nickcal's stats
- Review count328
- Helpfulness votes1,316
- First reviewFebruary 22, 2014
- Last reviewAugust 20, 2025
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- Average rating4.7
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- First answerMay 23, 2016
- Last answerSeptember 7, 2020
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Take your aerial photography and videography skills to the next level with the F28 Foldable GPS Drone and. The F28 is designed to cater to the needs of both adults and kids alike, making it perfect for families. With a 2K Full HD Time-Lapse photography feature you will be able to create stunning time lapses of scenery, construction projects or events for marketing and personal use.
Customer Rating
4
App Needs Work, but it’s fun to fly
on October 28, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
When I sat down to set up the Contixo F28 GPS Drone, I had some doubts. I read many of the reviews that were published about it, and since I saw that there were a lot of issues with connecting to the drone and setting up the app, I was concerned that my experience wouldn’t be very positive. While I did dislike some of the design choices of the manufacturer, I ended up having a lot of fun flying the drone.
DESIGN
The overall design of the drone could use some work. It’s made with very lightweight, cheap-feeling plastic. It looks like the design was mocked up after other foldable drones from more premium brands. This isn’t really where I had my issues. It was the controller. At first glance, it looks and feels like a child’s toy. It is functional, but its parts are so lightweight and not easy to manipulate (unfold from its body) that I had a hard time getting past its design to its function. When I flipped it over and saw a battery door, I almost gave up entirely because the last thing I wanted to deal with was disposable batteries. When I opened the door, I found a Lithium-ion battery pack (702030 3.7V 300mAh) that was connected to the controller. This battery pack is rechargeable, but the connector for it is micro USB, which was a letdown since it’s such outdated technology at this point. In my opinion, I believe this controller was probably an older design and repurposed for this particular drone without being updated.
SET UP
The setup requires a couple of different steps. First, you need to download the app. I was using an iPhone 16 Pro running iOS 18.0.1, and the version of the Contixo F28 app was version 1.03. I didn’t have any issue with connecting to the drone’s WiFi network and once I did, the app opened up the camera and I could use it while I was flying. I followed the instructions in the manual and didn’t have any major issues with getting the drone in the air.
THE APP
There were several reports I read of the app not being compatible with the latest iOS version. I was fortunate in that the app had been updated just a few days before I set up the drone. That said, it’s not 100% optimized for iPhone 16 Pro. The edges of the app go to the edges of the iPhone, and it is only viewable in landscape mode. That means that the Dynamic Island ends up covering some of the menu controls. While you can still access the menus, you can’t see them. You have to tap on a certain area and then hope you are getting the right thing. Aside from that, I was able to access photos and videos that I captured and save them to my phone. The app kept giving me a ‘no SD card warning,’ but there was no place to put an SD card on the drone. Media was simply saved to my Photo library (after I gave it permission).
FLIGHT EXPERIENCE
I had a lot of fun flying the drone. It was actually very peppy, and while I didn’t have a speedometer, I thought it was pretty quick. I only flew the drone in my backyard, but it’s fairly sizable. I flew it from one end to the other and stopped quickly when I let off the controls. I didn’t find that it did automatic avoidance of obstacles, and I did fly it into a pine tree once. The drone immediately lost connection and dropped to the ground. I estimate that it was about 10-12 feet in the air when it fell. Surprisingly enough, the drone was unharmed, and once I straightened out its legs, it was able to fly again with no issues.
I’m not 100% sure I would recommend this for beginners since it took some technical experience to get started with this drone, but it was a lot of fun to fly, and it’s very cost-effective. It comes with a very handy travel case, which is great for storage of the entire set-up. It’s not perfect, but a person can have fun with it.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Eye is moving~and it~s fallen onto our Mech Keys community. What began as a keycap set has now taken shape as a full board. Meet the Drop + The Lord of the Rings Black Speech Keyboard: a Mordor-inspired centerpiece poised to conquer your desktop. New to this build is a matching black aluminum case with custom artwork by OSHETART depicting the Eye of Sauron atop Barad-d~r. Beyond the aesthetics, the typing is scary-good, too, thanks to our Phantom Stabilizers paired with our Holy Panda X Switches for a tactile feel worthy of the Dark Lord himself. One does not simply walk into this keyboard.
