2010 Asus Bamboo Thread - U33, U43, U53

Hello all. I noticed there's a lot of discussion about the new Asus Bamboo offerings for 2010 in other threads, so I think we should consolidate them here! Rumors, hopes, info, pricing release and more, inform and discuss!

Here is what we know so far, from the AsusWorld Magazine scans posted in this very forum






The three models seem virtually the same with the exception of screen size and dimensions and for this reason I am most interested in the 13" model. Compared to similar models such as the U30 and the UL series, there are a few notable differences. The Bamboo models are listed as using the full on Core i3, i5, and i7 processors, unlike the UL's ultra low voltage varients. The U30JC was said to share these as well, but at current it only seems available with the i3, not the higher end processors?

The U33JC seems capable of running on the most powerful mobile non-Quad Core i, the Core i7-620M. This processor is an option on powerful yet small and slim notebooks like the Sony Z, as it can run at up to 3.33ghz with Turbo Boost, and has hyperthreading support for 4 logical cores! Even if it costs extra, this is the processor I want in my U33JC. I should hope that resellers like XoticPC are able to customize the Bamboo notebooks including upgrading processors - it would be unfortunate to find they are soldered onto the motherboard like Apple's offerings .

RAM wise there's some weirdness on the above pictures. The 14 and 15" options seem to run DDR3 1333, but only have a capacity to 4gb while the 13" model holds 8gb but only runs at 1066 by default. I assume this will be ironed out by launch? Should all else fail, adding one's own DDR3 1333 or 1600 should be an option. I'd like to ensure the speed is sufficient to handle a Core i7-620 turbo-boosted to 3.33 (Though honestly I'm unsure if laptop turbo boost works the same as desktop overclocking, by increasing the FSB/CPU multi, which would affect the RAM as well. The last system I OC'ed was the 1366 platform and things are done a little differently there because of QPI).

The U33JC also seems to have a different graphics offering than the U30 in that its Nvidia GeForce GT 310 has 1gb of memory instead of 512mb, and runs on the Optimus platform as well. I'm a bit disappointed in Optimus, as I'm a Linux user and there have been reports that the Nvidia binary driver will not support Optimus in some capacity. Switchable graphics isn't a big deal to me, so I'd be fine "stuck" with the discrete card if need be, but I hope that this doesn't mean that Linux users will only be able to use the Intel integrated! Optimus is a big buzzword now, but it amounts to a proprietary software method of switching between GPUs which makes for better battery life traded for user control. I'd much rather there be a hardware switch, or something built into the BIOS, transparent to the user.

I'm a little disappointed that Asus went with the low end GT 310 on these "top of the line" Bamboo models. The Alienware M11x and Sony Z have shown that you can fit a more powerful graphics card, like a 330 or 335, into a smaller chassis (especially in the case of the Z). I'm still hoping that Asus made a last minute change and upgraded the graphics to a 335, but I admit it sounds unlikely. I would also be fine if they ditch Nvidia and Optimus entirely and opt for ATI's 5830/5770/5750 or similar instead!

The display seems similar to the U30s spec wise, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. While I'd love to see them use the same 1600x900 or even 1920x1080 display used in the Sony Z, the lower resolution will at least not tax the weaker graphics card so much. Still, if Asus is going to make the Bamboo offerings premium and charge a premium price for them, I expect a premium display. Right now, it seems that only the MacBook Pro, HP Envy, and Sony Z are using "premium" displays in 13" laptops in terms of image quality, color gamut, brightness, and (possibly) resolution.

I'm glad to see that even on a "premium" model, Asus hasn't gone with the trend started by Sony of "forcing" a SSD. This will help keep the costs down and storage up, and users can decide for themselves if they wish to shell out the money for one. At current, most OEM laptop SSDs are lower tier MLC chips priced way above their station.

While we don't have specs of every port available, I'm glad that Asus is moving forward with USB 3.0. Its probably safe to assume we'll see HDMI and/or DisplayPort included as well.

I'm pleased to see the overall design of the chassis. Bamboo is a unique material, light, strong and inexpensive. Choosing a brushed aluminum keyboard deck is also a good choice, separating the U33 from the more budget options. The only questions that remain for me are about the keyboard and touchpad itself. I hope that the touchpad is the most advanced model available, capable of multitouch gestures. Synaptics latest and top of the line offerings have proven equal to the Mac touchpads, hardware wise at least, and the driver and software support is coming along. As far as the keyboard is concerned, I'm pleased to see it is an island-style keyboard, but there doesn't seem to be any data on if it is backlit or not. While this might seem a minor issue, its a pet peeve of mine when laptop manufactures go all out for an "high end" design and omit backlit keyboards, the HP Envy being the most notable current example now that the Sony Z has mended its ways. There's really no excuse for leaving one out of premium offerings in 2010.

 

These look disgustingly good, I'll be on the lookout. A little bit thick for my tastes though.

