Asus UL30JT

I was ready to purchase the UL30VT back in January, but I saw the UL30JT video clip from zedomax, and I really thought it would be released any day now. Two months later I still have no idea when this laptop will be available. Do you guys know if there will be a significant increase in performance between the current SU7300 and CULV i7? I really don't want to go ahead and purchase the 30VT only to find out the 30JT will be released two weeks after.

I am a developer, and I plan to run visual studio and do some silverlight development on this laptop. You guys think the specs of this laptop would be good enough? Or should I just forget the whole thin and light series for development and get a mainstream laptop? I'll probably be looking at some video and stuff, but not plans to run any 3d games or anything like that.

Are there any thin and light laptops currently available with i-series CULV processors?

Your advice and help is greatly appreciated.

 

I am looking at the U30Jc, which should be available next week or the week after. Not a lot of discussions about it though. Asus seems to be keeping it quiet.

Should be a lot like the UL30JT except no culv i7, instead it has a normal i3. The two processors will be comparable to each other when the culv i7 is put into turbo boost. This is 13", has an optical drive, optimus graphics. Only low point will be the battery life which can't compete with culv. I've read it has anywhere from 4-6 hours battery life, but like I said, not much info about it other than Chinese reviews. Should be cheaper than the ul30jt though, at $860-$900.

I'm only going with this one because I can't wait for the JT

 

Thanks for the info. If you do go with that laptop let me know ho it turns out, if it does get 4-6 hours of battery life and its around the same weight and thickness then that might actually be a better option for me for my development work than the 30JT.

I found this link http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=465353
which has some of the specs.

Any developers out there use do work on these thin and light series? Do they perform at a satisfactory level?

 

Since it has an optical drive and not made for "thin and light" it has a little bit more thickness and I think it weighs something like 5 1/2 lbs with the ac adapter included.

Here's a Chinese review of it... There are many similarities between it and the JT other than the "thin and light" mentality.

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=zh-CN&u=http://www.it.com.cn/notebook/review/pc/2010/03/15/08/760027_1.html&ei=Qm6iS7PiDMSclgeei4mOCQ&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEgQ7gEwBA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dasus%2Bu30%2Breview%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26tbo%3D1%26tbs%3Dqdr:w

 

hmmm only 4:30hr in real life usage.

 

the U30Jc is 2KG=4.4 pounds.

 

Forgive my ignorance but what is the difference between this laptop and the u33jt? I have read the specs and they sound so similar! I want a laptop with good battery and reasonably decent graphic card for some games and light in weight if possible

 

You mean the U33JC? If yes,
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=465353

all the upcoming(?) asus laptop.

 

I do have one thing to thank Asus for... if it wasn't for the UL30JT being at CES, I would have just bought the UL30VT in January... and never have had a chance to wait and purchase the Acer 3820TG .

 

What model Acer are you guys getting? Is it currently available? if not when is the ETA release date. I really wanted to get an ASUS, but I really can't wait forever.

As for YESHHHH's post above, I never owner an ASUS laptop before, but for some strange reason I really wanted an ASUS laptop... maybe its just the nice form factors? I have no idea why. But in the end common sense has to prevail for me

 

No kidding!
I really don't like Acer, but their timeline series does look the most comparable to our stillborn UL30jt

 

The mentioned acer is the 3820tg that will be announced in 2 weeks or less

 

ACER 3820TG | 13.3" (1366x768) | 1" | 3.9LBS | WIN 7 x64 | INTEL CORE i5 540M | ATI 5650 | 4GB DDR3 RAM | 640GB HDD (SSD COMING SOON) | 8 HR BATTERY LIFE

The Acer 3820 is similar to UL30JT.
Acer 3820 = better performance (using M processor and ATI 5650 GPU)
Less Batter life

UL30JT = Better battery life and warranty

The thing is i heard some rumors about Acer and their heating problems tho.

