ASUS Lamborghini VX3 is the smallest Lamborghini. ASUS Lamborghini VX1: a supercar on your desk Review of an asus laptop stylized as a Maserati car

The first two models from the ASUS Lamboghini family had 15-inch screens, and this year the world saw the baby Lamborghini Gallardo L-140 in the world of laptops - the 12-inch ASUS Lamboghini VX3. Small, but daring! The laptop's specifications are impressive: 3 GB of RAM, Intel processor Core 2 Duo T9300, GeForce video card 9300M G (a kind of “double 9300”) and HDD capacity 320 GB. In addition, there is also an HDMI port. Even desktop replacement (DTR) class laptops can envy such a filling.

Technical characteristics declared by the manufacturer

Contents of delivery

• Charger;
• velvet cover;
• user guide;
• system recovery disk (Windows Vista Ultimate 32 bit);
• driver disk;
• disk with Nero program v7.9.6.2;
• disk with additional programs and utilities;
• RJ-11 modem cable;
• cable tie;
• Bluetooth mouse;
• two AA power supplies;
• two lithium battery;
• mouse pad made of genuine leather with a soft cushion for the wrist.

Design and ergonomics

Scratches also “stick” to the body reluctantly, and if they appear, they are also practically invisible. The side panels have decorative plastic inserts with a chrome surface. The bottom panel is made of smooth black plastic. Unlike VX2, there is no wheel rim emulation above the ventilation grille. But the linings in the form of wheel rims are installed in the corners of the body, in the area of ​​​​the connecting loops.

The work area is decorated with metal inserts and a genuine leather overlay stitched with yellow threads, which is reminiscent of the front panel and seats of a sports car. Unfortunately, the stitching threads quickly get dirty, and cleaning them is a very delicate and painstaking job.

The build quality is excellent, there is not a single defect, even the battery sits in its compartment like a glove, without the slightest play. When trying to twist and squeeze, the case creaks only in the area where the optical drive is installed - due to the small thickness of the bottom.

Hidden on the display cover under the grille, which imitates the air intake of a sports car, are several system status indicators (network, battery status, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi adapter status), which are invisible when switched off. At the top edge, in the center, there is a raised logo with a bull - the Lamborghini trademark.

At the front end there is only one speaker, protected by a grille.

At the back, to the left of the battery, there are communication ports Rj-11 and RJ-45, to the right is a VGA port.

On the right is a memory card reader, as well as an optical drive cover, a pair of standard audio connectors, one USB port and a Kensington security lock hole.

The left panel contains a ventilation grille, three USB ports, an HDMI port, an ExpressCard/54 slot and a sliding wireless switch.

There are two compartments available on the bottom for installation hard drive and a common compartment for installing memory modules, processor and expansion cards.

Most of the keys are standard width (17.5 mm), but the width of several letter keys on the right side and the arrow keys is reduced to 13.5 mm, which creates some inconvenience when typing, as well as in car and flight simulator games. The keystrokes are quite soft and crisp, and the actuation sound is very quiet.

The touch panel has not a traditional rectangular, but a trapezoidal shape, its upper part is slightly wider. The manipulator keys are also of a very specific shape. A fingerprint sensor is installed between the keys. It is set deep enough, so accidental touches, accompanied by system messages about an incorrect fingerprint, are practically excluded.

On the laptop lid mount, the power buttons and an additional key for cyclically changing energy saving modes are located symmetrically. In the center there are system status indicators - power, battery charge, wireless interface mode, hard drive activity and a key indicator. Just to the left of the power button there is a hole for the built-in microphone.

At the top edge of the display there is a camera - unlike the VX2s, it is not rotating.

Display

Sound subsystem

Wireless interfaces

Noise level and thermal conditions

Performance

Due to the fact that the Vantage series of “benchmarks” from the Futuremark company appeared not so long ago, and the database of our measurement results in these packages is still small, a laptop that was in the laboratory at the same time as the hero of the review was chosen as an opponent in these tests - Sony VAIO SZ7.