 

U33JC is quite thick, 14-31mm, but without a DVD installed. The weight is the same as that of UL30JT, which is decent. I do want a laptop with UL30JT's thickness and the power of mobile core i. To me, U33JC is close, but not perfect.

 

I think it would be a little strange if ASUS ditched ASUS.

 

I want one of these but unlikely I'll ever even see one. Asus is disappointing me with their distribution channels.

 

What I get for writing it at 3 AM! Typo fixed, more info added.

 

hmm anyone have ne leads to when releases might be?..anyone thinkin b4 summer?

 

All of these units were introduced in January of February of this year at trade shows, but they didn't show up in AsusWorld until its March/April issue. I expect they should be available somewhere (Hopefully, in the US and sent to resellers like BTOTech, Xotic, GenTech etc..) by the end of April.

 

Hi, i found a video on youtube that shows this really beautiful notebook. It is looking so good. It would be perfect if there was an option for better graphics. So i might go for the N82JV.

 

I really hope so, the i3 in the U30JC just doesn't cut it for me, but I really do not wait to wait much longer. Hopefully it will be possible to buy a U33 with an i5 proc for under $1200.

 

Don't hold your breath, as of late Asus has become infamous for its delays and lack of information regarding releases. I was fixated on its notebooks for a good 3 months but got a Thinkpad instead. Asus doesn't have very high priority in getting components either.

 

That's a great video. I can only hope that there will be some changes in the production models, specifically to include a backlit keyboard. Beautiful aluminum keyboard deck and excellent bamboo palmrest shouldn't be marred with a conventional island-style keyboard at this price.

 

I just love the U83 and the N43. Please Asus make them so I can buy whichever comes first!

 

After seeing the underwhelming MacBook Pro refreshes, especially at 13", I really hope the U33 Bamboo lives up to its promise. Still no new info. Disturbing.

Alas, the U30JC is likely to wipe the floor with the MacBookPro 13" at a much lower price. From the old specs linked in my first post, the U33 should do even better.

 

I've just found this
spotit.com.au/buy/67259_Asus_U33JC_RX002X_i430M__13_3___4GDDR3.aspx
It's over 1420 USD... I'm not sure if it's worth that price

 

Australia tends to be severely overpriced, and that store is more expensive than most. That same store is selling the UL30Vt for 1389 AUD.

 

Whew. It also links it as having a weak processor and graphics card as well. I'd like to see it offered by custom shops. The U30 seems to have the same problem - even through it is listed as having support for Core i5s and i7s, it comes with a Core i3 only?

 

My guess is that they'll put i5 & i7 inside after release of UL30JT, but who knows when that'll happen...

 

That would be a bummer. The U33 is looking more and more like the perfect machine for me, and I really would not want to to wait until after the UL30JT is released to be able to pick one up. Bring the U33 to the US!!

 

Regarding the German video posted, did anyone see how many scratches were on the lid of the laptop? It looks terrible.

 

I was thinking the exact same thing, but I was not sure if it was a reflection that was looking like scratches.

 

None of the Bambo models having >15" screen, has Full HD option

 

I believe its most likely the reflections and besides that,I'm pretty sure that you're looking at a tradeshow model. Those always look like torn up fingerprint magnets by the end of the day. Notebooks at those tradeshows go through years and years of wear in a single day. People moving them around, bumping into them, rubbing other gear against them etc... that's why certain companies have a "look but don't touch" security box around their new offerings, or a private "showroom" with a constant attendant to make sure nobody scrapes the lens of the 3 DLSRs they're carrying against the latest product.

 

I'll pray for that U53 will have a 1600x900 rez and a 335 GPU instead of the 310... @_@

 

Exactly! This would be the perfect mix of style and performance. But i don't think that this will happen. The bamboo series is more a buisness line.

 

Still no new concrete information that I can find. I've spoken with a few importers that suggest the Bamboo will be arriving in the new month or two, and one that even through it may have the ULV processors! Another told me that like the U30JC, the U33 Bamboo will include the Core i3 low end in America, despite the slightly better graphics chip and the lack of the optical drive, which will provide for more cooling room.

I'm hoping that someone with the U30JC opens it up and finds if there is a socket, which means the processors are user upgradable, and if a new proc like a Core i7-620M will be recognized by the BIOS. If so, that means that even if the North American U33 is stuck with a Core i3, we can upgrade it ourselves to i5s or i7s - at current I see a handful of Core i7-620M Qualification Samples on ebay for around $200-300. Hoping for new info (and a backlit keyboard) soon! Well, this post is one of the first results for a google search for U33 Bamboo, so hopefully someone will see we're looking for info!

 

Seriously, there's no good 13" gaming laptop but the Z(which is not that great for it's price), which cost a ton. Maybe manufacturers think people who are into games want to a huge 15"+ 6lb+ giant desktop replacement. If that's the case, they can just get a desktop for a lot less.

 

this stuffs going to be overpriced hardcore. has such nice specs though. Shame really, if the u33 sold for the same price of the u30jc and did the correct marketing, it would have been able to compete quite well with the macbook pros.

