Thu Dec 27, 2012 8:00 am
Review Asus VivoBook S400CA Ultrabook
Asus is introducing a new series with the VivoBooks, which enhances ordinary notebooks with a touchscreen in order to allow for a more intuitive operation. There are two sizes available: The 14-inch version which we are using for this review, and a smaller version with a display diagonal of 11.6-inches (VivoBook S200CA). While it is possible to choose from the three colors steel gray, champagne or hot pink, in the case of the smaller VivoBooks, the S400CA is only provided with arestrained silver finish.
The VivoBook S400CA is especially interesting due to its relatively affordable price, which means that there are hardly any competitors in its device class with a touchscreen. Other current devices have prices starting from about 1000 Euros (~$1297), and the VivoBook S200CA, which also has a ULV processor and a touchscreen, even costs a whole 1300 Euros (~$1687). In comparison to this, the VivoBook S400CA is available from a more reasonable 750 Euros (~$973).
Does this mean that the VivoBook series is suitable for people who are satisfied with a thick case and streamlined accessories? Or does the offer not satisfy the remaining criteria making it unusable, because the case quality, the display, or the cooling has suffered as a result of cost savings? One thing certainly has not been compromised on: The speed of the SSD. The data may furthermore be stored on a conventional hard drive, but a cache SSD is supposed to provide for more expeditious start times.
Case
At first glance the VivoBook S400CA appears to be the smaller brother of the Asus S56CM Ultrabook we reviewed a short time ago. With a display diagonal of 14-inches, and a weight of 1.8 kg (~3.97 pounds), the VivoBook may be somewhat smaller and about half a kilo (~1.1 pounds) lighter, but the lid has the same dark brushed aluminum look, and the black keyboard is also attached to a base unit which has a top surface composed of aluminum and a black plastic bottom. The rounded edges at the front are also very similar. Comparing the two devices a little closer however, reveals the fundamental difference in the arrangement of the components.
The display is covered by a glass panel which reacts to finger control right up to the edges. Together with the display lid made of aluminum, this provides for a better than average stability of the top part of the notebook. The base unit is composed of two parts. The top surface as well as the sides is made with a matte silver aluminum, while the bottom surface is made of a slightly rubbery black plastic which feels very luxurious.
The manufacturing quality is decent. The gaps between the individual panels are very good and underline the good choice of materials. Unfortunately there are a few points of criticism when it comes to the stability. First up the positives: The base unit can hardly be warped and makes a very robust impression. In the middle of the keyboard it can unfortunately be dented inwards slightly, which can cause a mild cracking with a hard impact. The rigidity of the hinges is above average, and we would also ascribe an invariably good rating in this case if the display wasn't also used as a control device. With a double-click for example, the display can easily be caused to teeter with a bit too much zeal, and thus makes precise control more difficult.
For an entry-level price of 750 Euros (~$973) the case provided can't really be criticized though, and is still better than most of its competitors.
Connectivity
The interfaces on the VivoBook are distributed along the two sides. At the front are the status LEDs, while the back is completely devoid of any ports. On the right side are the display outputs in the form of VGA and HDMI, plus the power input, the Ethernet socket and the only USB 3.0 port. The Ethernet socket can be folded open allowing it to fit into the slim case. As a result of this it is very wobbly though, and removing the cable is also not always as easy as could be expected.
The left side houses two USB 2.0 ports between the Kensington lock and the headphone/microphone combination socket, in front of which is the SD card reader. All the interfaces are distributed as far as possible towards the back of the notebook on both sides due to the tapering off of the case towards the front. Thanks to this, using an external mouse directly next to the notebook shouldn't pose a problem in any case. One thing that doesn't quite align with current standards though is that there is only a single USB 3.0 port.
Front: No interfaces
Left: Kensington, 2x USB 2.0, headphone/microphone combination, SD card reader
Rear: No interfaces
Right: USB 3.0, HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, power inputCommunication
In order to join a network of other devices, the VivoBook, not including wireless technology, has all the contemporary communications features. WLAN is supported in the versions b/g/n, and Bluetooth with version 4.0. Also Gigabit LAN is available as a fold up socket on the right side of the notebook.
