Asus W2v - user impressions

hey oldensign. The glossy screen you refer to is used in about 50% of laptops these days and the W2v isn't anymore reflective than other such screens, I found it less so actually, maybe that's just the wrong type of screen for you and you'd prefer a matte screen?

I'm not so sure about that 1GB of RAM not being enough, MCE is just Windows XP Pro with included software, you might get some edge if you're using a ton of apps at once with 2GB but it'd be negligible. You're talking database and ms exchange server needs once you go beyond 1GB of RAM and need a ton of caching to up performance.

I'm not clear on your comment about this being from NewEgg but Asus being two miles away, are you calling NewEgg or an Asus support center for your issues?

Hmm, and in regards to it not having a built-in floppy drive, I just haven't seen that in any consumer laptop in a few years to be honest, I don't think I'd ding Asus for that. A floppy drive would take a lot of space in a laptop and make it thicker/overall bigger or force designers to cut something else out, but not many would use it so it's usually eliminated.

That's too bad about the battery, but when you say the charger is dead are you saying the AC adapter isn't working? There's no seperate charger for the battery, it charges while in the notebook and plugged in. I assume you were able to use the laptop by leaving it plugged in if the battery didn't work right?

 

I thought id offer some help here.....

www.msy.com.au go to their price list, its on the 3rd page....

they are in Auburn, Sydney

they have the cheapest i have seen at $4020

other stores (inlcuding those listed on the asus site) have ranged from 4150 to over 4500

the oz version is dumbed down a bit tho....

 

You realise who deals here? Right?

 

huh?? what do u mean "who deals here"

did i confuse yr location??

 

PROS
- screen is huge, i like the gloss(personal preference)
- graphics are awesome (i never play games)
- not too big for a 17" (i am 6'4 and fairly large so for me this is more like a notebook for big people)
- does everything but make me brekky
- looks hot

CONS
- the buttons are a pain in the arse, the number of times ive lifted it up to move it and accidentally touched the power button and turned it off!!! omg its sooo annoying.
- battery time (although you shouldnt expect much theres not a whole lot here, but hey thats the traed off for the specs eh?
- the sound... FFS when will you people upgrade the drivers so that the tinny sound i get from my headphones will be the audio that i paid good money for???

my 2cents worth

 

Yes, I would very much prefer a nonreflective screen . This mirrored screen renders the W2V completely useless. I have 20- and 21-inch Samsung LCDs on my desktops. They have no reflection at all. If could have put up with the idea of setting foot in Fry's, I should have looked at laptops first. Whose bright idea was this, anyway? Do laptop users younger than - i.e., pretty much everybody - not find this incredibly annoying? Are there any new laptops with big matte screens?

Before I bought it, Asus sales told me it had a single 1024 MB SODIMM and one free socket. Completely untrue. I'd have to discard two good 512s and replace them with 1024s. I assure you, it takes at least 1536 MB to run Adobe FrameMaker, Photoshop, and Illustrator simultaneously while also running client software (as I do on my desktops). One of the desktops has 2048 MB of dual-channel PC3200, and that is not excessive. Most people don't do that sort of thing, of course.

I bought it from NewEgg. Asus is two miles from me. NewEgg does not have technical support, nor will they take back defective products. Asus behaves as if they have no technical support. I asked for an RMA the day after it arrived, and e-mailed them again a week ago. Nothing beyond the usual automated response.

I wasn't expecting a built-in floppy. I was just saying that for $2700 they could have tossed in a USB floppy. Actually, I bought a $25 SmartDisk external USB 2X floppy and it's quite a lovely little thing. Allows me to use the CD and a floppy simultaneously with my old Gateway. Which is what I'm still using.

The latop works only if the battery is removed. The battery charged initially (I plugged in the laptop and let it charge the first night), but it has never recharged or operated properly since. The green LED on the charger slowly goes out, so the charging circuits must be fouled up. I haven't been using the W2V at all for the past three weeks. I believe that the battery is also used as part of the DC filtering.

Thanks for responding. I should have checked a lot of things much more carefully before purchasing. It turns out that negative product reviews don't make it onto the NewEgg website. Obviously, a lot more research would have been in order, but I bought from the specs. Not that you asked, but I've used touchpads before, and none were as horrible as that provided with the W2V. Virtual scrolling indeed!