Power supply and battery life

conclusions

Two heads, a hundred hands and a thousand eyes

The fact that laptops are a popular and in-demand thing has been no surprise for five years now, even in Russia (in Europe and America, as always, this was understood earlier, but what can we do, we all know which way the planet is facing for now) spins). People buy and will continue to buy laptops because they are convenient and functional: regular computer you can’t carry it with you, PDAs still don’t reach what you want in terms of functionality, and UMPCs haven’t even really been invented yet, only a vague idea is in the air, periodically turning into something rather lopsided... in general, laptops lived, are alive and continue in the same spirit. But it’s boring for manufacturers to rivet “workhorses” all the time. And users want something more interesting, more original. Nowadays, it has generally become fashionable to be original - we are so tired of school uniforms and identical jeans on the Vietnamese market, we need something new. So that it’s not like everyone else’s. And it is also desirable that it looks more expensive - with some well-known, expensive brand, which just by the combination of letters commands respect. So, about brands. In 2003, somewhere in the minds of the management of Acer, a bright idea arose that one head is good, but two are still better. And Acer began to collaborate with Ferrari, and made the first “car” laptop – a red one. Lamborghini, which has historically always turned its face to the future, and its nostrils to Ferrari (which you need to breathe into while running), simply could not help but notice such impudence - and since December 2005, another joint brand has appeared on the market. Created by the Italian automobile concern Automobili Lamborghini and the leader of the Taiwanese computer industry ASUSTeK Computer. The result of their collaboration was a whole series of spectacular ASUS Lamborghini laptops: VX1, VX2 and now VX3.

Go make your own tractors...

It all started in Italy, in the sixties of the last century. And it started with the fact that the famous tractor manufacturer Ferruccio Lamborghini suddenly showed interest in high-speed cars. He already had cars produced by Osca, Maserati and Ferrari, but not a single car suited him in all respects - well, what are you going to do, there is no perfection in life... Rumor has it that even Lamborghini once came to Enzo Ferrari’s factory to complain about the quality clutch in your Ferrari. And Enzo sent him back with a friendly wish to continue working on tractors - because Lamborghini supposedly knows nothing about cars, and especially sports cars. He, of course, was upset, out of grief he picked out the transmission in his Ferrari 250 GT and discovered that the parts used were the same as in his tractors... in his own warehouses he found a suitable replacement - and after assembly the problem was solved. It would be stupid to stop there - and Enzo’s arrogant friend really wanted to wipe his nose. Therefore, after a couple of months, Ferruccio lures one of the company’s leading engineers, the young and talented Giotto Bizzarini, from Ferrari - and together they come up with the first Lamborghini sports car. Model 350GTV. In 1963, it was presented to the public at the Turin auto show, great success and instantly made the new brand widely known in narrow circles. The first success was followed by a second, named Lamborghini 400GT, and then a third, Lamborghini Miura. In 1971, the company, which had already become a market leader, created the revolutionary Lamborghini Countach model - it, however, will begin to be sold only in 1974, but it will bring world fame to its creators. Born under the sign of Taurus, Ferruccio Lamborghini decorated the logo with the image of a bull - and now the whole planet knows this bull.

Beast machine! Genus, species, class

But let's get back to laptops. So, the engineers and designers of the joint team faced a difficult task - to create not just another mobile computer in a “car wrapper”, and the mobile computer is chic, fashionable and powerful, different from its modest “brothers” as much as a Lamborghini is different from ordinary foreign cars. So that it turns out not anyhow, but a real fusion of technology and frantic energy - after all, Lamborghini cars are sports, fast and expensive, so the laptop had to come out in style. Well, so as not to disgrace the glorious name in general and the golden bull in particular.

Happened. The body of the laptop was made of shiny metal and expensive yellow plastic, the panel on both sides of the touchpad was covered in leather (and the battery was also covered in leather, by the way), and special blue sparkles were added to the keyboard, which are not even noticeable in the light, but glow slightly in the dark - to make typing at night more convenient.

The first two versions of Lamborghini Books were large and heavy - they looked luxurious, but you can’t really carry such a thing with you, it’s still heavy. This time, the manufacturers decided to reduce the size (and with it the weight) in order to attract the attention of very busy businessmen and women: the diagonal of the laptop screen was only 12”, but with WXGA resolution, a travel version. Latest processor Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 (Penryn), 320 GB SATA hard drive, video card Nvidia GeForce 9300M G, 4 GB RAM. There is also a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi module of all kinds, and its own built-in modem. All this, including the battery, weighs a little more than one and a half kilograms - you can carry it with you without particularly straining.