Accessories
The only accessory included with the notebook is a cleansing cloth which can be used to remove fingerprints on the touchscreen.
Maintenance
In order to upgrade the notebook a modicum of experience is likely to be necessary, since looking for a small maintenance panel will prove to be futile. After removing the ten screws and securing the base unit, the whole bottom can be lifted off with a little force. Underneath this is the hard drive which can now easily be changed. Also accessible is the free RAM slot, which enables the permanent 4 GB of RAM to be increased, and the battery as well as the WLAN card.
Warranty
The warranty in Germany and Austria is valid for 24 months, while in the remainder of the world buyers will have to make due with 12 months. In case repairs are required, then the notebook is collected free of charge by a courier service.
Input Devices
Keyboard
The keyboard has been kept in the chiclet design and has black keys which are embedded into the surrounding aluminum surfaces. The key travel is relatively short, and may require a bit of getting used to before becoming accustomed to the soft feedback.
Unfortunately the center of the keyboard is not sufficiently stable, which can cause the keys to dent inwards a little when typing hard, and can even lead to unpleasant cracking sounds in extreme cases. There are no special keys available. As an alternative, the display can also be used as a keyboard, with which it is not possible to achieve the same speed as with the physical keyboard though.
Touchpad
The touchpad has the exact measurements of a DIN A7 card at 74 mm x 105 mm (~2.9 x ~4.1 inches), and is therefore very generously dimensioned. At the sides it is clearly demarcated with a silver edge, while the surface is smooth and pleasant. The operation is very precise and multi-touch functionality also works well. The whole touchpad can be used for clicking, although it could be worth noting that the front of the pad is more responsive than the back.
Touchscreen
The touchscreen is surely one of the defining highlights of the VivoBooks. This is becoming especially interesting in combination with Windows 8, whereby the tiled layout design has been specifically conceived for touch control. Something that seems a little awkward with a mouse, is perfectly suited to devices with touchscreens, and users are not likely to want to do without out it again.
One thing that stands out hereby is the precise control with which most targets are immediately struck. The only point of criticism in this case is the slight teetering of the display which can be brought about by touch entry. Due to this it is not always easy to perform a double-click command. Fortunately the tiled design doesn't require this any longer, while smaller symbols on a traditional desktop could be the cause of some difficulty. In order to use Explorer we would advise the use of the touchpad in any case.
Keyboard & TouchpadDisplay
Not considering the multi-touch support the integrated display aligns itself with the usual candidates. The resolution of 1366x768 pixels is common among 14-inch notebooks, although somewhat coarse in the meantime. Unfortunately the display surface is not matte, and can therefore lead to annoying reflections in bright surroundings.
The level of brightness isn't really convincing either. The maximum brightness presents itself in the center, where we measured 175 cd/m², while this tapers off to 154 cd/m² towards the sides. As a result, this leads to an illumination distribution of 88%. Overall the average brightness is too low for use in bright rooms or outdoors. In this case we would recommend a minimum brightness level of 200 cd/m². The black level lies at 0.36 cd/m², and therefore results in a contrast ratio of 487:1.
Distribution of brightnessThe professional color space standards sRGB, or the even more demanding AdobeRGB, are not even remotely covered. This is however only necessary for a small target group (professional graphics and image editors) and shouldn't stand out in a negative way for most users.
VivoBook S400 vs. sRGB & VivoBook S400 vs. AdobeRGBIn bright surroundings the use of the VivoBook isn't much fun. Due to the reflective surface of the touchscreen, there are often distracting reflections which can lead to the contents of the display not being discernible, depending on the intensity of the reflections and the viewing angle. Another possible compounding factor is that the maximum brightness of the display lies at a mere 132 cd/m² when the notebook is battery powered.
Outdoor useLooking at the display from the sides makes the content appear somewhat darker, but the colors are nevertheless still fully presented. Looking from above causes the content to become pale while the black areas become light gray, although everything can still be recognized. Meanwhile looking at the display from below causes the colors to invert or become dark gray, and text is no longer easily legible.
