Asus Vivobook 14 MSRP $649.99 “Asus Vivobook 14 is a good template for serving the best of Windows 11 on an affordable and practically rewarding platter” Pros Solid trackpad and decent keyboard Sufficient selection of ports Decent performance for the price Reliable battery with fast charging Generous memory for 2026 Windows Hello for biometric lock Cons Display could've been better Plastic flexes on lid and deck Fan can get noisy Random performance hiccups What makes a good laptop? Well, I can give a pretty haphazard answer to that. But if I were to give a broad verdict, I would say any PC that gets the job done without nuking your wallet, heating like a pan, and lasting at least a full day without forcing you to hunt for a wall socket, takes the cake. Apple has mastered that art with the MacBook Air, and to such an extent that shoppers have no qualms spending on two, or even three-generation-old, machines. Windows, thanks in no part to the extreme fragmentation, has struggled with the idea. With Intel Evo-certified PCs, an attempt was made, but they just couldn’t hit the performance-efficiency levels of a MacBook. Then came Qualcomm with its Snapdragon silicon for Windows-on-Arm machines bearing the Copilot+ branding. The vision was squarely a Mac-killer machine at various price points. Now that we are headed into the second generation of Qualcomm-powered laptops, I took a leap of faith away from my trusty M4 MacBook Air and fired up the cheapest Copilot+ laptop I could find – the Asus Vivobook 14, which is currently going for $649 from the brand’s online marketplace, and often dips lower during sales events. Did I regret it? Not exactly. On the contrary, I came out fairly impressed with the machine, though not without a few harsh learnings. A quick look at the specs ColorCool Silver, Quiet Blue Operating SystemWindows 11 Home (ASUS recommends Windows 11 Pro for business) ProcessorSnapdragon X (X1 26 100) (30MB Cache, up to 2.97GHz, 8 cores, 8 Threads) Neural ProcessorQualcomm Hexagon NPU (up to 45TOPS) GraphicsQualcomm Adreno GPU Display14.0-inch LED Backlit, 60Hz, 45% NTSC, Anti-glare (87% screen-to-body ratio) Memory16GB LPDDR5X on board (Max 16GB) Storage512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD I/O Ports2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A; 2x USB 4.0 Gen 3 Type-C; 1x HDMI 2.1; 1x 3.5mm Jack CameraFHD camera with IR function (Windows Hello) and privacy shutter KeyboardBacklit Chiclet Keyboard, 1.7mm Key-travel, Precision touchpad AudioSmart Amp Technology, Built-in speaker, Built-in array microphone ConnectivityWi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) + Bluetooth 5.3 Battery50WHrs, 3S1P, 3-cell Li-ion Power Supply65W AC Adapter (Type-C) Weight1.49 kg (3.28 lbs) Dimensions31.52 x 22.34 x 1.79 ~ 1.99 cm What worked? I will start with the value perspective first. Asus is more generous with the memory situation on the Vivobook 14 than Apple, matching the memory at 16GB, but offering a healthy 512GB storage on the base model. For anyone who wishes to use their PC for at least the next half a decade, this is the bare minimum. Nadeem Sarwar / DailyTech I keep my media editing work restricted to the iPad Pro, and it’s a headache. Beyond the cumulative burden of OS updates, the gradual app installs fill up the storage sooner than I would like. Whether you need a machine for work, or college duties, Asus offers a better value for your money if you have an Apple comparison in mind. Then we have the port situation. Yes, the MacBook Air is sleek, but that comes at the cost of a terrible port selection. And the only way to survive the MacBook Air lifestyle is a dongle. Asus’ affordable laptop won’t outdo Apple’s laptop in the looks department, but it trades a svelte waistline for a reasonable diversity of ports. You get a pair of USB-C and USB-A ports each, alongside an HDMI port and a 3.5mm combo jack. Now, you may not always use all the ports, but on the days when you are struggling with an external monitor, charger, storage device, and an input device, you really appreciate the I/O versatility at hand. Nadeem Sarwar / DailyTech Another neat perk, and an expected one at the current asking price, is the IR camera kit for face unlock. On modern PCs, biometric unlock is an extremely underrated perk, especially in an age where passkeys are taking over conventional passwords for identity verification. The keyboard isn’t bad either. There’s plenty of travel, the keycaps are spaced well, and despite the slight wobble, I actually loved typing on it more than my MacBook Air. The keys offer a springy feedback, and there’s a satisfying resistance, as well. There’s a bit of flex in the central portion of the deck, but not enough to hamper the typing experience. The display is a mixed bag. The 14-inch panel offers