 

It looks like this guy has been jaded by his purchase, and of course everything is someone else's fault. You have no one to blame but yourself, but your comments about the screen being a "mirror" and other things are just simply untrue, no matter what your opinion is........ You should do your homework because the place you bought it is the one who would be responsible for telling you untruths and and the "they could have done this and that for this price" is an opinion and certainly doesn't degrade the system's value at all.... you get what you're paying for. This is technology today and the W2v is the finest 17" notebook on the market. If you don't like that, you're not going to like anything.

 

Could the fact that this fellow SELLS Asus laptops have something to do with this personal attack? I already admitted I was a moron for having spent almost 3k based solely on specs and previous good experiences with Asus. Yes, it is my opinion that the screen is a mirror. It is an opinion - how can it be untrue? I simply want to advise everybody to check these things out far more carefully than I did before making a purchase of this magnitude. The place I bought it from specifically states that all warranty work is the responsibility of Asus. They stated this up front; I never said they lied to me. Asus pre-sale support told me that the 1 GB of memory was a single SODIMM that could be supplemented by a second. That turned out to be completely untrue. And I didn't use the word "lie" about the retailer. How, exactly, is that my fault? What would YOU have done? I guess I could have driven the two miles to Asus and monitored the assembly process.

OK, one more: "you get what you're paying for". Intersting. If I got what I paid for, I'd have a laptop that would operate from its battery, or even with its battery in place. If I got what I paid for, the Asus two-year wrranty would have been honored by now. Instead, Asus has ignored two telephone calls and one e-mail over the last month.

I like a lot of things; among those things you can include equipment that functions when it leaves the factory, and (when that doesn't work out) I like companies that fix their products when they go bad. "This is technology today". What does that mean? Laptops that don't function and meaningless warranties? The field of technology in which I find myself does not operate like this fellow's definition of "technology today".

Of course, this is only my opinion as a purchaser, and means nothing when compared to the unbiased statements - sorry, facts - of a SELLER. I'm still looking for a laptop that works with a screen that cannot be rendered invisible by the slightest trace of ambient light. I'll settle for less than "the finest 17-inch notebook on the market" (is that an opinion?) if I can find one that actually functions.

I got into this forum to get more information about my next laptop, trying to do more "homework" before dropping another large chunk of cash. How much homework would it have taken to find out that the media port requires an adapter not supplied with the laptop? It's sure not in the advertising or specs. Yeah, he's right - it's all my fault. I should be horse-whipped for venturing opinions in a forum.

 

hey oldensign, sorry about the issues you're having trying to return it, that's a terrible policy on the part of NewEgg though. I understand that different resellers might offer different return policies in regards to dea-pixels and what not but if what you get is a defective product then allowing a customer to exchange for the same working item should always be a policy.

I've heard varying things in regards to Asus tech support, I recently edited a review in which the fellow was from California and had success returning an optical drive -- but not without a bit of hassle: http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2625 scroll down and read "customer support" on that review. So maybe you just need to be a bit persistent, I can't offer any more advice other than that.

It's actually really tough to find a 17" media center notebook without a glossy screen now, it's such a popular consumer feature. I believe the HP zd8000 can be configured with a non-glossy screen via the hpshopping.com website, but it probably won't have everything you want in terms of features, but if the glossy screen thing is just a complete show stopper for you then compromising on other features is probably the best route.

well, good luck.

 

Oldensign, I would like to advise you to take this up with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) www.bbb.org

It's the only way you can get those big corps that have total disregard to their customers to do anything useful. The only way to make them shake a leg is to actually jeopardize their good standing at the BBB.

That was the only way I managed to get my rebates. 5 emails to fujitsu went unanswered, and all it took was a complaint to the BBB for fujitsu to give me a call and send me my rebate check OVERNIGHT!!!

By the way I would have liked to recommend the N6000 line of laptops from fujitsu, but the screen is also glossy, I really like the screen, but it seems to bother you, which I can understand since this is completely upto customer pref. Other than that its a really great laptop.