Viewing angles Asus VivoBook S400CA-CA006H
Jonas Adams (translated by B Schulisch), 11/24/2012
Windows 8 Book. The VivoBook S400CA provides the ideal symbiosis for Windows 8: Conventional notebook and touchscreen combined. This allows traditional programs and apps in the tiled layout to both be used as they were intended. The question is whether this makes the VivoBook a well-rounded package?Asus is introducing a new series with the VivoBooks, which enhances ordinary notebooks with a touchscreen in order to allow for a more intuitive operation. There are two sizes available: The 14-inch version which we are using for this review, and a smaller version with a display diagonal of 11.6-inches (VivoBook S200CA). While it is possible to choose from the three colors steel gray, champagne or hot pink, in the case of the smaller VivoBooks, the S400CA is only provided with arestrained silver finish.
The VivoBook S400CA is especially interesting due to its relatively affordable price, which means that there are hardly any competitors in its device class with a touchscreen. Other current devices have prices starting from about 1000 Euros (~$1297), and the VivoBook S200CA, which also has a ULV processor and a touchscreen, even costs a whole 1300 Euros (~$1687). In comparison to this, the VivoBook S400CA is available from a more reasonable 750 Euros (~$973).
Does this mean that the VivoBook series is suitable for people who are satisfied with a thick case and streamlined accessories? Or does the offer not satisfy the remaining criteria making it unusable, because the case quality, the display, or the cooling has suffered as a result of cost savings? One thing certainly has not been compromised on: The speed of the SSD. The data may furthermore be stored on a conventional hard drive, but a cache SSD is supposed to provide for more expeditious start times.
Case
At first glance the VivoBook S400CA appears to be the smaller brother of the Asus S56CM Ultrabook we reviewed a short time ago. With a display diagonal of 14-inches, and a weight of 1.8 kg (~3.97 pounds), the VivoBook may be somewhat smaller and about half a kilo (~1.1 pounds) lighter, but the lid has the same dark brushed aluminum look, and the black keyboard is also attached to a base unit which has a top surface composed of aluminum and a black plastic bottom. The rounded edges at the front are also very similar. Comparing the two devices a little closer however, reveals the fundamental difference in the arrangement of the components.
The display is covered by a glass panel which reacts to finger control right up to the edges. Together with the display lid made of aluminum, this provides for a better than average stability of the top part of the notebook. The base unit is composed of two parts. The top surface as well as the sides is made with a matte silver aluminum, while the bottom surface is made of a slightly rubbery black plastic which feels very luxurious.
The manufacturing quality is decent. The gaps between the individual panels are very good and underline the good choice of materials. Unfortunately there are a few points of criticism when it comes to the stability. First up the positives: The base unit can hardly be warped and makes a very robust impression. In the middle of the keyboard it can unfortunately be dented inwards slightly, which can cause a mild cracking with a hard impact. The rigidity of the hinges is above average, and we would also ascribe an invariably good rating in this case if the display wasn't also used as a control device. With a double-click for example, the display can easily be caused to teeter with a bit too much zeal, and thus makes precise control more difficult.
For an entry-level price of 750 Euros (~$973) the case provided can't really be criticized though, and is still better than most of its competitors.
Connectivity
The interfaces on the VivoBook are distributed along the two sides. At the front are the status LEDs, while the back is completely devoid of any ports. On the right side are the display outputs in the form of VGA and HDMI, plus the power input, the Ethernet socket and the only USB 3.0 port. The Ethernet socket can be folded open allowing it to fit into the slim case. As a result of this it is very wobbly though, and removing the cable is also not always as easy as could be expected.
The left side houses two USB 2.0 ports between the Kensington lock and the headphone/microphone combination socket, in front of which is the SD card reader. All the interfaces are distributed as far as possible towards the back of the notebook on both sides due to the tapering off of the case towards the front. Thanks to this, using an external mouse directly next to the notebook shouldn't pose a problem in any case. One thing that doesn't quite align with current standards though is that there is only a single USB 3.0 port.