Manufacturers did not deprive the laptop of connectors: there are only four USB 2.0 connectors. Also available is HDMI, output to external monitor, two network connectors - LAN and modem, PCI Express slot, 5-in-1 card reader, DVD-ROM (writeable and supports LightScribe technology, of course), headphone and microphone jacks... and even a slot for a Kensington lock. So that, God forbid, no one steals your laptop.

Premium laptop - premium accessories. At your disposal will be a bag with leather trim, two batteries (main and increased capacity), wireless mouse, a manual for its use, a leather mouse pad and mouse case, a cloth napkin for the display, a user manual in Russian, a brochure with the history of Lamborghini cars in English, and a whole scattering of other software.

We will go, we will rush...

If you need powerful laptop(one that certainly doesn’t slow anything down), then the Lamborghini VX3 is your choice. Because games run on it, programs are loaded and unloaded instantly, and the RAM never runs out...

When turned on, the laptop makes the sound of a car starting - and begins to vigorously load Windows Vista Ultimate Edition. He does it quickly, clearly, one-two-three times. To log into the system, you can use a password, or you can simply put your finger on the fingerprint sensor: the computer will instantly recognize you as the owner and let you into the system.

New wireless communication format

IN modern world There are two problems: time and money. Moreover, time is a much more serious problem, because money can still be obtained, accumulated and multiplied, but over time such things do not go away. People have little time (especially if these people are businessmen), but they need to do everything, so no one wants to waste minutes - and so, we conduct business negotiations through Internet conferences, all our important correspondence is electronic, we read news from news sites, and the weather is shown to us by google-desktop in the corner of the computer screen. In general, today you can’t live without the Internet. Therefore, all laptops have long been equipped with a whole range of wired and wireless communication modules: from a LAN connector to Wi-Fi of all letters of the alphabet. However, in order to use GPRS, you have to connect it to a laptop mobile phone– via USB cable or Bluetooth. Or rather, I had to connect. Because you don’t need to connect anything to the Lamborghini VX3 - it has its own HSDPA modem that supports third-generation networks. The SIM card slot is hidden on the back panel, under the battery - so it is better to get a separate card for modem communication. Insert it there once and never take it out again.

Invented for modem control special program, simple as hell. It's called 3G Watcher and manages your connection: calls the operator, establishes a connection and keeps it, displays packet transmission statistics, and so on. You can also set it to “schedule dialing” - say, to download news twice a day, for breakfast and dinner. You can set a list of programs that can and cannot independently use the HSDPA connection (so that, for example, the antivirus does not start downloading updates via GPRS without your knowledge), configure access rights to the SIM card for different users (if you are a computer administrator , of course), and so on. Unfortunately, the program is only for English language– but believe me, it’s really very simple to figure it out.

Verdict ION

This device is inherently exclusive, since it contains all the best that is in the world of laptops - and at the same time it is also wrapped in a “car wrapper”. The concept of “speed” has become defining for the Lamborghini VX3. Like its cousins ​​on the automotive side, it's powerful, strong and very, very stylish. The “computer” side added productivity and latest technologies, expanding the mobility of the “machine” to the limit - now you can access the Internet using the GPRS protocol without connecting additional modems to the computer.

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Image products are distinguished by a number of key characteristics. For example, their key feature is a deliberately worse price/functionality ratio. As a rule, they are expensive despite the fact that they do not have functional advantages over products of the average price group (and sometimes even lag behind them). Therefore, the purchase of such a product characterizes not so much the product as the buyer: they say, he has enough money to choose the quality and stylish product he likes. And the person who wants to receive maximum return for the money invested, will never buy an image product - since it costs too much for the functionality it provides.

The most important, basic feature of any image product is its appearance. He must look stylish, attractive and expensive. But at the same time, it is not flashy (this difference, by the way, is clearly evident when comparing truly expensive and high-quality things from their “Asian analogues”).

Finally, the third important component is the perception of the product and its manufacturer, the brand. Before selling an image product, the market must accept the manufacturer, agree that his quality and style are impeccable, and that he has earned the right to satisfy the tastes of the richest users.