The release date for the ACER is around end of march. I think

 

Although the battery life is less.. 8 hours is still impressive and will definitely fit my needs, especially since it has a more powerful CPU and Graphics card. At this point, I guess I'll just have to see which comes out sooner

 

Oh it's not just comparable... it runs circles around the UL30JT... :yes:

To Asus' credit, their warranty is indeed better. 1 year accidental damage warranty is always nice to have.

As for the better battery life, the fact that Acer promises 8 hours on NON-CULV processor with a Class 2 GPU... i'm actually shocked and disappointed Asus only promises 10 hours with its low powered CPU and Class 3 GPU.

Regarding cooling, this will be the biggest factor for me. I want this thing to stay cool on my lap when doing basic tasks and cool on my desk when gaming. One thing to keep in mind though, as Ober points out, the Acer 3820TG has two fans/heatsinks!! Another point for Acer :yes:.

^^^ My sentiments exactly .

 

So will the Acer overheat or have loud fan noise? I'll wait until someone reports on this to make a decision b/c I hate a noisy laptop. Also, what about the talk about Acer support compared to Asus? I was under the impression that Asus was pretty high up there regarding help.

 

If it's sold on Amazon, I will have it at most 2 days after it releases (Amazon.com Prime FTW ). I will provide unboxing vids, pictures, reviews, answers to questions, the works .

I think Asus was #1 in a recent customer satisfaction survey.

 

And you can also add bing cashback to it, which right now I see at 5% and get it for $711.55.. which I think is great !

Not sure when UL30JT shows up *still waiting*

 

I'l be right there with ya.

Bronsky

 

Apparently you can order the U30JC now on eBay! Maybe that possibly means UL30JT is coming soon?

http://zedomax.com/blog/2010/03/18/now-you-can-pre-order-asus-u30jc-on-ebay/

 

sorry for those of you who have waited since jan. i was in the market for a 13in laptop and came across this model last week so i think i have about 2 months of waiting in me

 

Do you know if Amazon offers release date shipping for laptop preorders? Or is that just video games...

 

If I remember correctly, when they had the exclusive for the UL30VT they didn't. I hope Amazon, Newegg and tiger get them at the same time. Would love to get 5% Bing cash back.

 

There seems to be a lot of people getting really excited for this Acer that has been announced. It definitely has the potential and I can see it too. The better graphics card, the processor, everything seems too perfect to be true.

The only thing I think we have to remember is when you are looking at a totally different company altogether such as Dell, Apple, Asus, Acer, HP, etc. you have to keep in mind who you are buying from and their reputation. I have owned a lot of Asus gear, from computer components to laptops and I really like what they do. Their products are very reliable and very well built in my opinion and a lot of the decision process is influenced by personal experience with their products.

If HP were to come out with a laptop tomorrow with similar specs as the JT I'm not sure how everyone would respond because on paper it looks fantastic but we still have to realize that HP is a much different company then Asus. Factors such as build quality, customer service, warranty, and overall experience with the product will vary from who you buy from.

So before we all jump ship and take a look at the Acer, remember the company itself and its quality of products. If you've had great experience with Acer then that's great and I'm sure it will be an easy decision.

I think everyone on this forum is extremely knowledgeable and can see the pros and cons of making their purchase. But it's also easy to get excited about something without considering the history of the company and their products.

 

From what I've heard, the Timelines have been great laptops. Sure, Acer is more of a budget brand, but they've released good products, and ASUS has released bad ones.

I wouldn't pay a premium for an Acer, but if the level of bang for buck is up to scratch, I don't see the problem. The only issue I have with Acer is that their international support is quite poor, and I intend to take a laptop back to Australia. Nonetheless, if I called Acer they might be able to work something out for me in that regard.

