Asus UL30JT

+1 to this!

 

I apologize for the slow response. As they were saying, the SSD doesn't improve gaming performance (haven't tried WoW though) but games load and quit insanely fast. I have played CSS on the highest settings and I never drop below 60FPS at std res. TF2 I have to turn down shaders from very high to high, and no AA (doesn't matter with such a high pixel density), and I get a very consistent 50-60. I have even played it on an external monitor blown up to 1680x1050 and its still incredibly smooth. I have also played Psychonauts, Demigod, Trine, and MW2. All at very playable framerates.

My fiance likes it so much I might give this one to her and pick up a JT when they come out.

Edit* I hadn't tried TF2 in a full 32 man server, because I didn't think it would make much of a difference - but after I posted I joined a 32 man server and noticed drops in FPS to about 30. It never felt jerky or slow, but that's a pretty significant drop in FPS so I figured I would give you a heads up. I would also like to note that by default the "bloom" effect and motion blur are turned off. I don't know how important those are to you - but having them off offers a significant boost in performance.

 

I've been looking at that one for the longest time as well. You should check the HP owners forum for more specifics on that model. Regardless of what killah21 says, that is a business class HP notebook. Not some low end mainstream hp notebook. And as far as that "study" done, there were very few specifics mentioned on how they did the study and what criteria was measured. Take it with a grain of salt. All I know is, there have been very few complaints about the 5310m.

Check the HP 5310m Owners Lounge for more info
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=429426

 

Funny you mention that. My HP desktop computer just died on me about a month ago. Luckily I was able to take it back to Sam's Club and get a full refund (including the warranty I purchased with it).

 

If all configuration stay true to CES this year, ASUS UL30JT will be perfect laptop for me in school. I need a laptop that is more capable than su7300 yet also packing some punch for me to enjoy light gaming entertainment on long lasting battery for reasonble price backed by incredible warranty for peace of mind. I believe this laptop will not be gaming powerhorse, but it will get its job done good.

Release some info for this model already ASUS~

 

Hmmmm wondering if I should just bite the bullet and get a UL30VT. I'd like a laptop and although its not urgent sooner rather then later would be nice.

 

So here's where I stand after months of reading through these endless forums. I have a 4-year-old Dell Inspiron 6000 that is becoming less functional by the day. I purchased the VT-A1, only to cancel the order after the announcement of the JT. I am (not so) patiently waiting for the JT. I have also been researching other models, including the MBP (also awaiting refresh), Thinkpad Edge, and HP ProBook 5310.

I am a big multi-tasker, but will not ever game. I do, however, want the ability to play 1080 streaming video seamlessly, which only the VT / JT and the MBP would afford me if I understand all of this tech talk correctly. Primarily, I will be using my laptop for MS Office, Google Chrome, Digsby, Quicken, Evernote, Picasa, etc. Furthermore, I want portability as I'm about to enter a Masters program, and also desire extended battery life.

The reason I am waiting for the JT / MBP refresh is because I want this purchase to be functional as long as possible.

My current thought process is to hold out until the middle of March, and if nothing is decided about the MBP or JT, purchase a VT-A1.

Am I on the right track? Can any of you provide any additional insight?

 

I'm in the same boat with you, although I can wait a little bit longer because I was given a 2 year old toshiba after my w3j finally bit the dust last week and it runs surprisingly well. I will need a laptop for June, though I'm sure there'll at least be a release date for the JT by that time (hopefully it'll even be available)

If I were you, I'd go for the MBP - I hear there is a big refresh scheduled for March - possibly even March 2 - that'll give you arrandale processors and possibly optimus nvidia graphics. Since you don't game, that might be a sensible choice. I don't really game either, though I do really like windows 7 a lot more than OSX.

 

That's funny. I was in exactly the same position as you guys. I decided to go with the A1 because of a spectacular deal going on on Tiger direct. The refresh of the MBP would be a great option, but like Juldarus I am far to fond of Windows 7 to switch to OSX.

 

Hah.. I bet you were the guy who bought the last Tiger Direct VT-A1 right before my eyes .. Well.. I found it for 780 bucks on cashback, which is still pretty good deal, huh?

I don't think Apple is thinking about implementing Optimus in their refreshed MBP. They are ALWAYS behind technology

 

Should be an interesting week. CeBit starts Tuesday. I would assume we will see a lot of information on new releases. I would expect to see the N82 ready for preorder and the UL30JT in final specs. Macbooks should also be refreshed in the next week or so. Should be lots to think about.

Bronsky

 

man ul30jt... come out already!

 

Can't wait!

