Discussion thread on ASUS "power" portables - Hopes, Disappointments, Ideas

I know I'm not on the same boat, I've shared a handful of PMs and 'OT posts' with various members and various members have been hinting at this on various threads. We're all looking for something similar, something small, something decently powerful, something well built. Is that too much to ask?

Here's the thing about ASUS, they make great machines - debatable - but they love prettifying up their portables. But did they compromise one thing too much to look over another? Right now, their lineup, looks impressive indeed. But looking further inside, what's wrong, whats right, what's just plain stupid?

Of course, everything has two sides to its story, we must comprehend, it's a business they're running.

Lets see what they have in this category,

So, there are many opinions, but here is the general consensus.

What the 'competition' is,

Sony SZ6 - 13.3" WXGA C2D, 8400GS/x3100
Dell m1330 - 13.3" WXGA, 8400GS/x3100
Macbook - 13.3" WXGA, GMA950



Feel free give your thoughts and opinions, whether positive or negative. Of course, keep it mature and, if possible, calm. I know a few members who'll give us some bite

 

What's Right:

ASUS comes out with some pretty good-looking and well-made portables, and they certainly do have some premium selections. Powerful components and great build quality are usually something to expect from an ASUS portable.

What's Wrong:

However, one thing ASUS seriously needs to consider regarding its ultraportables if they want to become more...mainstream and competition-crushing?...is battery life. SZ6, M1330, and Macbook all have great battery life, even running on the power-hungry Vista. ASUS really needs to invest its resources into figuring out how to be on the same level, if not exceeding, the battery lives of its competition. This may be a big deal-breaker for the 12"-13" range since more often than not these systems will be used without being plugged into an outlet.

So how to get to this point? For one thing, the LCD screens seem to love chewing up that battery juice - LED screens or maybe alternative backlighting that won't be as power hungry will help with this. The U3S is a step in the right direction in this regard. Another thing to consider is the bloatware - some of these software aren't all that necessary or provide rather marginal benefits. Lastly, I'm not seeing ASUS utilizing the less power-hungry optimizations of the Santa Rosa chipset very well, and I'm not really sure what can be done about that...

The Silly:

GPS? Turbo Memory? Get rid of the stuff that in normal use aren't practical or won't help optimize performance, battery life, or further compromise laptop portability.

 

Is there a reason they make so many with the same basic configuration and screen size? Also, I never understood why manufacturers make one line of product for business that is "tougher" but uglier, and one for home that is "prettier" but not as tough (Supposedly at least) I can see a more sedated look for the business class, but why construct the home version to a lesser quality?

 

Basically agreed with Tanqster:

Main Pro: good-to-excellent build quality, for some models excellent looks (e.g., the U3).

Main Con: bad battery life, I'm also afraid of the battery issue affecting the bigger models V1, V6 and the R1 creeping up into these models which would be really, really bad.

Pro/Con: powerful components. Why Pro/Con? Because it's a blessing, and a curse. Blessing because your computer runs fast, curse because it heats up too much and eats too much battery (see Con). In my opinion, some good thinking should be done at ASUS in order to make a better balance (compromise) between performance and heat / battery efficiency for these sub-14" models.

As to:

I think the answer is: sell different models to different users, make more money.

 

Very good points, especially ones about the multiple amounts of models. I mean, think about it. They have 2-4 models in each size category, and when you look at brands like HP, Dell, Apple, they have one per size cayegory. Why the large amount? They are not taking a large share of the market in the first place.If they took, for example, Apple's stance and one single unit per size category type, they could of been more sucessful instead of multiple mediocre types.

 

Well, at least for business versus home the answer seems clear to me.

Business = pay more for better build quality.
Home = pay less for the same component performance as the business, but worse build quality to cover the price difference.

Different people will buy these two types of notebooks, so both will have a market.

I personally think the home-models of ASUS are worse looking than the business models which look anywhere from good to stunning. Then again, I'm the kind of guy who buys the business notebooks.

As to the other differences besides build quality, I couldn't say because I'm not following them. I think ASUS has lineups where it promotes most the size (like thin and light), "portable media centers" and so on. I don't see those getting very definite sets of buyers, but who am I to argue with the Marketing department at ASUS...