 

Read the complete SquareTrade laptop analysis PDF so often mentioned
that shows ASUS laptops are ranked highest in reliability.
_________________________________

This new Acer AS3820T will probably arrive very soon in some country.
Acer has a habit of introducing new products in smaller markets, like Sweden or Spain.
Then gradually ramping up production on their "winners".
________________________________

See the following 3/17 story...
Acer to globally debut Calpella Timeline notebooks March 22 at DIGITIMES

Acer will unveil its Calpella Timeline series notebooks equipped with Intel Core i3 and Core i5 processors for the global market on March 22, according to industry sources in Taiwan. The series will have display sizes ranging from 13 to 15 inches with a running time of eight hours, the same as the company's Timeline ultra-thin models.

Although Acer's Calpella Timeline notebooks will be as thick as the Timeline models, they will be slightly heavier due to the cooling modules. The Calpella Timeline series will feature a 9-cell battery instead of the Timeline's 6-cell battery to enable an eight-hour battery life, the sources noted.

The Calpella Timeline will have three different display sizes: the 13-inch model is made by Wistron, while the 14- and 15-inch models are produced by Quanta Computer.

Scott Lin, president of Acer Taiwan, confirmed that the Calpella Timeline will be launched by the end of March, while Acer Taiwan will officially launch the product on March 30. Lin, citing GfK's figures, said that Acer surpassed its major competitor Asustek Computer and became the largest notebook and desktop vendor in Taiwan in terms of sales in 2009. Acer had 33-34% of the notebook market in Taiwan, and 25% of the desktop segment.
_____________________________________

BTW... Five major Taiwanese companies manufacture 90% of the world's notebooks, including ~HP, ~Dell, ~Sony, ~Lenovo, ~Acer and ~Asus. Even some of the same models are made by more than one company. Look around DIGITIMES for insightful info on this industry.

 

You misinterpreted my statement. ASUS might have better results overall, but that doesn't mean they're not capable of releasing bad models, and nor does it mean that Acer aren't capable of releasing good ones. Both things have happened in the past.

 

Actually, I agree with your statement.
Doesn't make sense to judge a specific model by brand name anymore.

BTW, I'm the happy owner of an Acer 11" Timeline 1810tz SU4100,
which was flipped off the arm of a sofa by our little Poodle.
It actually spun in the air and landed upright on the tile floor.
Still running! Didn't even need to reboot.
See the claw puncture on the palm rest.

 

it would be better if we just look at the product and not company history . I will buying my first laptop soon and i m quite impressed by the ASUS UL series(with many ASUS products in my desktop) but ASUS ULXJ offerings are now beginning to look miniscule infront of ACER's offering . i know laptops arent the thing that should be bought by just looking on the spec sheet but i will wait for reviews,forum posts for my final buying decision

 

The company reputation is important in many ways that figure into a purchase decision. This is espically true when it comes to service. That used to be a strong point of a company like Dell. That is why it historically outsold companys who's models may have been technologically ahead of the Dells. With the decline of Dell service (my company has used them for 10 years and it is a shadow of its former self) its product sales have suffered.

That being said, you also have to look at the individual product and its components and finally availability. That is where the new Acer line has it all over the UL30 line. I have no idea what has been going on at Asus but the incredible delay in getting the JT to market has relaly hurt it. I also believe that the inclusion of the 310M was a mistake from the start.

The new Timelines are set for release in the US on March 22. I am ordering one as soon as I can. I think that Acer has a winner here. I have a small timeline (1410T) and am quite impressed with this little wonder. I am hoping that the 3820TG is built at least as well as the 1410T.

While I think the UL30 series was a good idea, Acer has anounced virtually a new model and brought it to market before the new JT. The UL30JT has been Hyped for the past 3 months. I think the failure to get the product to market while there was still excitement and demand will seriously hurt its sales.

The bottom line is that many factors affect the decision to choose one model over another. Right now, those factors lean toward the Acer timelines, not the Asus UL series.

Bronsky

 

I think the problem is that Intel's low-voltage Core i CPUs are nowhere to be found as yet.