Customer Rating
5
Great gaming keyboard, switches a bit stiff
on October 20, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
Being a fan of LOTR and mechanical keyboards, I felt this Drop + was a sure winner for me. What I found was that the keys are a little too stiff for me to enjoy fully. It’s a very unique keyboard. Right from taking it out of the box, you feel the influence of LOTR. I love the little details, such as the ‘one ring’ as the FN key on the right side of the spacebar and the ESC key. Since I don’t speak ‘black speech,’ I have no idea if the characters provided correspond in any fashion to the American-English alphabet. And, even though I have a lot of muscle memory built up from years of typing experience, it’s helpful that the English alphabet is included on the keys as well.
There is a unique curve to the keys that almost makes them feel concave. I rather like it, and instead of a little carat on the F and J keys, the dip in the key is larger and more noticeable than the other surrounding keys. I thought this was another nice touch.
Pros
Unique design
Nice curve to keys
The keyboard is responsive overall
The 75% layout has all the main keys in a layout that I like.
Nice curve to keys
The keyboard is responsive overall
The 75% layout has all the main keys in a layout that I like.
Cons
It’s not directly compatible with macOS
The switches have stiffer actuation than I am used to.
Not wireless
The switches have stiffer actuation than I am used to.
Not wireless
One thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was that it wasn’t directly compatible with macOS since I use both systems. I was, however, able to change the modifier keys in the macOS System software. This made it much closer to the layout I’m familiar with on that system.
The DROP keyboard is very heavy. I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. To mean, that means ‘quality’ with a keyboard like this. The aluminum body is solid, and it, combined with the Holy Panda X Tactile switches and MT3 keycaps, is a great combination. The lighting of the keyboard left something to be desired. It doesn’t get very bright, and there are no options for changing to a different color. Another downside to this particular keyboard is that it is not wireless.
Even though the Holy Panda switches are supposed to be good for typing, I found them to be quite stiff, and they actually hindered me from being as accurate as I normally am. As a gaming keyboard, it’s fantastic. I didn’t have any issues with finding the keys I wanted, but for long-form typing, it’s just not the best companion.
All in all, I think this keyboard is fantastic, and for LOTR fans, it’s a great piece of memorabilia for the franchise.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Experience unrivalled comfort with LinkBuds Fit earbuds. With excellent sound and call quality, and improved Ambient Sound Mode, staying connected to the people and content you love has never been easier.
Customer Rating
5
Comfortable, compact earbuds
on October 11, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
The box for the LinkBuds has an outer wrap to it that seals on the bottom. The inner box has a magnetic closure and when you lift the lid you’ll find a 1-2-3 illustrative instruction graphic. You are instructed to download the app, put the earbuds in your ears, and then connect to the app. If you pull on the tab that has the graphic on it you will lift out the inner carton, which contains the earbuds in their charging case, a packet with the user manual and safety information, ear gels, and a short USB-C charging cable.
Pairing the Sony LinkBuds is effortless and when you connect to multiple devices, the LinkBuds automatically recognize what device you are using. The earbud controls use a unique tap control mechanism, allowing you to tap in front of your ear rather than directly on the earbud. It also supports hands-free control through head gestures, such as nodding to accept calls or shaking your head to reject them. However, the wide-area tapping system can take some time to adjust to, as it may feel unintuitive at first and can lead to occasional misinterpretations or inconsistencies in response.
Sony’s companion app, Sony Headphones Connect, provides control over many features, including noise-canceling levels, equalizer settings, and firmware updates. While the app offers a lot of functionality, it can also be frustrating at times. Updates may take longer than expected, and some users report difficulty navigating through its more complex features, particularly for new users unfamiliar with the app’s layout and functionality.
