Asus or macbook pro (same price) ?

I MAY be able to get a macbook pro via my univ for $1680, specs as follows:

==============
15" MacBook Pro
Intel 2.0GHz core duo
****1 x 1GB memory module
**** 100 GB hard drive
15.4 inch screen
***** 256 MB video ram
SuperDrive (read/write)
iSight camera
Mac O/S
iLife software
*****3-year applecare protection
-------------------------------------------------------
I would then buy a seperate memory stick to get it to 2GB ram (so I guess total price is ~1800).

The other option is the Z96j (with 2GB ram) sata 7200 rpm hdd etc for ~1800

Which one should I take ? Negative points for the MBP are its lower resoluation, runs hot (I plan to run heavy simulations). I also dont know speed of HDD. But on the other hand its a MBP


I dont care about looks, weight, thickness, OS.

Only durability, keyboard feel, warranty and specs are of concern
I will anyway install windows and linux.

 

You should check out the suggestions on this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=60950

The options you're considering are basically the same as the ones considered there.

And you can clearly tell on that page that I'd get the MBP.

 

I wouldn't for a second take a Z96j over a 15" macbook pro. However, if you want a better notebook than the MacBook, you could wait for it's fraternal twin to show up... the V1j is as similiar to the MacBook as they could be, but Asus has some nice features planned it that you won't find in the MacBook..... fingerprint id scanner for one that I could think of off the top of my head..... but other than that, you're probably looking at getting a better equipt V1j for a similiar retail cost as a MacBook.... but you are getting a decent price through your school to begin with...... so it's your choice.

 

Justin,

Is the V1j going to be similar to the MAcbook 13" or to the MAcbook Pro?

 

15" macbook pro.......... same size unit, the motherboards are also almost identical...... same graphics....just about all the same features.. competing models for sure.

The W6f is basically the competing model to the 13" macbook.... that model won't be coming to the states, but the 13" W7j will be.. and at this time Apple doesn't seem to be getting out a 13" macbook pro with dedicated graphics.... but I believe they need it and they should have something awefully close to the W7j before the end of the summer..... You've got to remember Asus is making the macbooks and macbook pros...

 

That sounds like an awesome deal. I'd go for it. I think the standard HDD speed is 5400 rpm for MBP's but you may be able to upgrade (BTO) depending on how you bought it. A friend of mine bought a MBP and paid $100 to upgrade the HDD to 7200 rpm.

You mentioned running simulations. If you're in the sciences or engineering, depending on what sort of discipline you're in, you may have very good or very bad Apple support. That might be something to consider.

 

Given the choice between a MacBook Pro and a similarly configured ASUS Z96J for the same price, there's no doubt I'd go for a MacBook Pro.

However, I went with an ASUS Z96J. Why? In this neck of the woods, a similarly configured MacBook Pro was approximately 80% more than the ASUS Z96J that I ordered.

It's a shame, but for the price difference I could get my Z96J and a high-end Apple MacBook (not MacBook Pro). Just couldn't justify the extra cash.

 

another vote for the Macbook Pro... OS X rocks and the quality of Apples products are supurb

 

Again, this is only over a Z96j....... if you compare apples to apples, the closest models you'll ever find will be the 15" macbook pro and the V1j..... Right now you're comparing something like a mustang to a lamborghini.....

 

Yes unfortunately I can only spend 1800.
Why is the MBP so much superior to z96j ? I thought MBP was plagued by heat problems ?

 

Notebooks that thin generally have more noticeable heat.. its not just the MBP, but also other thin laptops such as Asus Ensembles, Samsung, and Sony Vaios

 

If I dont car about thickness or looks, but only about durability and keyboard feel, does that make a difference ?

 

if you dont care about thickness or looks, and are just looking at the durabiliy and spec comparison, anything could stand with the macbook pro if it had good enough specs, but it is the looks,thinness and the fact that its can run osx and xp/vista with little hastle that set it apart.

 

Yeah, I really dont care about looks, weight, thickness, OS.

Only durability, keyboard feel, warranty and specs are of concern
I will anyway install windows and linux.

 

Actually, Quanta is the ODM for the Macbook Pros.

Here's an excerpt of another post I wrote:
"The heat issues with Macs are kind of overblown on forums- many people only go to forums to complain, and those who are enjoying their laptops are too busy to visit forums. Until you try out a Macbook Pro on your own, or maybe even at an Apple Store, you'll never know if the heat issues will really be applicable to you. I'll admit some MBP's do have those issues, but it seems like more of a case-by-case basis to me."

 

I've gone into several stores that carry the Macbook and MBP, in order to see how hot they were. In just about every case, the machines were VERY hot when I touched the bottom or the area around the F1 key. Also, quite a few of them made the infamous whine, as well. But I haven't tested any in the last few weeks, so maybe they've improved a bit.

Hopefully, Apple will fix some of the heat and noise issues in the Rev B of the MBP (and add a Merom). Because overall, they're really nice machines. At this point, there aren't any other WXGA+ 15.4" notebooks available in North America that are so thin, light, and powerful. Maybe the V1j will remedy that situation.

