Asus UL30JT

Well played/

 

That makes me more sure that my daughters computer has a manufacturer fault. She hasn't done anything. The screen is white with cracks inside.

In Sweden we have 2 years guarantee for fabric faults automatically by the law.

But ASUS:s refuses to fix it.

 

Wonderful

Bitter as I am in my despair
Asus envy at HP will be seen
and HP would surely repair
my daughters broken screen

 

Hahahaha that is great.

 

With an accidential warranty, Asus should assume it is covered unless they can establish that it was the product of some uncovered abuse. Bad call here Asus. In the US, I would already have a consumer fraud complaint filed with our local consumer affairs office of the attorney general's office. I would want my money back x3 as we have treble damages here. I would probably follow that up with a small claims complaint and see what happens next. It's easy to say no over the phone, but when the company has to send lawyers or reps to mediation, arbitration or hearings, it's amazing how fast they tend to negotiate or change their positions. I thought you guys had great consumer laws in the EU. Wot up with that?

Bronsky

 

Yes. I'm gonna do one more try but Aus won't change their mind I'm afraid.
The only thing I can do now is to warn people. My 14 year old girl isn't happy right now I can tell you. And when she's angry att dad...

 

Any chance Squaretrade operates in Europe. You guys might be better off going with those guys.

 

I was never clear on this:
1) did your daughter's UL30VT come with ASUS' 1-yr Accidental Damage Warranty (ADW)? In the US, our UL & U laptops from ASUS come with BOTH a 2-yr factory warranty AND a 1-yr accidental damage warranty.

But that 1-yr ADW isn't provided via some sellers & countries (e.g. In the US, Best Buy & Circuit City's ASUS laptops don't come with this extra ADW (keeps the price down).

Does your reseller in Sweden provide this?

2) Did your daughter use the unit any before the screen crack was discovered? How long? Or was it like this out of the box?

My son recently bought a Lenovo Y560 (man, does that notebook get HOT!). It arrive to my home & would come on, etc, but the screen never worked from day one. Lenovo replaced it, no questions asked. But IF it had worked out of the box, including the screen and then a week later, a crack appeared in the glass, Lenovo would not have covered that as they would have felt it was owner abuse.

UPDATE: Okay, I just reread your post. You say that you bought her the unit TWO MONTHS AGO and then a few days ago, discovered the break in the screen. So she used it for two months and it was working. Then, unless it came with the EXTRA ADW, then of course the standard warranty won't cover it. Neither would they cover it in the US. Neither would Dell or HP or Lenovo cover it if it was used for two months and then a crack developed in the screen. You'd be hard pressed to prove it wasn't your fault but a built-in weakness in the screen.

 

Hey Quatro,

You have probably already addressed this but is the u30jc screen adequate? I've heard a lot of comments that it is not. Thanks.

 

Hey, everyone.

NVIDIA just released their new Optimus non-beta 257.21 drivers for the 310M here. Enjoy!

 

Hi DK_55. We should probably be having this discussion over on the U30JC thread .... though the quality of TN panel screen is common to all of the UL series as well.

Quick answer, it depends on what you mean by "adequate". For me, my screen is quite adequate. Good color, etc, though it does have its problems w/ light bleed making washed-out blacks & limited viewing angle. Here are three quick links:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/449726-u30jc-discussion-thread-108.html#post6324418
http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/449726-u30jc-discussion-thread-109.html#post6325182
AnandTech's LCD Analysis on the U30JC

 

Ok thanks.

 

I agree with you re: the keyboard, perhaps that is the reason for the frequent complaints of keyboard rattle.

No warping or bending of the lid after he stood on it. But as you say, i won't be letting him jump on it.

 

She has used it for 2 months. It's not a crack or a mark on the screen. The screen became white for no reason.
When I tried to find the error with the white screen I pulled the corners very little and a black crack inside the screen grew, the screens surface is still fine.

By this picture Asus says that my daughter crashed, smashed, broken her new computer...
And this picture is taken after my error searching ..

 

OH, that really stinks!

 

Ouch! Very sorry for this loss you're facing.

Yes, that definitely looks like hairline cracks within the screen (those panels have a plastic covering so that even if the internal glass gets bent & cracks, it won't be apparent from the outer surface). I had a friend who carried his PSP in his back jeans pocket. On day, after a trip out, he returned home and suddenly discovered that his screen had gone white. He called me and I came right over to look at it. Initially, I couldn't see any surface cracks on the screen. It was just white & not working. But as I put a small amount of pressure on the screen, the inner cracks & their black trace lines began to appear. Then the cracks became obvious. My son's cell phone screen was the same. He tripped on the charger cable and his phone went skidding into the wall. When he tried to use it, the screen only showed white. No cracks. When my finger put some small pressure on the screen, a black line appeared and spread what looked like black bubbles underneath, but I couldn't feel it from the surface of his screen. It was internally cracked and ruined nonetheless. Your story sounds very similar.