 

I don't remember where I read it, but I heard when Asus first introduced the 2010 Bamboo series, they noted that they would not be pricing them like the old bamboo U6 and U2, close to $2000 with no spec differences from the standard U6V or whatnot, that they learned their lesson and planned to make these more accessible. I hope that's true. I wouldn't mind paying more than the u30jc to some extent, especially if the u33 comes with a Core i7-620 option, the graphics card is better, the keyboard is backlit.. perhaps $1100 or $1200 would be a good price making it a bit of a premium compared to the u30jc, but not asinine.

If Asus is smart this is the perfect notebook to compete with the new MacBook Pros, but they have to avoid cutting corners (The way the Macs admittedly did).

 

Lemme take a good look at her this weekend and see if I'll be able to open it up w/o cutting any warranty spots and I'll let you know. Send me a PM if you don't mind with all information you're looking for. (yes, PM is for a reason...please don't reply in here; Thanks!)

 

Hi ChialricRonin. For me, even if I did open mine up, I'm not knowledgeable enough to know by sight if it was upgradeable, beyond seeing if it was soldered in or plugged in. Even then, how could any of us know if the BIOS would accept it?

 

Any updates on a release date for the U33 either in the USA or Asia? If nothing else I would like to loose the extra weight of the DVD!

I would be very interested on swapping out the i3 for a better processor. However, I would probably wait until the i5/i7 drops in price.

findit

 

Yes - there was another link on the forums recently that suggested the Bamboo notebooks should ship Mid-May! I'll see if I can find it again.

Now my choice comes down to the U33 Bamboo, Sony Z, or HP Envy 14!

 

the 310M worries me... They can not fit a 330M ?

 

CDN - Asus gets ready to release new laptops next week
this says that they will be launched this thursday

 

Darn, after finally pulling the trigger on Friday, the U33 is released 6 days later.

Hmm, my U30jc is scheduled to be delivered on May 14. Wonder what the price and configuration of the U33 will be. I might also need to check about return policies.

I will be going to SE Asia within the next 2 weeks. I could pick one up in Taipei or maybe Bangkok, if they were available and priced right. However the warranty might be substantially different.

 

The only thing likely to be different about the warranty if you buy an Asus notebook somewhere other than North America is the lack of the accidental damage coverage for the first year. All Asus systems come with a 2 year global warranty.

 

Apparently ASUS did follow through and present several new netbooks and notebooks today at a trade show in Taipei. So far there isn't much information posted on the web, but you can find a short overview, and a hands-on video with the final production model here:

ASUS U33Jc 13.3-inch Bamboo Notebook Hands-on :: TweakTown

The price is claimed to be around $1200 USD when it is released in Taiwan next month, with a US release sometime thereafter with the price expected to be lower.

 

Thanks for the links. Certainly nice to see them up close. Still a little frustrated with the lack of a backlit keyboard option, apparent. Everything else can in theory be remedied aftermarket. I was hoping that today's announcement would be a launch announcement, having them ready immediately, not a month from now or more. They've been sitting on these models for quite awhile, and if they don't provide some updates and whatnot they may not fare too well against the likes of the HP Envy 14, for instance.

 

I have long since lost interest in these notebooks...for me it has come down to the Acer Timeline X 3820, or the HP Envy 14 as well.

There was an outside chance I would consider the U33JC or UL30JT, so I have been keeping tabs on ASUS news, and figured I would post those links for any poor souls still waiting...

Well, really, I'm still waiting too...so...poor me. Ha, ha.

 

The U33 is listed for 999€ now!

ASUS U33JC-RX053V Preisvergleich bei Geizhals.at EU

In about 2weeks it should be available.

 

...and even nicer for us troglo-americans--839.50Euro exclusive of VAT...

 

U53jc is listed in Sweden to arrive Jun 16! I want a U43 so badly, but where can I buy it? Come on Asus make it available here in the US now!

Komplett.se - ASUS U53JC 15.6" HD (in Swedish but anyway)

 

Anyone know how to best track release dates and/or information for the U33, U43, U53 models?

Thanks.

 

The U33 should be available in Germany by the 17th of June.
No U43 or U53 in sight.

 

Just noted that Best Buy has the U43F and U43JC available for "backorder" or probably what most would call preorder. I didn't see this posted anywhere, sorry if this has been out for a while, I haven't been following release news lately.

They also have the UL80J and U52F for backorder as well. Hadn't heard of those models being available either.

 

hmm BB's product description doesn't match with the specs on the magazine though (BB shows i5 450M while it only offers the i7-620M, 540M, 520M, 430M & 350M)
And also it shows only 5 hours of battery life. I was hoping it could hit 8 hours like the U30JC. Hope BB's info are wrong.

 

U33, U43 and U53jc are now on xoticpc.com for pre order! ETA mid to end of July.

 

Argh, I was thinking I was set on ordering the Envy 14, but now I'm shifting back to the U43.

 

I'm kinda stuck in the same quandary. Now having to weigh the pros and cons, also the U30JC is not out of the picture.