ASUS Launches VivoBook W202NA: 11.6”, Apollo Lake, Windows 10 S, $279
by Anton Shilov on August 22, 2017 9:00 AM EST
In time for back-to-school season, ASUS has announced its new ultra-low-cost PC (ULCPC aka netbook) aimed at students and consumers with a tight budget. The VivoBook W202NA rugged laptop is powered by Intel’s Apollo Lake platform, has an 11.6” display, weighs around 1.2 kilograms (2.65 lb) and has a 38 Wh battery that is quoted for up to 11 hours. The machine will be available with Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 S operating systems, both will cost less than $300.
The ASUS VivoBook W202-series laptop will exist in three different versions based on Microsoft’s Windows 10 S, Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro operating systems, featuring different hardware and aimed at slightly different end-users. The Windows 10 S/10 Home notebooks are based on Intel’s dual-core Celeron N3350 SoC, are equipped with 4 GB of DRAM and are targeted at children, students and consumers. By contrast, the Windows 10 Pro-based ASUS W202 uses Intel’s quad-core Pentium N4200, has up to 8 GB of memory, up to 128 GB of eMMC storage and is designed for more demanding consumers (do not expect this SKU to be available in all regions).
Other specifications of the ASUS VivoBook W202 notebook seem to be comparable to other entry-level contemporary PCs: it features an 11.6” display with a 1366×768 resolution, an anti-glare coating and a 180-degree hinge. As for connectivity, the laptop has a 802.11ac Wi-Fi with Bluetooth 4.1 module, two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, an HDMI output, a VGA webcam, a microSDXC card reader, a TRRS audio connector, a microphone array, two 2W speakers and so on.
| ASUS W202NA ULCPC Specifications | ||||
| Windows 10 S W202NA-YS02 |
Windows 10 Home W202NA-DH02 |
Windows 10 Pro - |
||
| Display | 11.6" panel with 1366×768 resolution and anti-glare coating | |||
| CPU | Celeron N3350 2C/2T 1.1 – 2.4 GHz 2 MB cache 6 W TDP |
Intel Pentium N4200 4C/4T 1.1 - 2.5 GHz 2MB 6 W TDP |
||
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 500 with 12 EUs | Intel HD Graphics 505 with 12 EUs | ||
| RAM | 4 GB | 4 or 8 GB | ||
| Storage | 64 GB eMMC | 64 or 128 GB eMMC | ||
| Wi-Fi | Intel Wireless-AC 2×2 802.11ac Wi-Fi | |||
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.1 | |||
| Ethernet | - | |||
| USB | 2 × USB 3.0 Type-A | |||
| Display Outputs | 1 × HDMI | |||
| Keyboard | Chiclet spill-resistant keyboard | |||
| Other I/O | Microphone, stereo speakers, TRRS audio jack, 0.3 MP webcam, microSDXC card reader | |||
| Dimensions | Width: 294 mm/11.57" Depth: 200 mm/7.87" Thickness: 22.6 mm/0.89" |
|||
| Weight | 1.2 kilograms / 2. 65 pounds | |||
| Battery | 2-cell 38 Wh battery, 11 hours battery life | |||
| Price | $279.99 | $299.99 | unknown | |
One of the key selling features of the ASUS VivoBook W202 is its ruggedized design. The laptop has rubber-lined edges and corners to protect internals against bumps and knocks. In addition, the notebook features an anti-spill keyboard. According to ASUS, the VivoBook W202 has survived a drop test from a height of 119 cm (3.9 feet) as well as passed extreme twist force and high-pressure test.
The ASUS VivoBook W202NA-YS02 convertible laptop featuring Windows 10 S is available immediately in North America for $279. The ASUS VivoBook W202NA-DH02 powered by Windows 10 Home will ship next month for $299. The Pentium- and Windows 10 Pro-based VivoBook W202 system will naturally cost slightly more, but such systems may not be available in all regions.
Related Reading:
- Acer Launches TravelMate Spin B1: Apollo Lake Convertible with Windows 10 S for $299
- Asus Announces VivoBook Pro 15 N580: Intel Kaby Lake CPU, up to 4K Display & GeForce GTX 1050
- ASUS PRO B9440: Durable Ultra-Thin Business Laptop with 10-Hour Battery for $999
- ASUS ZenBook 3 Deluxe UX490UA: Kaby Lake, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, TB3, 14" FHD, 2.4 lbs
Source: ASUS
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mkozakewich - Monday, August 28, 2017 - link
Maybe on an 8" screen. $100 tablets have had 720p at 7" or 8" for years and years, now. My latest $300 model has a 13" screen at 3000 x 2000.Ro_Ja - Wednesday, August 23, 2017 - link
My faster laptop from 2014 strugglea with some random hdd usage spikes.Goodluck with this.
mkozakewich - Monday, August 28, 2017 - link
Doesn't have an HDD, so it won't have the same problems if the random access isn't garbage. (With MMC, it's up in the air until we can test it.)WatcherCK - Wednesday, August 23, 2017 - link
Any idea if the screen is TN or IPS? I cant find anything definitive on google, although it is not like kids would care about the screen brightness and clarity :/Pro model looks interesting for a cheap luggable rugged laptop...
abufrejoval - Wednesday, August 23, 2017 - link
Funny seeing this and commenting on an 2x4 Octacore phone with 8GB of DDR4 RAM and 128GB of UFS storage and a 1920x1080 OLED screen that costs €550...A One Plus 5 beating a laptop in just about any regard, certainly in CPU and GPS performance and efficiency...
I think I'd like the physical form factor, but when it comes to the insides, I'd want my phone guts in there, including Android, perhaps with a RemixOS launcher.
BrokenCrayons - Thursday, August 24, 2017 - link
Phones have come a long way in recent years. I'd like to see an ARM-based laptop with specs similar to a flagship phone, but use the added internal space for a large, user-accessible battery. Android is good enough for the sorts of work this laptop will likely be asked to perform anyway. The only thing lost in the mix is the ability to run Windows programs.