A laptop is any portable computer small enough to be carried about and although the G71V is just a shade under 4kgs in weight, it is hardly cumbersome. So I decided to check how portable it was and took it along to a sales meeting I was attending. The Republic of Gamers backpack is cavernous and took all my gear, folders, books and accessories easily. It is also extremely comfortable when worn and it doesn’t slip off your shoulder unlike some other bags I have used.
When I got to my meeting and opened the G71V, it drew a lot of appreciative looks and comments, specifically about the macho appearance of the notebook. It started up quickly and like a lot of the other laptops being blogged about, has a webcam that uses facial recognition software to sign you in to Vista without using passwords.
Gasps of “Oooh” as I logged in with my face and I was good to go. The software works well and I did have a great idea for a serious test but that would require flying my brothers (identical twins) to the UK to test how good it is at identifying slight differences in physiognomy. Another time perhaps?
The meeting went well and there were a few envious folks when I informed them the G71V was mine for a month, to do with as I please and to test it as a true desktop replacement. Naturally, there were a lot of questions as to how it performed with games and I was happy to explain how it had impressed me.
On the way back home in the train, I opened up the laptop and again (as in past blogs) found that the screen was highly reflective which did make viewing at certain angles slightly difficult. Also, if you are sitting next to someone, the width of the laptop might encroach on their personal space but I found most people were more interested in all the LEDs and blue-lit function keys.
Overall, with the bundle on offer from Asus with the G71V, this is a great mobile platform but be aware that the reflective screen might be a bit distracting in bright areas.
