F3JP or A8JP??

Just did my taxes and oh boy what a refund... as a result, it is upgrade time (have been putting it off for a year now...). Anyway, both my wife and I will be swapping out our desktops for a pair of laptops (IE: buying two here!), but I am not sure which to get. As a result I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220142
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220104

Those are the two that I am considering at the moment... I just have no idea which I would prefer. Any comments from Asus owners? I mean I know they aren't the same, but the specs are comparable, with pros and cons for each, and I am not sure which direction to go in... Here's the specs I am looking at, for quick view:

Model
Brand	ASUS	ASUS
Series	A8 Series	F3 Series
Model	A8JP-4S029M	F3JP-AP035C-A
Part#	90NITA113144241L201Y	90NL0A2332914CAL600Y
General
Operating System	Windows XP Media Center Edition	Windows Vista Home Premium
CPU Type	Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 2.00G	Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 2.0G
Screen	14" WXGA+	15.4" WXGA
Memory Size	1GB DDR2	1GB DDR2
Hard Disk	120GB	120GB
Optical Drive	DVD Super Multi	DVD Super Multi
Graphics Card	ATI Mobility Radeon X1700	ATI Mobility Radeon X1700
Video Memory	256MB	256MB VRAM, up to 512MB Hyper Memory
Communication	Modem, Gigabit LAN and WLAN	Modem, Gigabit LAN and WLAN
Card slot	1 x Express Card	1 x Express Card
Dimensions	13.2" x 9.7" x 1.4-1.5"	14.4" x 10.7" x 1.1-1.6"
Weight	5.25 lbs.	6.5 lbs.
Other Features	Carry bag and mouse	Splendid Video Enhancement
	Touch Pad Lock	Color Shine
	Power 4 Gear+	Audio DJ
	Battery Re-Callibration	Touch Pad Lock
		Power 4 Gear+
		Battery Re-Callibration
		30days Zero Bright Dot LCD
		Carry bag/mouse
CPU
CPU Type	Intel Core 2 Duo	Intel Core 2 Duo
CPU Speed	T7200(2.00GHz)	T7200(2.00GHz)
CPU FSB	667MHz	667MHz
CPU L2 Cache	4MB	4MB
Chipset
Chipset	Intel 945PM	Intel 945PM
Display
Screen Size	14"	15.4"
Wide Screen Support	Yes	Yes
LCD Features	Color Shine
Display Type	Wide XGA+	Wide XGA
Resolution	1440 x 900	1280 x 800
Operating Systems
Operating System	Windows XP Media Center	Windows Vista Home Premium
Graphics
GPU/VPU	ATI Mobility Radeon X1700	ATI Mobility Radeon X1700
Video Memory	Dedicated 256MB, 512MB Hyper Memory	256MB VRAM, up to 512MB Hyper Memory
Graphic Type	Dedicated Card	Dedicated Card
Hard Drive
HD Capacity	120GB	120GB
HD RPM	5400rpm	5400rpm
HD Interface	SATA	SATA
Memory
Memory Slots		2 x DIMM
Memory Speed	DDR2 667	DDR2 667
Memory Size	1GB	1GB
Max Memory Supported	2GB	2GB
Memory Spec	512MB x 2	1GB x 1
Optical Drive
Optical Drive Type	DVD Super Multi	DVD Super Multi
Optical Drive Interface	Integrated	Integrated
Optical Drive Spec		8x Super-Multi DVDRW Dual layer
Communications
Modem	56K	56K
LAN	10/100/1000Mbps	10/100/1000Mbps
WLAN	802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN	802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN
IRDA	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
Ports
Card Slot	1 x Express Card	1 x Express Card
USB	5	4
IEEE 1394	1	1
Video Port	1 x VGA, 1 x DVI, 1 x S-Video TV-out	1 x VGA, 1 x DVI, 1 x S-Video TV-out
Audio Ports	1 x Headphone-out jack (SPDIF)	1 x Headphone-out jack
	1 x Microphone-in jack	1 x Microphone-in jack
		1 x Line-in Jack
Audio
Audio	Built-in Intel High Definition Audio compliant audio chip, Built-in microphone	Integrated Sound card
Speaker	Internal Speakers	Internal Speakers
Input Device
Touchpad	Yes	Yes
Keyboard	Standard	19 mm full size 88key with MS-Windows function keys
Supplemental Drive		Supplemental Drive
Card Reader	MMC, SD, MS, MS PRO	4-in-1
Webcam	Yes	1.3M Megabyte Pixels Webcam
Power
AC Adapter	Output: 19V DC, 4.74A, 90W	Output: 19 V DC, 65W
	Input: 100 - 240V AC, 50/60Hz universal	Input: 100— 240V AC, 50/60Hz universal
Battery	6-cell lithium ion	6-cell lithium ion
Battery Life		4 hours
Physical spec
Dimensions	13.2" x 9.7" x 1.4-1.5"	14.4" x 10.7" x 1.1-1.6"
Weight	5.25 lbs.	6.5 lbs.
Manufacturer Warranty
Parts	2 years	2 years limited
Labor	2 years	2 years limited

 

One is a 15.4" and one is a 14.1". I would choose the A8Jp because I prefer 14.1" laptops over 15.4". Which size do you prefer? If you do not know, visit a local Best Buy, Circuit City, Comp USA or some other electronics store and take a look. It does make a big difference in size and weight.