The earbuds are very comfortable, even when you wear them for longer periods of time. I didn’t notice any soreness and I found them to be remarkably lightweight. I didn’t do an extensive workout with them but I did ride my bike and walk around our neighborhood with them in. They stayed in place securely and I wasn’t worried about them slipping at all.
The sound quality is impressive. They deliver a very rich listening experience. The bass is punchy without being overwhelming and you can fine-tune your settings using the EQ in the app. I really appreciate the adaptive noise canceling (ANC) feature because it intelligently adjusts to your surroundings. It blocks out background noise well, but the ANC can be less crisp than the normal listening mode. I found call quality to be better than other earbuds and calls generally come through crisp and understandable. I’ve used them for both work and personal use.
The battery life is good and thanks to the charging case provides up to 21 hours of total playback. They aren’t wireless charging compatible which was a letdown, but they do have a quick charging feature. The design of these earbuds stood out to me even though the charging case is a little thicker than some other earbud cases. They are remarkably small and it’s nice that several different colors are offered.
The Sony LinkBuds offer a great balance of comfort, sound quality, and innovative features. Their seamless setup, tap controls, and adaptive noise canceling provide a versatile and enjoyable user experience.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Type, sketch, view and read with the Combo Touch keyboard case. A flexible kickstand and a full-size, detachable keyboard give you multiple use modes for any task. Take iPad further with a bigger trackpad that gives you superior, intuitive tracking experience with familiar Multi-Touch gesture controls.
Customer Rating
5
Very nice accessory for iPad Pro
on October 9, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
I’ve used keyboard cases with my iPads for years. I find they are the most logical option for using an iPad as a personal computing device. Some of them connect via Bluetooth, but they just aren’t a good option, in my opinion. They tend to lag more than a direct connection, and you have to worry about making sure they are charged. This is why I really like the cases that connect using the magnetic connector on the iPad. I’ve been so impressed with this Logitech case because of its direct connection.
DESIGN
I was so impressed with the design of this case. It’s in two pieces, so you can use the bumper case portion autonomously from the keyboard or stick the keyboard on and be on your way. The material that is used as the covering has a smooth, soft feel to it. While this material makes fingerprints and smudges show up a bit more than other cases, I have found it fairly easy to clean. The case doesn’t feel overly bulky or heavy, in my opinion. The kickstand folds into the case so that it’s almost invisible. One of the big downsides I found with the design of the case was the function of the kickstand. It is best suited for a solid, flat surface, so it doesn’t work particularly well in a person’s lap. I used my iPad a lot in my lap, so I’m not a big fan of how awkward it is to hold in that manner. The other downside is that when the iPad is in the bumper case, it won’t mount magnetically to my articulating desk mount.
EASE OF USE
Because the case utilizes the iPad’s magnetic connector, the setup was very quick and easy. It was a little difficult to install the iPad into the bumper case since its corners are rigid, but if you start on the camera system side and press it into the case first, you should be able to work the rest of the case around the border of the iPad. The keyboard feels great, and the keys are very responsive. I typed quite a bit on it before writing this review and even completed a typing test online. While my average typing speed and accuracy were a little slower than normal, it wasn’t so much lower that I thought the keyboard was hindering my skills.
Overall, this is a great option for a protective, useful keyboard case.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Designed for easy hands-on espresso exploration, take your espresso based drinks to the next level - create wherever your curiosity takes you - from Espresso, Americano, Latte, to Cappucino and much more.
Customer Rating
5
Make fancy coffee from the comfort of your own kit
on October 8, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
I enjoy a nice cup of coffee every once in a while. My fiancé drinks it every morning, though, and we were both thrilled to add this espresso machine to our kitchen appliances. Not only does it have a stainless steel finish, which matches most of our other appliances, but it makes fantastic coffee drinks. Plus, we love KitchenAid devices. They hold up well and we’ve never really had one fail on us.
