ASUS A8J is out in Taiwan!!!

Just yesterday, I saw Taiwan's yahoo and pchome selling ASUS A8Jc, here are some following specs:

• Intel Core Duo T2300 1.66GHz
• 14.1" WXGA+ LCD (1280x800, glossy)
• Geforce Go 7300 128MB with TurboCache 256MB
• Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG(802.11a+b+g)/ Bluetooth V2.0+EDR
• 512 MB DDR-SDRAM (DDR2-533, 512 MBx1)
• 80GB 5400RPM HD
• DVD+R Double Layer /DVD+-RW Drive
• Microsoft Windows XP Home with SP2

Link:
http://buy.yahoo.com.tw/gdsale/gdsale.asp?gdid=140157
http://shopping.pchome.com.tw/asusu/detail.php?pid=ASU00157
(P.S. sorry is in Chinese.)

Its top cover is made by compound metal of magnesium and aluminum. (That's what website said, I translated it.)
The price is 45800 NT$, and it's about 1420 USD$. But some how, it's a disappointment, Geforce 7300? it should come with Geforce 7400 or ATI X1600. I believe that ASUS will send stock to U.S. very soon...
(I am not a salesman!! I just give some info. to you guys. Sorry!!)

 

Cool its got a built in camera too

 

that's hell of a notebook, maybe i should buy a8 rather than w3j since w3j would cause a financial strain for me

 

I want this baby - bring it to the USA please. Graphics card is just fine for me - don't play games (well not on computers anyway!) - love the built in webcam for Skyping and Yahoo chat, and I always use an external monitor so DVI out is great - I guess with the W3J you are getting a lighter, stronger and snazzier case but for the price this A8J is a beauty, count me in!

 

**** it!
I like it. I like the all necessary ports at the back - DVI, Power, USB. No need for docking station at all. I just hate when power cord connects from the side. And wireless mouse receiver on the side also looks ugly... - here everything is at the back.
I wish they bring it to US

 

Wow nice laptop, I like it. Kind of like a W3 alternative like the Z63 was.

I like it.

 

does anyone know if a8 has the modular bay?

 

I don't like it at all, it has a somewhat cheap looking design.However it's competitively priced.

 

I think not. Another source of details is http://www.samsungnotebooks.co.uk/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=287 &idproduct=604. I note that the weight is not mentioned. The battery is also a size smaller than is standard for the W3 series.

John

 

This is the one I have had my eye on...hopefully will be coming to the USA as the poor man's alternative to the Sony SZ!

ProPortable-any word on coming to the States?

 

heh i've been asking this for a while too...proportable said it'd be very unlikely for the US..might go to canada though..sorry to be the bearer of bad news

 

If you want to know the weight, look here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=1290699

Try to use zoom in the pic for the A8j...

 

Well, according to that website I posted. It said about 2 kg, that's around 4.4 pounds. Personally, I think this laptop is pretty portable and light.

 

The W3J also claims http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?modelmenu=2&model=1072&l1=5&l2=26&l3=0 to be 2kg (with half-sized battery and no optical drive). The normal operating weight is 2.55kg.

John

 

drools.......

 

Let's too bad. They should ship this laptop to US.

 

wells its on the asus USA website....so Im guessing its coming to the states?

 

Hmm.. on both websites you posted it says 2.4kg though.

Anyways, 5.29lbs is still light enough for me I think...

I hope this laptop comes to Canada!!

 

well I hope this laptop comes to the US
lol jks

good thing i have family up in toronto

 

From the Y! TW site: http://buy.yahoo.com.tw/gdsale/gdsale.asp?gdid=140157

LCD尺寸: 14吋 WXGA 鏡面寬螢幕 (LCD Size: 14" WXGA "glossy widescreen")
LCD解析度: 1024*768 (LCD Resolution: 1024*768)

But the first post quotes the A8Jc at: 14.1" WXGA+ LCD (1280x800, glossy). I can't seem to find that 1280x800 spec anywhere, can anybody confirm just what exactly the resolution is for this laptop?

Also, are there any impediments to me wiping the drive and installing my own copy of Windows XP Pro on there?

 

all i can say is just wait and be patient
even if the A8 comes out to the US, we have no idea if it'll be an ensemble or built on.. especially since it seems that a few of the new A series, have been coming over as ensembles like the A6jc and A7j.
If it does come out as an ensemble and the pricing goes over 1700..one might as well consider the w3j?

 

Well, most likely I'll be asking my friends/family in Taiwan to buy it and send it over

 

Okay, looking at the Asus US website, the A8Jc is 1280x768.

http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?modelmenu=2&model=1066&l1=5&l2=26&l3=0

 

This is not WXGA+, just WXGA ;(

 

you sure??
seems like in another thread the A8Jm was quoted as having WXGA+ lcd..

sigh.. ASUS include a high res screen for us who dont have an external monitor

 

yah i know what you mean djpharoah =\

Thanks,

MysticGolem

 

The AJ8 will come with a 512 nVidia 7600 to US. . It will come as a barebone too. ..... It also has MXM Slot. . I like it more than the W3J.

 

the barebones of the A8JM will have the 512mb 7600 which is an mxm module.

cannot wait till this is out..!!