Front: No interfaces
Left: Kensington, 2x USB 2.0, headphone/microphone combination, SD card reader
Rear: No interfaces
Right: USB 3.0, HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, power input
In order to join a network of other devices, the VivoBook, not including wireless technology, has all the contemporary communications features. WLAN is supported in the versions b/g/n, and Bluetooth with version 4.0. Also Gigabit LAN is available as a fold up socket on the right side of the notebook.
Accessories
The only accessory included with the notebook is a cleansing cloth which can be used to remove fingerprints on the touchscreen.
Maintenance
In order to upgrade the notebook a modicum of experience is likely to be necessary, since looking for a small maintenance panel will prove to be futile. After removing the ten screws and securing the base unit, the whole bottom can be lifted off with a little force. Underneath this is the hard drive which can now easily be changed. Also accessible is the free RAM slot, which enables the permanent 4 GB of RAM to be increased, and the battery as well as the WLAN card.
Warranty
The warranty in Germany and Austria is valid for 24 months, while in the remainder of the world buyers will have to make due with 12 months. In case repairs are required, then the notebook is collected free of charge by a courier service.
Input Devices
Keyboard
The keyboard has been kept in the chiclet design and has black keys which are embedded into the surrounding aluminum surfaces. The key travel is relatively short, and may require a bit of getting used to before becoming accustomed to the soft feedback.
Unfortunately the center of the keyboard is not sufficiently stable, which can cause the keys to dent inwards a little when typing hard, and can even lead to unpleasant cracking sounds in extreme cases. There are no special keys available. As an alternative, the display can also be used as a keyboard, with which it is not possible to achieve the same speed as with the physical keyboard though.
Touchpad
The touchpad has the exact measurements of a DIN A7 card at 74 mm x 105 mm (~2.9 x ~4.1 inches), and is therefore very generously dimensioned. At the sides it is clearly demarcated with a silver edge, while the surface is smooth and pleasant. The operation is very precise and multi-touch functionality also works well. The whole touchpad can be used for clicking, although it could be worth noting that the front of the pad is more responsive than the back.
Touchscreen
The touchscreen is surely one of the defining highlights of the VivoBooks. This is becoming especially interesting in combination with Windows 8, whereby the tiled layout design has been specifically conceived for touch control. Something that seems a little awkward with a mouse, is perfectly suited to devices with touchscreens, and users are not likely to want to do without out it again.
One thing that stands out hereby is the precise control with which most targets are immediately struck. The only point of criticism in this case is the slight teetering of the display which can be brought about by touch entry. Due to this it is not always easy to perform a double-click command. Fortunately the tiled design doesn't require this any longer, while smaller symbols on a traditional desktop could be the cause of some difficulty. In order to use Explorer we would advise the use of the touchpad in any case.
Keyboard & Touchpad
Not considering the multi-touch support the integrated display aligns itself with the usual candidates. The resolution of 1366x768 pixels is common among 14-inch notebooks, although somewhat coarse in the meantime. Unfortunately the display surface is not matte, and can therefore lead to annoying reflections in bright surroundings.
The level of brightness isn't really convincing either. The maximum brightness presents itself in the center, where we measured 175 cd/m², while this tapers off to 154 cd/m² towards the sides. As a result, this leads to an illumination distribution of 88%. Overall the average brightness is too low for use in bright rooms or outdoors. In this case we would recommend a minimum brightness level of 200 cd/m². The black level lies at 0.36 cd/m², and therefore results in a contrast ratio of 487:1.
| Information X-Rite i1Pro 2Maximum: 175 cd/m² Average: 162 cd/m² Brightness Distribution: 88 % Center on Battery: 132 cd/m² Black: 0.359 cd/m² Contrast: 487:1 ICC File (X-Rite i1Pro 2) |
Distribution of brightness
VivoBook S400 vs. sRGB & VivoBook S400 vs. AdobeRGB
Outdoor use
Viewing angles Asus VivoBook S400CA-CA006H