Any web designers/graphic artist using the A8Js?

I'm still not sure what computer I'll buy but A8Js seems to be one of the few candidates I have ( see this)

Unfortunately, the A8Js doesn't have the option of a matte finish, nor does any Asus I've looked at, which is a shame to say the least.
So I'm wondering if there's any 3d artists/web designers using this laptop as their main computer.

cheers

 

If you're a graphic artist or a web designer, you wouldn't want a matte type display. The entire reason glare type displays exist in the first place is because professionals that required true blacks (therefore better contrast and color reproduction), wouldn't move to LCD's from CRT's.......

Without true blacks you can NOT absolutely calibrate your colors and therefore you can't proof anything.... it comes down to one simple thing... matte type displays at the very, very best can only reproduce a very, very dark grey...... that alone throws everything off. As the professional I'll assume you are, you should know that.

You should all understand before shaming Asus..... but the glaretype displays are better.... business users are even finally starting to move to them.. and matte displays are a thing of the past...... With the glaretype displays fully replacing even the graphic professionals Sony Wega flat CRT's....

 

thanks for the reply.
...
I thought Colour similarity to print was better with matte? Which, now that I think about it only means matte are better for print artists?

I guess I now have no reasons not to get the A8Js when it comes out here in Oz
Again, thanks a lot for clarifying my misconception.

 

No, not in the least...... People think of glaretype displays as "glossy" or "shiny" or "reflective". Yes, they are when they're off or when the brightness isn't set high enough, but when you adjust the brightness to equal or higher than your ambient light - you see the most true colors you can..... so even for print artists printing in a matte instead of a gloss are going to benefit.

You can calibrate any screen..... We have a screen calibrating service for artists and general graphics professionals - and you can calibrate a very good matte display pretty well... and you can calibrate your printer profile to match, but it's still not really perfect.

For instance, I finally got rid of my big 19" sony crt - it was their graphics professional model... flat screen tube... HUGE. When we got some 23" sony widescreen lcd's for the office I wanted to chuck the crt.... no matter how I calibrated the screen, it can't show true blacks..... Now, this past year when we got in the Asus PW201 - 20" widescreen glaretype lcds.... that has the contrast and blacks of the old crt and therefore more lifelike with simply deeper colors and contrast.... makes it much easier to look at a portrait and see in on the screen exactly as it looked through the viewfinder.......

Don't get me wrong, I know plenty of designers and photographers that think matte is perfect........ because the powerbooks used matte screens.... till they see what a GOOD glaretype display can do.

 

Color similarity to prints is handled by whatever calibration process you have in place. But without absolute black, you can't go through that calibration process. That's why for the longest time, graphics work required high-end CRTs... Until high-contrast glossy LCDs capable of producing an absolute black came out...

That said, if you aren't already using a color managed workflow, the glossy (I guess 'glaretype' is the term Asus uses but that alway sounds so negative) LCD will still give you better color saturation, sharpness, and contrast over a matte.

Matte screen coatings are designed to scatter incoming ambient light over a range of a few degrees, so you get overall reflected light as opposed to sharp reflections, allowing for use under some high ambient light conditions. The problem is that this also causes some scattering of the LCD backlight, and hence, the display. Glossy screens use different coatings which produce a sharp reflection of ambient light sources (like a CRT) but at the same time this produces a sharp, high-contrast display of the screen contents.

 

thanks again for the further clarifications guys.
It's very appreciated!

 

You're welcome.... hit me up for questions anytime... good questions help many more than just yourself.

 

I know it's off-topic and probably a silly question but is there any rumor of a new w3j with c2d and maybe a higher resolution?
The way it's going I'll probably get a W3Jp/Js and either way I'd be happy but the W3j definitely looks better and is lighter.

EDIT: Asus Australia's website doesn't have this

Cheers.

 

The W3j did come with a C2D....... starting in mid October..... That model is not EOL (end of life).... Will it be refreshed? That is the question... and I think it may not with the V2 and Vx2 coming out.

 

Yes, but unfortunately not in Australia.
According to the Australian Asus website we only have the W3V and W3Z.
If my only options were to import it, where should I buy it from? Also if anything goes wrong would it take a while to repair if parts are needed - considering the fact that we have both the W3V and W3Z here?
cheers.

 

Justin, what's your experience with the screen calibration? Did you use one of the 'puck' devices that you place on the screen? I'd be interested in profiling my next desktop monitor since I print my own photos. Usually things are close enough, since it's nothing professional, but every little bit helps.

 

Well, that explains a lot.. We have a lot of orders we ship to AU and we used to do a lot before there were any dealers down there.... now we do more. I wasn't aware of why they may be, but if as of today, you only have the W3v and W3z.... when the W3j and W3jp are both now "end of life" here in the US... you guys have the short end of the stick...... the W3v technically went EOL over a year ago, even though there's still a few pieces floating around...

The W3 is a better overall system than the A8, that is true... it's has a better quality chassis and has features like the modular bay which you can swap out the dvd drive for another battery or another hard drive.... then you have the main battery which is 25% bigger power wise than the A8 to start with.