Today we are testing an image ASUS model: ASUS Lamborghini VX3. The series, which uses the logo of the famous sports car manufacturer (which, by the way, also plays a vital role in the owner’s image), is ASUS’s top line.

By the way, in one of the discussions, an ASUS representative explained that the company does not have a separate image line, but has a business segment within which image models are made. Therefore, talking about the “image segment” is not entirely correct. And this is close to the truth: ASUS models really combine the characteristics of both the fashion and business segments. This should be taken into account when evaluating the model.

ASUS Lamborghini VX3 meets these three characteristics. It is quite expensive (although, as it seemed to us, it is cheaper than its analogues), it looks attractive and stylish (maybe a little bright, but Italian Lamborghinis are also not known for their modest appearance), and as for the third aspect, the VX3 borrows the charisma of the legendary manufacturer supercars - and that should be enough.

Before moving on to the functional part of the review, we would like to remind you that we filmed it, which can be viewed in the video reviews section. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with it; you can clearly see both the appearance of the laptop and its excellent packaging.

Objective testing

Finding the Lamborghini VX3 on the Russian website is quite simple; it is located in the “Style” section (in fact, a photograph of the VX3 with a yellow lid is used to design the entire section).

This is how the manufacturer characterizes the ASUS Lamborghini VX3:

Impeccable style and superb performance. Inspiration in every detail.

A more detailed description of the main functional features can be found on the ASUS website. Particular emphasis is placed on the exquisite style and the highest quality, the use of high-quality materials (titanium and genuine leather), and information protection (fingerprint scanner).

From the description you cannot go directly to the specifications; you have to return to the general page, this is a big disadvantage of navigation. But directly from the “products” section you can go to downloading drivers and utilities.

Let us remind you that ASUS commented on the situation with its websites.

The official website of ASUS in Russia is. On the website you will find information about all product lines produced by ASUS in the world.

The site is a Russified version of the official worldwide site
ASUS .

The ASUS representative office in Russia has a specialized resource for laptops . It is on it that the maximum useful information is placed
information so necessary for correct decision-making (news page, product segmentation, model specifications, model reviews in the press, recommended prices, service policy and support) when choosing a laptop model, and all this information applies specifically to those models that are supplied to the Russian market .

Specifications ASUS Lamborghini VX3

You can see a table with characteristics on the manufacturer’s website (for some reason the specification is in English). The data in the table is taken from the official website.

The configuration is very powerful, using perhaps the best available components, including the processor, RAM, HDD. Noteworthy in the configuration is the use of an external video solution from NVIDIA.

Our measured weight of the laptop was 1855 grams, 2335 grams with the power supply.

Contents of delivery

The scope of delivery is impressive.

Firstly, the laptop itself comes in a large morocco box, and is also packed in a soft case.

The laptop comes with a black and yellow wireless mouse, matching Lamborghini colors, as well as a leather (!) mouse pad with a palm rest and also the Lamborghini logo.

All accessories are very stylish and make a great impression.

Battery life test results

Battery life testing has been carried out. All energy saving parameters were set by default. Testing was carried out in maximum battery saving mode (the text of the book is open in the reader) and in “optimized” mode (watching a DivX movie) in Windows system Vista. The system turned off at 5% battery charge remaining. All wireless interfaces were disabled during the test. The battery capacity according to the test was 50380 mWh.

With a three-cell battery (capacity, according to the test, 24805 mWh), the laptop lasted 1 hour 15 minutes in reading mode.

By the way, surprisingly, when watching videos, the laptop lasted almost the same time.

We think two and a half hours is not enough for an ultra-portable laptop, although you shouldn't expect much time from a laptop with such a powerful configuration battery life. The small battery showed predictably poor results; it should be used on short trips when the laptop will not last long on battery power.

Subjective characteristics

Keyboard and pointing devices

The keyboard left a good impression.

A significant complaint about the layout is the compressed letter keys on the right side. We have repeatedly mentioned that changing the size of keys with letters means making touch typing very difficult, since for it the distances and sizes of the keys must be the same. And so it happened - when typing on these keys you constantly miss. It seems to us that it was necessary to rework the layout, remove the right vertical row and move these keys to another place.

