Asus A8jm: A Programmer's Perspective Pt. II

Service
I ordered the system from Portable One on Thursday. They called that afternoon to confirm the order and said it should arrive in four to five business days. The system arrived early in the morning, exactly four business days later, with all of the ordered parts in perfect working condition (including no bad pixels). Although the true test of a vendor is how they handle edge cases - it's far better to avoid problems up front. I'm %100 satisfied.

First Impression
The packaging was a snooze, but I didn't buy a cardboard box, I bought a computer, and it was well-enough protected. The A8jm is slightly larger than I expected - although logically I knew how big it would be I'm used to my 12" PowerBook.


12" PowerBook atop the Asus A8jm

I'm glad I went with a 14" screen rather than the 15.4" S96j, or worse, the 17" HP nx9420. This is just the right size for a messenger bag. The included Targus bag was merely a sleeve; with the laptop in it there was no room for the power supply. I may use it as a protective sleeve but it's not very useful.

The A8jm is not what I would call a sexy machine, but it has clean, handsome lines, & I think its stealth performance is a net positive. I felt self-conscious opening my PowerBook in a coffee shop, as if I had to live up to an impossible hipster vibe. Back when I owned a Thinkpad 760ED I felt a related emotion, although in that case it stemmed from the $5,000 price tag; it was a senior executive's machine, not a twenty-something programmer's machine.

Construction
The system is well built. The chassis does not flex when I pick it up by the corner, nor does the screen twist or creak when I open it. The DVD tray comes out cleanly and closes with a satisfying click (oh how I'll miss the PowerBook's slot-loader. Why aren't these more common?)

The plastic feels hard & a little cheaper than I would like - it's not as bad as my old Compaq, or the back of the screen of a low-end Sony SZ (the model I saw had visible molding marks on it!), but it's certainly no Thinkpad, and it lacks the cool, lush feel of my aluminum PowerBook. It wouldn't have killed Asus to use a softer plastic like MacBook (although I've heard they get dirty fast)


The Asus is thicker than the PowerBook but the tapered sides make it seem thinner

Keyboard
The keys don't clatter or wobble and the travel is deeper than I would expect for a laptop. There is noticeable flex when I press firmly on the upper left of the keyboard. In terms of quality I'd place it below Apple & HP but above Sony. This is my biggest complaint. For home use I think I'll pick up a USB Thinkpad keyboard from Lenovo. You can buy them here.

Screen
The screen is beautiful. Several engineers dropped by my office to check out the new computer and they all commented on the screen. You see inverted colors pretty quick when you change the vertical angle, but horizontal viewing angles are good, and the backlight is bright. I know laptop screens have been getting better of late but I wasn't prepared to find one almost as bright as my NEC LCD.


From left to right: 12" PowerBook, NEC LCD1765, Asus A8jm

When I place the laptop next to my NEC monitor I notice the color temperature is quite high. I tried using the Splendid Color utility to lower the temperature but it seemed to wash out contrast. I'll have to play with it some more. Any tips would be most welcome. High temperatures are a common problem with stock settings on LCD monitors, and it makes it hard to correct photographs.


The Asus is almost as bright as a desktop monitor but the whites are too blue.

I'm glad I didn't go lower than 800 vertical pixels. Even at this resolution I found I needed to auto-hide the task bar to see enough text. I should have mentioned in my previous post that I'll spend %60-80 of my time connected to an external monitor, so while resolution is important when I'm on the road, it's not a deal-breaker. Dot pitch is just about right for my eyes. A higher resolution would make text too hard to read, while a larger screen wouldn't make a big difference in legibility.


A screenshot of Visual Studio at 1280x800

Battery
I decided to fully charge & discharge the battery before use. The battery died after 2:15, but that included a continually spinning optical drive. I installed Visual Studio (2 DVDs), Adobe Create Suite 2 (3 CDs), and Microsoft Office (1 CD). This means you can watch a movie on the plane, but not much more. From the looks of the battery bay I don't think you can get an extended battery.

Performance
This machine smokes. I ran SuperPI and got a time of 1:21, compared to 1:53 for my old Athlon 2800+. The dual cores make a huge difference running Visual Studio. I can open the form editor (which is a shocking processor hog) and compile code, while browsing the web and running a virus scan without a hiccup.

