Aloha from Hawaii

Hello all, I've been wanting to pick up a laptop for myself for a while. I'm juggling between the Z70VA and a AMD-based system. Anyway, my question is: Which reseller do you guys recommend me to purchase it from? I assume a California based one would be best but I've been looking at different vendors from all over and most of the shipping are pretty rough. Any advice would be appreciated, thank you in advance.

 

reseller ratings is your friend!
but off the top of my head:

www.proportable.com - asus premier partner
www.geared2play.com - almost bought from here, nice guy, even called me up to inform me of the status of the Z70. decided to wait another year for a laptop tho.
www.rawpowerpc.com
www.xmeld.com
www.c9tech.com

resellers that use a different distributor
www.discountlaptops.com - my friend bought from here, seem to have generous return policy.
www.powernotebooks.com

 

Only because I'm still up will I answer this post.....

1. Right now you're going to get a much better all around system from Asus based on an Intel platform... period. So the Z70va should take command.

2. If you're assuming a Cali based dealer for anything other than shipping, I'd have to ask why?... Even if it's just because of shipping, you're going to pay through the nose regardless because it's a big heavy box and you live in Hawaii.... It's a luxery to live here and everything you buy has a premium on it, I'm sure.... If that's the only bad thing about living there, consider yourself lucky!

I don't toot my own horn often - except when a question comes close to "why someplace over someplace else" .... So when you ask a question and it quickly gets answer and it happens to be 2am here on the East Coast.... If that's not a reason, I'm sorry but I don't really have any better ones at this hour. I'm a lefty as well and we both know geniuses are left handed.

 

I almost bought a Z71v from DiscountLaptops, but ultimately went with the ThinkPad. They were very good. I believe they located in Nevada. I would assume shipping to Hawaii would be more expensive.

On a side note, it is 1ºF where I am at, so I'll just start hating you now and get it out of the way.

 

Ah, thanks a lot for your quick replies. Yes, my preference for California based dealers is only for shipping but most that I've looked at have steeper shipping than elsewhere.

Also, thank you for the advice on the different processors. I really don't know too much about mobile processors.

About Hawaii, the only thing I really like about living here is the clean air. It's refreshing after living in Los Angeles for most of my life. Other than that, I got it pretty rough out here. I mean, it's just a big island prison with great beaches and women. Did I mention the living costs?

Haha, I sorry you feel that way zazonz. But if it makes you feel any better, with the exception of winter, it's hot here yearround. Always 80+F .

 

Ah, missed that last part of your post there PRO. Always good to meet a fellow lefty and I very much agree. That might just be enough to sway my business to you.

Sorry for so many questions, but I just found out it doesn't support 64-bit. Will this be a problem in the foreseeable future?

 

Do you know how much I hate you right now? Haha...j/k

Anyway, yes, go with an Intel based system. AMD hasn't really stepped it up in the mobile market YET. Turion64 was a step in the right direction... but has yet to rival Centrino.

 

No. 64-bit processing won't be utilized(mainstream wise) for at least a year... and it will probably take at least another 3 years for it to be considered "standard"

 

aww come on.. there's much more.. i'm a hawaii native too but in california right now.. everything in Hawaii is so much more conveniently located (or at least Oahu). You can find restaurants, stores, etc if you just go a block, but here you gotta drive far to find stuff you need. people are friendlier there, alot less crime, and friendlier traffic (but just as congested )
there is an Asus vendor in hawaii, mighty monk.. however they're still selling some of the older models (using Dothan) and the prices are higher than comparable mainland models.

 

wow good to see fellow hawaii resident.
im planning to get the W2j. from c9tech. since Sasha is such a nice customer service rep. and free shipping Fedex! EVEN TO HAWAII. <----thats super rare. HAHAHA. i hate that. free shipping to 48 states.

 

I guess things are closer, but I swear, do not even get me started on traffic. Not quite as bad I as remembered in California but drivers are just so much... dumber. Anyway, enough of that before I go off on a 3 page rant. Gas prices are absolutely atrocious here though, 2.80 and up compared to ~2.60 and up I hear about from my relatives.

Thanks a lot for the answers, I think I'm pretty set on the Z70VA then.

Last thing, don't hate me, I'm happy to share this little island prison with you all, just uh... visit and not stay. No offense, it's already overpopulated enough as it is.

