Asus U6V Bamboo

Full Review

Talk about laptops that make a statement, and you have to mention the Asus U6V Bamboo laptop in the same breath. This 13.3-inch ultraportable from the Taiwanese multinational is fashioned with a sheet of bamboo over its screen lid, and the word ASUS laser-etched on the timber adding to the aesthetics. The bamboo covers other prime real estate on the notebook, including the palmrest and touchpad. The rest of the chassis, including the screen bezel and keyboard, has a silver-aluminium finish to it. The mix of bamboo and aluminium makes quite a few heads turn at the Asus U6V.

Talk about laptops that make a statement, and you have to mention the Asus U6V Bamboo laptop in the same breath.

It isn't all looks and glamor with the Bamboo U6V, as performance is equally well looked after on the notebook. Unlike laptops from Dell, Samsung, and Lenovo, it comes with an Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 2.4-GHz processor, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, 320GB hard drive, and an Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS graphics card. With a configuration like that, it's one of the most powerful ultraportable we've reviewed. Input-output ports are well looked after on the Asus U6V: three USB ports, HDMI, eSATA, multicard reader, ExpressCard slot, DVD writer, and a fingerprint reader below the touchpad. The VGA, ethernet, and modem port, are placed conveniently on the back next to the battery.

In terms of using the U6V Bamboo laptop, there's a sort of elegance attached to the whole bamboo experience. Remarkably, despite the wooden finish on the touchpad, it works effortlessly. The two mouse buttons are slightly clunky, though. On the central hinge, there's an on button, power mode switch, and webcam launcher—very convenient placement. With a WorldBench 6 score of 94, PC Mark 05 score of 5136, and a PC Mark Vantage score of 3558, it isn't shy in terms of performance either. It's poor battery life of 1 hour 29 minutes is below par when compared to others in the Top 5, especially considering it comes with a six-cell battery. At 1.7-kg it may be slightly bloated for an ultraportable, but the Asus U6V Bamboo laptop is one of its kind in terms of looks and appeal.

Bottom Line

A stylish designer laptop with a bamboo screen lid, palmrest, and touchpad. The Asus U6V Bamboo laptop is one of the most powerful ultraportable we have reviewed.