The cursor keys are also very narrow vertically; when working with them, you constantly touch adjacent keys. Also, sometimes when working with the keys of the far right row you touch the neighboring ones. Otherwise, there are no complaints about the layout: ctrl is located in the corner, just like Del, and it is convenient to use it and the right row keys when editing.

I liked the feel of the keyboard when typing. The keystrokes are good - soft but clear, there is protection against false presses. The keys do not hit the backing when pressed, so printing is quite quiet. The entire keyboard moves a little up and down in the center in the case, but for this you need to apply quite a lot of force, so the play has almost no effect when typing.

The Lamborghini touchpad is large and has a very smooth surface, somewhat reminiscent of glass. The sensitivity and acceleration settings are quite well tuned. To move the cursor across the entire screen, it takes about one and a half movements from edge to edge of the touchpad (depending on how fast you move your finger).

The touchpad has two keys, with a fingerprint scanner located between them. The keys are pressed with average force, with an audible click.

Additional keys and indicators

The VX3 only has one additional key besides the power key. Both keys are located in a cylindrical insert in the housing between the matrix and the main part.

The power key is located on the right, the additional key is on the left. The keys are large and protrude slightly above the body; they are easy to press. An additional key is configured to quickly switch energy saving modes.

Indicators in VX3 bright blue and red LEDs. All indicators are divided into two groups. One is located in the cylindrical insert of the case between the additional keys; it is visible when the cover is open.

From left to right: laptop operation indicator (lights blue when the laptop is running, blinks in sleep mode), battery indicator (blue, red), wireless interfaces indicator (blue Wi-Fi, red Bluetooth, when both interfaces are activated, both diodes are lit , the glow turns purple), hard disk access indicator, Caps lock indicator. Below the indicators are very clearly visible icons. The glow of the indicators is bright, in the dark it hurts the eyes a little.

The second group of indicators is located in the lid, under the black grille, symbolizing the air intake; they shine directly through the grille. There are only four indicators: laptop status indicator, battery status indicator, operation indicator wireless networks, hard disk access indicator.

Frame

The appearance of a fashion laptop should be given top priority, especially considering the use of such a famous brand as Lamborghini. And, I must say, the designers did their best. The design of ASUS Lamborghini VX3 is made in the same vein as the previous models in this series. However, the laptop itself is much smaller than the VX1 and VX2, and we thought this worked to its advantage - it looks much sleeker than its predecessors.

The body is made of very high quality and good looking materials. Both metal is actively used in the finishing (the laptop lid and the edging around the keyboard are made from it) and carbon-look titanium alloy (the main elements of the case are made from it). ASUS couldn’t do without genuine leather, which is so beloved; it looks especially appropriate in this model. The bottom panel is plastic and looks rustic, which attracts attention when you turn the laptop in your hands.

The design of the case is also excellent.

The lid comes in two signature Lamborghini colors - black and yellow. It is styled to resemble the hood of a sports car with an air intake grille and features the Lamborghini emblem. In the VX3 model, the designers abandoned the carbon-look cover; now both covers are painted and varnished. We tested a model with a yellow lid; this laptop looks very bright and attracts attention. We can’t say anything about the black model, but we think it looks calmer.

The open laptop looks great: stylish and expensive, exactly how a laptop in this class should look. The combination of leather, blued metal around the keyboard and carbon fiber makes a very winning impression. By the way, the VX3’s keys are not the usual black color, but black-gray “with a spark.” The keyboard looks much better than the usual black plastic and blends very well with the laptop body.

Let's take a look at the location of the connectors.

There are no connectors on the front edge. Note that the leather cover extends over the front edge and is curved so that your wrists rest comfortably on the leather cover when typing.

On the left side, from left to right, there is a connector for the power plug (the plug itself is angled, and the wire from it goes behind the matrix), a ventilation grille, as many as three USB ports (usually there are fewer USB ports on models of this class) and a digital HDMI output, unique for this segment. The wireless interface switch is located here. Pay attention to the design of the metal insert in the middle of the case. The end of the cylindrical insert is designed like a car wheel.