 

That is the thing, the size and weight aren't that big of a deal to me... plus I wish the resolutions were swapped. I want something decently portable (not a 17"), the rest doesn't matter. I would like a 15.1" with 1440x900, so it is a trade-off for me. One has the resolution I like, one has the screen I like. <shrug> I also want 2GB of ram, and I like only needing to add 1GB.

For me the specs really do seem quite comporable, given the fact that it feels like each one has things I like/don't, and the other is the exact opposite. That is why I am looking more for any opinions. So... any thoughts?

Specifically, I am wondering what people think of the build quality of both. I know the A8 line has some issues, but the specs/$ ratio is great. What I am not at all familiar with is the F3 line...

Also, sorry for the long gap before the table, not sure why that is there.

 

I think they are extremely similar

I think you will be happier with the smaller size.

The screen on the wxga f3j is not just lower resolution its dimmer.

 

Also, if anyone can think of a comporable laptop WITH A DVI PORT (I don't know why manufacturers continue to put antiquated VGA ports on laptops when it only takes a .10$ connector to turn a DVI port into a VGA port) then I would be interested in that as well.

I mean my idea would be an Acer Travelmate 8210 (drool... split keyboard laptop...) or an Asus A8Js, but I need to keep this under $1300. Heck, $1100 would be great, but I want some reasonably decent graphics performance at least...

 

Is F3JP made in Taiwan??

I know A8JP is made in China and was unlucky to experience defects with it.
LCD had dead pixels which was replaced. Got home and then realised the new LCD gave me flickers. Mouse buttons had different feel.

However, using W7J which is made in Taiwan has way better build quality in my opinion.

 

The A8 has a better build quality IMO. Also, the F3j has had some issues with the audio dj. I would recomment the A8Jp, or even better, an A8Js, if you get it.

 

Might see if you can find a couple of w3j's around somewhere. I believe you can get them for a real good price if you can find a vendor who still has some.

 

I think they are extremely similar build quality

The a8j has a fancy mettalic paint that looks very nice when new but actually will scratch very easily. Not too much different beyond that

 

The W3 line is decently more expensive, as is the A8Js... unfortunately both are no-go. Same with the W7 line... in fact, the Wx line is too expensive for what I am going for.

OK... I had thought that the size difference would not be an issue, and to me I still see pros and cons either way. My wife, on the other hand, decided on a 15.4" screen size, so it looks like the F3JP it is.

She decided this after seeing a Viao at Circuit City that had the same screen size and resolution... though I warned her that I didn't think the F3JP had as good of a screen as a Viao. Anyone have any comments on that?

Please... any thoughts on this laptop anyone? Any owners out there?

 

There's a number of different tradeoffs between the two, which you have to start asking yourself:

1)14" screen/5.25lbs vs 15" screen/6.5lbs. Do you travel a lot? If so, A8JP would be preferable.

2)2x512MB RAM vs. 1X1GB RAM. Are you planning to upgrade to 2GB? If so give the edge to F3JP.

3)VGA Webcam vs. 1.3MP Webcam. Is this important to you?

4)2.5 Hr. Battery Life vs. 4 Hr. Battery Life? Edge goes to F3JP

5)1440x900 resolution in a 14" screen vs. 1280x800 resolution in a 15" screen.

The main factor for me getting an A8JP was the Thin and Light form factor combined with power and resolution. Your choices are very limited for fairly powerful 14" NBs, the A8JP being one of the few. I also personally would not be happy with a 1280x800 15" screen. I feel that is a huge waste of screen size, and you'll be losing a lot of real estate with that screen.

 

I've had no issues other than screen grain, and the brightness is plenty. I work at 40% and still feel that I have to take it a notch down when indoors; this is while I do illustrations.

And the battery life is a negative; I max 3 hours with undervolting and careful use of applications (net surfing, mainly). With photoshop or illustrator, it's shot down to a good 1.5 hours. Note that this is with undervolting; otherwise I'd have about 30 minutes less. I've read similar readings with the A8JP.

Your only two factors should be size, and memory upgrading. If you want to carry this book around, A8JP. Otherwise, the F3JP is just dandy.

And I've had no audioDJ issues; I have no freaking clue on what this is about, maybe I got lucky.

And by the way; higher screen res in gaming reduces performance. Consider this, when you want to play F.E.A.R on max settings.

 

Ummm.... i hope you know you can change the res in games?
Please tell me you knew this!

 

^Don't worry I'm not that oblivious.I didn't discount that option; it's just some prefer higher frame rates to slightly sharper visuals, and honestly, I don't see the big whoop with higher resolutions on a smaller screen.

As far as I'm concerned, the screen qualities are the same; only one is physically larger than the other. Strangely, this didn't seem to reduce the average battery life for the F3JP, by much, in comparison to the A8JP.

 

Actually the higher screen res in games reduces performance comment is entirely appropriate. After all, with LCDs you ALWAYS want to play them at native resolution or as close to it. That alone will make more difference than AA and such ever would. If you are playing a game at an odd resolution, that is not the native LCD resolution, and are running AA, you would do better to turn up the res to native and turn off the AA.

The F3Jp displays 1280x800 regardless of what you select in a game or when in Windows. It just interpolates any selected resolution to 1280x800. The only one that you could get away with otherwise would be 640x400.

So, the fact that the F3Jp is only 1280 x 800 is actually a very valid comment. That's all.