 

Can't really decide between W3J or A8J... Any help?
They both seems to have the same specs. No idea what's the primary distinction between the two? The web cam on a8J...which i don't really need.

W3J looks more sexy than plastic-feel A8J. But some says it's heavier then A8J.

 

Asus had presented the A8J on the CeBit in March here in Germany.
A forum Member of Hardwareluxx.de took some pictures and had a chance to
touch the new business line notebook.
But he wasn't happy with what he saw. The facts looked nice, but the plastic felt smooth
and the manufacture appealed cheap. Also the look of the notebook didn't really
satisfy him.

That is really too bad. The A8J might be an alternative for the W7J.

click

 

well to each there own, as I think it looks great. Everyone always makes a big time over the V series, it`s whats inside that counts. I wont be starring at the lid or admiring it. I think people get way to hung up on the V series. I rather have the A8Jm with the 7600go.

 

How heavy is this thing??? First they say 1.9kg here:


Then it's 2.4kg on that Taiwanese website, then someone said it's 2.55kg like the W3J with optical drive etc..

Does anyone really know?

 

what kinda pisses me off is that the A8Jm doesnt come with a higher res screen.

now im in a dilema on whether to accept the low res screen (WXGA is weak nowadays especially with todays gfx cards) or find a larger 15" asus with SXGA+ or WSXGA+

 

that resolution good for 14" screen, I really wouldnt want any better in a 14" screen as it would be too hard to see, thats why you dont see them with wxga+

 

Not all of us are limited to the clumsy restricted 'window manager' that is the Windows
desktop. X11 (Linux, FreeBSD, etc) users can use all the resolution they can get, no
matter what the screen size, and still have fonts and UI elements physically taking up
whatever screen space they want.

Also, Linux users desperately want nvidia over ATI (due to drivers).

Please, please, somebody give the U.S. a 7600go, 14" laptop with 1400x900 or better.

With Bootcamp (ultimately for games), and decent X11 support in OS X, I am getting
close to giving up my A8Jm wait (why wait for something we don't even have any
official word will come) and just triple booting a Macbook Pro...in spite of the
ATI card, and in spite of the 15" size. With the Sony SZ price drop, even that is looking
appealing, w/o any A8Jm word. If I'll only get 1280x800 and a 7400go, I might as well
go down to 13.3".

 

There was a Sony SZ price drop? I guess it's from the US Sonystyle.com...

Too bad Canada didn't follow suit, it's still $2499 CDN at Sonystyle.ca

 

Sonystyle dropped about $200 from the last time I clicked through the custom config I'd want on the SZ. The FE was the same as before.

Also, now in contention (it is sort of a race to see what becomes available first, a 14" 7600go laptop or ATI linux
drivers supporting the x1600) is the Compal HGL 14" 7600go laptop.

 

well regarding resolution... just a note:
If your laptop comes with a higher resolution than you want, you can always drop it, to suit your needs, or increase the DPI.

But if you need to work with 2 or more documents side by side, you can do it with a higher res. Plus do graphic design on a high res screen.

But if your lappy doesn't have high res.. then your stuck with the low res and it will hinder your ability to multi-task and open more than 2 documents side by side.

Thanks,

MysticGolem

 

hmmm... may be silly question, but does the laptop screen resolution effect the resolution on an external monitor? i plan on hooking up the a8jm (1280x768) to my dell 2005wfp (1680x1050) or dell 2007wfp. will the external lcd be able to perform at the optimal res?

 

Absolutely. The resolution depends on the display and the graphics card. The 7600 should have no problem handling your 20" display, and it will go with the display's native res (or whatever you set it to, though I've heard that LCD monitors don't like working on anything but their native res).

 

yah everything will be fine when you hook up ur higher res LCD to ur lappy.

as for the myth about LCDs don't like being ran on a different resolution than its native... well..it could be subjective...i've looked at my friends ASUS Z70va, WSXGA+ screen.

Then set the res lower and lower, and viewed it...it look fine... no problem..but the real way to test it is, take a game, and run it at max res. with max graphic settings, and watch the fps....and then decerase the res. with max graphic settings and watch the fps.

On tradition CRTs we all know the lower the res the increase in FPS...hence i can play all my games right now, at a res of 800 x 640 or one step up, and all graphic settings on low or off, and still enjoy it on my Geforce 4 ti 4200 128mb.

THe only games i can't right now are Oblivion and BF2 because they require PS2.

Ohwell don't matter.

so someone should run the test above to see whether this myth is true... hence i don't have a lappy or an LCD to test this out.

Thanks,

MysticGolem

 

kinda sad that its been confirmed that the A8Jm is a WXGA laptop.

the only reason now i see to get this laptop is the 7600go.

tsk tsk asus.

 

Don't forget DVI too!
And the cheaper price tag...

 

good luck finding a 14" widescreen with a dedicated gpu and a wsxga screen. They are ALL wxga.
although Compal does have a Core Duo 14" model with wxga+ and an Nvidia Go 7600. No word when it'll come to the US, with what resolution (its in wxga and wxga+)

 

Do we actually need both DVI & VGA port?
Probably i'm missing the point here....