The unboxing process was a bit cumbersome as there were a lot of pieces and parts included. The machine itself is all one piece and no assembly is required, but there are a lot of parts that are wrapped up with tape and plastic that have to be unwrapped before you can start using it. Many years ago we had a ‘fancy’ coffee drink maker, but it used coffee pods instead of coffee beans. So, this machine presented a whole new adventure to us. In fact, we had to purchase whole coffee beans since we only had ground coffee at home when this machine arrived. The truth is that you could probably use pre-ground coffee and just press it, but the freshly ground coffee just tastes so much better.
So, the first thing you do is grind your beans into a powder. You have the ability to select how fine or coarse you want your coffee grounds to be. Once you have your coffee grounded up, you press it into a firm disk inside the portafilter and put the entire assembly under the Group Head to brew the espresso. This part of the process isn’t difficult, and within just a few minutes, you can have your fancy coffee. There are various settings to go through to fine-tune your drink how you want it. You have the option to steam milk if you want and, of course, you can add different flavors to your coffee.
To me, this is a great way to have a premium coffee drink at home. The only downside is the clean-up. It’s a fairly messy process — especially if you make the steamed milk. The machine doesn’t take up too much more space than a full-size coffee maker does. And, as an added benefit, there are rollers on the back so that you can slide it in and out on a counter easily.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Samsung's 34" Odyssey OLED G8 Ultra-WQHD Gaming Monitor features OLED technology for a wider color spectrum and vibrant images. 175Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms response time (GtG), and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro allows for faster, exhilarating gameplay without image tearing. 34" 21:9 Ultra-WQHD display with 110 pixels per inch for stunning detail and clarity. Glare Free technology significantly reduces glare from external light sources, so the OLED screen~s perfect black and color experience are presented without distractions. OLED Safeguard includes Thermal Modulation System, Logo and Taskbar Detection & Screen Saver to help prevent burn-in. A Slim Metal Design and Ergonomic Stand provides unparalleled style and comfort, with connectivity that enables access a variety of input options. Gaming Hub offers instant access to streaming with Smart TV Apps for access to mustsee shows and free live content. 3-Year warranty.
Customer Rating
4
Great with a frustrating smart TV interface
on September 16, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
Setup: The monitor is well packaged and does require a bit of assembly. The stand is separate from the monitor body and attaching it using a couple of screws is needed. You do have the choice of using the stand or using a VESA-compatible mount. I opted to use the latter and swapped out my current monitor, which resides on a gaming monitor arm. To do this, I had to attach the VESA adapter that came with the monitor and then screw the VESA adapter from the monitor arm to it. The arm held it effortlessly because it is so light - weighing only 12.1 pounds (without the stand).
The physical installation of the monitor was easy, but the rest of the setup left something to be desired. Even though the inclusion Samsung Tizen OS Smart TV interface is considered a benefit, I found it more annoying than anything. For starters, you have to connect your monitor to an internet connection and then you have to log into your Samsung account. If that wasn’t enough, the monitor automatically starts playing whatever content is showing on Samsung’s free TV service. There is no easy way to stop it. To be honest, I was in the middle of testing a host device feature and simply wanted the monitor up and running. So having these extra steps to get through just to use the monitor as a monitor was frustrating.
Overall Impression/Usage: As far as image quality goes, I was pretty impressed. The OLED panel does a good job of providing a crisp, clear image. Text was easy to read and colors were vibrant. The brightness level could be higher (it’s only 250 nits + HDR) whereas my current monitor is 1000 nits (HDR peak). I appreciate that the monitor has a DisplayPort and two HDMI 2.1 ports, I found myself wanting at least one USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 port so that I could connect a host device directly to the monitor without a hub, dock, or adapter.
I’m not a huge fan of the smart TV interface. It seems to just get in the way of the basic monitor functions. It would be great to have a way to shut it off so that you didn’t have to use it at all. I wanted a quick way to view the refresh rate as I switched between inputs but I couldn’t find that option. I connected a Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus to the monitor so that I could try out Call of Duty: Mobile with it. I was able to connect to the monitor at 120Hz using a capture card as a pass through and a couple of different apps. This was great for gameplay.