 

I am so into this thread! I guess it's a good idea to know user's opinion about ASUS ultraportable's and their new upcoming models with the pro's and con's

One thing that I agree with you guys is ASUS battery life. They really sucks. I used to have a S96J and it only last's for 2 hours..

 

Yeap, feel free to add any thoughts. The main reason for this thread is the fact that ASUS is doing well in the 15.4"area with the success of the G1s and, debatable success of the V1s and F3. The 17" area is nothing special right now though.


I've spoken to many people about this niche market, and so far, half are undecided, the other half has since bought and are waiting for their m1330, SZ and Macbooks. One has gone for the W7s and is midly happy, she likes it but has a few quirks(size, thickness and a bit of fuzzy headphones).

 

I feel like I'm being too picky. Every model in the 14.1 and 13.3 inch range has something prohibitive about it, and its driving me insane... especially the Asus models which generally are the closest of all.

All I want is:

A 13.3" (though a 14.1" will do fine too) HIGH QUALITY screen. (Important... the A8 screen is an absolute turnoff to the entire model... and don't even mention the same screen being used in the much higher-end V2!!!)
2.0-2.4ghz processor (not ULV!)
2gb of RAM (I don't even mind the 2.5gb cap on the W7S, a 13.3" laptop is not meant to be power computing product except in a pinch.)
120+gb HD

Stylish, and very sturdy (combine thinkpad build with W7, W3, V2, or U3 looks)

Relatively cool and quiet operation. Silence is not an issue but I don't want to be embarassed in a library or quiet classroom, and icy temps aren't necessary either as long as I don't receive second degree burns on my lap when using it through pants.

And excellent battery life! I'm talking 4 hours with a 6cell, and 6 hours with a 9. This is completely reasonable looking at the battery lives of macbooks, SZs, and m1330s.

Judging by the other offerings on the market, this all should be available for somewhere in the $2000 range, give or take a couple hundred dollars.

I don't understand why everything comes so close but then misses

The SZ is definitely the closest at the moment though... I'm seriously considering it! But the Sony forums are just so uninformative. :/

 

What I am looking for:
-13.3" (14.1" ain't too shabby) nice high res screen (WXGA for 13.3", WXGA+ for 14.1")
- No ULV processor
- 120GB hard drive minimum
- Dedicated graphics, 8400GS is fine by me
- Thinner than 1.3" (that W7s is a fatty )
- 4 lbs at the heaviest
- No unnecessary add-ons like GPS
- Make it portable for god sakes. 3.5 hours battery life on regular use (web browsing, word processing, MSN) at least.
- Like Everyone said, Thinkpad build with V2/U3 looks (please kill the silver chassis + black keyboard, please!)

Thats what I want. I'll pay top dollar for it too. I know a bunch of people who would. $2500-$3000 is fine by me.

If they can't do that, just bring back the W3! Just give it back Asus!

 

True that, I'm not a picky person, but I can't help it to see such mediocre units. I mean, come on, don't compromise in so many places!

13.3"/14.1" WXGA+ minimum
8400GS/HD2400 minimum
Under 3.5lb~4lbs max
4-5 hours standard 6 cell battery life(If not possible, I can deal with a 9 cell, if 4-5~ hours)
HDMI/DVI

All I want, nothing more nothing less, rest is gravy.

 

Ok, here I go then

* 13.3 (possibly 14.1 but then it has to be a small 14.1), matte
* no plastic in the case (carbon fiber, brushed aluminum, magnesium are ok)
* black or gray; matte finish (no stupid combinations like black palmrest and white keyboard); if possible as good-looking as the V6 and the W3 but I will settle for something a bit uglier since those are hard to beat...
* thin, small, and light: <~1in, no wide ugly bezels around the LCD (especially no useless webcam), at most 2kg with the battery in
* at least 3.5 hrs of battery life on a battery that doesn't protrude out of the laptop body (I guess I mean 6cell...)
* powerful CPU (2GHz+) but I'll settle for less if it helps with heat and battery life
* I don't care much about GPU
* RAM should be upgradeable to 4GB
* if possible 4 USB ports, 3 will do but no less

I think this is all doable...