I would have thought that if that screen worked fine for two months, then it shouldn't/couldn't just develop cracks all by itself. I'm no engineer or hardware guy. An engineer with experience in TN technology could tell you better.

So your unit doesn't have the 1-yr ASUS Accidental Damage Warranty that we get in the US? It sounds like the answer is "no".

I don't think you can blame ASUS in this matter. No standard warranty will cover that kind of damage since it is nearly impossible to just occur by itself after months of use. Only an accidental damage warranty would cover that.

I still think the construction & thickness of these ASUS aluminum lids is too thin. A sharp strike while in a backpack or hard pressure (like a knee kneeling on it) on one area of the lid could conceivably damage the screen and develop those cracks later.

... then again, there's that story of the two-yr-old standing on the lid to no ill effect. My friend carried his PSP in his back jeans pocket for a while to no ill effect either. But then something happened (he doesn't even know what) and his screen was lost.

 

I see that. But since I talked looong with my daughter and we can't figure out how this has happened I wouldn't dare to buy a UL30xx after this.

The screen (and I don't talk about build quality) is the weakest part in this coumputer and still the repair cost will be half the computers price. Can you understand that?

I have followed this thread for so long. I had so much hope for the jt.
But it's not many days left now...envy...or 3820TG(I7-620M)...or....

 

I can see your point. The screen's weakness (it's a standard screen) is most likely due to the weakness of its protection (the lid casing).

Yes, you're right. That weakness will be common to all of the recent ASUS U & UL line of notebooks, including the UL30JT.

The HP Envy will be VERY sturdy in the lid. I think the casing/chassis is built like a tank! The Macbook Pro unibody is fabulous workmanship (IMO) and very tight & strong in construction. The Acer 3820TG specs look fast and the graphics chip will be awesome. I've no idea about cooling, battery life or casing since I've not really seen one.

I'm sorry for the mess with your daughter's computer. A new screen is ridiculously expensive! I hope your next purchase will be a better experience.

 

So then, what are the main differences between the U35JC and the UL30JT? Just the M as opposed to the UM processor? The specs & body appear to be very similar.

 

M vs. UM processor and a 640GB HDD for the UL30JT. The palmrest on the U35 is metal and has a pattern, not sure if the change carried over to the UL30JT. Also, UL30JT specs an 8-cell battery, U35 could come with a 6-cell.

 

I see the M vs UM, but the UL30JT also has a metal palm rest as well now. Batteries are negotiable as are HDD within the same model.

So the only real difference, since it's the same chassis, is the processor. Odd.

 

not sure if you are aware of this... but i only found out recently after doing a search.

the UL30JT has been released in Taiwan since mid April. judging from how they used to release the UL30A and VT simultaneously in Taiwan and North America, do you think that they might not be planning to release it here at all?

and to the dad whose daughter is upset with a broken laptop: if i was a 14-year old and the new laptop that my dad gave me as a present breaks, i'd say it broke by itself even if i accidentally dropped a hammer on it... but that's me... speaking of me, the only time i've seen a crack on a laptop screen was when my friend's dad "accidentally" punched his laptop screen from his rage =P

i am not a very experienced engineer, but i have been studying mechanical engineering, so i'll say this: just because you have a flimsy shell, doesn't mean you have less protection. having a "flimsy" shell can actually help absorb and dissipate impact energy and protect what's really important. the shell might be smashed, but the innards would be protected.

 

I didn't find a single UL30JT on display in Taiwan. Every place I went said that they could try and order one, but can't provide an ETA.

 

Yes. I'm sure that Asus too thinks my daughter is lying. In the mather of fact, I want someone from Asus to call her and tell her something like:
- Welcome to the grown up world you little lier.
Give me a PM and I will give you her cellphonenumber.

I am a little puzzled at Asus response, that it can only have been broken by force from her. Is it possible that the problem started at the fabric?
Then Asus shall pay. I would be glad and rich if I could manufacture things and say that my stuff can't be broken and get along with it.

 

So Asus is refusing to issue a RMA to you based on a cell phone photo of the damage? I find that very hard to believe.

Normal procedure would be that you send your notebook back to Asus under RMA and they check to see if the repair is covered under warranty. If not, they call you with an estimated cost to repair.

 

The interesting thing (sorry if I'm a bit late on the reply) is that the PL30JT is out and about in Oz. The PL30JT has a bunch of stickers on it which reflect UL30JT parts such as the battery and the motherboard stickers. I'm sure it has more stickers somewhere but I haven't bothered to look.

Obviously the thing can be released but I'm assuming it hasn't been due to marketing or some other function within the business. I was waiting on the 3820TG but with no announcement from Acer Australia about the laptop, I'm quite happy with my PL30JT although I don't need the extra gfx/cpu power as Bronsky does.

ASUS Australia also currently have a promotion for a free USB DVD Burner with all purchases and a free battery pack for the PL80JT so it sweetens the deal by just a little bit.