Conclusion: Overall the monitor seems like a great option for gaming and most types of computing tasks, but the interfaces get in the way.
Pros
Lightweight and easy to mount on a wall or monitor arm
Easy installation
Comes with cables
Clear image
High refresh rate
Cons
Easy installation
Comes with cables
Clear image
High refresh rate
Cons
Not 4K
No USB-C connection
Not extremely bright (only 250 candela per square meter or 250 nits)
Smart monitor interface can be frustrating to work with
Large power supply
Price tag
No USB-C connection
Not extremely bright (only 250 candela per square meter or 250 nits)
Smart monitor interface can be frustrating to work with
Large power supply
Price tag
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Experience Tomorrow, Effortlessly: Get ready for a seismic shift in how you get things done. Seamlessly integrate AI into your everyday PC tasks, saving time, and boosting productivity. Forget sorting through endless search results. Transform how you uncover knowledge by simply asking for exactly what you need and getting tailored responses. Unlock a laptop~s full potential and experience tomorrow's innovations effortlessly today with Swift 14 AI.
Customer Rating
5
A great machine for most daily work
on September 15, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
The Acer Swift 14 AI 14-inch laptop powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite and Windows 11 Home edition. It’s processor, RAM, and storage capacity make it a powerful productivity machine for heavy multitaskers. The GPU included is the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite Adreno, which is suitable for most standard tasks, but isn’t going to support heavy gaming or high-demand creative tasks easily.
DESIGN: As far as looks go, the Acer Swift 14 is a pretty standard laptop. It is dark gray and has the Acer logo etched onto the lid. The bottom of the laptop features rubber feet that lift the computer off a flat surface for ventilation. The trackpad is a little larger than a standard trackpad and it seems very responsive. The laptop is slightly thicker than some other laptops I’ve used but it’s still sleek and has a slim profile.
DISPLAY: The screen of the laptop is a touchscreen and I didn’t have any issues with it registering my touch inputs. I didn’t think it the screen collected too many fingerprints and love how bright it is. The display has a resolution of 2560 x 1600 and a refresh rate of 120Hz. The refresh rate is great for smoothing out fast-moving visuals, but may not be apparent with standard tasks. The brightness level is only 300 nits, but it seems to be plenty bright in my opinion.
BATTERY: Out of the box the laptop didn’t power on. I plugged it into power using the provided power adapter and it turned on. After setup was completed, the battery showed it was at 89%. I left the laptop on and unplugged it from the power adapter. I changed the standby settings so that the laptop would not fall asleep. Then, I turned on a 4K YouTube video and let it play at 100% brightness. After one hour, the laptop had only drained 6% of its battery. With that in mind, I would estimate that it would take 15-16 hours of use to drain the battery completely.
NETWORK SPEED: To test the network speed, I ran Ookla’s Speed Test using Chrome. The dowload speed was 737.19 Mbps and the upload speed was 604.51 Mbps and the ping was 12. This was using an AT&T Fiber connection with a Netgear RAXE500 Tri-Band WiFi 6E Router.
PERFORMANCE: When I completed standard real-world tests such as surfing the internet, editing photos (just using Paint), and notepage/processing tasks, the laptop passed above expectations. When I set up the laptop, I did it as a new PC and customized the experience for business and creativity as it seemed to be the best match for the laptop’s specs.
One thing that was different about the setup process was that the laptop automatically completed updates as a part of its initial startup. I did decline the trial offers of Office 365 and Xbox Game Pass. When it came to search settings, I turned off search highlights and the work or school account options. Then, I turned off the Microsoft Start feed in the Widget area. Once those setup tasks were completed, I completed the Windows updates.
After finishing setup and updates, I restarted the computer and immediately ran Task Manager to see how many computing tasks were running. There were 181 tasks running - most of which were system-based.
