Asus UL30JT

I am dropping out of this. Bought the UL30Vt-A1 and Intel X25-M 80GB SSD at a price close to $819.

 

Great combo! Should be plenty fast.

I hope the 80GB is big enough for you (the rest on an external?)

 

10 years is a very very long time in computer years... and yes, ASUS was making laptops then. they probably looked more like bricks back then

 

they were one of the very first folks trying to do cute laptop, guess I still have it in my office, possibly still can boot. Problems started at the 8th month before the warranty ended, space bar barely worked, had 2 line across the screen, took it to the shop, they sent it to hk or taiwan, received it back 3 months later along with another 3 bad pixel, 6 months later battery gave up, can stay on only 5 mins, then there's an electrical problem on the keyboard or something, once in a while, it generated characters over the screen without pressing, the shop said it's a common problem of asus.. I had no idea they are now in top form, if my friend did not send me that UL30A link.

 

Hey, everybody's laptops were looking like bricks back then!

 

I think they qualify as doing pretty well now.

 

Two questions for fiszer... heeeey, man, where are you?

1. Does your UL30JT have, or does it not have built-in Bluetooth?

2. Does the machine make some hi-pitch noise from the display, like very old TV sets? This is an issue with my Sony VAIO, sometimes this hi-freq buzz from the display drives me crazy, so I need to check... does it have any kind of annoying noise in a very quiet room?

Cheers... hope you'll see this and answer...

 

the buzz sound is a signal before the LCD breaks. It usually comes with unusual heat, and later smoke.

 

Well, gee. Aren't you the cheery one, oh bringer of good news.

 

actually i heard the high pitch noise is a common problem for the intel processor

 

I'd heard it was a frequency thing related to the TN panel screen.

Luckily, I hear nothing from mine.

 

i think i'm going for either the U35jc or the U33jc. i can't decide between the two. U33jc will probably come out in august in taiwan, with i5 available. U35jc is already out right now and if you buy it in july, asus will give you a free external burner (promo)... the xotic price on the U33jc is rather.... ridiculously expensive. so i think i want to wait to see what the price is going to be like in taiwan... but that means missing out on the external burner promo.... aaaaaaahhhhhh....

 

Is there any free external dvd promo in the US?

 

Even in Taiwan, the U33Jc's going to be more expensive then the U35Jc. The U35Jc here is pre-selling at GenTechPC for $819. The U33Jc for $969. $150 difference. The U35Jc is seemingly the UL30Jt with a full-powered M processor. The U33Jc is entirely bamboo & aluminum on the top, has a USB 3.0 port, WiDi, 2.0 MP webcam & Bluetooth, so of course it is at least $100 more than the U35Jc/UL30Jt.

Will the price between the two be less in Taiwan? Will the U35Jc/UL30Jt go for less than $819 in Taiwan?

The U33Jc is being released in a week or so here, but not in Taiwan? That's very unusual.

 

External slim USB DVD drives are selling on Amazon for as little as $12. For example, here.

So, a free one is not a big deal.

 

the asus slim burner goes for around $40-50 here. so i'm going for that value. not to mention, that thing you posted is a cd-rom drive... i'm talking about the asus slim dvd burner here...

and fyi, the difference between the i3 370 and the i5 540 on the U35 in taiwan is less than $50... i'm pretty sure the difference on xotic is at least $100. so that's why i'm even bothering thinking about waiting

 

Oops, you're right. That is just a CD drive. Amazon's external slim DVD drives also go for around $40-50 here as well.

Xotic is charging for their manual installation of a different processor and labor in the US is very expensive. In the US, I think the U35Jc is only coming with the i3-370M. Better if you can find it prepackaged with the i5 you want.

But I thought you were trying to choose between the U33Jc & the U35Jc? That's what I meant that there is a price difference between them due to real differences in the design construction and what's inside.

 

yes, you are right. but i was just thinking, if the price difference between a i3 and i5 is so little, maybe the difference between U35 and U33 will also be little? haha, i know, probably wishful thinking eh? if my bike didn't get stolen this summer, i probably would have waited for the U33... but i think i'm going to go ahead with the U35. USB 3 and wireless displays aren't going to be popular in the next two years... right? RIGHT!?

oh, and for those acer fans, engadget has reviewed the timeline x 4820, and it looks like it's fallen short.
Acer TimelineX 4820T review -- Engadget

but when you compare it to the U35jc, it just gets beaten in almost every category (other than managing to stuff a dvd drive in it without making it bigger)

 

Hi
Sorry for my absence but i'm on vacation with no internet

Ad1. Yes , my UL30JT has an built in Bluetooth.
Ad2. Partially yes. When i use it on battery only and the fan is quiet enough i can hear some hi-pitch noises but only when laptop is close to my ear. Also i heard that other UL30JT user had returned his laptop because of that kind of noise so i assume that it can be very annoying. In that case i am either lucky or deaf because like i said i don't find this noise annoying so much.