 

where did you find it

 

A german site has posted a picture of the New Pinetrail 1201. It has a single Pinetrail atom and the "next generation" Ion. Check out the specs. The new Ion is a 310M GPU but it has apparently been modified by NVIDIA to support 1GB of onboard ram.

http://www.netbooknews.de/14132/asus-eee-pc-1201pn-mit-n450-prozessor-und-ion-2-grafik/

Is this the mysterious 1GB 310M slated for the UL30JT, shown at CES in January? I would guess so.

It's good to see some information starting to trickle from CeBit.

Bronsky

 

However, the ion2's early benchmarks have showed little to no improvement over the ion, and some were lower than ion. Drivers? Maybe... but time will tell.

 

There were supposto be two new ions. The one in the 10" Acer 532G benchmarks 20% under the first generation ions. The other one, however, was supposto be an improvement over the first generation due to the addition of more shaders etc. It is yet to be seen if the reports are correct and which one the 1201pn will have. I would assume we're lookin at the better, second generation Ion here bacause of the 1GB memory.

Bronsky

 

I hope so. But I'm anxiously waiting for tomorrow as I would really want to grab a laptop now rather than later. CeBit will solidfy my decision of which laptop to choose [JT / m11x / envy 13 refresh (depending price) / or something else that's new and revolutionary that's worth the wait]

 

I think the UL30JT will be released shortly.

The U30Jc has begun to ship.

Here's hoping we'll get the UL30JT by the end of this month!!

 

You know, if they made the UL series with aluminum palmrests...I would be so happy. The ONLY thing I don't like about my A1 is the palmrest/touchpad. They look great, but the feel of plastic on your palms isn't great.

Bronsky, those 1201n's are inching towards being really great laptops. With a next gen ion, they will be sweet!

 

well the JT palmrests are Matte which is much better than the glossy plastic at least.

 

As long as they make another verision with dual atoms. The 1201pn is a single atom with the next gen ion. Hopefully there will be a dual pinetrail machine. Has anybody successfully overclocked the Pinetrail yet. I know the old 270 can reach 2ghz in an overclock.

Bronsky

 

Anyone know how my current laptop with a T5800 C2D (2.0Ghz) would fare against an i7 640UM at 1.2Ghz in terms of processing power? I know the power savings will be awesome but I just don't know whether the increase in per cycle processing ability of the i7 will make up for the lower frequency. Also, when the i7 is turbo boosted to 2.26Ghz, will it consume more or less or about the same amount of power as then T5800?

 

I was looking forward to the JT until the 310m turned out to be the 210m refresh. Since that gpu is a bottleneck to the SU7300, not seeing the gamer good for the i7 in it. This could have been huge with a 330m, but that would probably result in a thicker design to keep cool. Not to mention at least $150 more expensive.

I guess I kind of answered why they stayed with the same chip

BTW, I have the M11x and love it, but would have had a HARD choice if the JT had at least a 330m. Then again, it would probably cost a lot more than the $905 I paid. Discounts are good

 

Question for you guys. After doing some shopping around I've it looks like the best thing coming is the UL30JT. For me, it is the combination of low power consumption, size and switchable graphics to something that is decent for gaming. I've never owned an Asus, but they seem to be ranked pretty high in terms of reliability.

If I was willing to go a bit higher in price, maybe like $1300 max, are there any alternatives coming up that offer the same power efficiency and screen size with a better GPU? The closest thing I've seen so far is the current Sony SR, but its graphics card is not actually as good as the 310M and its battery life sucks. Also, I'd be willing to go up to a 14".

 

I'm actually in your situation as well. I'm willing to spend more than $1000 on a laptop I'll be using for a few years but I can't find anything available/announced that's sort of a half grade up from the UL30JT (or 50/80JT).

 

oops wrong thread

 

If you're willing to go up to 14", you should look at the new Asus N82. It is rumored to have an I5 (I7?) and a GT335M GPU, along with Optimus technology to preserve battery power. I have recommended it to a number of people who are just waiting for its formal release to see the price.

Bronsky

 

March 17th !!!!!!!!!!! Man, you make my day !!!!! I only hope it's true this time !!

 

I am hoping tomorrow is the big day with some serious news, what time is the Asus Press Conference - Eastern Standard Time

 

I hope we see an updated UL20 also.

 

ASUS Eee PC 1018P spotted at CeBIT: Atom N455/N475, USB 3.0 & Bluetooth 3.0

http://www.slashgear.com/asus-eee-p...-atom-n455n475-usb-3-0-bluetooth-3-0-0176160/

Man if they can put in usb 3.0 & bluetooth 3.0 in a Eee PC... then they better put it in the UL30JT...!!!

Come on asus .... you can do it..!!

 

Yes please! USB 3 in the Ul30jt would make up for its okay graphics card.

 

No. Better graphics would definitely make it more future proof than USB3

 

Only if your gaming or doing particularly graphics heavy tasks. The graphics card will be one of the first specs to become outdated regardless of whether its the 310m or 330m.

