ASRock M15

Product Survey: Laptops

ASRock is well known for bringing out motherboards with attractive price/quality ratios. For some time now, the budget brand of the well-known manufacturer Asus, has also been producing a laptop range following the same recipe. An all-round model at the price of a netbook and delivered without a pre-installed OS. Something for those on a small budget then, as well as Linux fans. It's unusual for a budget PC to have the finish of a model that comes in at twice the price. The plastics used here are clearly low-end, in particular for the buttons above the keyboard and under the touchpad. Around the screen and on the shell the coatings are matte, a good thing as they don't pick up finger marks. In contrast, the screen lid is 100% gloss and gets dirty very quickly. Altogether it gives an impression of being robust, especially as the hinges for the screen seem solid. The is as standard as they come. It has the merit of having a number pad, which is rare on a 15.6-inch screen. Unfortunately, the "Fn" key is where the "Ctrl", is normally positioned, which is a problem. It could be ok if the right adjustments were made. However the top of the keyboard isn't properly attached and moves, making a very disagreeable clicking.