Ad quatro question about Turbo33 : like i wrote few post earlier this technology basically increase the FSB frequency from 800Mhz to 1066Mhz (33% increse so i guess this is where the name come from) and can be used in intel CULV processors ONLY(because normal voltage processors already have their FSB on 1066Mhz).

 

You are correct. I will use an external drive incase I need more space.
I haven't opened the (UL30Vt-A1) box yet. Waiting for Asus "Back to School" promo that was hinted on Facebook.
I suspect that UL30Vt price will go down further in US. Asus is not using i5 ULV chip now for good reason.

 

Please elaborate on this Back to school promo

 

I don't know the full details. Check Asus Facebook page.
Someone left a comment: "I am looking at a UL50VT for school this September, although, now looking forward to the UL30JT. Will it be out before then? Or is there any possibility a UL50JT may be on the horizon? Please?"
Then he got a response like this: "wait for our back to school promo next week."

 

The UL30JT is officially up on sale at Amazon for $849, though it is currently out of stock as of right now.

Amazon.com: ASUS UL30JT-A1 13.3-Inch Laptop - Black: Computer & Accessories

Wouldn't even bother ordering from them when XoticPC and GentechPC offer the same unit for $30 less.

 

Perhaps their price reflects MSRP? Their UL80JT is also $30 more, so I anticipate that when the laptops are in stock, the price might even be cheaper than at Gentech and XoticPC.

Maybe

 

Ha!

That was me!


No response on the UL50JT question though....

 

i3-330um = no turbo boost = no go

For 849.99, can get Alienware M11xR2 (with coupon code all over the internet, I did) with I5-520UM and GT 335m.

To be fair, I have UL30VT and M11xR2, so not a fanboy of either brand...

 

And does Alienware M11xR2 have two GPU's and switchable graphics for better battery life?

 

does it has a pro-looking exterior and not make you look like a gaming nerd?
just kidding. i think the M11 looks cool. but you do bring up a good comparison. the M11 has um processor?? i thought it had full power ones?

 

Yes, it has intel integrated and dedicated Nvidia GT 335M 1GB card. It use same Nvidia Optimus for battery saving just like the ones UL30JT employs.

 

There are two lines of M11x, one has core 2 duo, choices are SU4100 and SU7300

Revision 2 has two cpu, one is i5-520um and i7-640um, all low power cpu in both line up, no full powered ones.

 

Well, there you go! Sounds like a great machine!

What are its downsides (if any) compared to the UL30VT or newer JT?

 

Hey guys
At first I was really excited for the UL80JT with the i5-520UM but Asus had to go cheap on the US and downgrade it and took forever for its release. After patiently waiting 3 months I jumped the ship on the HP Envy 14 b/c of 30% bing cashback from today. ($914: i5-450M, 4GB DDR3, 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics, 14.5" diagonal HD+ HP Radiance Infinity LED Display (1600x900))
Thanks for your informative posts over the months and GL with your Asus laptops.
Let's hope my 2nd HP will last me another 3 years

 

soopervoo, I did the same thing today. Maybe next time around I will give Asus a try.

 

PRO FOR VT = manually switchable graphic. Lots of web page with flash and even playing HD video on youtube and other site can be handled effortless by intel integrated video. VT can be manually set to integrated graphic and saves battery whereas JT would almost certain switch to dedicated G310M by Optimus program. This is the case for my Alienware M11x with Optimus, battery life drops quite a bit. As a result, VT should have better battery life and lower heat than JT.

PRO FOR JT = New core i cpu with 2 core and 4 threads, much better multi-tasking power. Other than that...i can't think of any pro. G310M and G210m are the same thing... difference between 1 Gb and 512MB is negligeable anyway for such a low powered video card.

 

well, for whatever reason, VT can get over 10hrs pretty easily. but the M11 can certainly not go over 8hrs

 

Of course, VT with SU7300 and integrated video + ability to manually over ride the system and stay on integrated is much more advantageous than M11x in terms of battery life where the system decides when to activate dedicated video card, sometimes it activates it when not needed.

 

I need a laptop by August for school. Would you guys still recommend the Asus UL30VT-A1? My primary concern for this laptop is the screen size and processor. I love the size of my sisters 14" laptop. Will the 13.3" size look a lot smaller in comparison? Also, will the Core 2 Duo hold me back? I hear the i5 is MUCH better, but I can't decide if I want to sacrifice battery for power (Would likely go for the HP DM4t).

Is there anything coming out in the $700-$800 range from Asus anytime soon with an i5 with good battery life? Or should I just bite the bullet on a UL30VT-A1?

Thanks SO much for any advice you guys can give!

 

Wow! Great buy! Well done.

 

Would this computer be your PRIMARY computer in a dorm setting? or would this just be a carry around 2nd machine? My Alienware m11x with core i5 um at 1.07 ghz stock is more snappy than my overclocked UL30VT @ 1.73 ghz but the UL30 holds its own very well and by no mean slow at all.

