- High-end portable design
- Dual-core processor with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB eMMC
- 1 Year of Office
- Trackpad that turns into numeric pad
- Full HD definition
- RAM can not be upgraded
- It's not a touchscreen
The fact that many of us are looking for an affordable laptop doesn't mean we don't appreciate innovation and technology. Asus is well aware of this which is why the company launched the Asus L410MA-DB02, an affordable yet stylish and innovative laptop that has arrived to revolutionize the entry-level segment by delivering an experience never-before-seen on such a low-cost laptop.
Today we're determined to dig deep into this laptop and figure out everything there is to know about it in this review of the Asus L410MA-DB02.
Index
- Who's the L410MA-DB02 for?
- Design
- What's performance like?
- Battery life and upgrading storage
- Connectivity
- Closing arguments
A cutting edge design
If there's one thing that speaks to us about the Asus L410MA-DB02 is its design. Specifically, while most laptops in its price range don't really bother to offer up anything that sets them apart in that regard, Asus's latest entry-level laptop has set out to offer an innovative and stylish design.
Portability is not an issue in the case of this laptop as it weighs a very manageable 2.87 pounds and measures a standard 0.7 inches we've grown accustomed to.
The keyboard, unlike many of its competitors, is backlit with a very attractive key-travel distance of 1.3 mm to deliver a comfortable and ergonomic experience where it doesn't feel like you're typing on a tablet - as it does on keyboards with 0.7 mm key travel distance -.
The screen is also very appealing for the price range with Asus betting big on a Full HD (1920 by 1080) display on a 14-inch diagonal. This is great and a far better resolution than the standard HD (1366 by 768) we're used to in this category. What's more, while the display is not a touchscreen, this laptop also allows for a 180-degree lay-flat hinge for maximum flexibility.
Finally, the trackpad is, perhaps, this laptop's most compelling design feature as Asus has brought to an entry-level laptop its innovative touchpad technology whereby you may activate a numeric keypad directly onto the trackpad.
To activate it what you do is click on the icon located on the top right side of the trackpad and that activates a numeric keypad directly on the trackpad, something that's exceptionally useful to so many of us.
What's the deal with the performance?
While the design of the Asus L410MA-DB02 may have us thinking we're looking at a high-end laptop, its internal specs and overall performance are quick to remind us that this is in fact an entry-level laptop, one that we'd hardly recommend to power users.
In a quick recap, we see that we've got a dual-core Intel Celeron N4020 that clocks in at a base 1.1 GHz and can reach a maximum 2.8 GHz when we're in need of more horsepower for specific instances. Add to that 4 GB of DDR4 RAM and 64 GB of eMMC flash storage and you've got yourself a laptop that's clearly geared towards the educational segment.
Basically, with this set of specs you're looking at a laptop that's best suited for editing documents on the office suite - with a one-year subscription included in the purchase -, browsing the web, streaming movies on its Full HD display and chatting up with friends using its integrated webcam.
This is not a laptop for you to run several programs at a time - it only has 4 GB of RAM - and it's definitely not a device for you to do some professional-grade video or photo editing, not to mention gaming which is definitely out of the question with its integrated Intel UHD 600 graphics card.
Essentially, as long as you know what you're getting and you don't expect a high-end performance, this is a great laptop.
Battery life and upgrading storage
As we've come to expect on a laptop geared at the student market, the Asus L410MA-DB02 reviewed has great battery life. Asus goes as far as to claim it can last up to 12 hours on a single charge.
However, in our experience adjusting our expectations in this regard, this typically means you may expect anywhere between 7 to 9 hours under mixed usage which is still very good for a laptop that's expected to be lugged around day in and day out.
In terms of storage, we've said previously that it comes with 64 GB of eMMC flash storage. This might not be enough for many people which is why we would recommend you purchase a microSD card. Nowadays, you may get one with as much as 128 GB of storage space for as little as 20 dollars.
Once you've inserted the microSD card onto the L410MA-DB02 you check that it uses a compatible format (NTFS) and then simply go onto Start-> Settings -> System -> Storage and you may choose to make all new documents, pictures, videos or apps store themselves directly onto the microSD card.
What are the connectivity options? Anything else I should know?
Finally, when it comes to the connectivity options, the L410MA-DB02 has its bases covered. On the left side, we've got the aforementioned microSD card reader as well as a single USB Type-A port and on the right side, we've got another USB Type-A port, a single USB Type-C port, HDMI output, and audio jack.
When it comes to the wireless connections we've got WiFi 5, previously known as WiFi 802.11 ac connectivity, and Bluetooth support in case we wanted to connect peripherals onto the laptop such as headphones or a wireless mouse.
It should also be pointed out that this laptop - like many others - arrive with Windows 10 in S mode by default. This means that you won't be able to install third-party apps such as chrome. However, it's very easy to disable S Mode on the Asus L410MA-DB02.
Basically you go onto settings -> update and security -> activation -> go to the store -> Switch out of S mode.