I haven't had a chance to run PCMark or play any games. In fact, all my current games are 2d strategy (Civ II & Europa Universalis). I'd love some recommendations for an FPS or RPG that will show off the Go7600.

I typically replace my laptop every two years & I usually buy at the same level (2nd tier performance, trading some power for mobility), so it's interesting to compare the price/performance of these systems through time.

Year	Model	Processor	Clock	Transistors (m)	RAM	VRAM	Price (2005 $)
1996	ThinkPad 760ED	Pentium MMX	133	4.5	32	2	$6100
1999	ThinkPad 560	Pentium II	366	27	64	2.5	$3200
2001	Compaq 1700T	Pentium III	1000	28	512	8	$1730
2003	PowerBook	PowerPC G4	1330	33	512	64	$1786
2006	Asus A8jm	Core Duo	1830	151	2000	512	$1750

Look at the rise of VRAM!

Conclusion
The A8jm is a light, fast machine, with a subdued look. If you want the most powerful laptop in the coffee shop without anyone being the wiser, this is your system. It's well constructed, though the keyboard is not as strong as it should be. It's a good system for a programmer (or I assume a gamer) - in short, anyone who needs both power & portability.

Pros

• Fast
• Light
• Solid constuction
• Clean lines
• Bright screen

Cons

• Keyboard Flex
• Average plastic

 

Great (ongoing) review. One recommendation for a newer game is Civ4. It's not an FPS or RPG, but the game has changed a lot since civ2 or civ3. It's quasi-3D, it looks really nice, and the rules have completely changed.

 

Great review!, i like reading your experiences with your entire notebook adventure

I can't wait to see all that dual core power once i get a laptop, hehe.

Thanks,

MysticGolem

 

dweezilb, would you have a 1440x900 screen on the a8jm if given the option? Or would that be too dense?

 

Sorry, A8jm only support up to 1280x800 unless Asus replace this model of LCD panel, so far not all the 14" come with this!!

 

I know it isn't offered. I was just wondering what he thought of the resolution in that size if it was offered.

 

I would gladly take that resolution on a 15.4" bit I think it would be too dense on a 14".

 

dweezilb,
I am also a programmer and was also thinking of getting this laptop. Is there a reason why you chose this one over the Lenovo T60? I have been jumping back and forth between the two and feel that what keeps me jumping back to the Lenovo is the better battery life, higher resolution and more durable casing. Only difference is that the video card in the A8JM (MX) is better (not sure by how much).

 

That's pretty decent battery life.

Being stingy, you could probably squeeze another hour or so out of it.

 

Yah for sure, since your using it at max brightness and constant spindle spinning, i can see you achieving over 3 hours with a lower brightness and no optical drive use.

I suggest writing a full review for the forums , you even get paid for it and you've already completed more than 50% of the work.

In anycase enjoy it! I know i would, LOL.

Thanks,

MysticGolem

 

That's a tough choice. You can certainly get more for your money with an Asus or an HP (business line), but the Thinkpad build is usually superior. If you get the T60 be sure to get the 15" screen (with FlexView). That adds a pound or so to the weight (& a few hundred to the price) but I've heard bad things about the 14" screen. Nothing can touch a Thinkpad keyboard... but you know that already.

I'd say if you want an Asus and you don't intend to use an external monitor, or do heavy gaming, go with a V6j. Otherwise the S96j, W3j, or A8j should all do the trick.

too many options

 

I'm putting that at the top of the list. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

Glad to see a fellow .NET developers perspective on this.

I was originally planning to go with an IBM T60 but I just can't bring myself to get used to the old school look of it. It looks like something my Dad would use.

The A8J from Portable One looks extremely tempting. How long did it take for them to fullfill your order?

 

I ordered it on Thursday and the system arrived early in the morning the next Wednesday - so about 4 days including shipping (from CA to OR).

So far I'm very happy with it.

 

I LOVE the IBM look -- simple elegant, black, very business like, serious.
There is a car commercial for guys like me -- u may have seen it, where a "pretty fairy" trys to make a car pretty, but fails. The punchline for the commercial is "... nothing pretty about it"