Asus U35JC/U45JC

Thanks, Kev, Chanda! So the recommendation is to get a retail Win7 Home Premium installer and use the serial key at the bottom of the laptop, right? OK, I will try this soon.

I've tried the Asus recovery DVD and the Win 7 recovery DVD with no luck.

 

1. Uninstall or disable the apps you don't need. Asus Web Storage, Syncables Desktop, Multi-Frame, Smart Logon, Control Deck, etc all load at startup so take them out if you don't want them. Control Deck in particular takes time to start and crashes often.

2. Check the Startup folder and the following registry key for remnant start up entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

I noticed that some of my startup entries did not get deleted when I uninstalled the corresponding app, including the following:

"ASUS WebStorage"="C:\\Program Files (x86)\\ASUS\\ASUS WebStorage\\SERVICE\\AsusWSService.exe"

Make sure you back up the key before you modify anything.

3. You can use the Asus Fastboot utility to delay loading certain applications. I personally do not use this utility.

 

Haven't used an MBP for a while, so I really can't compare. But I have been personally happy with it. Traditional single-finger actions (moving the mouse, left-clicks) are very natural. I do feel that actions involving gestures like 2-finger scrolling can be more precise and responsive.

 

To those who have gotten their hands on the U35f and/or U35jc, is the palm rest and trackpad area plastic? Does the trackpad have the dimples? And to those even more in the know, is there any Asus 13" ul or u varation with the aluminum palm rest and trackpad like found on the UL80j-bbk5.

I really wish I can get a literal feel for a u(l)3x model in person but no retailers near me carry any 13" Asus models. I've played with the 14" UL80j in Best Buy and am in love with the alu inside. However I'm not thrilled about the weight, battery and ODD and unfortunately, seems like all the 13" models are all plastic. I think my only option at this point is to read up on Amazon's return policy and order a u35f to see if I can live with it.


Edit. Just found this. Seems like the u35 is all plastic inside and although it's the most recent 'review' I can find, anyone who claims the battery gets the manu. specified running time hasn't actually spent much time with the machine. Can someone please tell me, what are the hard drives supplied with these?

 

Hey MuddiedKnees, I'm not sure what you are meaning by a "retail Win 7 installer." What you want is to find the link for the OEM Win 7 Home Premium ISO on this forum. The link is a legal link to Microsoft's Digital River download area. You can download a disk image (ISO) file and then burn that image to a blank DVD. And then you'll have a bootable Win 7 x64 Home Premium DVD that you can install from any time you wish (or to refresh your Win 7 install from w/o having to lose data).

HERE is a thread explaining how, but his links are NOT the ISO, but an EXE + BOX files to combine into an ISO file. But if you look halfway down the page, you'll see a section entitled "ISO Method" that has links to the very large ISO files. HERE is the direct link to the Windows 7 x64 Home Premium ISO image file. And HERE is a mirror link to the same file.

THIS link also covers the install method with an ISO as well, but for a Sony, but that doesn't really matter.

 

..............

 

Thanks for the help Banker.

Folks, can I also assume if I will be doing Zero gaming on this, it will strictly be a work computer, that the Dedicated GPU would rarely be used by me anyway ??

 

Also correct. You're on a roll! There's nothing left we can teach you! And "You're welcome!".

If that's the case regarding your lack of gaming, you should check out the Toshiba R705 (see my signature).

What it lacks in no dedicated GPU, it makes up for by being lighter, smaller, and thinner than the U35jc.

Personally, if gaming mattered to you, then I'd recommend the Acer 3820TG (also see my signature). It's a little lighter, slightly thinner, and slight smaller than the U35jc. However, it has a much more powerful dedicated GPU card and it runs a lot cooler (2 fans: 1 each for the CPU and GPU). However, it isn't being sold in the USA. You have to buy it from overseas (a number of us bought it from PCHome in Taiwan) and as a result it effectively doesn't come with a warranty.

 

they are selling the 3820TG in canada tho. just come make your way over the border and get your acer!