 

Ok, my list for an ultraportable workstation:

- 13.3" - 14.1" (LED backlight a bonus)
- Metallic/carbon fiber, sturdy construction
- ~1" thickness (thinner the better of course), 3.5 lbs - 4.5 lbs optimal range
- Good battery life: 3.5-5 hrs should be doable in this day and age
- C2D 2.0+ GHz processor
- 120 GB 5400 rpm minimum
- Rotating webcam would be nice for taking videos during lectures

 

As a preamble, I'll just say that everything in this class is going to get hot, so I will leave that out.

W7S
pros:Its sexy in black, even more so in white. Good performance and portability at a reasonable price.
cons:Battery life is horrid, and the RAM configurations are screwed because of the 512MB soldered in.

F9 (not going to differentiate between Intel and AMD)
pros: No RAM soldered in, hurrah! Good performance, lower price.
cons: Build quality isn't that great, looks cheap, horrid battery life, when is the ETA?

Z37S
pros: Looks nice, a lot features, no built in RAM, good performance at a low price.
cons: Looks like/is a total rip-off of HP, probably low battery life, build quality isn't that great, not much cheaper than the W7, when are the other (non-PortableOne) resellers starting to ship it?

U3S
pros: switchable graphics, really thin and light, really sexy, GPS is cool, but unnecessary, LED BACKLIGHT FTW.
cons: pricey, may or may not have ULV processors, no optical drive, built in 512MB AGAIN???

Lets have an Asus built and branded XPS M1330 that has a Hybrid graphics system, is painted properly and actually ships, and count me in.

That should tell you pretty much what I want:
13.3" LED backlit
Santa Rosa
8400GS/X3100
4GB RAM max
4lbs/1.2" thick
No build quality failings

 

You can add "horrid battery life" to the U3s cons as well. 2 hours and 42 minutes is just pathetic for an ultra-portable. That looks more like mainstream numbers to me. That was on a 6-cell battery which sticks out the back, not the 3 cell battery which fits flush.

 

I seriously wonder why the ASUS comps have such poor battery utilization with the same specs when the competition can easily pull off 3+ hours without much performance reduction. There really is no excuse to have so much battery drain on comparable models.

 

I think ASUS got it right with the looks and size of its laptops. The biggest con is the battery life, which is poor all across the board.

Overall I agree with what Vivek wrote about the F9's and U1 series. I really don't know much about the Z37 to be able to say anything about it. On a final note, I own a W7S so my points are:

pros: build quality (very sturdy compared with past laptops), looks very nice. very light and the lcd is just amazing IMHO.
cons: probably the worst battery life among all 13.3", gets a little too warm, 512MB RAM soldered in.

The soldered in RAM is a (bad) limitation and it did bother me at first, but I kinda got used to it now. I don't think this will be an upgrade issue, taking into consideration the boundaries for 32bit OSes.

 

I still maintain that the soldered in RAM isn't that huge of a problem. You shouldn't be doing serious power computing with a 13.3" laptop. The graphics card isn't capable of handling serious rendering or high end games which might require more than 2.5gb of RAM in the next year or two... and the screen is small enough to make things like heavy duty photoshopping a problem before a lack of RAM does.

I can't think of anything else you'd do on it that would take THAT much RAM.

It IS pretty puzzling that Asus adds it in, it really doesn't seem necessary but maybe it plays some vital role from the engineering standpoint.

 

It most definitely allows for more efficient use of space inside the chassis. You lose the mechanism for release and locking RAM sticks among other things. I agree though, for now 2.5 GB RAM should be enough to handle tasks that are expected to be undertaken on a 13.3" laptop. However, I haven't yet used Vista and from what I hear, the more RAM the better.

 

I'm blazing through XP with 2gb of RAM, I'd hate to try Vista right now with this notebook

My sis's X2 4800+ with 2gb RAM, nVidia 6150 and a 320gb 7200rpm HD still heaves every once in a while

As for the soldered RAM, it never really made sense, especially since the W7 is so thick. If it was 1" thick, hell I wouldn't complain, but its not, its 1.5" IIRC.

 

Just a note for Everyone (the user, not everybody ).