As such, I expect the ASUS N82Jv will be out well before the UL30JT. The N82Jv is definitely a closer competitor to the Timeline series than the UL30JT, and I think the N82Jv has an overall advantage over the Timeline 4820TG.

However, ASUS does lack a full-powered 13" in the works, which is good for Acer since they're going into a rather exclusive market. Indeed, the Timeline 3820T is probably, for a little while, going to be the closest competitor to the Sony VAIO Z, of all things.

I can agree that a higher card than the 310M would've been warranted, especially in the U30JC, though.



Personally, I'm going to give the HP Envy 15 a go, considering the 30-day return policy. It's light for a 15" - i.e. the same weight as most 14" - and 1080p; I just need to try it to see if I'd be satisifed with the form factor and battery life. Unlike the ASUS N82Jv, the other main competitor for me, it's actually available.

 

I agree with this. I was all set to buy the UL30JT in early Feb. but they have taken too long to get it to market, and the competition will eat their lunch before it even hits the shelf. I am still considering the N82, but if the timeline is available first I would probably just buy that. I really don't understand the marketing logic of displaying upcoming products and then holding back on the release date. Unless there is a technical problem, it doesn't make sense.

 

I'd lay the blame on the low voltage Arrandales, since they're still nowhere to be found.

 

if the ul30jt release date will be april 30 - may 15... ?

- will you wait for it?
- buy a ul30vt
- buy a different laptop

 

Totally agree with this, I usually do a lot of research before purchasing anything especially a laptop (which is a significant investment to me due to budget limitations) and at the time the UL30JT was announced, it seemed like the best option out there in that niche. In my mind that was the perfect laptop. But after waiting for two months and then seeing the specs on the Acer timeline it seems like this tops the UL30JT.

I wanted the UL30JT because
1. It was thin light and portable
2. I was expecting some relatively decent performance from the i7 CULV
3. It had great battery life.
4. Switchable graphics

-While the timeline may be heavier or thicker than the UL30JT, its not significant of a difference.

-Also its my understanding, I may be wrong here but the mobile version of the i5 processor can outperform the i7 CULV

-8 hours is still pretty impressive to me (although I know this is usually the best case scenarios, I am curious to see what the actual battery life will be like when doing normal tasks)

-The timeline has a superior graphics card..and I am assuming its switchable graphics as well.

Someone also pointed me to the U30JC, which seems to have a more powerful processor with a 13" display. But I am not too sure of the battery life on that model, and it seems it may be a bit heavier. But ill keep my eye on that one as well.


It would have been ideal for me if ASUS came out with a machine with some similar specs to the timeline in the UL form factor. I would be completely satisfied if it had 8 hours of battery rather than 12, especially if it had a more powerful CPU and GPU.

 

If I knew for sure it will be released by the 30th of April, I would wait and check out some actual hands on reviews for each of the different machines and make my decision from there. Maybe the CULV version of the i7 may surprise us all ...probably just wishful thinking . But it it was going to be released by the 15th May, I would just look at some other options. (this is or me personally as I have been waiting for two months already)

 

Looks like Intel's shortages are being confirmed now. I wonder where Asus stands in priority.

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/03/19/intel-experiencing-shortages-of-notebook-chips/

 

A: Wait for it and compare to other offerings and price points.

 

The UL30JT is still going to have a place among the students that dont need a strong work horse gpu. The 310M will still be capable of doing HD play back months from now, dont worry

Most of the people here opting for Acer's want it just because it's coming out first, and it's a better gpu!

I'll wait for the reviews before finally deciding.

 

I don't really need any intensive GPU, but I am concerned about how the CULV will run visual studio 2008 .. and visual studio 2010 (very soon) as well as expression blend and the other Microsoft development products. I searched all over to see if anybody is running the development tools on the SU7300, which I assume will be around the same performance as the i7 CULV... but found no answer. If anybody is indeed running visual studio on a CULV processor please let me know if its running satisfactorily. I dont expect it to be impressive, but I just dont want it to be a major bottle neck.

