Uncategorized
ASUS Laptop L210 11.6” ultra thin, Intel Celeron N4020 Processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC storage, Windows 10 Home in S mode with One Year of Office 365 Personal, L210MA-DB01 Everything Else
$239.99
About this item
This fits your .
Make sure this fits by entering your model number.
Efficient Intel Celeron N4020 Processor (4M Cache, up to 2.8 GHz) 11.6” HD (1366 x 768) Slim Display 64GB eMMC Flash Storage and 4GB DDR4 RAM Windows 10 in S Mode with One Year of Microsoft 365 Personal Slim and Portable: 0.7” thin and weighs only 2.2 lbs (battery included)
› See more product details
Reviewy McReviewerson –
For what this is supposed to be and for roughly $200, it’s fantastic. This isn’t a high performance gaming laptop (or really any kind of gaming laptop) and it would be difficult to do precise graphic design work. However, for internet access and word processing and all of your everyday computer uses, it’s one of the best you can get.This runs smooth and feels very snappy due to the solid-state drive, and Windows 10 works well. Streaming movies/shows like through Netflix or YouTube works great.If you want to install programs that aren’t on the Windows app store, you’ll need to disable “S mode”, but this is easy and quick to do. Just Google “disable S mode” and you’ll find the steps easy enough.64 Gbs is more than enough for windows, web surfing, movie streaming, and word processing. However, I wanted to store some photos and other media, so I picked up a 256Gb micro SD card and it seems to work very well. These are relatively inexpensive ($30 or so) and couldn’t be easier to install – just insert into the micro SD slot until it clicks. The screen is small for a laptop, but if you’ve been working with only a smartphone screen for a while like I had been, it seems huge. 😂ASUS is one of the best quality computer parts manufacturers around, so this also should last a good while. Overall, I definitely recommend this for your more basic computer needs.
IvanIvan –
I really liked this little machine and for the price, in my opinion is a steal. It is like 20% faster than my mini PC which sports an Intel Celeron N3450 Quad-core. Per my tests with the 64GB eMMC included, even Windows 10 (v2004) is snappy. I also ran Linux on it with no issues, except that the wireless driver needs to be installed manually(tested on Mx Linux for instance). The sequential reading for the Sandisk eMMC is 316 MB/s and 154 MB/s writing.Once I booted up on the Windows installed, switched from Windows 10 in S Mode to Windows 10 Home for free in the Microsoft App Store and went ahead and activated the Office 365 subscription included for free(1 year). After that, I cleaned up the disk and installed everything from scratch. The drivers can be downloaded from the official Asus homepage. I had zero issues with Windows 10 20H1(v2004) but when tested version 20H2 (v2009), I had issues with the WIFI connection, so left 20H1.Something interesting on this machine is that there’s an empty slot for adding our own SSD NVME M.2. I didn’t’ test it myself as I didn’t have a spare SSD, but there are a few videos where someone could put in a 1TB SSD.The BIOS version included was v302, so one of the first things I did was to update to the latest version v306.I wish it had a backlit keyboard and an IPS screen. That would made it perfect for my needs. It’s also very well built to be a cheap laptop.Overall, I would buy it again.[UPDATE 2-3-2021]I installed a 512GB SSD and it worked like a charm. The reading/writing speeds are around 1700/1200 MB/s respectively. I just added a screenshot.I did a triple boot (Windows 10, MX Linux and Chrome OS) using Refind and all is working fine.EDIT:I replaced the wireless card with an Intel Wifi6 AX200(Amazon B07SH6GV5S). This new card does not required me to install drivers at all on Windows 10(although intel recommends to install the latest driver version they provide and I did that), Linux (Kernel 5.8) or Chrome OS, which it’s a plus for me. Also, tested on Windows 10 20H2 and found zero issues. Really happy with it. I almost forgot to say that this AX200 card also support Monitor Mode.