I do a lot of numerical simulation work on my "main" notebook. That takes a lot of CPU and RAM, but no GPU whatsoever. I will not buy two machines, one to work with, and another to be the portable one. So I need decent CPU and RAM out of the 13.3 that I intend to buy.

I wouldn't have issues if the soldered RAM would be 1GB, but it's 512MB... unless there is some technological limitation there, I find the decision of soldering 512MB downright stupid.

 

I thought that was with the 3 cell?

Anyhow, I feel the need to update my analysis for the F9 and S37, in light of Portable One's shipping of the SXS37.

 

Ahh I see. I'm coming from the standpoint where I'll use a laptop for portable work, and some minor gaming on the go but any serious computing I do can be done on my home desktop system... I'm kind of a 2 computers person.

woah hey, portableone shipping the SXS37 is certainly news. It configures up rather nicely, 1899 for a pretty loaded out model. I wonder how its battery life and build quality go.

It is kind of ugly though... the outside isn't too awful though yes it is an HP ripoff kinda, but it contrasts pretty poorly with the silver interior. Poor choice design team! Maybe it looks better in person.

 

ASUS makes some descent laptops, and they offer top notch support far surpassing DELL and other competitors in places like N.A.

However, ASUS makes some wrong decisions and design mistakes for some laptops0 which become a pain and a deal-breaker for many.

For example, despite ASUS's great success with G1S, we must also note that they totally lost the market that was in control of Z96J, a budget gaming laptop with descent performance (the spot is now dominated by Inspiron 1520)

Or even the most successful V1 series have their own problems, like those battery wear problems. Or V1Jp's battery life issue (I think it was because of X1700 failing to underclock properly)

This problem also applies to the ASUS W7 series, which has great advantages over the SZ (like descent build quality and solid keyboard) and can alone win a market for ASUS.
However, W7 has it's own issues :
-Heat when HDD is stressed.
-The soldered 512MB is absolutely irritating.
-Bad keyboard layout.

Or ASUS - unlike DELL - still lacks the option for configuring laptops on ensemble models and has refused to sell them the the dealers in barebone form (so dealers like BTOTech who configure ensemble models are forced to sell the brand new parts on eBay and have the warranty for which they paid voided). Or the driver support for ASUS is still inadequate (Or non-existent in case of Linux, I'm sure many Linux users are unhappy with this).There are some BIOS support issues too.

Maybe I'm being too much optimistic, but even if I am, I can't think of any other problems with ASUS and why it can't become a major brand in the notebook market.

 

So the F9 is supposed to hit resellers the first or second week of September, which is nice.

As for the S37 design, well, a lot of notebooks have contrasting inside/outside colours, HP being one of them.

The problem with the S96s was actually multi-fold: it had the 8600GS, which made it instantly less interesting, and it had also didn't feature a higher-resolution model, which turned the rest of the people off.

 

A few mods are currently going on and off the bandwagon for a new portable notebook. The options are as listed above, but what to do is their question. Which brings up a great question for battery life.

The S37s/Z37s is quoted to have 4.8~ hours rundown on a 6 cell. Insane? You be the judge.

 

why isn't anyone here considering the F9s?? I think it's a good and powerfull notebook

 

The F9 is only slightly smaller then the W7s in terms of sizes, height, width, length, etc. So pretty much you are buying a W7 with a 12" screen with HDMI for about the same price.

Plus, it also isn't out yet and we have not compared it to anything to comment on.

 

Actually, I am considering the F9S. It doesn't look low rent in the new flat black colour scheme (in pictures, at least) and its very portable. However, I still need to know more about the build quality before getting any farther into the order process. Unfortunately, its only marginally less expensive than the much sexier and probably better built (but fatally flawed) W7S.

You know, if PortableOne could send me an SXS37 sans OS for under $1300, we might have a deal...Which is actually why I'm waiting for the other resellers to get it, so I can configure it just how I want and not be constrained to P1's high end parts. And 5 hours is insane, theres no way. Maybe with a 9 cell, but with a 6 cell.....I will be really impressed if that rings true.

