ASUS VivoPC-VM40B-02 Desktop (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

This is an amazing little computer for the size and price. We bought this primarily to use as a family computer. Our kids mainly use it for homework and other miscellaneous tasks. It takes up very little space on the counter top. It is very quite. Occasionally you can hear the fans running, but most of the time you would have to put your ear next to it to hear anything. Maybe all Windows 8 machines do this, but it goes to sleep after some time (appears to be completely off), and then wakes up instantly with a click of the mouse or touch of a key. It is like using a tablet in that respect--instant on, instant off, but we don't ever actually have to power it down.Windows 8 has required a little bit of a learning curve, but so far, it has not caused us any issues-despite its poor reputation. I like that we get weekly reports about what websites our kids have visited, what searches they have performed, and how much time they spent on it.This is a fast machine (plenty fast for our needs, anyway). The built-in speaker is "okay." but it actually is better than the speakers that are built into our monitor that we used with our last computer. It looks great and has impressed everyone who has seen it.We had one issue with this when we first bought it. When it would go to sleep, it would not always wake up. Sometimes I would have to remove the power cord and hold the power button down for 10 seconds, and then reconnect the power cord before it would power back up. After a couple of phone calls to ASUS and no resolution to our problem, I returned it to Amazon and got a replacement. No problems! It has been such a good computer since, that I still think it deserves 5 stars!

It's pretty amazing that a 250.00 computer can be this size and do what this thing does. I am on my second unit, but it works flawlessly. The first one never worked right. Customer service was amazing. I notified them - at that point I thought I should move on and was having problems that were simply inherent with the device. It would work ok for a day and then crash and be difficult to restore. Customer service offered either money back or a replacement with free shipping to return. I gave that option a try and its good I did. I had a second unit the next day and it works flawlessly. The first unit must have been defective (I thought I had a windows 8 problem and was pushing an underpowered computer too hard - not so it turns out). I use this computer to run I-tunes, Netflix, and Amazon movies. I also run music through Windows media player. It works great for those functions. I have seen complaints that the processor is slow, but I am never troubled with slow processing speeds. The add states that the hard drive is 500GB - when I go to the my computer screen it looks like it is actually 150GB - still plenty, and I have a 1TB GoDrive hooked to it by USB for my music use.Last thought - I paid 235 - with taxes etc it was about 250. A few days ago I saw Amazon list it at 200.00 as a Black Friday deal or some such thing. So the price on this must be pretty mobile. Maybe after Christmas I will get another.

This computer is acceptable. While it's on it works well. The memory is divided into two drives which means that you have to be sure to choose the preferred drive when installing programs.The one consistent problem I have had is that it does not always turn on when I press the power button. I have to unplug the device to get it to turn on but even after doing this it does not always turn on. Not sure how common this problem is.

The Asus VivoPC-VM40B-02 is a nice little unit, perfect for use as a Home Theatre PC or even a budget home PC for the kids to do their homework on or for basic users. The unit is sleek and good looking and compliments any home theatre or home office well. It leaves a small footprint and is light and easy to carry.Out of the box you get a Intel Celeron Processor with 1.5 GHz as well as 4GB DDR3 RAM and a 500 GB 5400 RPM HDD. Out of the box this unit is on the slower side and the Intel Celeron Processor coupled with the mechanical hard drive makes for a slower experience. It comes with Windows 8.1 with Bing out of the box so you are ready to go as soon as you plug in the unit.The unit also comes with a wired keyboard and mouse which is fantastic as all you need to do is connect this to an external display or a HDTV and you are off and running. Setup upon first boot was really easy and straight forward and you find yourself using the machine without any issues.For the $230 - $240 price tag this machine represents amazing value and is a great startup computer for those that have old external monitors available or have access to a HDTV. However for the more expert users, I would definitely suggest an upgrade to at least 8 GB DDR3 RAM and most importantly a good Solid State Drive (SSD).The addition of more RAM and SSD breathes new life into this PC and makes this an excellent value for money proposition. HD streaming with the increased RAM and SSD is solid as are using Microsoft Office applications, ripping movies and music and even light gaming. Once the SSD is installed start up occurs in near seconds and the overall experience is much better.Internally the system lid pops off without any issues and it is extremely easy to replace the mechanical HDD with a SSD. Upgrading RAM is also easy as once you remove the mechanical HDD you will see the RAM slot covered with a lid and tightened with a screw. Remove the screw with a standard screwdriver and you are able to install your DDR3 RAM. The unit comes with 1 x 4GB DDR3 RAM module preinstalled, leaving one slot open.Overall this is a great budget PC perfect for a Home Theatre setup or for your basic user. However to get the most mileage out of this unit, it is strongly recommended that you upgrade your RAM to at least 8 GB RAM and also look to upgrade to an SSD.

Was cheap. I used it everyday for more than a year. I'm writing on it right now. Awesome.

Exceeded my expectations. Awesome! :-)

Excellent unit. Installed Linux Mint on it, but had some problems with the wifi. These were resolved with the newer kernel (3.18) and the following settings:echo "options rtl8821ae fwlps=N ips=N" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/rtl8821ae.confStreams all my media using XBMC (VNC does not work properly when running XBMC fullscreen), runs Netflix, and is controlled via remote with this device: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B008BW5A6SProgrammed my Logitech Harmony to send the same signals, now the TV and PC are controlled with a single remote.The system is pretty snappy and reboots in less than a minute. I also bought this wireless mini keyboard, which works well: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0090BTY8YI recommend this system for anyone looking to set up media PC for their TV.

good price

Computer arrived on time but was defective. I'm returning it for repair or replacement.