Finally had time to do a Z62f vs Z63a side by side

Some final production Z62f's arrived last night and I built one out to try to do a comparision on them. Basically when it's all said and done, I think anyone debating the two should jump on the Z63a now. Don't just take my word for it...... if you're concered at all about looks, below are some pictures which you could use to decide.

Now, I'm not about to bust on the new chipset or this notebook....... this notebook has a built in webcam and the proprietary plug for Asus' portbar3. However, this notebook loses the modular bay that the Z63 has, so the optical drive is stationary and can't be switched out with a battery, hard drive, or blank drawer. With that said, this unit only came with a combo drive and that may be all that's offered on this particular model. One nice thing that I think is often overlooked is the magnetic latch and hinge design that the Z63 has.... the Z62f has a normal latch and hinge.

When you add it all up, I guess you can also consider that the Z63a still comes with a carrying case and a mouse..... none of the new models will.

 

Wow talk about FUGLY. I never understood why companys do things like that why just make it ugly id pay 100 more as long as it didnt look like that. Just doesnt make sence they could sell a tons more if they just made it somewhat similar to anything else they make like z63a or whynot just put it in that chasis?

 

Asus chassis' are going back to being "only" asus chassis'...... I'm fairly certainly that all custom models this year are technically a sub-brand dedicated to affordable whitebox solutions.... The Ensembles will retain the sexy designs.

 

wow I'm confused.. i thought the webcam model was the Z62j? are you saying the other fugly model w/o the webcam is the J?

 

Yeah, I guess that's what I'm saying... this model doesn't have dedicated graphics.... technically it's the exact replacement for the Z63a in that size spot.

 

No modular bay!!!! I't a shame. Tha't why I'm looking intor this laptop.

 

To be honest, I think it's alright...I wouldn't mind having the Z62f...

 

a few people here already asked me who made the barebone..... that's not a good sign. Considering we've only sold Asus notebooks in our 5+ years of existance........ for employees to wonder where it came from says a lot to me. It's not a "bad looking" notebook, but it's not what I've come to expect... even though I've expected this for almost 6 months now.... it's kind of so-so.

 

Too bad. The Z63A was a beautiful machine.

 

Z63A is beautiful...but the Z62 isn't bad either; it just looks like a smaller A6 series notebook.

 

Justin isnt it bad for your business if they go to these ugly white books. i mean it was great that you could build nice pcs at a good cost. i think you will see more people to go the ensemble series which im guessing u make less on. i really liked all the nice notebooks like the z63a z70 series. and others that you can configure to your liking. i mean they were nice and everyone else makes their nice notebooks that can be configured. i just really hate not being able to configure a notebook i would buy since i like pretty much the highest stuff you can put in a notebook. and some of the ensembles just dont come with them.

 

I agree, A6j well the A6 series is ugly (well not very cool lookn like the V6va or Z70va or W3v or Z63)

And definately the this new Z62j laptop is fugly

And i agree the Z63 is still a better buy and probably cheaper too?

Thanks,

MysticGolem

 

ah wells, I still think it looks better than this model that I originally thought was the Z62f, but I guess this is the J version with the dedicated graphics?


pic from c9tech's site.

 

I guess we gotta keep in mind that the reason the new barebones aren't as "cool" as the old ones because most of the popular older barebone models were BASED on ensembles...
Z70 --> M6
Z63 --> W3
Z33 --> M5/S5

Whereas these new barebones aren't Ensemble counterparts... and it really shows...

 

Wow. Glad I jumped on the z63a when I did. The headphone and mic input up front would have been a deal killer for me right away. Been there, done that and if you use these features, up front IS NOT the place for them to be...

Thanks for the info Justin. Much appreciated.

 

Is it bad for business? Humm... you could think yes and I could think yes...... and I could be mad about it, but when I actually look at the numbers, the way we split up our sales over the course of a year shows that about 60% of our business is Ensembles, 40% in custom systems. A lot of people look elsewhere for lower end notebooks and feel there was still too many similiarities with both lines. This years whitebooks aren't "pretty" at this point, but if this means the systems could be slightly cheaper, then we very well may end up bringing in new customers who are looking for a custom model that is still better than a dell, but not a lot more expensive.

Asus did this to help totally seperate both lines and make them basically look like they're not even related. With that, I believe that request to start to make customize ensembles for this upcoming year may end up happening. We've been complaining about it for two years now and at the request of Asus we haven't customized any ensembles...... but we're currently working out ways that would could do it within both of our best interests........ some rebels out there have already done this, but voiding Asus' warranty and yet still paying for it isn't the right thing for us or our customer in my mind and that is what we're trying to work out with Asus.

... either way, you make the best out of what you've got and with our expansion this year it may not make much of a difference anyway.... but we'll see.

