ASUS VB Go 14″ N4500 4G 128GB W11HS Blue

I bought this to replace an excellent but dated Sony Vaio. It was running Windows 7 and no longer supported the new Chrome browser.As soon as I got this new ASUS booted up I found what S mode means! Basically, it will only run the Bing browser and only allow you to download apps from the MS app store. I suppose it’s a bit like Microsoft’s version of a Chromebook. This was absolutely NOT what I wanted.I wanted a PC that allowed me to do what I wanted to do and not be limited to MS apps. And I don’t like the Bing browser; if I want news etc, I’m quite smart enough to get it for myself.Luckily, it’s not difficult to disable S mode and then it behaves like a normal, slightly-underpowered Windows 11 laptop.I very strongly suggest that you disable S mode as soon as you get it. You can find instructions online.The machine itself is slim and light. The finish is good and looks the part. A very nice touch is the built-in numeric pad. As others have noted, it doesn’t have an illuminated keyboard. It’s a working machine for me, so I don’t mind that. It has 2 USB-A ports and one USB-C port as well as an HDMI output. This machine doesn’t have a SD card port, so you can’t increase the storage that way!I have installed the Chrome browser and just ignore the Bing stuff. Should I want to, I can use it for emails and other Google Workspace functions.Keyboard: The keyboard looks good and the keys have a nice feel to them. It is a standard Windows QWERTY layout with the function keys at the top. For touch typists, it has little markers on the home keys.Display: it’s got a 14″ screen which is normal for this type of machine. It’s plenty bright enough and has good colour definition. You can easily add an extension screen if you want one. Because it’s a working machine, I have no idea what it’s like for gaming.Storage: The hard disk is only 128 GB, which is small. It will be fine for you if you only want to have a small-ish number of installed apps.Speed: It’s Windows, so it’s painfully slow compared to a Chromebook. Having said that, it’s a tad faster than my wife’s 3-year-old Windows 11 laptop.It comes with a 1-year subscription to MS Office Suite. I haven’t activated it as I never had a use for it. I use Google Workspace for everything.Even though it is a bit under-powered for a 2024 machine, it is quite powerful enough for my purposes.Specifically, I need to be able to (i) use Real Downloader to get YouTube videos for my tutoring business and (ii) create midi files (Anvil Studio) and convert them to mp3 music files (Audacity) for my fitness training business. Those apps have used about half the available space on the HDD. I need a PC for those purposes. For everything else, I use a Chromebook.So who is it for?If you are, like me, a user who does most stuff online and doesn’t need the fastest and most powerful machine, it will be absolutely fine. If you want the fastest and the best, this isn’t for you.I think it would be the perfect budget machine for teenagers. It will be fine for all social media and can be used for school work. Most stuff is done online, and it’s good for that.I can even see this being used by students for university work. If your studies require online lectures, online conferencing and research plus essay writing, this will do the job for you. If you’re a STEM student, you will certainly need to install a more powerful calculator … the MS scientific calculator is almost useless for anything STEM.This machine would be ideal for those whose main use is emails and browsing … although I’d recommend that you consider a Chromebook first.Summary: If you’re a power user, this isn’t for you. If you’re a modest user, it’s probably enough.UPDATE: I’ve had this for a couple of weeks now and it’s grown on me. I’m using a 24″ extension TV/DVD-player/monitor (so I don’t miss the DVD player on my old machine) and have a 4-gang USB extension which accepts an extension keyboard and a mouse as well as a couple of USB sticks. The other USB-A port is used for a 500 GB HDD for storing my audio and video files so I don’t fill up the onboard SSHD. I use the USB-C port for synching my tablet and phone. I use a decent-quality sound bar, so I can also listen to my mp3 collection.I think this makes the ideal setup for me. I can:* watch DVDs* save YouTube videos (using Real Player)* create midi and mp3 music files (using Anvil Studio and Audacity)* do simple video and photo creation and editing (using the built-in Windows apps)These are all things that I CAN’T do on my Chromebook.So, yes, it does everything that I want it to do and it does it quickly and without fuss and has greatly enhanced my life.I still use my Chromebook for browsing, word processing etc and find it a tad faster and more useful for Internet-based work. But for using as a PC, this is an essential tool for my businesses.As I said, I’m a modest user. But for my particular purposes, it’s the ideal machine. Highly recommended.

It does what I need it to do.

After five months of use, it will not switch on. Over the last three months, it was hit and miss if it would switch on or not. Will you advise me on how I can return the laptop?