 

The rumour going around is 4.5~ on a 6 cell and 7~ on a 9 cell. Believable? You tell me

Building your own Z37s

Barebone(Chassis, Screen, OD, WiFi, Turbomemory): $550
Processor(2.0ghz C2D): $230
RAM(2gb): $69.99
HD(SG 160k5): $109.99

Total: $960 without an OS is decent. The prices were all grabbed from NewEgg and not on sale, except for the RAM from the Hot RAM deals thread. If you want to penny pinch, you may get it for under $900 even, if not less.

 

Where do they have the barebones for sale?

I might skip the T61p and just get this if I can find the place they have it for sale.

 

The Z37s/S37s is a VBI unit from ASUS. It's not out yet, but I've spoken to a dealer and hes told me that so far, the estimated MSRP.

 

Do you know when its expected to start shipping? Cause I know P1 has started shipping theirs already. Though, that may not be the VBI model.

 

What is the difference between the Z/S37s VBI and the SXS37S?

 

Beats me.

The VBI Z37s is supposed to come in various different 'flavours' and will be out mid September.

As for P1's, I seriously don't know...

 

I talked to Sean from pro-portable, he said that the z37 and as the f9s willl be available next month! (September). Hooray!

 

Oh, thats good. I think, of all of the Asus portables, this is the one with the most potential, and its much more reasonably priced than the XPS M1330 and SZ6.

 

My 2 cents......

Some of Asus's Ultra portables, look stunning, great build quality but have one or two omissions that just do not make sense and their batter life is under par.

Asus really have to lift their game to keep on top, they have a budget range and a high end range, but even their top end range is like recieving a Ferrarri but with the doors missing some of their decisions just baffle me.

When was the last time your saw an Asus model, which .... looked great..... did everything you needed....... and made you feel like you needed that more than food!!!!!

 

Asus was most appealing around 2004-2005, its Ensemble units had sleek and thin styling that could easily rival some Apple's or Sony's designs. Its Whitebook line up offered a huge array of selections and were nearly as attractive as its ensemble counterparts (and in a few cases were the same chassis as their ensemble cousins, i.e w3/z63).

Unfortunately these days, their ensemble line up has split up into the lower end cheaper models, the higher end business type models, and the very high end lambo line. The cheaper models are nice but I do not think they can win this battle against established budget lines from Dell and HP, the latter of whom now offers a very difficult to beat, price/performance ratio on their redesigned Inspiron and Vostro line, which have also tooken a step up in quality, incorporating elements found in business notebooks (shock protected HD, spill proof keyboard).. one may find it difficult to opt for an A8js, over say an Inspiron 1420 or a Vostro 1400 which, for the same specs, could be had for a few hundred less and comes with full refunds, including paid shipping on returns within a given time period.

their business line up isnt bad at all, but as a replacement for some of the greatest ensembles of the past (w3, v6, etc).. they've grown quite a bit thicker, heavier, less sleek looking, but maintaining the same pricing.

the whitebooks have shrunk in selection considerably, and are very average in its looks, compare a Z70va to the C90 or the Z33 and Z63 to the S37. They've also grown a bit thicker and heavier as well.

I wish Asus would go back to the type of notebooks they made back then.

Based on what I've seen here.. us Asus users like:

brushed aluminum: we seen it on the W3's lid, and the V6's palm rest, most of us love it because its sleek, doesn't get obviously dirty like a white palm rest, or shiny like a black one after extended period of use. Sony and even Dell picked up on it and added it on their 13.3" models, even Gateway is using it (although in a very uninteresting way). A brushed aluminum palm rest is far more attractive than a pseudo- carbon fiber, or HP wannabe inprint that Asus is intending or using at the moment)

bamboo hinge: again the W3 showed it to us, and most of us really liked it.. the inclusion of it in the F8 really turned heads. Others prefer rear hinges ala Macbooks, or the W2 series.

soldered ram: I don't think very many of us like soldered RAM, and even though there may be reasons for it.. there are other notebooks that are actually thinner, that still do not implement soldered ram.

LED backlighting: since its relatively recent in its use, its understandable that very few Asus models use it outside of the U series.. but I hope future models will start extensively incorporating it.