 

The new intel processors have been announced and reported at http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=27770

What I'd like to know is, with the pricing indicated on the website, will this have any impact on the current processors currently on the market?

Is it wise to get a W2v now, or will the price of the W2v be affected dramatically once the Yonah processors are released in January?

Thanks

 

No - The units are going to stay at their current prices till the new units come out which won't be out till February.

 

Hi

I just got one W2VC :asus: and had the same problem and managed to solve it (lucky, though...).

First of all, you need to copy the full content of the Asus Mobile Theater Installer CD-ROM to a folder in your PC, since there is a file taht needs to be changed and a CD-ROM won't let you write back any change to a file .

It looks that the Ulead InstaMedia software can only give you 3 choices at the most for TV input, in a range of 5 as follows: antenna, cable, composite, s-vhs and DVB-T. This is stored in the following path in Asus Mobile Theater CD-ROM:

D:\setup\ASUS W2V\Hybrid\AppData Main\(here choose the letter for your language, mine is "S")\UCDVRSettings.ini

Open the UCDVRSettings.ini file with notepad or other text editor program. Open the one in your PC, not the one in the CD-ROM

Look for an entry that looks like this:

; InputSource
; Value please refer to IucDVR_TVSettings::enInputSource
; Antenna : 1
; Cable : 2
; Composite : 3
; SVideo : 4
; DVB : 5

[InputSource0]
Name=Cable
TypeNo= 2

[InputSource1]
Name=Composite
TypeNo=3

[InputSource2]
Name=Digital TV
TypeNo=5

You can change any of the 3 inputs as you wish. For example:

[InputSource0]
Name=Antenna Finally!
TypeNo= 1

I tried to get all the inputs but since there are no sections such as InputSource3 and/or 4 it doesn't work (even if you add them)

After making desired changes save and install now the program from the setup.exe file in the root of the folder where you saved the entire CD in your PC. By the way, the version I got for Ulead InstaMedia software is 2.2

Hope it helps!

 

I just ordered mine today From Justin, I am hoping to be as happy as most others are with my purchase..
I do wonder if the VidCard is upgradeable?
BDR

 

I bought my W2V in Austrtalia three months ago and am very happy with it overall. I have the hybrid tuner, and I can get analog and digital TV to work fine except:

1. I can't get SBS which is a UHF channel. VHF channels are fine. On my normal TV I get SBS very clearly (I live near the big hill in Melbourne that the transmitters are on). I have this problem with Mobile Therater and with the Lifeview app that the manufacturer of the hybrid card provides on their site.

2. In Mobile Theater there is no program guide for Australia. I can change chanels only through the remote because there is no valid channel listing or guide that i can set up. Has anyone in Australia managed to get the EPG wotking in Mobile Theater? I went to see ASUS support (after trying to get the Taiwan support people to understand my problem for a week) - they told me there was bound to be an ASUS update for this once ASUS realised it. Nothing doing. No word at all.

3. Hard drive is a little sluggish. I think I'll be upgrading to a 7200rpm model soon (using my Iomega REV and Norton Ghost to copy over my data as is). I don;t expect any problems doing this. Should I?

4. The built in WIFI is little weak. I've had to upgrade to a SonicWall long distance card to get the guaranteed 54mbps throughput - the provided card would yoyo up and down - one minute 54mbps, then 20, then 1, then up again. All while sitting still and in the next room from the WIFI hub. LuckilyI already had the PCMCIA card so no extra expense, but it's a pain that the new card pokes out the side (and I've nowhere to store my remote now!)

Apart from that it runs like a dream. World of Warcraft runs perfectly. Photoshop is rather nice on a screen like this. Everyone is mightily impressed by the screen viewing angle.

If only I could watch TV properly..

 

*UPDATE*

W2v no comes with no carrying case, no mouse, and a 1 year warranty. Asus insists due to rising costs on this model, to they made these changes in order to keep the price the same.

 

I bought an Asus W2000 as an AV workstation and am very happy with it , it's light, strong and powerful enough for my tasks - Premiere Pro, Acid, web work.
The screen is fantastic and the speakers good. Though there are a number of niggles, the most annoying of which is the quick function key layout - muting the speakers is a two handed affair unless you have a very wide paw. Another is issues with the mobile theatre. Thankfully Seiya's solutiion to getting the TV working by changing the .ini file worked a treat - thanks Seiya.

