ASUS VivoBook L203MA Laptop, 11.6” HD Display, Intel Celeron Dual-Core CPU, 4GB RAM, 64GB Storage, USB-C, Windows 10 Home In S Mode, Up To 10 Hours Battery Life, One Year of Microsoft 365, L203MA-DS04

Please note that the Office included is Office 365 Personal, that is, a subscription version and that it only offers you one year free. But it may still be worth it because the subscription includes OneDrive storage and 60 minutes/month of Skype phone calls. By the way, the included Windows 10 is in S mode. But this is not a problem, because when you try to install third-party software, you will see a screen asking if you want to switch out of S mode. However, it is an excellent device for office automation, Internet browsing, and schoolwork of children.

I did not try Windows, I immediately installed Linux instead. As I understand it, the original system is Windows 10 S, allowing you to install only applications signed by Microsoft, with the possibility to upgrade to a Windows 10 Home license for free.

Easy BIOS access with F2 to disable Secure Boot and boot to USB flash drive. I started on a USB Live and made a full image (dd) on a USB3 stick in about 1 hour. I tried ElementaryOS and Xubuntu which worked perfectly fine. FN keys for brightness, volume, etc. worked very well.

Turns YouTube 1080P videos without problems thanks to the GPU built into the processor. Broadcast to Chromecast from the Chrome/Chromium browser. Correct sound quality, loud enough volume to the maximum. The trackpad is not the best but does the job for the price and is easily replaced by a wireless mouse. SD webcam (not HD), very medium quality but correct for occasional use. LibreOffice and VLC also run perfectly well.

Warning: Relatively simple installation of Linux from a USB Live if you have less experience. However, be advised that if you do not know to make a full copy of the internal disk beforehand (e.g. dd if=/dev/mmcblk0 of=/cleusb/image.dd), the operation is irreversible. You will not be able to return to Windows afterward and this is not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. If you have done your research and are aware of the limitations of this system before purchasing it, you should be fully satisfied with it.

First, due to COVID, the cost got escalated. Those are normally $190ish and that’s the cost I bought all of them at. At this cost, those are a good bargain in terms of features and value.

These are also best for doing studies in schools and colleges. There is a 128gig micro SD slot you can buy for 16$ here on Amazon and upgrade the storage. I did that and it’s enough for my kid’s studies.

There has not been a single failure on any of them and they all run quickly. Please note this is a protected windows 10 operating device so you can’t run non-Microsoft software unless you know what you are doing and know your way around. . 

Priced at 190$, these are an extraordinary purchase and that I without a doubt will recommend.