R. Gough –
You might think that only 4 gb for a Windows 10 laptop that cant expand the ram is a bad idea… Well, I’ve found this small laptop is actually fine, even quick for internet browsing, email, word processing and watching videos. Sure, the keyboard is smaller, but even with large hands, I had no trouble typing… Obviously, this is not a good choice for gaming or video editing work. Battery life is very good for the intended basic uses; not Apple Ipad good; but should give you at least 6+ hours for the basics… It DOES have a micro SD slot, in addition to the 2 USB ports.While you can’t expand the RAM, you can also expand the storage with an internal NVME stick.This is a great idea as it noticeably speeds up the computer if you make it the boot drive. I added a 500GB Samsung 980 NVME stick and am very pleased with the results.Having read about issues with the Samsung Magician cloning software, and difficulties in making a boot drive change work well on this laptop; let me tell you what worked well for me…Ordered the Samsung nvme stick, along with a $15 external enclosure for this type of chewing gum stick size drive. Downloaded the free version of Easeus Partition Master software to clone the built in Asus L210 drive. Loaded the new stick in the enclosure, plugged it into a USB drive on the Asus, and followed the directions to clone the Asus C drive. Opened the Asus and inserted the Samsung stick into the open nvme slot. Pressed power button holding down F2 key to get into bios.Change the boot order to start with the nvme stick. Save and exit. Booting then detected issues with Windows, so choose to download and install a new, clean copy of Windows 10. ( If you do this right after you have received the Asus, then you don’t have any reason to save data or settings on this Windows clean install. You don’t yet have any personal data to save.) When Windows is finished with the reinstall, make sure to do your windows updates.After that is done, use Disk management tool to reformat the original drive, and resize the partitions on the new nvme drive to what is available.Now your little, inexpensive laptop is faster, with plenty of drive space. Certainly one of the better values you can get in a very portable size, great for traveling when you may not want to carry a larger, more expensive laptop. Screen quality is very good, and the Asus has a full size hdmi out for easy video sharing. Definitely recommended for the price point and its intended use.
seventysixersfan –
For surfing the web, checking emails, streaming music services, this is perfect! Nice construction, lightweight and compact, and beautiful design. I especially LOVE the inclusion of the USB-C port, which I will use to connect to a portable external monitor. For every day tasks around the house, this fits my purposes perfectly.Update 1/15/21 – a few things – the product description mentions “backlit keyboard” but I can confirm this model definitely does not have it. Also, the USB-C port delivers power to another device and also transmits data, but does not output video to an external monitor. And I cannot get the NumberPad function to work, but maybe it’s because I am keeping the device in “Windows 10 S mode” and cannot update the driver. Anyway, for $199, I can’t complain much about these omissions/problems.Update 1/18/21 – thanks to one of the other reviewers, I figured out how to get the NumberPad to work properly – you need to very lightly touch each of the numbers and they will appear. I guess I was pressing down too hard. So with that problem sorted out, I’m very happy with this laptop so far!!
B. Guidry –
Before returning the product for slow speed, BE SURE TO UPDATE WINDOWS WITH THE WINDOWS UPDATER IN THE LAPTOP!!You Asus will then operate at a very nice speed!
RAPerez –
I confess I was hesitant about buying this laptop as a replacement for my old travel laptop of many years. Yes, I read most of the reviews, watched the few available videos and, took the plunge.After installing most of the same software of my other and more capable computers, I was surprised with The ASUS L210M laptop. It is a really good and capable travel laptop in spite of the critics with very high expectations for a laptop of this price and those who are less fluent and knowledgeable about what is a limited spec’d laptop that was designed for basic computations and budget limited people like myself.Most of the critics within the above reviews addressed how poor the display is and how cumbersome the trackpad works to mention a few less important items. Keep in mind that the ASUS L210M was designed for close-up work and the trackpad works great with a highly capable number pad too. The display for video watching is also adequate considering that most phones and tablets nowadays surpass the L210M capabilities.The Windows 10 setup was flawless, the WiFi functionality worked as it should and the Bluetooth captured all the devices I have with no issues. I also bought a 256Gb small memory card to house all the pictures, videos, and other important files from my old travel laptops. Again, no issues or unpleasant surprises.Before returning the laptop and start looking for another similar one, I suggest downloading the ASUS application titled MyAsus that can be activated with the laptop registration. The application is very capable and adequate to solve most of the issues buyers have mentioned in their reviews and also to learn about the L210M.If you are a Windows 10 capable user, this laptop will meet your needs for travel, classroom, and budget needs.