I ran Geekbench to assess how well the CPU would perform. The Geekbench CPU score was 2426 single-core / 14374 multi-core. As a means of comparison, the top-ranking CPU on Geekbench’s charts is the Intel Core i9-13900KS with a score of 3140 for single-core and a multi-core score of 21796. When looking at the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-78-100) processor that is in the Acer laptop against the Intel Core i9, the Intel chip outperforms the Snapdragon X Elite in nearly every area except power efficiency and integrated graphics.
Overall, the Acer laptop is a power-efficient laptop that is great for many different tasks. I wouldn’t bet on it as a dedicated gaming machine, but for most other tasks it’s worthwhile.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Elevate your driving experience with this cutting-edge Wireless Apple CarPlay Adapter. Perfect for iPhone users and compatible with vehicles that have built-in Apple CarPlay, this adapter transforms your commute by enhancing both safety and accessibility. Benefit from effortless auto-pairing and a stable Bluetooth connection that seamlessly integrates with your vehicle's system. Enjoy the convenience of wireless hands-free media streaming and voice control, allowing you to focus on the road while staying connected and entertained. Unlock the full potential of your car's capabilities with this essential upgrade.
Customer Rating
5
Helpful device
on September 11, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
One of my favorite features of iOS is CarPlay. The only thing I don’t like is that wireless CarPlay isn’t widely available. My car came equipped with CarPlay, but it required my phone to be hardwired into the car and I hate cables. So, having a wireless CarPlay adapter seemed like the ideal solution to me.
This adapter was easy to install and get set up. I’ve used many types of wireless CarPlay adapters and most of them utilize complicated menus and many of them have both English and Chinese menu items which make it very hard to determine what settings to choose. This Rexing adapter is a great upgrade from non-wireless CarPlay because the setup is effortless and doesn’t have multiple languages to deal with.
I love how small the adapter is. It makes it easy to stow away in the middle storage compartment of my car. So far, I’ve not had any issues with it and I’m really enjoying having wireless CarPlay.
Unlike other CarPlay adapters this one is super solid. I like how well it works. Will get one for my other car.
Unlike other CarPlay adapters this one is super solid. I like how well it works. Will get one for my other car.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Congratulations~you hooked yourself up with a pair of Apple AirPods! Now protect them as best you can with the Best Buy essentials Silicone Case for Apple AirPods 3rd Generation. Specifically designed for 3rd generation Apple AirPods, this silicone case cradles and protects your AirPods from drops up to 3.94 ft. A removeable carabiner ring attaches your case to lanyards, keychains and more. This case supports wireless charging, and precise cutouts allow constant access to your buttons and charging port. Finally, the rich blue color looks great and shows off your style. Protect your AirPods with a silicone case that gets the job done and looks stylish while doing it.
Customer Rating
5
Classic, simple design
on September 11, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
My fiance and I have been fans of the Apple AirPods since they were first released. The only issue either of us has had was keeping the charging case protected. Silicone cases like this one are perfect for this purpose. In addition to that, the case protects the shell of the AirPods from getting scratched. This particular case is designed with an O-Ring carabiner clip which is helpful for attaching it to backpacks, key rings, or belt loops.
The case seems sturdy. One of the features of this case is a silicone strap that connects the top to the base of the case. This is nice because it means that the top can’t get separated from the bottom of the case, but it is pretty thin. I pulled on it to see if it stretched out and I didn’t seem to change the integrity of the strap. I do, however, wonder how it will fare over time.
The silicone is smooth, but it does collect pocket lint, which is a fatal flaw of this material. It’s very protective, but it doesn’t stay super clean. The charging port cover is open, which means that it’s not completely resistant to the elements. There is a cutout for the indicator LED on the front and a clear indicator of where the reset/pairing button on the back of the AirPod case is. The case isn’t super heavy, but it will add some weight to the AirPods.