 

If you don't care about size or looks, than the MBP may not be the best choice. I think those two things are some of the best attributes (along with the x1600) it has to offer. Also, you will get to use OSX on the MBP, but bootcamp and parallels are still working out their kinks and will cost $80 for a copy of XP.

I think the newer MBP's (not rev B, but newer shipments) may have addressed some of whine/heat issues, but the MBP will definitely get hot. That is a "feature" (the case is supposed to be a heatsink lets the heat diffuse away from the CPU and directly into your lap). Also, the video card is underclocked (neutered) so you won't get the same gaming performance as the Z96J. This underclocking is probably necessary, though, as your MBP will probably melt if you try to OC the video card.

Two more things you may want to consider are that (1) you won't have dedicated home/pgup/pgdn/end keys and (2) you only get one button on your trackpad. I use these two things (pageup/pagedown and right-click) all the time and would probably miss them.

 

If you don't care about looks why is the MBP in your list? Get whatever's cheapest with the same specs. Macbooks do run noticeably hot and I can't stand OS X, so a MBP would never work for me. Windows doesn't perform as well on MBP's at this time, so in my case it would be a no-brainer of what to choose.

My W2J came with a 5400 HDD and I swapped it out the same day for a 7200. Others say they don't notice a difference but I sure can. 7200 all the way.

 

I'm trying to read between the lines here Justin, but if you are telling him to wait for the V1J, then is the V1J for sure coming to the US? ETA's Justin. ETA's!

 

^ Yea that... we need more V1J info please!

 

I gave a tenative ETA of August for the V1j back when it was shown at CeBit.. that stands.

Basically, there are two things to be concerned with.. this model release is what is going to keep the W1j out of the US. If the V1j isn't going to make it by sometime in August, then the W1j would come out sometime towards the end of July (which would mean the V1j wouldn't make it's appearence till October or November).....

The other thing is screen res. The US won't import the V1j with a WXGA screen... we've specifically stated that we want it with a WSXGA+ screen and yet Taiwan hasn't told Fremont if that will even be available...... if it's not, the US may still import whatever is available, but that is most likely what would hold up the delivery time till the Fall....

So other than that, there is no information....

 

^ Any more pictures at least?

 

MBP was on my list because presumably it has a good build (in terms of durability), nice keyboard. I AM beating the same drum here, but I really want a durable long lasting laptop. I dont care about looks.
Varco - good point - I too use the pgup, pgdn buttons and the 3 mouse buttons all the time too. My IBM T30 has indeed spolied me
I also have a 5 year old sony vaio - OMG what a horrible laptop, build quality sucks, keboard sucks, cdrom drive sucks, ethernet connection dongle sucks
I used it as a "laptop" a couple of times, since then it has been a "desktop" with an external keyboard.

Its so hard!!!
First I was like z96j yay !!! Then "mabbe thinkpad ??" then "how about the MBP for 1700 ? It has a better build quality, people are also advsing to get that." Now back agan to z96j

 

That's what I was worried about. I knew this bit of information from your previous posts. I was just hoping that since you are telling "wearetheborg" to hold off, I thought maybe you knew some info that the V1J might be arriving earlier.


I'm really torn between waiting for the V1J or the LG S1. I guess the S1 just released a new model, S555k which looks awesome.

 

If you dont care about weight, thickness, or OS......then get the asus. Those are the 3 main things the MPB has going for it over most other laptops.

 

if you want a durable, long-lasting notebook, i would check out the hp nc8430.

http://www.costcentral.com/proddetail/HP_Compaq_Business_Notebook_nc8430/EY688AAABA/K05246/

it has business quality build, so it has a sturdy chassis, hd shocks, maybe spill resistant. there is a mini-review of it in the hp forum if you're interested.

 

definitely go for the z96j..though after checking out that last link for the hp it seems it has very similar specs...but it'd still be an hp...since you're running heavy simulations i don't see any reason to go with the MBP since it gets extremely hot just idling...let alone running proc/graphics heavy programs

what the macbook has going for it are looks and the osx and mac related software..since you don't care about either..go with the z96j..it has more workspace too (wsxga+ vs wxga+)

 

Given the August-Fall timeframe, do you think there is a good chance that ASUS will just skip the Yonah Core Duo's and go straight to the Merom Core 2 Duo? They're supposed to be drop-in replacements, coming in at the same price ranges so it shouldn't be hard for ASUS to do.

BTW, could you explain ASUS's naming system though. For example which is higher the "V" series or the "W" series. I though W denoted widescreen given that the V6J was not-widescreen but you say this V1J is now widescreen too. Personally, given the 15.4" size I'm hoping for a WSXGA 1440×900 resolution. That's a personal preference of course.

I'm crossing my fingers for a DVI port, a 6-pin firewire port, SATA HDDs, a 9-cell battery, switched FN and CTRL keys, and all under 6 lbs. High hopes for sure, but at least it has a built in webcam, which the W3J that I like is missing.

 

Well the Lt. Commander answered my long lived question of how long a forum handle could be... apparently one character too short of perfect in that situation, but good to know nonetheless.....