 

Heads-up folks.. price drop!!

Amazon has the UL30VT-A1 for $799.99 right now.

This deal is basically is as good as the "free optical drive" promotion they had last month.

 

better graphics for short term.

USB3 for long term.

like USB 2, it'll take a while before USB 3 devices become mainstream.

 

You are completely right. USB 3 won't be mainstream for quite a while, and once it is it should be the norm for a long time. But I know I personally would much prefer to have better graphics performance than USB 3. eSata is everywhere, with amazing transfer speeds - and yet I would much prefer having a notebook with a Great GPU vs a notebook with eSata (that is if I had to choose) If you are really worried about transfer speeds from external devices find a notebook thats out right now with a powered eSata/USB port.

Anyway, I thought you guys might find this intriguing.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...BY&cm_mmc=Email-_-Main-_-WEM2212-_-tigeremail

Really great deal on that notebook. It isn't a JT, but its pretty sweet for the cash if you need something while you wait.

 

Just a couple days ago that notebook was $550 - 15% Bing cashback - $100 MIR = ~$368

I was tempted as I have been waiting for a Gateway EC1454u on backorder for a while now (crossing fingers that the ETA I was given of a shipment arriving on Friday is true) but I decided in the end that the SU2300 dual-core processor would probably be more worth it for me versus any of the other benefits the MSI provides (battery life, aesthetics, perhaps better screen and/or build quality, etc.). Plus I think I'm looking for something more netbook-sized, and the MSI is a bit larger and heavier (with its 13.4" screen).

My Gateway EC1454u (SU2300 model) is going to be ~$337 after Bing cashback and eBillme rebate, provided both of those come.

 

Hi guys,

Need some advice...is there any reason why I shouldn't pick up the U30JC-A1 instead of the UL30VT-X1?

Won't the Core i3, outperform the SU7300?

Thanks for your input in advance.

 

The VT has discrete graphics (NVidia G 210M), the JC does not. If you want to play 3D games, watch HD flash videos etc. the VT is really the only option. If accelerated graphics is not a priority for you, then yes, the JC is a better choice.

Meanwhile we're all waiting for the JT to launch which will have the best of both worlds...

 

But on xotic PC it says it has switchable graphics

http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-u30jca1-order-p-2763.html

 

Ahh, spoke a bit too soon mate, sorry. This is the U30JC, not the UL30JC. It's clunkier/heavier and has an optical drive. The UL30 series are lighter, thinner and with no optical drive. See also:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=455774

Also, this is still pre-order so you can't actually pick it up yet (unlike the UL30VT)

 

The U30JC clearly has dedicated/switchable graphics. It was in the group of computers that Asus anounced Optimus with. It has an I3, not an I5/i7 like the UL30JT should have and it comes with a 310M 512MB GPU instead of the 310M 1GB GPU rumored to be in the UL30JT. The JC also comes with an optical drive as well, i think.

The biggest advantage it has over the mythical UL30JT is that it has a release date and is more than mere vaporware.

Bronsky

 

it'll be pretty idiotic on behalf of Asus if they launch a Eee Pc with usb 3.0 and then go ahead and launch a Ul30JT with usb 2.0.

I mean what kind of LOGIC is that...?!?

I would never buy a UL30JT if it didnt have usb 3.0 especially after knowing that they launched it in a cheap Eee pc

http://www.slashgear.com/asus-eee-pc...h-3-0-0176160/

and other laptops....

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/03/asus-n82-and-n61-join-the-usb-3-0-laptop-party/

The UL30JT deserves USB 3.0 .... PERIOD...!!

Otherwise.... I WON'T BUY IT..!!!

 

Hey Everyone,
I'm eagerly anticipating the UL30JT announcement just as much as you are
So... today I googled UL30JT and got to this page http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm...ortParameter=brand_name&startnum=1&letter=ALL
There aren't any real details there, except for "Date on the Market: March 1, 2010" and "Power in Idle (Pidle): 11.04 Watts"- if you want to compare it to the UL30VT - http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm...ortParameter=brand_name&startnum=1&letter=ALL (slightly higher than the VT) anyway... hopefully this means ASUS finally announces it

Edit: the site also says it has a "1.2 GHz Intel Core i7 Processor" - at least some confirmation

 

what time is the asus press conference at or did it already happen since germany is I believe 6 hrs ahead of nyc.

 

Nice find, here is hoping that is some indication of the not too distant future.

 

I personally don't care for usb 3.0 as much. By the time it becomes mainstream and actual usb 3.0 devices become cheaper [assuming there will be some sort of premium], I will have moved on to another laptop
But in that sense, having usb 3.0 will help the resale value in 2 years when it is the norm...

 

That site also says that the UL30JT has 4GB of video memory. Grain of salt.