Overall, this is a nice case and it’s better than no protection at all. If you are just looking for something to give your AirPods some added protection without a lot of flare, this is a nice, affordable option.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The new Zenbook S 16 harmoniously blends beauty and performance. Featuring an impossibly thin 0.43-inch chassis crafted from premium Ceraluminum material, the S 16 exudes elegance in its craftsmanship. Immerse your senses in its breathtaking 16-inch 3K OLED Lumina display and experience high-fidelity audio from its six powerful speakers. Optimized for productivity, the S 16 is powered by the latest AMD Ryzen processor with a dedicated AI NPU that speeds up local AI processes, while a quick-access Copilot AI Assistant key streamlines your workflow. Despite its compact form and powerful performance, the Zenbook S 16 offers incredible all-day endurance thanks to its 78Wh battery.
Customer Rating
5
An exceptional all-around laptop
on August 28, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
The ASUS Zenbook S is a 16-inch productivity machine powered by AMD, Windows 11, and Copilot. This is a high-end laptop that is designed to handle more power-hungry tasks such as content creation, but it isn’t great for heavy gaming. I have only had the Zenbook for about a week, but it’s already proven itself to be a fantastic multitasking powerhouse.
DESIGN: The physical design of this laptop is stunning. It has a ‘Celaluminum’ covering, which is a combination of ceramic and aluminum that is strong and scratch resistant. The color is a silvery white tone and there are some geometric lines etched into the lid of the computer. “ASUS Zenbook” is imprinted on the cover as well, but it’s small and set off to one corner. When you open the cover, the screen, keyboard, and trackpad match the gorgeous exterior.
The trackpad is a bit larger than a standard trackpad and you have the option of using more two, three, and four finger gestures. This type of function is very similar to what you get with a touchscreen device, such as a mobile phone or tablet. Since I’m very accustomed to that, I felt right at home.
DISPLAY: This laptop does not come with a pen, but the monitor is a touchscreen. This is one feature that I wish my other laptop had because I mistakenly touch the screen so many times when I move between my phone, tablet, and laptop. I found that the screen was very responsive and it didn’t seem to get too dirty with fingerprints. The screen resolution is 2880 x 1800, which is Full HD and actually treads into 2K territory (anything between 1440 and 2160 is considered 2K). The specs actually classify it as 3K, which isn’t widely recognized.
The aspect ratio is 16:10, which is slightly bigger than standard widescreen. I viewed 4K video content from YouTube on this laptop and thought it was gorgeous. The screen is reflective and if you try to take a picture of its screen while turned off, you will get a reflection of yourself in the shot. With a brightness of 500 nits, the it’s very easy to read and edit documents as well as images on this display.
With it being an OLED HDR screen, visuals are very impressive. You get a high color depth and very vibrant images.
SOUND PERFORMANCE: I was very impressed with the power and sound quality of these speakers. They are Harmon/Kardon speakers and the computer is equipped with Dolby Atmos as a sound profile. I listened to some music using YouTube Music and blown away by how powerful the speakers are. For most sound, I comfortable listening at a level of 10, but for testing purposes, I bumped the volume up to 24 and 50 (I discovered that the volume increases and decreased by increments of 2). At 50, it was almost too loud for me — especially with it sitting right next to me. I found that I had a slightly different experience when I played a movie using Disney+. I had to turn the volume up to 50 in order to hear all the details I wanted to hear while watching the intro sequence to Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2.
I used an app on my phone (Sound Level Meter) to measure the loudness of the speakers. First I captured some ambient noise, which measured around 27dBA. Then, I listened to music at the two levels I mentioned. The average dBA level was 33.5 with a max level of 79.2. The meter divides sound levels into four colored segments - blue (quiet), green (speech), yellow (noise), and red (danger). For the most part the volume level was in the green area, but when the music peaked at a high point (at 50% volume on the laptop), the level bounced into the yellow area. With the movie playing at 50%, I got a max level of 58.5 dBA and a minimum level of 25.2 dBA. It barely bounced into the yellow area.