Amazon Customer –
I bought this laptop to replace a HP Stream 11.6″ that wasn’t keeping up with my levels of tolerance for casual web browsing, streaming, and word processing as my daily carry laptop. This is my third ASUS laptop and, overall, I am pretty happy with it.-Laptop is very compact, light, and easily fits into a bag or briefcase at about the size of a paperback composition notebook.-Screen is sharp, bright, and responsive enough for web, documents, and videos; viewing angle is a bit limited, but the 180 degree hinge makes it manageable.-Speed is satisfactory for documents, web, and video. It’s only a dual core CPU so it does floor to 100% often when opening applications or installing updates.-RAM is limited to 4GB. Windows 10 idles at about 50%-60% memory usage; Linux idles around 30% usage.-The pre-installed Windows 10S is pretty locked down, by design, but can easily be unlocked from the Microsoft Store at the expense of storage and less security.-Storage is pretty tight at 64GB, especially if you decide to unlock Windows 10S and update with patches. Luckily it has a vacant m.2 nvme slot to add a ssd.-The microSD slot is great for transferring files or offloading backups. The card almost sits flush once inserted.-Keyboard is not backlit and should not be advertised as so. Instead, there are white indicator lights on the Power, Fn, keys, and touchpad corner.-The physical build quality and feel is superior to my old HP Stream and other budget laptops I have owned. The plastics are molded better, sturdier, and well finished. The palm deck doesn’t flex under typing weight like others do.-Charger is about the size of a larger cell phone charger and it’s only a 1-piece charger with a long power tail so that makes it a lot easier to manage and store than the 2-piece chargers other laptops come with.For the fellow geeks, I installed a 250GB nvme and migrated the factory installed Win10S off the 64GB emmc onto the nvme ssd. Linux Mint XFCE installed, encrypted, just fine on the newly vacated 64GB storage. I did have to temporarily tether my phone to it to allow driver manager to reach out to the stream to install the wi-fi card as it’s not included with the base distro. Currently, no custom Linux driver exists for the number key feature on the touchpad so be aware of that if you want to switch to Linux. I unlocked Win10H on the 250GB nvme I installed and now Windows has plenty of room to grow. It’s now a dual OS boot laptop that I carry with me all the time in my briefcase. I’m very happy with this system for the price I paid and for the simple tasks I bought it for.
N8 –
If you loved the portability and battery life with your chromebook but missed some features of Windows, this is perfect. I took mine out of S mode (prompted to do so when downloading 3rd party software). It runs spreadsheets, word processors, and anti-virus software with no issues. Video streaming, web surfing, email, Roblox with kids, no problem. Goes all day without a charge. Smaller than an 8×11 sheet of paper. Fires up as fast as a chromebook. Keyboard works great. In love with this machine!