That is a good question LT... that also gives more clout to a later arrival because Asus - in the US anyway, will set a cut off date for totally new models before an update such as that.... My initial assumption is that the V1j has as much riding towards a later delivery (higher res / 64bit / the production simply not ready).... as it does an earlier delivery (lack of 15.4" in the line -- the US NOT wanting to bring in the W1j to fill the void / and intel has NEVER... NEEEEEVER met an ETA for a new product.. which may push it later than they currently expect).

I did a whole thing I names a while back... The series lettering really only comes into play during design and it's used as a parti of the basis of the design.... it doesn't mean they're all going to look the same or they're all going to fit the meaning to a T, but the first model in each series really fit the bill... Since they're my exact words from a post back in April, I'll quote myself:


"As far as Ensemble series lines.... once upon a time they were simplier... the A,L,M and S lines... A for audio, L for laptop, M for modular, S for svelte and slim... The L1 was honestly their first laptop, so the meaning of L is quite unoriginal... Once you get into the new series like the W and V... W is widescreen and V is for vanity... Now don't get me started on the numbers because although they all started out with "1" (except for the V series), they've gone all over the board and a lower number doesn't mean it's older and it doesn't mean it's smaller.... that's about all I can give you."


I really don't think your concerns are anything to worry about, expect one anyway.... the 6 pin firewire? It might be late in the evening, but for ever... pcs (notebooks anyway) have used 4 pin and macs have used 6... am I right on this or not? If I am, you'll have firewire as all of the systems have... but not the mac firewire...

 

Does HP make a sturdier chassis than ASUS z96j ?

That laptop will be ~300$ more, with the ram upgrade to 2GB and an extra battery.

 

Asus only manufactures the MacBook. The MacBook Pro is made by Quanta.

As for a 3 button mouse, I wouldn't worry. First, you can use any external mouse you'd like. Second, the trackpad does have scrolling. In fact it has better scrolling then any other notebook out there. Simply place a second finger on the trackpad and then, in the direction you want to, scroll. Up, down, left, right, diagonal, etc. No more having to put you finger all the way to the right or bottom to scroll and the going off that particular track, etc. As for right click the MacBook and 17" MacBook Pro allow you to place 2 fingers on the trackpad and then click. That will produce a right click. Actually, very easy, just as easy as reaching for the right mouse button. The 15" does not officially have this, but I am sure will in a update(the capability exists it just isn't turned on). For now you would have to ctrl-click. As for pg up pg dwn, the best they can do is ctrl-up/dwn arrow, which is subpar. There should be dedicated buttons. HTH!

 

Ya most PC notebooks use 4-pin firewire which is kind of a pain, because most firewire devices are 6-pin I believe. But a simple cheap adapter is a wuick fix. Although, I believe 4-pin is not powered, which if true, greatly limits its usefulness.

 

Are the Macbooks the only notebooks that have a 6-pin Firewire port? Apple did create Firewire so it makes sense that their laptops would have it. Mine has a 4-pin and I don't know WTF would even plug into it. I, like 99% of the world, use USB.

 

On my last notebook I had 4-pin firewire and USB 1.1, so I used the firewire for my external drive. Nowadays, though, the firewire drives tend to be a little more expensive than the USB 2.0 drives. Still, though, it's always there if you need it. All you have to do is buy a $3 6 pin to 4 pin cord and you're set.

On the right-click isssue: you can't ctrl-click in windows or linux and expect a right-click. Ctrl-left click has specific functions in different programs (ex: open link in new tab for firefox). If you want to have three buttons you'll need to tote around a mouse anyways (I don't know of any laptop with 3 buttons), so you won't have to worry about that anyway.

 

since you don't care about all the things that makes the macbook pro attractive, and are worried about all the things that it is infamous for, i would vote Z96J.

the V1J will likely fall well over your target budget should it arrive in time.

 

I dont know if it matters to you but there have been mac book owners (White) that are complaining of staining of the touchpad area, just a FYI, check it out.

http://www.stainedbook.info/

 

FireWire is preferrable for external drives or video editing. USB 2.0 can't keep up with FireWire 400 for tasks like that. It is really best for things like mouses, keyboards, printers, etc.

If you are going Windows-only, I wouldn't even consider the MacBook. What seperates Apple from everyone else is OSX.

 

38 users in over a month. That's not a huge number. Yet another small isolated problem blown up on the internet.

 

Since you posted, another 4 was added to the list to make 44. I wouldn't jump the gun so fast.

 

Sometimes I think if I had to do it over, I'd pass on buying the V6J and get the macbook pro.

 

Yeah, because we all know only the people on that website were affected by this

How very... non-beneficial to this thread. Explain yourself.

 

Starting to like the mac os (gf has a mac). Tried to put mac os on the v6j, and its not compatible with the wireless network card, which means I really can't use to OS if I'm on the road a lot.

 

BTW what made you upgrade to 2gig of ram, and have you noticed a difference over 1 gig?

 

I threw in another gig before even booting up for the first time. I play BF2 on max settings so it's required.

 

id put my vote on the mac!

 

Problem is mac os doesnt like the Intel Pro Wireless 3945 wireless card.