BATTERY: Out of the box, the laptop did not power on until I plugged it into power. It did, however, immediately show that it was at 60% battery level after set up was completed. I charged the laptop to 100% and then ran it down to 3% by playing a constant stream of 4K video streaming on YouTube. The screen brightness was turned up to 100% but the volume was turned down to 0%. The backlighting on the keyboard was also turned off and no other tasks were running other than YouTube on Chrome. I started this test at noon and at 11:44pm the computer finally shutdown due to lack of power. It took less than two hours to charge it back to full power with 30% battery life gained in just under 30 minutes.
NETWORK: To test the network performance, I ran Ookla’s Speed Test using Chrome. The download speed was 814.95 Mbps and the upload speed was 724.87 Mbps and the ping was 13. This was using an AT&T Fiber connection with a Netgear RAXE500 Tri-Band WiFi 6E Router.
PERFORMANCE: When it comes to performance, I will say that standard real-world tests passed with flying colors. I did a variety of tasks including surfing the internet, editing photos (just using Paint), and notepad/word processing tasks. I set the laptop up as a new PC and customized the experience for business and creativity as it seemed to match the specs of the computer the best. I did decline the trial offers of Office 365 and Xbox Game Pass. When it came to search settings, I turned off search highlights and the work or school account options. Then, I turned off the Microsoft Start feed in the Widget area. Once those setup tasks were completed, I completed the Windows updates. For the most part, this was a pretty standard setup process for me, but I did note that after the second reboot, I got a notification that ASUS needed to do a Firmware update on the Bios. I completed that with no issues, but a couple of days later, I had to do it again. There weren’t any issues with these updates, but it was strange to me since I’ve not encountered that before.
After finishing setup and updates, I restarted the computer and immediately ran Task Manager to see how many computing tasks were running. There were 186 tasks running - most of which were system-based. There were 68 background processes and Task Manager reported that 3% CPU, 22% Memory, and 1% Disk was being used for these processes.
I did several benchmarking tests on this laptop when I first got it (Geekbench, Geekbench AI, GFX Bench, and Cinebench) to check out its general performance ranking. I admit that I was a little confused about this machine’s place in the market since it has all high-end components except for the entry-level GPU. The tests I ran provided some valuable insights.
Cinebench - Cinebench is a benchmarking tool used to evaluate the performance of a computer's CPU and GPU. It primarily measures the processing power of the CPU by rendering a complex 3D scene, which tests the CPU's ability to handle multi-core and single-core workloads. The resulting score reflects the CPU's performance, with higher scores indicating better processing capability. Single-Core Score 113pts; Multi-Core Score 713pts. This ranked it along size Apple M1 Max and Apple M1 Ultra processors, which are powerful, but are two generations behind the current chipset for that ecosystem.
GFXBench - I ran the high-level and render tests. The results were:
Aztec Ruins OpenGL (High Tier) 3721.82 Frames
4K Aztec Ruins OpenGL (High Tier) Offscreen 2362.31 Frames
Render Quality (high precision) 3927.92 mB PSNR
This means the Zenbook’s GPU will perform similar to a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 or NVIDIA GeForce 1050 Ti.
4K Aztec Ruins OpenGL (High Tier) Offscreen 2362.31 Frames
Render Quality (high precision) 3927.92 mB PSNR
This means the Zenbook’s GPU will perform similar to a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 or NVIDIA GeForce 1050 Ti.
Geekbench - Geekbench provides an easy-to-understand score that allows users to compare the performance of different CPUs and devices across various tasks, ranging from everyday applications to more demanding computational workloads. The Geekbench CPU score was 1606 single-core / 8363 multi-core and the GPU score was 26656.
One additional test I ran was to see how quickly the laptop would compress a 4K video file. I used a 4K H.264 video file that is 10 minutes 15 seconds long and added it to Handbrake. Then I used the Fast 1080p30 preset to complete the conversion. The file was converted in approximately 12 minutes.
Overall, the ASUS Zenbook S exceeded my expectations. I wish that it had a more powerful GPU so that it could also be used for gaming, but it’s a fantastic laptop that can used for nearly any type of task.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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