Steam games

Cons: -NO RETURNS!!! learned the hardway!!!!!!!
-no returns
-oh wait no returns
-very large mouse pad(gets in way)
-sluggish untill i updated drivers and added ram

Other Thoughts: -Make sure you check the buttons, mine came with a faulty mouse button and backspace.
-overall not what i wanted, spent way to much $$ to settle


**ALREADY HAD TO GET A REPLACEMENT***

Pros: Solid build quality, core i5 3210m is a fast, above average mobile processor. I can play GTA 4 and Portal 1 on medium at ~25 fps with the integrated HD4000 graphics. Its Asus.

Cons: I HATE the mouse. It is one of those single button touchpad's like on a macbook. I am CONSTANTLY right clicking when I want to left click. Why does every company insist on shoving a bunch of features into the touch pad? The most basic usb mouse is superior in every way. Otherwise, 5 stars.

Other Thoughts: Comes preloaded with windows 8, would not run half of what I needed, namely MatLab. I installed windows 7 and am much happier.