 

They are, but it's the version with the ATI 5470 GPU card, which is almost as anemic as the one in the U35jc.

 

I was gonna go out and purchase the U30JC last week only to find out about the U35JC, looks like I am definately getting this machine. That extra pound shed and larger HD at a lower price is a bonus. So for any Canadians out there especially in the GTA I called in last week at PCVILLAGE and they told me they'd be getting their shipment of U35JCs most likely this week. I've purchased machines from them before, they are solid.

PCV Online - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptops, Notebooks, Cameras, Home Electronics and more!

 

Here's hoping for an August 23rd-25th delivery date, rather than a ship date

 

As long as the touchpad is as sensitive as say, an iphone/ipod touch screen then i am happy (or my current asus F50sf touchpad)

Can anyone else share their views on the laptop?

edit: just wondering about the screen's viewing angles. Are hey as bad as they say? I currently own an Asus and I agree it does have some lame viewing angles / glare, but I have learned to cope. If its about the same on every asus then its no problem for me. After some quick ebay searching i came across some Anti-glare screen protectors such as http://bit.ly/c4No8Q and http://bit.ly/aLPcvc and wondering if anyone can think these would improve legibility

 

lol thanks again Banker !!

I looked at the R705 but HATED the keyboard, and I really don't need a CD/DVD drive, it is a nice machine tho.

Do we think we would be able to do that backlit keyboard mod the guys over in the UL30 threads are doing, with the U35 ??

Anyone gonna give that a shot ??

 

Can anyone recommend a 13.3" or 14" laptop that comes with a screen resolution greater than the painfully prolific 1366x768 res other than the filthy Steve Jobs, proprietary locked, over priced lumps of aluminium?

 

You're welcome!

Interestingly enough, the 3820TG forum crowd, led by Bronsky and Hendrickson, have already done such a mod. Bronsky is even looking to build in a physical switch to turn the backlit keyboard on/off!

That's the mod I'm most looking forward to doing in the future.

 

The ones I know off the top of my head:

Sony Vaio CW27 (BestBuy)
HP Envy 14
Apple MacBook Pro 13" (added to make the list complete)

 

Just arrived in Taipei and took a look at the U35, U33 and Acer 3820. They all cost about $950 with the U33 adding a $150 premium. The 3820 is very tempting, as it is equiped with an ATI 5650 1GB and is thinner than both Asus. The bamboo on the U33 feels great and the keyboard is the best of the bunch, as the entire area is covered by a single piece of metal. You won't be able to easily remove the keyboard on the U33.

Also, both Asus comes with 7200rpm HDD. Acer comes with Bluetooth 3.0. All are powered by i5-450M with 2GB RAM.

PS: palm rest on the U35 feels metal, but is plastic. It is more resistant to fingerprints than UL30, but will not compare to a real metal palm rest. U33 and 3820 both are superior when it comes to fingerprint resistance.

PPS: viewing angles on all three are the same, very crappy vertically, some what crappy horizontally.

PPPS: U33 does not come with a ODD.

 

Hey Guys!

I am so sorry for asking something that has already been answered. I have already skimmed through till 50 pages and haven't found an answer yet.

Have Asus released a new Bios update yet that will allow us to install the new Nvidia drivers? And is there anyway we can have a fresh install of Win 7 without it crashing on logon screen? Thanks in advance...

 

Thx eugenes,

So the keyboard on the U33 is better than the keyboard on the U35 ??

 

Of those 3 laptops, the 3820TG gets my vote (smaller, thinner, lighter, more powerful GPU).

Did you happen to see if the 3820TG's screen looked pixellated to you (pixels more noticeable than other laptops)?

Another poster has been complaining about the LCD screen.

 

I'm looking forward to hearing your first hand opinion of the Acer keyboard. How much longer until it arrives from Taiwan?

 

Thanks, Quatro! Very useful info. I didn't know there was a way to back up Windows activation. When I said "retail installer", I was referring to a non-OEM disk/ISO. Thanks for pointing me to the MS Digital River download site!