 

... Honestly that's super strange, the cost to ship to Hawaii or Alaska is easily double anyplace else in the US..... and usually you might see free ground or something like that...... there's no money in hardware and technically ground shipping the archenemy of expensive computers...... But if someone can ship free FedEx air to Hawaii - their other customers should feel screwed....... That's not a compliment or a complaint, but a shipment a state or two away might cost $20 and, then if it costs $60 to ship to California, it's going to cost $120 to ship to Hawaii...... if you can eat $120, either you don't get order there a lot, or you have a plan to lose money and seriously hope they don't have a warranty claim.... because it would put you in the red. Not a business suggestion, but just like we stopped offering ground shipping altogether for the benefit REAL benefit of the customers, If you're giving something out, you dish it out equaly... or others see this and say if you can afford to give one customer $120 off, and you're giving me $20, take another $100 off the laptop.

.... Sasha, I don't want to cause any problems between you and customers if this is indeed a gimic you use...... but you couldn't have been doing it long, because eventually you'll get people who see it just like did........ those people are usually considered asses, but I'm sure you can understand exactly what I mean. Take it from someone who's tried all these types of things.

 

That's how all you guys want it... come and spend your money.. then get the hell out of here.

 

Justin, thanks for the "lecture", but we do infact ship to all 50 States.
The FREE FedEx 2Day does apply to Hawaii and Alaska.
I'm sorry if that was unclear to anyone, but it will be made more obvious on the site...

 

... wasn't a lecture, was more of a suggestion.... and if you can't see that, it's not my fault.

 

If what you said above was accurate, then I would have considered it a suggestion.
You should speak to you account manager, because Hawaii and Alaska cost's are very close to the more expensive 48 states.

 

I don't do the shipping so that's not my forte'... I was using an educated guess, but my point should be taken as a suggestion of how that looks...... I personally don't care if you make or lose money or whatever...... it has nothing to do with that.... just the fact that one customer that looks at that like someone else is getting a lot more "value" out of their purchase, and they're going to complain. I see what you're trying to do and you're trying to be "equal" and give everyone something similiar, but if you look at it another way, you're better off giving everyone a $50 coupon and charging them for shipping......

... customers are like little siblings..... if you don't give them the same **** thing, there's a chance one of them is going to throw a tantrum. Granted, it's hard to argue with anything that's "free", but trust me, a little more time in business and the law of averages will fall into place and you'll see what I mean.

... seriously, just take it at face value - I really should have emailed you with that... maybe we should delete these few posts...

 

I don't care if you e-mailed me or not, I have nothing to hide.

We appecaite our customers very much and free shipping is just one of the ways we show it.
I have had NO complaints from customers regarding the free shipping.
In fact, you're the only person to bring it up... and since you're not a customer I could care less.

 

I have been living on Ohau for 2+yrs...shipping can be a pain but overall I haven't found it too bad...I am moving to Cleveland next month so I guess I will have bigger issues than shipping.

 

Hmm... now I just found out about the A6J, back to being torn again... Better looks, more power. Should I wait for this bad boy? Also, would the Z70JA's price be affected in any way by the new release? Thanks in advance.

 

The A6J might have good specs compared to the Z70va, but it's butt ugly. I know that's blunt, but there's no way around it. Plus, the build materials are going to be inferior to the Z70va:

A6J: ABS Plastic
Z70va: Carbon Fiber

CF really cuts down on your laptops weight. Plus, the A6J is butt ugly. I'd really stick with the Z70va. Afterall, the A6J is butt ugly

 

The A6J hasn't been confirmed for the USA, and neither have ETA's...
The only confirmed models this far are the Z62F, Z62J, and Z35F...
Any other ETA's are worthless at this point...

 

OK, one more question for me. Since I live in a such a warm environment, how is the heat on it? And would AS5 be necessary? Thanks again.

 

As I mentioned to you before, the heat dissipation difference between the Intel thermal solution and AS5 is negligible. Desktop CPUs = different story...

 

Ah, thank you very much! Though I don't remember you mentioning it to me... Maybe I'm getting old...

 

Nevermind, it's me who's getting old...
I remember you asking that question, and I remember answering it... in my head!
Guess I forgot to put it in the reply - Sorry about that!

 

It's all good, I'm sure you're very busy. Care to answer the other part of my question?

 

PM sent.

 

Thanks a lot, inquisition e-mail sent.