Re: screen flex/breaking comment, I had a Dell Latitude E6400 on top of my PL30JT, two power packs for both laptops, mouse usb hub and a whole stack of other stuff pressing on both laptops and the PL30JT screen survived quite well even though it was taking the brunt of the other gadgets.

Hope that alleviates some peoples concerns.

 

Any news on the JT model coming out? I need to purchase a laptop before August and have been eyeing the UL30VT-A1. Is it worth picking that up now for $689 or wait for the JT model?

I have also been considering the HP DM4T. I cannot make up my mind between the dm4 and the ul30vt-a1. What do you guys recommend.

 

I believe you have to order from web stores. most of the computer purchases in taiwan are made online. you only go into the stores if you have no idea what you are doing (which i'm NOT saying is you, it's just the culture nowadays).

tku01: i find it hard to believe when you say ASUS is refusing to pay. try talking to a different phone rep and ask if you can send it in for them to check out and give you an estimate. they'll pay for shipping if you manage to get a RMA number from them. things i have gotten replaced from their service for free are: a bottom frame (bottom and top piece, after i explained to them that the crack in my frame was due to fatigue and normal use), a fan, a motherboard... after all the things they've done for me, i find it hard to believe they would refuse to help you.

 

My concern wouldn't be consistent, even pressure around the lid, which is what you were doing. That distributes the weight evenly so it would not be a problem.

I'm more concerned with sharp knocks or whacks on the upper lid side while carrying it in a bag. That would increase the pressure in one small area exponentially. Or if someone dropped a mug or other sharp object on the lid when closed.

 

Any word on the 3820TG battery life?

 

Looks like 3-4 hours with dedicated GPU engaged and 5+ otherwise. Nobody has tested the 9 cell (fugly) but I doubt that it will deliver the 12 hours it is rated for.

Bronsky

Dont mean to hijack the thread.

 

Lol bronsky just raves about the 3820 in every thread and doesn't even have one yet. How much are they paying you?

 

Doesn't anybody have the 3820TG with the 9-cell battery.

Here in Denmark I can buy it for less than I bought my UL30JT for a month ago.

It's crazy were usually the ones who get the new hardware last.

 

mmm now I'm torn between UL30/80JT, PL30/80JT, 3820TG, and 4820TG...

Hopefully they come out before the end of August haha.

Perhaps I'll just end up buying the Envy 14.

 

There, you see. This reminds me exactly of my little poem on page 270.

 

LOL pay me? ... they won't even sell me a computer. I had to order it from Germany. On the way I hope.

 

You can also add U35/45JC to that list

 

Depends a bit on graphics power vs battery life. The 3820TG is a whole different level of graphics GPU compared to the 310M that all of these ASUS' have (my 310M's 3DMark06 score of 3700+ compared to the 3820TG HD5650's score of nearly 7400!).

At the same time, if I tried to play any games on the my discrete 310M using the battery only, my battery goes down to about 2.5 or so hours. So I'd wish for long battery life via the IGP and have a more powerful GPU for gaming. So it sounds like the 3820TG is a winner to me if it has the 8-cell (or a 9-cell?) battery and doesn't get very hot. My son's Lenovo Y560 has the HD5730 and gets really very hot and the fan noise is intense. It also chews through his battery like there's no tomorrow since he has no shared Intel IGP. My U30JC's fan, by comparison, is much quieter even while gaming.

 

Amazon is selling acer new models 3820t, 4820t now in US. Strangely they all have integrated graphics. There is no model with discrete graphics still as advertised.

 

I'm in the same boat. I want something in the 14" range that offers these features, but Asus marketing/model naming has confused the entire matter for me, I may just go with the Envy.

 

got tired of waiting, just bought a vaio z series, screw asus and acer!

 

Can't go wrong with a Z.

Bronsky

 

Z is sexy, drain on the wallet that's for sure.

 

well, i'd rather drain my wallet than drain my brains out.
i'm just too pissed off with asus and acer for releasing their products all over the globe but in the US, that's not the right way of treating their customers.

 

Not only that, they simply had a few mags mention their product lineups in a few, short sentences with no release date estimates. That's what I'd call incompetence. At least HP gives a rough timeline with the caveat that it's not definitive.

 

So I have pretty much narrowed it down to the 4820TG and Envy 14. I realized I wanted a little more graphics power than what the Nvidia 310M was offering, but I still wanted to keep a slim form factor and decent battery life. The Ati 5650 is almost twice as fast as the 310, and it looks like with graphics turned off the acer and HP have very good battery life. If the JT model actually had the 10+ hr battery life they were boasting it would be a different story, but I'm willing to sacrifice an hour or so of battery life for better performance.

 

I'll post this later

 

I'd say people just expected too much. Aside from the processor, which is outside of Asus' control, there is very little difference between the VT and JT.

 

I'll wait on this until I can post at the start of a page ...

Patience is golden.

 

the timeline x series just came out.
i thought we knew that the laptop is coming out in july?

why are people so eager to buy the laptop now? it's summer. get outdoors! buy a laptop when school starts

and what it's like to own an apple product: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apple