More power (and rep points) to you!

 

Should be this Tuesday. I'll definitely write up my first impressions, should I decide to pass on the R705 and open up the 3820TG box.

Coincidentally, the R705 should arrive on the same day. Depending on how late in the day the both arrive, I may have to wait until the following day to visit BestBuy and see the demo version of the R705 in person.

 

I just figured I'd share my (ever expanding) list of 13inch laptop options that are or will be available from us vendors and the lowest price that I could find for them:

Available now:

Integrated Graphics:
Acer Aspire TimelineX AS3820T = $ 689.89 (bh photo) full i3 processor
Asus U35F-X1 = $737.87 (amazon) full i3 processor

Switchable graphics:
Ul30vt-a1 = 748.95 (bh photo) core2duo ulv – nvidia 210m
UL30JT-A1 = $849 (amazon) i3 ulv – nvidia 310m

Not available yet but should be in the next week or two:

Switchable graphics:
U35JC-A1 = $799 (j&r) full i3 processor – nvidia 310m

A few things... I included the ul30vt just because the battery life is great (9+ hrs), the others will have shorter battery life, likely by a couple of hours. The Acer 3820tg would be ideal but isn't available in the states. The Toshiba r705 looks sweet, but it's nearly $800, doesn't have a dedicated graphics card, and there are two options I listed that are a good deal cheaper. And lastly, it looks like you can get some cashback on the J&R purchase if you choose to do so (cashbackwatch.com has several stores listed).

 

So, the U35F is available now from Amazon??

Hmmm, I might just check it out.

 

There's also the Acer 3820T which is available in the US. I've not looked too much at the TG but from what I remember, the T is simply the non-dedicated gpu version. Up until about a week ago, Amazon had the 3820T-5246 for $689.88 but now it's $889.60!! It's unbelievable how much laptop prices fluctuate on that site. I've since crossed off the Acer from my list though, both the U35f an UL80j are available for $150 less.

 

Woah, totally missed your post. Good find on the BH & 3820T combo!! That comp is serious equipment (i3 350m) for that price. Aluminum palm rest and track pad too...I think it may need to go back onto my list.

 

Does anyone know what exactly the stock wireless card in the U35/45 is exactly?

Ken from Gentech told me it was an Atheros card but did not specify which model.

However on the ASUS driver page for the U35JC the drivers listed for wireless is an Intel Driver. (Source: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.-Support-)

Any owners can confirm this information for me? Thanks.

 

thanks boriskov! this is awesome news for those of us who will be running linux or freebsd on our machines

 

Thank you boriskov I would rep you but it says I have to spread more rep before giving it to you again Next time once I use up some reps.

 

Never fear, I rep'ed that deserving fellow (at least I assume he's a he)!

 

Boriskov, could you please tell the specific hard drive that comes in the U35jc? Thank you!

 

Keeping in mind my model is the UK version so ships with a 320gb drive. Hardware manager tells me it's a ST9320325AS. Google search shows that model number as a Seagate Momentus 5400.6

 

Just a note of caution. Boriskov's U35 is not a US model. It's not unusual for ASUS to use a different wireless card and HDD type (and even an i5 instead of an i3) for the UK/European & Far East models as they did with the UL30/80Vt (of course, that model had the same SU7300 processor).

Boriskov can share what he has on those two items, but that doesn't mean that's what will come in the US or Canadian versions of the U35Jc.

Maybe, maybe not.

 

Thank you for the specs, didn't know you were in the UK. Amazon shows the US U35f with a 320gb and the U35jc with a 500gb, both 5400rpm and no doubtedly will be bested by a Momentus XT.

Reps given for Boriskov and Quattro.

As for the wireless card, I have a Centrino Advanced N 6200 paitiently waiting. If Intel's 160gb G3 SSDs debut around $250, it will join.

This just occurred to me. Between Optimus and the dedicated gpu, will there be a large difference in viewing quality of movies stored on the hd and dvd playback? It's not a big deal and probably to me not worth the difference in $$ but I'm curious.