 

Dear all,

Sorry to revive this ancient post but -since this was indeed a SUPERB MODEL- I'd like to know if there's a current (or future) model with these features in 15". You see, as Justin pointed it out so well, 17" is a hell of a lot for a notebook (my humble of view). I've been to the ASUS site, all I could find is the (defunct?) W1j.

Last, but not least: do the current W2Jc & A7Jc match the W2v in overall quality? And, if you had to choose again... would you buy the W2v (if it was available) or any other ASUS model with tuner... OR... would you buy an average ASUS and add an internal/external non-propietary tuner yourself?

Sorry... so many questions... so old the thread ;-)
But I do need to know before I made my purchase.

Regards,
Blue

 

I was going to say, this thread is more than a year old...

The W2 series is the same chassis... so yes... the A7 is another animal altogether and NO..... The W2 is not about the tuner..... you could delete that from the model and the whole MCE side of the OS and those who own them, would still love them.

The W1 isn't "defunct", but it certainly is in the US. The design of the W2 improved upon the W1 is so many ways, although they look alike. The W1j wasn't brought back here because they're going to replace something else in it's spot in the lineup.... that is the V1jp and it's a hell of a notebook - but no tv tuner... It's basically a mix of a V6 and a W1. IF you want to travel with the notebook, don't by a 17", no matter if the W2 is the lightest and thinnest 17" out there...... get a V6 or something that's a lot lighter and even an external tv tuner if you really need it.

 

I've never been able to use my W2V. The power supply and/or battery went bad after a week, and I despise the shiny screen that reflects any light source behind me. I thought that being 2 to 3 miles from the Fremont CA center would help. Not a bit. Asus' tech support is a bad joke and the "worldwide" warranty is useless. A complete waste of almost $3k.

 

Bummer Oldensign, sorry to hear about your grief.
I bought my W2JB in July on a bit of a gamble since there wasn't really a lot of review information posted on it. It is essentially a W2V with newer processor and video card. I am extremely pleased with my unit. It performs very well and the only thing I opted to improve on physically was installing an extra 1GB of memory. I really couldn't ask for more, well....in all honesty, I do acknowledge that the volume controls could be better.

 

Although I'd normally feel bad for you, apparently you either don't have a backbone or really poor communication skills. Someone who could talk up a storm like yourself about how bad something is, one would think you'd either try to call back, or if so royally pissed off, call a lawyer. I originally felt bad for you but that ended as soon as I realized you only have motivation to post bs on the forum because I even offered to get Asus' head tech to call you and you refused. This is either one long sick joke, or just a pathetic attempt for some attention. We're famous for disliking people who are too lazy to scratch their own rear..... you my friend take the cake and I hope that's as obvious to everyone else as it is to me.

 

I can see that as well.

 

My thanks to you all for the replies.
Justin, if you don't mind, I'll be turning to you in the future for advice on my first ASUS notebook from your company. I'll be working in the States starting middle November & will be needing a small device (12" to 15.4") than can allow me record TV as well, if possible.
Curious that ASUS markets certain models with TV tuner as "Digital Home" and, for what I could understand, ALMOST ANY ASUS can hold an internal/external tuner and provide the same service (with MCE).

I DO APPRECIATE your comments, your views are always enlightening

Regards,
Blue

 

Blue, although this totally shouldn't be in this thread (start a new one or email/PM/IM me), I will answer it for you.

1. no, they all can't take tuners...... on previous models in the past, like the W2 and A7, they had two mini pci slots - which is really hard to fit and find on any notebook... one was for the tuner and the other was for the wifi card.. Now, they're both mini pci express cards.... Basically, if it weren't for the cabling to the outside of the computer, anyone could replace their wifi card with a tv tuner card and have tv...... but those cards aren't very good without cable and without the connection, it's hard to do that and who really wants to lose wifi?

I'm afraid that we're not going to have a 12-15.4" that will have a tv tuner in it..... not in a month, not in a year... so I don't know what to tell you, but if you want to continue this conversation, feel free to drop me an email.