ASUS S400CA-DH51 14-Inch TouchScreen Laptop

I do love it. Beautiful LCD screen, very nice keyboard. Nice feel overall. I do wish the top cover was made the same as the bottom as it it a fingerprint magnet (See solution at end). One word of warning, although ASUS description shows memory is upgradeable (which it is), ASUS does not provide instructions in the manual (in box and the one you need to download) nor online, nor do they support adding memory through any means of tech support in my initial contacts. Essentially they don't want people to do it. There is no memory access door so the full bottom needs to be unscrewed (10 little easy to lose screws that are all the same size) and popped off with a thumb nail, credit card, or guitar pick by going around its perimeter to pop open the little lock tangs. Of course the unit is OFF and not plugged in. Note most do it without disconnecting the battery which one should not play with in an Ultrabook nor is there any ASUS guidance on how to do it anyway. Then the memory slot is right there in your face. So it is installed in the normal manner which you can find online. So bottom line is if you are not hardware savvy buy this only if the installed 4G of memory is OK with you. It only took me two minutes to do but I would not expect anyone in my family to do it and would not even think to recommend they do it. You can view online a video of someone upgrading this exact model C400CA. But again. ASUS did make this for the average person to do upgrade it and seems wished they did not even put in the slot. The 4G it comes with is right on the system board.I do not think this non-support of memory installation is unique to ASUS though. Asus confirmed it support the added 4G. So, I put the memory back in.I originally thought that there was an issue with the extra 4G memory I put in so I used the laptop with it and without it. The problem we saw was that it appeared the screen went black when waking from sleep. What it turned out was something very simple and not wrong and nothing to do with the memory. When you close the lid, the screen goes out a little before it is completely closed, then it take another 5 seconds for it to sleep as you close it. Same as if the power button if set to sleep does. If you open before it is asleep, it still is in the process of going to sleep so it does not just awake. The point is, it has to be asleep to wake! So in that case, when the power button light goes off, just push it to wake. It turned out that the laptop actually needed a Intel chipset update, a VGA update, and a Acer pad update. The first two I believe were needed for the wakeup with black screen issue. I wish I knew that sooner. The files were easily downloaded form Asus and installation was easy.I am using it with 8GB but to be honest for normal use, 4G was fine, really did not need the extra memory. Save yourself the time and memory, just keep the laptop as it comes with 4G, it is fine for MS Office use, watching video, surfing, Skype, etc.To Reduce fingerprints on the top try a DETAILING CAR WAX SPRAY or LIZARD SPIT Guitar polish. You will still get fingerprints like you would on a stainless steel appliance.Buy a book on Windows 8 it will make thinks much easier. As far as interface goes, you get both the WIN 7 desktop and the pretty and the cool"START" which really is a tablet interface experience with a crippled IE app (you can configure it to use the real IE 10). Learning "START" is no big deal but much is not intuitive. Getting a nice intro book will get you past all the mysteries quickly instead of getting frustrated. Windows 8 to me (with 25 years IT experience) is unfinished with loose ends and flawed user interface. Too many unexplained things happen and it really just feels fragmented - seems rushed and uncertain on what it wants to be. Nevertheless, Windows 8 is what we get these days, with this very fast and well made laptop, itis very speedy and works well. Having a touch screen, as on this laptop, is needed for WIN 8, so if you think you don't need a touch screen you are wrong. Without it WIN 8 is a joke. Also make sure you get a SQUARETRADE 3 yr extended warranty right here on AMAZON. It is a real bargain and they are great.Amazingly (at least to me) ASUS support is very good. Nice techs, calm, helpful, caring, and understandable. I have experience with Dell, HP, and ACER, and ASUS was the best so far for a home user. ASUS is my first choice these days. I cannot believe how much better their support is than Dell or HP.I have edited this after 9 months of use and experience with it, hope it helps you.I have again edited this to update on the updates needed.THERE IS AN UPDATED VERSION OF THIS LAPTOP NOW that comes with 6GB memory. This new version supersedes this model.

I ordered this ultrabook 2 weeks ago and arrived the next day. I was more than thrilled and extremely excited to feel he aluminum brush top and interior which I read so much about. Once you un-box the package you will see the laptop, cold and built well. Once I charged the ultrabook for about 3 hours I turned it on and there it was. Windows 8 glowing with the touch screen panel. The first thing I did was go to youtube and searched a few songs to see the quality of the images, the graphics, and the sound. I played "Roar" by Katy Perry and the images were lush and sleek. Sharp and bright. The sound was the most impressive, almost as if the tiger in the music video was coming alive. I then tried to open many apps and windows and one time and the ultrabook does not fail in running smoothly and cleanly. The touch screen is very responsive and the touch pad is just as responsive. The ultrabook is as quiet as a smooth bullet and does not really get hot only warm. The hardware does come with a lot of usefull tools like USB 2.0 and USB 3.0, SD card slot, VGA, Kensington lock, HDMI, and dual mic and headphone jack. For the value of $600 this ultrabook is definitely a steal. It offers everything that you would need for everyday use. Built strong and very responsive, even smart. From being a student and typing 15 page research papers, to watching movies at home in almost HD quailty, to traveling and commuting on a bike, to presentations on a large screen TV, and even editing photos and videos, this ultrabook will not disappoint. People have been reporting about WIFI drops but I have not experienced that yet. The keys don't make weird noises.However, Asus and the factory did install a lot of "bloatware" that will slow your start-up time and take up hard drive space. But with a simple clean with the task manager and the ultrabook will run smoother. The screen is very glare-y and the colors are not the best when watching at an angle or in sunlight. The keys are just a little shallow and almost mushy but not quite. Windows 8 was somewhat a hassle at first because of the new interface that I was not used to and takes some time to understand. Moreover, from time to time the OS will force you to "update Windows" or "configure Windows" on its own when shutting down even after you have set the option to manually update. It will annoyingly take about 15 to 20 mins of your time when restarting. The battery life could be a little short if you use the computer all day long and will require one to carry the charger "brick" with them. With simple Microsoft word or web surfing use, it will last about 4 and a half hours with battery saving mode. If watching movies and multitasking this ultrabook will only be on for about 3 hours which will be disappointing for those who want more time. It will be a little heavier than other ultrabooks and not as thin. Amazon says that this ultrabook contains Bluetooth 4.0 but is only a false advertisement as it does not have Bluetooth. And finally the webcam is the same as the old netbook cameras but on an ultrabook as the photos will come out grainy and yellow. The shutdown will take about 20 to 30 seconds longer than the start-up which only takes about 12 to 13 seconds on a cold-boot which I found impressive.Ultimately, this computer has exceeded my expectations. From fast delivery to the power of this ultrabook. For $600 this ultrabook does more than its value. It is built strong, the computer is fast and smooth, the touch screen is responsive and the sound is amazing. The only thing that is not so good is the battery and the screen resolution. And Windows 8 will take some time to getting used to.I hope you found this review useful because I realize how important it is to have reviews that are in detail as it was very helpful for me to read other people's reviews that helped me in my decision on purchasing this ultrabook. Hope you guys will enjoy this particular ultrabook. Thank you!