 

jr.com has this for 799.99 with free ground shipping. Does anyone know if xoticpc or gentech is price matching this?

 

what would be the benefit of ordering from the other sites? why not just buy it from j&r? or are you in ny (tax would be charged).

 

J&R is just another store that sells electronics. The customer service at Gentech and Xotic seems to be pretty great, considering that they have reps/sales associates that post on this forum!

That being said, I'm cheap, and when I pre-ordered my laptop, I got it at J&R

 

Were I to get an ASUS, I would definitely get it from GenTechPC.com (ask for Ken Lee).

Ken as proven time after time again his dedication towards helping his customers with issues (even going so far has speaking with his contacts at ASUS in Taiwan). Let's see J&R ComputerWorld do that.

With as many issues as some of the ASUS laptops seem to be hit with, it's worth the piece of mind to know that Ken and GenTechPC are supporting you. He does this because, like most successful business men, he knows the value of repeat customers and business.

Having lived in Manhattan, I'm intimately familiar with J&R ComputerWorld (and MusicWorld, for that matter). It's a great store if you know what you want and want to buy stuff that doesn't need any support (batteries, rechargers, cameras, etc.). As for more complicated items with potential issues, like laptops, I'd stick with Ken Lee and GenTechPC for ASUS laptops.

If Ken sold the Acer 3820TG or the Toshiba R705, I would've gotten both from him as well.

 

Found a $10 off coupon. GEICO10. Apparently the coupon is valid until 9/30. Tried it and it worked. I haven't pulled the trigger yet though...cause I got problems. Is it crazy to think that maybe, just maybe, the 3820tg will go on sale here in the u.s.?!

 

Who can say? There's a chance that it could come late this year or sometime next.

 

hi,
any current U45JC users can give comment on the battery life?
At full charge, my laptop can last about 5hrs or maybe slightly longer but if i'm not wrong, it's using battery saving mode at power option.... if i tried to use entertainment mode, it might be shorter battery life, but definitely not lesser than 4hrs...

is this normal? It's very contradicting to Asus's claim that this lappie can last 12hrs?

thanks.

 

I was just poking around on GenTech's site. They give buyers of the U45 and UL80 option to have the optical drive taken out and put into a USB 2 conectible external enclousure for $19. That's just flat out awesome, the UL80 just moved up to #1 contender in my book.

 

That's Ken Lee and GenTechPC.com for you.

Pure awesomeness! It's really too bad that Ken doesn't sell Acers or Toshibas. I really wanted to do business with him.

 

ASUS isn't the only laptop manufacturer that makes claims like that. It's all in how they calculate battery life, using parameters and situations that most if not all of us would never find ourselves doing in the real world (e.g. having the display set so low that you can barely read what's on it, wifi off, minimal user activity, etc.).

Car makers do the same thing with their miles per gallon (MPG) estimates.

Neither qualifies as deceptive advertising since they really are achieving those estimates with actual scenario parameters, as unrealistic as they may be in the real world.

 

Probably not. The Intel IGP does a pretty good job with ripped DVD's. Streaming video also plays well on the IGP, though I use the discrete GPU if I'm not on battery (of course! The nVidia chip is just better.) Basically, when the nVidia chip is being used, you can actually see the CPU processor load go down.

I've not tested it, but I'd think a blu-ray disc would play better with the discrete GPU. I have a blu-ray external drive.

 

They say they do price match (though not always). Ask them! Ken at GenTechPC answers all PM's and emails very quickly! I'm very impressed with their response times.

And ChandaBear is right. You will NEVER get the customer service and follow up help, if there is any problem, like you will with GenTechPC. They are smaller and provide personal service and a guarantee. They are qualified ASUS repairmen.

If there is a problem and you ordered from J&R, then you'd have to go to ASUS to get help or repair. Not so with GenTechPC.

Somethings have a hidden value.

 

What's the mAh size of your battery?