I have UL30VT-A1 as my 2nd or 3rd machine it does this

1) Come home plug it in, and in the morning unplug and go. At normal (not low power) setting with screen at 30% brightness and integrated video, I get real life 9 hours + battery life with light browsing, sleep mode and office document. Mind you, this is with cpu overclocked to 1.73 ghz 100% of the time.

2) With HDMI, and Nvidia engaged, it can play 1080P movie in highly compressed MKV files with no problem, no stutter.

3) I have owned HP 14.1 in laptop, 13.3 is smaller but not overtly so compare to 14.1, but you will notice the size smaller.

4) Ul30 is absolutely silent, no heat no noise. Mind you. A1 has 2 years warranty and 1 year accidental, X2 has only 1 year warranty and a smaller battery than A1

5) If hypothetically, you are getting this machine to be your primary machine, or in that capacity where you will be out most of the time and do CAD or more demanding program on it, I would pick UL30JT over VT. This by no means undermine the ability of VT but if you need more power, JT's core i cpu with 2 core and 4 thread goes a long way at the expense of some battery life but still by no means bad

But I have my desktop for heavy lifting work, so you have to see your need e.g. Battery life, Power to decide whether this would fit you.

 

I would still have my desktop, but it is still weaker than the UL30VT-A1.

It is a Pentium Dual Core (Not Core 2 Duo) with 1GB ram. Can the JT be found for $800>? Would you recommend a better laptop than the UL30VT-A1 for my needs in the $700-$800 range? I will be majoring in Computer Science so I don't believe I will be running any resource intensive programs or what not.

 

since price seems to be a major concern of yours and JT is 850 now, may i suggest this,

Asus - Laptop / Intel® Core™ i3 Processor / 14" Display / 4GB Memory / 500GB Hard Drive - Black - UL80J-BBK5

You won't get 10 hours battery life, probably 6 or so, but ull have a bigger screen, dvd drive, 14 inches and your i3 um processor with 4 threads.

 

If you're serious about less then $800, I think you can't go wrong with the UL30Vt.

BTW on screen size comparison and both are the 16:9 aspect, the 14.1" is about 1/2-inch wider and 1/4-inch deeper than the 13.3" screen. Noticable, but not very much. Go to someplace like Best Buy, if you can, and see these two sizes side-by-side. Be sure both are the 16:9 ratio (for example, Macs are 16:10)

 

I think I could swing $850, but it looks to be out of stock. Any word on any other place to pick it up? Does it blow the UL30VT-A1 out of the water and is it worth the $120+ jump?

 

Very good point, UL30VT would be top choice from me to you as well, but I recommended the UL80J from bestbuy cause of the dvd drive, if you are computer major, chances are you might need that dvd drive from time to time. Only con with the bestbuy UL80J is it has a smaller battery thus worse battery life than UL30VT. So depend on what you need

 

I can't speak for UL30JT, but I have two laptop, one with i5 520um (better than JT's 330um) and UL30VT overclocked to 1.73 ghz. Does the it 520um feel faster and snappier than UL30VT? of course, does it blow it out of the water? absolutely not. Ul30VT holds its own very well. If you need DVD drive, UL80, if you DO NOT, UL30VT is the clear winner.

 

who would need DVD these days when all the movies / softwares are available for download or stream through internet, os can be installed by a thumb drive. On average I need to use dvd once per 3 months, coming from purchasing some dvds that I could not find on torrent, then I just have to borrow a desktop from somebody to rip it out. Watching movie/listening music on dvd drain the battery pretty quick, having dvd on laptop only kills everything laptop stands for..

 

i've been following all the UL laptops for a while, and really i think the UL30VT is the best of them all... like people said, the gfx card is essentially the same, having a button is an advantage IMO, the only difference is the processor Core2Duo vs i3, C2D is imo enough for most things, i've read alot of reviews on the UL30VT, and no one complaints about slowness... and the optical drive... i dont see a need for it personally, VT is also the lightest of them all i believe

for those who follow prices, any chance that these older asus models will get cheaper before the end of august??

 

I just bought the UL80J from Best Buy, and since one of your main concerns is weight, you should probably get the UL30VT. The UL80J is no brick, but at close to 5 pounds with the battery, it is more than a pound heavier than the UL30VT. And if you have no need for an optical drive, that's even more reason to get the UL30VT!

However, for $820, the U35JC can be yours. It has the same specs as all of these UL series laptops, except for one important distinction: a full fledged Core i3 (370um). The size should also be identical to the UL30VT since it lacks an optical drive.

 

Is there a list of all the new Asus laptops releasing soon? So many different models that it is hard to keep track. Is the U35JC even released yet? I can't seem to find it on Amazon. The one drawback to me with the UL80J is the battery life due to the i3 processor. Is it possible to get 10 hours of battery life with the i3 processors or will I need to sacrifice battery for power?

 

Ok, seeing all your concern there is only 1 laptop for you.

you want 700-800 range
you want 10 hour battery (full power i3 cpu will not get your 10 hours)
you want light

Asus UL30VT-A1 fits your bill.