An update on W2J?

my mom is currently on her way to Taiwan and I'm seriously thinking about getting W2J while she's there, If is out anyway, does anyone knew about anything new? I've did a quick search on the internet and I didn't see any new information like spec and such.

Is it going to be much the same as W2V? like with remote, bass and other cool features? I'd figure since there is alot of people here that sales and dealt with Asus directly maybe you guys have insights that would be helpful.

Thanx.

 

Biggest problem - digital tv tuner - and having it not work in the states. There are no insights needed really, as the model is just a refresh of the old with the new chipset and a couple of minor changes - like a tray load optical drive instead of a slot load (mainly because they can't get a lightscribe slot load yet)..... but if you have plans on using the media center side of the system, you're going to want the US version with the angalog tv tuner and windows MCE. As in my news sticky.... Mid April arrival is expected.

 

Pretty sure it's the same but with the Core Duo and x1600.

I'm not even sure if the W2j is in production yet!

 

Is in production....... but.. as a "refresh" suggests... it's basically just an update.. in this case a big internal upgrade, but nothing so different that features have been eliminated or added..

 

Hmmm... yeah I saw it on your website that it is schedule for April 16th, but I thought that the Taiwan market will release sooner.

As for digital and analogue tv turner... What are the difference? I've read about it but their didn't go into details. So for TV watching.... I've done it with my desktop, since I've got a ATI all in wonder pro video card, but never with laptop is there a difference?

 

Does this mean that the USA W2j will not come with a slot loading optical drive at all, and will definitely come with a lightscribe drive instead.
Sorry if I'm being redundant but it wasn't clear if you we refering to the Overseas model or not. I'm very keen to get a W2j, and the slot loading drive was one of the coolest things about it. Sorry to see it go if that's the case.

 

Well.. two things:

1. tv tuner - the US doesn't have the same digital tv.. so it doesn't work... also, the digital tv tuner won't come with media center edition because it doesn't work with it.... so the analog will work in the US and with MCE... that's about it..... But if oyu have the tv card in your desktop, you can just about figure out how much you'll use one if it were in your notebook.... so judge if you even need it.... but if you can wait a month, I'd just get it here and have the full functionality.

2. Well, the US model was set to get the lightscribe drive..... I know that they don't make a slot load lightscribe yet....... so if we're getting lightscribe, we will have a tray load. I helped get the slot load drive in the US model last year as I told Asus that the premium that it commands would be totally acceptable to this market, as long as it was the same speed and did the same media that the best tray load would do. Since then, I honestly could say that having a slot load drive loses it's "cool factor" after a few months and functionality is more important in my view. Lightscribe would be pretty slick on a laptop and with more and more W2 owners agreeing with me about how the slot load drive really doesn't matter to them after a few months.... I think Asus would be better off going with that rather than keeping the same slot load that's in the W2v...... Asus wants to make this machine do everything and that's just another cool feature... With that said - none of the configurations for any of the new models have be "re-confirmed" since the house cleaning that took place at Asus..... but I think lightscribe is going to be a common feature worldwide on the W2j... so it's close to a sure thing.

 

The first W2j´s will be shipped in europe (Germany) tomorrow. I allready know some facts about them:
1) Asus replaced the TV- card with a one from AVermedia, which definitely will/ should work with Windows MCE! (But Asus has not the official license from Microsoft, yet - so the W2J will come with XP Professional and in case, you have to deal with the external IR- Port in order to use the MCE- remote!)
2) You can expect a new soundcard and with it (hopefully) the solution of the "Audio- out- bug"!
3) Dolby Home Theater- sound!
4) A new Power4Gear and ATI Powerplay should be working, yet! (Asus where still working on it (Drivers) a few weeks ago)
5) Instant- Fun:
-wachting TV + Time-shifting
- FM- RAdio
- play files from harddrive
(I´m not sure, if the latest version had these features, yet)

That´s everything I know so far,
Marten

 

Hmmm. I really liked the slot load drive. I've broken 3 of the tray loads over the years. Bummer.

 

avermedia makes cards that dont work in the US. We do not have the same cable system as the rest of the world. a digital card will not work with MCE period. only analog. The only digital card that works with MCE is a HDTV over that air card. and this isnt it. in europe they are using dvtb or some **** like that.

 

I should have read the thread more carfully. I think that a lightscribe optical drive would be a good trade off if the slot load disappears.

 

Regarding the light scribe, it may be somewhat of a mute point at this stage (Since Justin announced the slot load is confirmed for the current batch at least) but I'm interested to know how often people use the light scribe feature. Considering the discs cost more than regular media, how often do people use it vs the boring label with a pens type discs?

 

I read on ASUSTek's web site and i did a search for W2J model and there are two that match the search; W2Jb and W2Jc, what are the difference? is it one for the US market and one for Taiwan? I read both of them and didn't notice any major difference.

 

I have some bad news... W2J is not available in Taiwan yet (I guess they will release it in few weeks), but W3J is... If you want to get W3J, I have some advise... Don't go to Taiwan's costco or shopping mall, it haven't in store now. Only way you can get it is Internet or ASUS Royal Club in Taiwan... I can tell you where you can get it..

 

I am not fully 100 percent sure, but I thought it had something to do with the TV card.

 

... it has everything to do with the tv card AND the OS..... nothing to do with anything else.

 

I understand, I don't normally shop tech stuff at the mall or Costco in Taiwan anyway, you can't bargain, I do know a few DEALER that give me some pretty good price and sometime if they feel good some freebie when I buy from them, but it won't hurt to know a few more .

Thanx in advance.

 

I heard a rumour that the first W2Js will be shipped out today (for the European market), anyone who can confirm this?

I am not sure whethere ASUS produces in two facilities, in both Europe and Taiwan...

 

Hi guys,

I travel between Asia, Canada and the US locations every 2 months. I know its crazy but the ultraportables are killing ym eyes so I was considering buying a bigger and tv enabled laptop.

So anyway, I just wanted to get this straight: So buying a w2v/j in Asia = tv tuner will not work in America / Canada? And vice versa buying a w2j in Canada = no tv in Asia?

Thanks for the help.

 

Just a quick question as I can't find the exact specs yet for the North American W2jB (Justin just updated the ProPort site so that is the most recent info there is).
Are the ports on the W2j the same as the W2v - specifically does it still come with an IEEE 1394A port?
EDIT:
Actually I see from ASUS's global site that the W2jc does indeed have the same ports as the W2v. Since they share the same chassis, then it would be very unusual for it not to be the same.

 

I don't want to say that's a dumb question - but two things... 1. it's a refresh, the chassis is the same and the only port that's changing is the pcmcia to express card.... 2. all asus systems (I'm 99% sure) in the last 3 years at least, have a firewire port.

So... yes.

 

That's correct.... a week on the ocean... a few days to account for possible customs hold ups.... a couples days at Asus so they can get them ready to go out.... a couple days to ship them to someone like us.... and the "week of 4/16" is what you come up with. See, I use "the week of" to give us a little bit of breathing room, but realistically - if everything goes well - I expect to hear these are at port as early as next Friday (4/7)..

 

Can W2J be ordered with XP Pro and without tuner?

Does W2J have DVI?

 

Does W2J have swapable bay as W3J?

 

I'll say it: It was a dumb question I realised my naivety and edited my original post 1 minute before your reply - next time I shall be faster and do my research first and not post
Very exciting looking machine that W2j though. Looking forward to it's arrival.

 

The W2j does not have it. It is not modular(Well, you can take it out but there is no modular bay with it)