Without internal disc drive, this crappie Asus notebook is not ready for prime time to compare against even 2 generation ago Sony or Fujitsu offering!

Are you guys from Russia?

the above comments to the contrary, I've used an S5200N for 3 years now and never felt hindered in the least by the lack of an internal DVD/CD drive - it's all in how you use it. I'm not a big movie buff but I travel every week for work and I feel every pound of weight in my bag. this looks to be a great machine for my purposes and probably many others.

Most comprehensive and helpful, have just ordered one.