As for color calibration, we have a colorvision spyder2pro.... I've used it on everything from my hdtv, to my desktop monitors, to many - many laptops.... I've only had it here for a few months, and I can't believe I waited this long to do a real calibration. Yes, you screen should look good out of the box.. desktop or laptop... you'll just be surprised at how much better you can make it look if it's calibrated correctly... Instead of you deciding "what looks good to you"... it'll do it right and tell you what it's supposed to be. Then from there you can calibrate your printer profile to match what's on the screen, which is hoping using something like PIM or something to accurately reproduce say the pictures your took..... 1, 2, 3...

 

I've just never had time to borrow a colorometer and establish a color managed workflow. Monitor profile and ink + paper profile... But if I don't change paper brands/types I will only have to do it once.

 

It's about an hour process... but much of it can be left while it goes through all of the color readings.... it's actually quite fun, because you can see what your screen is really capable of. Believe it or not, it actually did probably a better job of calibrating my new 61" tv than it did my monitor...... I'm just guessing the tv's stock profiles were just worse out of the box.

 

Justin, I see on your website that you have the V2, and it says that it should be out in the first quarter of '07. Can we expect it by mid-February?

 

Right now they still haven't been ordered by the US office, typically the don't order anythingil until after their new year.. So I would say early March is more likely - at the earliest.

 

Justin, what HDTV are you using by chance? It's just out of curiosity. I'm assuming a rear projection.

Regarding color, I think it's subjective. Note that most white males are red/green colorblind (almost 15%, in fact). Why else would they have warm/cool/neutral color options on monitors and TVs? If you are calibrating your monitor so that the color matches what comes out of your printer, however...

 

I am surprised to hear that graphic designers prefer glossy displays. I can see it's really taken over the industry (matte displays are harder and harder to find). But even though the contrast ratio is higher.. and yes colors seem clearer, truer in a sense, the reflections are way too distracting for me personally under photoshop, illustrator and Final cut. Thus, I will stay with a matte display any day of the week and twice on tuesday. If I had to get a glossy display, I would at the least aquire a matte overlay

 

Jimy - that's the thing, reflections are BS.... they're not there. A glaretype display is like a two-way mirror on law & order.... as long as the light is off in the other room, the perp sees a perfect mirror..... If the light in the other room is on but lower than the first... you could see a heavy reflection, but also see through if you focus (that hurts your eyes).... If they're the same, you'd get a little reflection, but a clear picture (eye strain over long periods).

Now.. When you're talking about a screen like Asus uses, the backlights are so high that even low, they are above normal ambient light... on high, they're well over it. When the light on the other side of that glass - where the cops are - is higher than the room the perp is in, the perp can see the cops, but then they'll have the reflection on their side.

Get it yet?

If the backlight is brighter than the light in the room you're in, there is zero reflection. There's even coating to minimize this under extreme conditions like outside under the sun. Basically, you have to have a house, apartment, dwelling of some kind..... if not, go down to the local store. From 10' away, look in through the window during the day...... then go back at night as long as they're still open. They're lights were on during the day, but as night you can see right in with no glare. That's because the light behind the glass is much higher than the ambient light.

.... and that is my lesson glare type displays... good ones anyway.

_____

Ok, about tv's.... I've got a 61" samsung 1080p dlp, as a 42" Asus 1080p lcd (only one this side of Taiwan )

 

I understand your scientific breakdown, and it makes logical sense, yes yes. But I don't see reflections as BS. I haven't personally seen asus displays, BUT I have spent a good amount of time with MacBookPro displays, glossy and matte. I consider those good references which are better than many HP, toshiba etc. Comparing, I notice annoying reflections even in low light. Yes, I could turn the lights down, angle them differently, angle the display. They're still there. I can stare through them, but it's still distracting. There are few real world places where ambient light isn't an issue ,small or great, except a cave or the dead of night. Perhaps that's why I have anti-reflective coating on my eye-glasses.( I had a pair with out anti-reflective coating and could literally see my eyes reflection ) And maybe I'm just picky, but I prefer the diffused reflection of a matte screen more than the better contrast of a glossy one. It's just my point of view.

 

Hey man, that's your preference. I think with the backlight turned all the way up, the glossy displays can overpower all but the strongest reflections.

 

You can be an expert on MBP screens - that's great.. and you're welcome to your point of view. However, I don't care about MBP screens, nor would most people in this forum. Unless you have experience with one or more of Asus' models, I really don't think you comment so wholeheartedly. I've seen MBP's and their backlights don't compare to most of Asus' systems. What you're seeing is an inferior backlight for your situation and ambient light. As I explained, up to a certain point there could be eye strain. That is exactly why Asus' screened are spec'd out with the backlights they have. With enough light, there is ZERO eye strain, because your mind doesn't see a bit of reflection. You claim to know what I'm saying, but if you did you'd be right to question if Asus' are indeed brighter than the MBP's - because that would explain everything. Instead you just assume I'm feeding you a story... I'm certainly not doing this for my health.

Also though.... outside in the July sun I can actually use my old W3... it's not perfect right under the sun, but I can see the screen and operate (albeit obviously not as productively), but try to do that with a matte display...... In fact, just take a matte display outside during the summer... away from the sun... the ambient light will show nothing but black.