LM –
I bought this machine because I was looking for a small, inexpensive machine with good battery life to use for writing and media consumption when travelling, without having to worry much about it being damaged, broken or stolen.This laptop comes with a 64GB eMMC disk which is small and not very fast. I bought an M.2 SSD to add to this laptop as the primary disk (I bought a Western Digital SN550 SSD). To add the M.2 SSD, you have to remove the ten screws at the bottom of the laptop (there are two different lengths of screw, so mark the holes with the longer screws when removing). Removing the bottom cover is a bit tricky because it is very tight – start at a corner and insert plastic credit card or similar into the gap, Then pull the credit card around the seam to pop off the clips (the trick is to not push the credit card too far into the seam, or it will get caught. Insert it only a tiny bit into the seam and it will glide easily). Once you have removed the bottom cover the place to insert the SSD is labelled on the motherboard. You just push it in, then add a single screw to secure it. The screw doesn’t ship with the SSD usually, but if you need one you can buy a kit for a few dollars – search for “M.2 mounting screws” and you can get a kit with screws and screwdriver in the correct size, which can also be used to remove the case screws.Once you’ve added the SSD, it won’t appear in windows until you’ve formatted it in disk manager, which you can open by searching for “disk” in start menu and hitting “create and format hard disk partitions”.Once formatted, you can use it as a regular disk, but for best performance, reinstall windows on the SSD. To do that, create Windows 10 installation media – search google for “Create installation media for Windows” then follow instructions. You’ll need a USB drive that’s 8GB or bigger.Once you’ve created installation media, install Windows on SSD (hit F2 when booting laptop to get into BIOS to select startup disk). Drivers are available from ASUS site (search “asus L210 drivers” then hit “support”). Windows will automatically find the digital license for your machine and activate.Running on the SSD, performance for the machine is very good considering the price. Processor is fast enough to watch 4K youtube videos, should you wish to. Keyboard is fine-to-good. Touchpad is OK – good considering price. Speakers are not great, but good enough for watching youtube and as good as I would expect for this price and size. There is no backlit keyboard but that’s not something I care about. Screen is fine, good for price. Overall build quality feels very good compared to other units in this price range. Machine feels light.Battery life is excellent – using windows 10 “battery saver” mode (activate by pressing speech bubble in bottom right of task bar then hitting battery save) I routinely get 12 hours or more with normal usage and medium brightness, which is really excellent for the price in my opinion.If you want a small, cheap machine with very good battery life and decent performance, and you are willing to add the M.2 SSD, this is a great choice.
Nathan DumasNathan Dumas –
I’m giving this little engine that could five stars. Why? Well, it’s two hundred dollars. So I’m reviewing it as a two hundred dollar product. If I was comparing it to a Macbook Air M1, it would probably be three stars. If I was comparing it to a Microsoft Surface, three and a half. But it’s a small, budget laptop, and in that category, it’s excellent.QUICK RUNDOWN – It blows my mind how good of a job they did with this. I’ve used a lot of computers, and this one impresses me. If you’ve ever had a Chromebook, or even just a cheap (or perhaps even more expensive) laptop you’ll feel the difference immediately. It has a few issues, none of which are deal breakers, but it has many, many pros. Read on.PROS –Incredible Price to Performance RatioVery well built, with no cheap partsFull-size, comfortable keyboardSmall and lightweightGood design (add stickers if it’s a little too plain for you)Full Windows 10 License, and no hardwired bloatwareInternal NVMe slot and external SD Card slotI could keep going… it’s $200.CONS –No backlight keyboard (at least on the 11.6 model)Some irksome viewing angle problemsMaddeningly little built in storageAlmost too little RAMRealtek Wifi Card (explained why in the ‘Linux’ section)I’ve divided the review into individual sections: webcam, speakers, performance, software, etc, so scroll down to the one that’s most important to you, or read the review from top to bottom. They are (in order):Introduction (above)Weight & BuildKeyboard and TrackpadScreenBatteryPerformance (including Gaming)WebcamSpeakers & SoundSoftwareLinuxOther (SD Card Slot, NVMe slot, HDMI output, heating, cleaning)ConclusionLet me start with a few disclaimers. First, I’ve only been using it for a few weeks, which is about enough time to get a good sense of its mettle and iron out any problems it has. There’s been a few things I’ve noticed that I’ve added to this review, (see ‘performance’ and ‘screen’) and I’ll add more if more arise. No problem has been significant enough that it made me in any way wonder if it was worth. $200 is a really good price point.The second disclaimer, is there’s a few reviewers saying either A, they got a dud, or B, it clunked out on them after two years. Duds happen, with any product, this is no exception. So if mine does decided to go on the fritz, I’ll update my review relative to the exchange process – I WON’T deduct stars *just* because it gave out. Second, if you get two years of solid use out of this, it’s a good product. Just buy another one.With that being said, let me get into the details.WEIGHT AND BUILD – This is one of its greatest strengths, and rivals many laptops in higher price ranges. There’s no creaks, no cheap plastic waiting to shatter, it’s not a flimsy toy. It’s a solid electronic. It feels right, in your hands, on your lap, on a desk. So many laptops try and woo you with larger screens or better specs [or, for the life of me, a lower price tag], and turn out to be cup coasters you have to plug in. Not this. It really feels like it has some life in it.It’s not obscenely light, like a MacBook Air, but you can move about and use it on your lap without strain. If traveling’s your kind of thing, then the weight is sufficient. I would feel comfortable carrying it through an airport.The screen hinge feels durable and like it won’t be breaking anytime soon, and when you set it at the position you like, it stays. The laptop isn’t super-ultra-mega thin, but it is thin, and that’s a nice bonus. You could probably fit it in an envelope, just maybe a slightly larger envelope then the one Steve Jobs used.KEYBOARD AND TRACKPAD – The keyboard, I’m in love with. It’s full size; no cramping on tiny keys or accidentally presses. The give is decisive and gratifying, and it just feels good to use. The keyboard is actually the one (literally, the only one) thing I feel they cut a little too close to the corner on. There’s no backlight. It appears as those some of the models have a backlight, though I’m not sure, but mine doesn’t. (I got the 11.6 model). This can be a little frustrating, and I’m considering getting a book light so I can type in the dark. Again, this is a two hundred dollar laptop, so it is what it is. I’ll make due.Another note, is they put the ‘delete’ key right next to the power key. Shucks. A few times, I’ve gone to press the delete key, and the computer goes into sleep mode. This is more of an inconvenience than anything. Just press the power button again and it will start right back up where you left off. Still, if you’re doing sensitive work, it’s something to consider, and I’m sure you’ll learn very quickly to be cautious.Also, the ‘enter’ key is green. I thought this was strange, but I really like it. Hard to explain.The trackpad is responsive and that click is also decisive and gratifying. I don’t have any issues accidentally pressing it while I’m typing, and it’s very good at doing what I expect it to. If I click or tap, the mouse clicks. If I click on the right, it right clicks. Scrolling is painless and intuitive and very nuanced. The numpad on the keyboard is a nice touch, though I would have traded it for a backlit keyboard.SCREEN – Going back to where we started, this is a two hundred dollar laptop. You’re not getting an Apple Retina display. It has some minor viewing angle problems you’ll have to accommodate for. If you’re looking directly at it, everything looks good – pure colors, no whitening. If you turn it horizontally or bend the screen back, there’s a noticeable change in tone. It is what it is, and it likely won’t interfere with your work. Just don’t do color grading for professional photoshoots on it.The screen resolution is just right. The screen is small, but there’s enough room to do what you want and then some. This is one of the most significant factors in comfort. If it were cramped, it would give you a headache and strain your eyes. But they did a good job of making sure there’s some breathing room with a healthy buffer zone around whatever it is you’re focusing on. You feel like you can move and engage in multiple things.There’s a few reviews complaining it’s not a touch screen. You can’t please everyone. It’s not something I feel is missing, especially for $200.BATTERY – The battery life is on point. The time remaining