Smaller webcams: While the swivel webcam is nice, I think most of us prefer a webcam that can fit inside a smaller bezel (ala Macbook or Sony FZ) instead of a huge frame.

thinner models: We know the V6s and other thin ones can get pretty warm.. but for some reason some of the thicker ones still run warm.

leather palm rests: Most of us think its nice but could certainly do with out it, especially if it drives costs down. would much prefer brushed aluminum palm rests over leather ones anyday. At least the U1 series has that but I hope other models that will sport these palm rests do the same

some things directions Asus has been moving to that I like:

movement of right side vents to the left: this is more of a concern to models that have dedicated video. Many interested in those models are likely to be gaming on it, and if they are gaming, they are likely to use a mouse. Since most tend to be right handed, we will feel the right side vent. one could always improvise to channel the air elsewhere or block it, but I would prefer to have it on the left side and not deal with it. the newer models like the U3 and V2 now sport a left one.

better selection of ports: Many models from other brands still give conservative port lay outs, and its not common to find laptops that just have a vga out, firewire, usb, and your modem ports..and thats all. now we start seeing things like Esata, HDMI, and DVI being more common on newer Asus models.

FN/CTRL: seems like most recent models have them in the preferred positions. a change from the old days where they were reversed.

The W2 series is one of the sleekest and best looking Asus models they've ever developed. If Asus made a 'miniature version' (similar to how the V2 is a smaller V1, or the A8 being a smaller F3).. it would definitely pick up alot of sales. The W2 already sports a thin and sleek design with black aluminum palm rests, a minimalist profile, and a rear hinge LCD. a 13.3" or a 14.1" model that sports this style, but adds in a built in webcam in the same size bezel, fixes the CTRL/FN lay out, LED backlit, and switches the sides of the vent.. we'd have something that could strongly challenge the XPS or the SZ.

 

The W1 is the 15.4" W2, and weighs about the same LOL! Though I think it's EoL as well, since I've yet to hear or see anything about it since the W1v.

 

I agree with Goren, especailly about the brushed aluminium, in W3J chassis and V6 palmrest, it just wears so good, on my W3J the paint on the chassis is wearing off exposing the base material, making it look tatty and old, the lid however (being brushed aluminium) is as stunning as the day I recieved it!

I dont care for painted surfaces, sparkly paint, black piano paint finishes no mater how good they loook in the shop, aluminium surfaces last for ages and still look great.

I hate to say but I just purchased the October issue of what laptop which had a massive group test of 23 laptops around the sub £699 mark and the Asus F5V laptop showed a poor representation getting the lowest battery time of only 100mins (apple macbook got the highest 334mins!) and it also got the lowest Cinebench 9.5 performance mark of 460 (Nec Versa P570 got the highest 689)

Is this the future of Asus?? I hope not I want my next laptop to be an Asus, they better pull finger prety damn quick!

 

I think my biggest problem with Asus is not the perceived move downmarket even the lack of excellence in any of their products. Just why can they not stick to their ETAs? I mean, so many of their products, while not perfect, show so much promise, but they come out after months of delays. Why Asus, why?!

 

Where can I find more info on the S37/Z37?

 

Unfortunately, there isn't much. Rizeon(UK) and PortableOne(US) were the major ASUS dealers that actually grabbed a handful of the very limited S37s ASUS shipped a while ago. There has not been a second shipment.

The Z37s though, is the same as the Z37s, but with an all black look, and is estimated to be available mid September, $550-$600 is the MSRP for the barebone as I mentioned before.

 

So the S37 and the Z37 are different? Is the S37 an ensemble? Oi vei confusing.

 

Both are barebones, one is VBI(Verified by Intel), the other is Powered by ASUS barebones. Which is which? I think the S37 is the VBI one...

What's the difference? I have no idea -_-;;

 

Wow. That's confusing as hell.

I hate to ask a thousand questions, but do you know if there are any U3 previews? I've searched a few times but I've come up empty handed.

 

I don't think there is one besides the one Andrew did a few weeks ago.

 

I'm officially torn between an ultraportable and the G1s. Ugh.

 

For some reason, I think P1 got the Z37, not the S37. At Rizeon, which carries both S and Z versions, the S has a white lid and dark gray interior and no fingerprint reader, whereas the Z has a black lid, silver interior, and an fp scanner. The P1 SXS37 has the black lid and the fp reader, so it seems to be the Z37.

Of course the model name says S37 pretty clearly, so I may be wrong about that.