 

Intel's latest Core i7/i5/i3 series notebook processors are currently facing tight supply, as Acer, optimistic about the upcoming demand for the related notebooks, has placed large volume of orders for the processors, according to sources from the notebook sector.

Intel is giving priority to major clients, and second-tier and smaller notebook players have to wait much longer before receiving supply of the CPUs, the sources noted.

Source: http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20100318PD209.html

 

Where does Asus fit in the pecking order? Are they seen as a major player or second-tier?

 

Only Acer is the first-tier. Asus and others are not.

 

Here's a preliminary review of the Acer 3820TG with ATI Radeon 5470.

Notice the battery life results:


I don't read cyrillic, but I'd wager that the upper group of bars is the laptop under load, and the lower group of bars is the laptop in idle. If this is true and the review accurate (which it might not be -- it *is* the internet afterall), then the 5470 rated at 13-15Watts consumption is lower than the 5650 rated at 15-19Watts consumption, which means that these numbers are likely to go *down* with the 3820TG RadeonHD 5650 when using graphics (though likely not significantly).

I'm not passing any judgement on which I think is "better" (especially given this solitary characteristic), but I thought that this information would be useful to be passed on for those doing an unbiased comparison, especially those that highly value battery life.

Have fun, you crazy kids... Taa...

}:^)~

 

The battery in the model they tested is not the same one that the 3820 will actually ship with. In fact, iirc, the battery it will ship with is a 9 cell in order to get MUCH better battery performance.

 

^^The 3820 will ship with a 30% larger battery. That's what the reviewer said (if you translate the site with Google).

 

3:15 is for the discrete gfx card. As you can see, they get 6 hours on the intel gfx card. This is with the standard battery and there is an option for a higher capacity battery that will hit 8 hours.

Similar to this asus, if you turn on the 310m discrete gfx card and turbo33... you will not get the mentioned 8 hours.. probably 4-5.

From what I can tell, it's software based and you choose performance/battery gpu option. How it works behind the scenes I'm not too share. Didn't notice any hardware switches though I hope there is! Don't think they had to restart.

The promised 8 hours will still being using a much stronger CPU than the asus. From the chart posted above, with the 3 times performance you will be getting 3 hours. If you turbo'd the asus + 310m you will get 4-5. Still the touted 2 hours better. And are you seriously telling me both processors are about the same? LOL. The asus has a ulv i7/i5 where the acer has the standard i5/i7. I'll take the i5 520m vs i5 520um. The i5 520um that could be in the asus is ranked 142 with a turbo boost that say will more than double the performance. Go up to maybe 30-50 ranks. The i5 520m in the acer is ranked 12th and still has the option to turbo boost.

 

So then it would have a battery life of 4h in idle when using discrete graphics? And 8h with intel hd graphics. Many people here said that they will buy the 3820 because it has a better graphics card and still is able to achieve a good battery life. Well 4h in idle doesn't sound very good to me, it translates to 2h when really using the thing. The UL30Jt will definitely have a better battery performance. And if you are okay with the poor battery performance of the 3820, you should absolutely take a look at the mainstream notebooks. They offer even better performance and some portability at lower price. But as said, we should wait and see some reviews and tests with real released products. There is no way saying how the models will perform before that.

 

Especially as everybody is eager for Acer with the 5650 GPU. That one uses a bit more power than the 5470, just let it be a couple more watts. Just enough to not be that great as everybody thinks.

 

Exactly that's why there is switchable graphics. No one will use the discrete graphics all time, that doesn't make sense. People will use it when they would like to play a bit, and that would be mostly in their home, or where are power connectors. Otherwise they will still be able to play for 3-4 hours which is really not bad from a dedicated card like this...and its not much worse than the UL**Vt series.