Windows estimates seems to vary quite a bit, but I watched two movies and used it for 4 hours, and still had 17%. It’s the kind of thing you can charge at night and it will last you the day under normal conditions. It also doesn’t have quick charge, another little cut corner, but I’m not stressing about it. Then again, I’m around a power outlet most of the time. If quick charge is an issue for you, you’re in the wrong price point.Side note: the charging port really plugs in. You have to give it a little oomph to pull it out. Which can be a pro and a con. You definitely don’t want to trip on the cord; the whole thing will go flying off the table. But you can reposition the device without having to worry about the cord falling out.PERFORMANCE – This is actually one of its biggest strengths, and really surprised me. All the components come together to create a seamless experience. I was nervous about the odd named Intel Processor (N6 something something) but it turns out, it’s actually an Intel Celeron. And only four gigs of memory? Doesn’t seem like quite enough. But it somehow manages to muscle out the minimum, and have some left over. My guess is, this is largely due to the SSD. Just a few years ago, laptop manufacturers had two options for storage: a physical hard drive, which was expensive, bulky, and a power drain, or some sort of memory like a thumb drive. Both were slow and huge bottle necks.Well, this thing has a Solid State Drive. And that makes all the difference. With a decent processor, just enough memory, and the SSD, it will breeze through any routine task you ask it to do: open Microsoft Word, surf the web, torrent files, play music, and it will do it all without a hitch. Performance, under reasonable conditions, should never be a problem: you’ll never feel a pause or get frustrated.I LOVE the original Warhammer: 40K: Dawn of War series. This plays it effortlessly, even with mods. Which is very welcomed. I can imagine it can also play Sins of a Solar Empire, Age of Empires, Among Us, Terraria, and maybe even Minecraft, if that’s your kind of thing. Check out GOG.com (great old games) and you’ll be surprised at what’s out there. If you are planning to do some light gaming, the NVMe slot will really come in handy.IMPORTANT EDIT: After using it for some weeks, the lack of RAM is starting to become an issue. Windows has done a good job managing memory, but even day-to-day tasks can overwhelm it. This expresses itself as stalled applications, dropped Chrome tabs, or even system notifications that the system has run out of Memory. It did reach a significant error, though – everything went black, and after a reboot, Windows wanted to help set up my system (which is a big error.) Luckily everything was intact, my files, settings and programs. So it’s just kind of a startling headache.I was running a few programs, nothing too demanding. So if you’re planning on using this for anything more then Spotify and Chrome, be forewarned.WEBCAM – The webcam is about what you would expect. It’s a hefty 0.3 megapixels, but there aren’t any dropped frames, and the color processing is alright. If you need a webcam on the fly, it’ll due. If you use a webcam for any serious purposes, I would suggest investing in a nice one, which you were probably going to do anyway. The device will be able to handle it without issue.Of special note, is the microphone, which is actually great. Audio comes through clear and audible, distinct and focused. If you do find yourself in a situation where you have to use the onboard webcam, the video quality won’t be great, but you won’t have any problem being heard and understood.SPEAKERS & SOUND – The speakers are placed under the device, pointing directly down. You would think this would make them impossible to hear, but it projects and doesn’t distort the sound. I’ve watched a few movies, and haven’t had an issue hearing them – it gets plenty loud. I’m a bit of an audiophile, (though there are many more advance then I), and what I can say about these speakers is they’re passable. They’re not so bad that you’re getting irked with the sound quality, but they’re not so good you would enjoy Beethoven’s 5th. The various aspects of sound – the bass, and whatever else the other parts are called, are balanced and clear.If you’re using it for casual media use, the lackluster sound quality will fade into the background and you’ll be able to enjoy whatever it is you’re doing.The headphone amplifier is decent and it appears they didn’t skimp on it. I tested it with a pair of Sony MDR7506s (which are one-for-one studio monitors with a higher than average impedance.) The amplifier didn’t quit reach optimal levels, but it produced clear and pleasing sound. (and it does have a nice kick to it.) For an onboard amplifier, it’s more then adequate. If you’re a real audiophile and use an external amplifier, the primary factor to consider is if the sound it’s putting out can be boosted, and it definitely can.SOFTWARE – There’s a few pieces of bloatware you’ll want to uninstall. McAfee, Skype, MyAsus. (if you don’t know what bloatware is, ask the techy in your family to remove it for you.) Fortunately, none of them are hard coded into the software or hardware, so uninstalling them is straight forward and simple and can be done through ‘Add or Remove Programs.’ The laptop does come in Windows S mode (which is suppose to be a simpler version of Windows, but has some bothersome limitations for power users.) They made it extremely easy to convert into regular Windows 10. I clicked a button once and haven’t had to worry about it since: full Windows 10.LINUX – I’m not a super user when it comes to Linux. I do know enough to install and use it on a day-to-day basis, and for low-performance computers like this one, Linux is tantalizing. Unfortunately, the WiFi card in the system [as of 11/19/21] doesn’t work with Linux and there doesn’t seem to be any support on the horizon. Most people who need or prefer Linux have taken to using a USB WiFi antenna, an untenable inconvenience for most. Some people have been reporting switching out the NIC entirely, but I don’t know enough to speak about that.OTHER – What I find really helpful is the SD Card Slot. The 64 gigs of storage it comes with goes REALLY quick. I like to watch, uh, documentaries in public domain (like ‘Joker’ with Joaquin Phoenix). It’s amazingly simple to plug in an SD card (I got a 256gb one for $45), set up uTorrent to load all the unfinished and finished torrents onto the card, and that solves the whole problem. Just about any SD card you buy will be fast enough to download movies and play one at the same time.Other reviewers have pointed out it comes with a slot for an NVMe SSD. If you don’t know what that is, it probably doesn’t make much of a difference. If you do, it’s a very helpful addition. Hooray.It has tons of ports, which is great. Two USB ports, a USB-C port, the above mentioned SD card slot, an auxiliary port, and an HDMI port. I’ve used the HDMI port on a full screen TV, and it works for watching a movie. The quality of the movie file will make a difference – but the sound compression changes that are necessary with downloaded media [generally done through VLC] help a lot. It’s not blu-ray, but performance doesn’t seem to be affected by what’s happening in a scene or the amount of sound.If you’re planning on using this for presentations, it’s exactly what you want. Plug, play ‘n forget.During normal, unplugged, use you wouldn’t be able to tell that it’s turned on just by the heat. If you’re running a process-intensive program or have it plugged in, it does heat up, but that’s normal. You can use it on your lap without a worrying. I don’t see heating being an issue. It’s also fanless, which is a big deal if you live in a dusty environment. You won’t slowly be running it into the ground just by using it, listening to the fan whir louder and louder as it tries to compensate for all the dust.Side note: If it overheats, it’ll just turn off. It won’t hurt it.I like to take good care of my computers, so ease of cleaning matters to me. Being fanless, that alleviates a lot of of the issues you would come across. Still, you can’t access behind the keyboard, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out. You might be able to remove each key and clean it out, which would go a long way, but I wouldn’t try it without doing some research and carefully weighing the benefits and risks.Either way, do yourself a favor: buy a small pack of Q-tips, a little bottle of house hold cleaner (Pinesol works well), and lens clothes, and throw them in the bag or case you’re carrying the laptop in. Occasionally go over the keyboard with the Q-tips and wipe down the exterior, and the lens cloth will come in handy a lot more then you think. I don’t know if it will necessarily add to the life of the machine, but it will feel a lot better. And it’s worth taking some pride in your devices.CONCLUSION – The bottom line is, is it feels good to use. Everything from the keyboard to the performance to the build quality makes it a very enjoyable and complete experience: there’s nothing really lacking that will get in your way. It’s spectacular for day-to-day use, and it’s got a little muscle to it. For $200, you’re getting a real product, and it even has something to say to higher end laptops. If you decide to go with this, I think you’ll be very pleased.