ASUS B23E
ASUS promises the 12.5-inch B23E to be a reliable business netbook with good performance and user-friendly features. Our review unit is packed with the kind of hardware you'd find in a mainstream business desktop...except in a tiny, 3.4 pound form factor. It has an Intel Core i7-2620M processor at 2.7GHz, Intel HD graphics, and a 500GB Seagate Momentus hard drive at 7200rpm. Read our full review below for more information...
Overview
Build & Design
The first thing you'll notice about the ASUS B23E is that it doesn't have a particularly stylish design. It looks like any other standard business notebook - there's nothing outlandish about it - it's soft black and has smooth matte surfaces. The important thing to cover here is the build quality, though, as this is supposed to be a durable business notebook that is essentially the size and shape of a cheap netbook.
And at 3.4 pounds and a small form factor, it is very portable. ASUS also states that the hinge as well as lid panel have been tested to surpass consumer notebook standards. ASUS claims that the keyboard is also spill-proof and that the hard drive has anti-shock cushions.When we bent the lid at its corners, however, the lid twisted very easily and ripples appeared across the display. It might be made of magnesium alloy, but perhaps it isn't quite thick enough. Although, as another editor pointed out, when you press on the lid cover from its center, it doesn't show any noticeable flex. This is a good thing, as you probably won't have to worry about the B23E's lid cracking under pressure from someone shoving their carry-on baggage into your netbook on the airplane, for example.Like most netbooks, the B23E isn't easily upgradeable. Users can replace the wireless network adapter and upgrade the memory by removing two simple covers off the bottom panel. It can hold a maximum of 8GB-1333 RAM.
Ports and Features
The ASUS B23E actually has a great port selection. Despite the fact that there are only three USB ports in total, it has one SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port for fast flash storage transfers. The selection also includes a physical Wi-Fi power switch, a USB/eSATA combo port, ExpressCard and SmartCard readers, and a 5-in-1 memory card reader (SD/MS/MS Pro/xD/MMC). It also has HDMI, VGA, a fingerprint reader next to the touchpad, and a switch on the screen bezel to turn your webcam on or off.
ASUS B23E specifications
- 12.5-inch matte 720p LED display (16:9 aspect ratio, 1366x768 resolution)
- Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
- Intel Core i7-2620M dual-core processor (2.7GHz, 3.4GHz Turbo Boost, 4M cache)
- Integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics
- 4GB-1333MHz DDR3 memory (8GB max. supported)
- 500GB 7200rpm Seagate Momentus hard drive (ST9500423AS)
- Intel Centrino Advanced-N Wi-Fi adapter (802.11a/g/n)
- Bluetooth 3.0
- Integrated 2 MP webcam with on/off switch
- No optical drive
- 3-cell Lihtium-ion battery (4400 mAh, 48 Wh)
- Weight: 3.4 lbs
- Dimensions: 12 x 8.1 x 1.1 inches
We were a bit worried about the heat levels of the B23E. Like all thin notebooks, hardware can get "cramped," resulting in the possibility of overheating. The exterior temperatures on the top of the chassis didn't reach very high heat levels, but the bottom of the notebook reached a peak temperature of 103 degrees Fahrenheit in the bottom right corner. Additionally, the exhaust vent on the left side of the notebook got very hot to the touch after we exerted it. While a peak of 103 isn't too too high, it's something to be aware of. You might also want to note that the B23E might not exactly be "lap friendly" while doing heavier work. The "hot spot" is located around the CPU and RAM. The noise coming from the fan should not be a problem; while Icould hear it, I didn't find it loud or distracting.
Battery Life
ASUS has implemented what the company calls the ASUS Xpress Charge; a feature that allows the battery to "quick charge" to 90 percent capacity in only 90 minutes. We can confirm this claim as we saw the battery charge fly up just moments after we plugged the adapter in. Our review unit has a 3-cell Lithium-ion battery, 4400 mAh, 48 Wh. We'd also like to mention that the battery has been tested by ASUS and Sonata to last 900 charge cycles.
During our standard battery life test, we set Windows 7 on the "Balanced" power profile, turn the screen brightness down 70 percent, and refresh a web page every 60 seconds while wireless is active. The ASUS B23E lasted 5 hours and 16 minutes during the test. Althouugh this isn't class-leading battery life we didn't expect results as good as this with such a low capacity battery and a relatively power-hungry processor, so we're actually pretty pleased with the results.