Multimedia addicts in search of a big-screen notebook with a stylish design will find a lot to like in the ASUS N90, an 18.4-inch behemoth with a full HD display, Blu-ray drive, and a massive 1TB of storage for squirreling away libraries of high-definition content. Priced at $1,799, it won’t obliterate your wallet, but this notebook lacks some of the raw graphics power found in similarly priced desktop replacements, and the speaker volume is weak.
Design
The first thing you’ll notice about the ASUS N90, besides its massive girth, is its attractive design; ASUS has taken great care to make certain that this PC screams high quality. The notebook’s lid and base feature a black, glossy Infusion finish with a subtle pinstripe-and-swirl design. Unfortunately, the N90 is a fingerprint and smudge magnet. At 9.4 pounds it’s also quite the haul, but not nearly as hefty as the 13.4-pound ASUS W90, the company’s other 18-incher.
On the right side of the N90, you’ll find a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on/off switch, dual headphone jacks, an ExpressCard/54 slot, and two closely placed USB 2.0 ports. Built into the left side is a 2X Blu-ray drive, and an 8-in-1 memory card reader.On the back of the PC, you’ll find two more USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, and a Kensington Lock slot.
Keyboard, Touchpad, and Buttons
The wide base provides plenty of room for comfortable touch-typing on the N90’s “chocolate” keyboard (as ASUS dubs its shape), but there is some light flex. Of more concern, however, are the keys themselves; they offer plenty of travel but lack the springy feedback we prefer. In addition, the right Shift key is oddly undersized. On the upside, ASUS includes a full numeric keypad.
Although the touchpad doesn’t possess the same gloss as the rest of the PC, the attractive pattern extends across its surface, helping it mesh well with the rest of the base. At 3.3 x 2.0 inches, it offers just enough room to navigate the desktop with ease. Beneath it is a large mouse button that’s loud, but gets the job done.
To the left of the keyboard is a strip that houses four neon-blue backlit buttons that let us adjust the visual settings (Vivid, Theater, Soft, Normal, Gamma Correction), enable or disable the touchpad, switch battery modes (Quiet Office, Battery Saving, High Performance, Entertainment), and launch Express Gate, ASUS’ branded version of Splashtop.
Positioned below these buttons is a jog wheel that let us raise and lower the N90’s volume, as well as mute audio by pressing a button in the wheel’s center. We preferred this jog wheel to the futuristic multimedia touch control panels, such as those found on the Acer Aspire 8930G-6448 or ASUS W90.
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