The back panel is almost completely occupied by the battery. We remind you that two batteries are supplied with the VX3 - a three-cell one (it is small and does not protrude from the case) and a nine-cell one, which protrudes from the case. The batteries on the back and bottom are also trimmed with leather, apparently to make the laptop more comfortable to hold in your hand.

Finally, on the right side there is an optical drive (as far as we remember, only Super-multi, there is no Blu-ray support due to size limitations), and above it there is a card reader in a metal insert. To the right are audio jacks and another USB 2.0 port. In the corner is the port of Kensington Castle.

The bottom of the VX3 looks plain compared to the splendor of the rest of the laptop.

Screen and sound

The VX3 has a widescreen matrix with a diagonal of 12" and a resolution of 1280 × 800 pixels. The matrix is ​​glossy, so under some conditions it glares quite strongly. The vertical angles are small, but when working, especially in applications with a light background, this has almost no effect.

The VX3 uses LED matrix backlighting. The backlight is bright at maximum level and can be adjusted within a wide range.

The sound is typical for this class of laptops: one small speaker, suitable for voicing system events, possibly for use in telephony. By the way, the VX3 starts with a powerful roar of the Lamborghini engine. When performed by a standard speaker, this roar somehow... does not sound.

Positioning

It still seems to us that the ASUS-Lamborghini VX3 is precisely a “top model of the business segment with elements of image,” and not an image product.

The laptop costs about $3200-3500. Expensive? On the one hand, yes. On the other hand, the ASUS M70 costs the same, and it is just a universal home laptop. And in this segment there are now many laptops from first-tier global manufacturers. This is undoubtedly the top of the ASUS line, but it is in the upper segment of the market, not higher.

Style? And here the situation is the same. The laptop is very beautiful, looks great on its own. But this is not its own style, it is a Lamborghini stylization.

Finally, reputation. ASUS has its own reputation - it is a manufacturer of reliable, productive laptops for both home and office. But these are work laptops, not fashion laptops. Accordingly, this laptop is unlikely to be chosen based on style and image considerations. Rather, its buyer is a person who needs a functional, convenient laptop, and also “liked” this model.

Conclusion

Very attractive, beautiful and stylish laptop. Good performance, nice functionality, a couple of good little things - both the configuration and usability are at a good level.

And at the same time very beautiful, and stylish, and even with a lot of pleasant little things that caress the heart of a lover of Italian sports cars. It is a little expensive if you look at it purely from a functional point of view, but the beautiful appearance and style are worth the extra money. We think VX3 will find its fans.

The central air intake, located directly under the fan, is duplicated by several auxiliary ones, opening into the same cavity in the case in which the processor and other heating components are located. Thus, blocking one or even two holes does not threaten overheating, and closing all three at the same time can only be done on purpose.

Sound

The built-in speakers are located under the grille panel in the front of the case, on its top edge. That is, the sound is directed towards the user, and not at the surface on which the laptop stands. Coupled with not the quietest speakers, this gives excellent volume, which will be sufficient even in large and relatively noisy rooms. As for the sound quality, it is slightly above average for laptop speakers.

Of course, if you want to get truly high-quality sound, you should use an external speaker system, fortunately the laptop is equipped digital output S/PDIF.

Screen

The ASUS Lamborghini VX1 uses a 15-inch screen with an aspect ratio of 4:3, which will undoubtedly please fans of the classic format, but is somewhat inconsistent with the positioning of the Lamborghini VX1 as multimedia laptop. The screen has a high resolution– 1400x1050 pixels. Thanks to the fine grain, the picture looks very smooth, without a pronounced ladder characteristic of 15-inch displays with a resolution of 1024x768.

The contrast and brightness of the matrix are quite high, making the image very rich and pleasing to the eye. We were also pleased with the speed of response. But the viewing angles are not very good; even when tilted at about 30 degrees, the colors are greatly distorted. As in most latest models ASUS, here they use a “glass” (Glare) screen coating.

Internal organization

CPU

The Core Duo T2500 processor is perhaps the most frequently used CPU from the Intel Core family in our testing laboratory. The first time we met him was when we were reviewing the Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi (see review “Acer TravelMate 8200 – BMW among laptops”, and since then he has been visiting us for the fifth time.