 

not rebels but innovators lol

but i totaly agree with you Proportable

:asus:

Thanks,

MysticGolem

 

Not... money hungry is the term I'd use. I mean Asus has done many things to try to keep the integrity of their ensemble systems and the last thing they did was tell companies they if they mess with the system at all their warranty would be void..... and they'd have to pick it up if they intended to sell it. Asus figured that would be the end of it because no one would assume that risk... However, they did, but at the same time even though when they are sold most people are to understand they no longer have an Asus warranty - there are is still a good chunk that completely ignore that and assume they still have Asus' warranty....... we have people ask us everyday to customize the units and the believe that it has Asus warranty and other companies are doing it..... It's almost a shame that people could be that stupid, but in the end Asus has a deal with us and we promised we wouldn't break that deal, but at this point unless the configurations of the ensembles come in with a spec better suited for the features of a specific notebook..... then we'll have to take another look at the subject.

 

Hm. Interesting that they changed the hinge design. I guess it makes sense to have the smaller section of the hing on the more solid part of the laptop and the longer section on the screen. Not that there is anything wrong with the Z63's arrangement, but the engineer part of me is intrigued by the change.

I'm glad I ordered my Z33Ae now. Definitely like the styling of the current whitebooks vs the new ones if that is the direction they all take.

It's too bad Asus is reserving their excellent styling for the Ensemble line and distancing themselves a little from the whitebooks, but I can understand why they would do it if they want to build the Asus brand on its own.

 

speaking of whitebooks.. a question to Justin:

do you have any plans to implement non-Asus whitebooks in your line up in the near future?

 

... if you have any suggestion, feel free...... but at this time, regardless of what that new line looks like.... it's still the best thing out there as far as whitebooks are concerned, but I have an open mind and controlling power to bring something else in if I wanted.....

 

how about MSI? seems like their whitebooks are becoming very popular and they're starting to use carbon fiber in their construction like Asus does. They seem to be going for all notebook sizes unlike Compal. I always hear Quanta being praised too, but I only see them making mainstream size models.

 

Honestly, I don't like MSI at this point..... a majority of why was always design and their construction, but at this point if designs come close and the construction is there it would be an option. The one thing I can say is that Asus' CF designs have come a long way in two years while they've built for themselves, Sony and Sharp.... others who just got into the CF game still have to go through the same learning curve that Asus did..........

... the difference between the M6 and V6 is a great example.... yes the M6 did reduce weight over what would have been non reinforced plastic shell ... basically the weight savings and overall thickness can be see when compared to the Z71 series........... however, with more designs, Asus realized they could push carbon fiber a lot more than they were and we end up with a system like the V6 which has already been out for 9-10 months now..... so I think everyone is going to go through that because no one is going to give out their trade secrets.... it may take other people less time to catch up... but for now I don't see anyone on that level and when they reach there I'm sure Asus will be somewhere else.

For now, I don't see much change, but I get a lot of systems thrown at me every month to check out and I always try to keep an open mind.

 

If you look at the MSI forums on laptoplogic.com, and the MSI forum here, there seem to be a lot of problems with MSI systems. A lot of people have had issues with Turion MT-40s and the 1013 whitebook - speedstep crashing issues - and it took forever to get it isolated and addressed. They also shipped a whole bunch of motherboard/bluetooth board combinations that didn't work.

Their designs also just aren't as attractive as Asus, IMHO. In the 12" category, battery life with the 8-cell battery and the 1012 (P-M) is like 4 hours, 3-3.5 with the 1013 (Turion). The Asus 9-cell does 7 hours or so!

Looking through MSIs entire lineup, I don't think there is a machine there that I would buy over the Asus equivlent. Not to say that they won't get it right in the future - there was a 12" widescreen Coe Duo at CES that looked awesome, probably will be the 1014/1016 or whatever - but I think right now it just isn't there yet. I'm not a dealer but I spent a lot of time mulling over the Z33Ae/Z63a vs the 1012 or 1013/1022. In the end I decided on the portability of a 12" system, and the styling, reputation, and battery efficiency of the Asus system won me over.

 

hmm any other whitebook ODMs you think comes close? like Compal, Quanta, Clevo, Arima, Winstron, etc? This is all very interesting

 

... well lets put it this way.... you have to remember that I started this company because of Asus.. before we imported that first notebook - you couldn't talk to me about a notebook before I laughed in your face.... Asus set the bar for me and a company was started from that. I come from a design background and quality and minimalism are my things and this company isn't going to take a step backwards as long as I'm still in control. The big problem is, it's not all about money.... If we tell you that Asus is the best thing since sliced bread, why would we carry anything else? I sorta feel like we'd be hipocrites... regardless of how more options obviously translates into even more sales..... It's about the product and even though we're going to expand the online site this year..... there is one thing you can count on, there isn't a single thing we'll sell that I wouldn't use or better yet ..... I don't already use. I think that says a lot and that's really why I hate anyone who tried to call me a "salesman"..... I'm more like the movie-line guy who you call to find out he though about this movie and that.... you can just buy tickets from him too if you know what I mean...

That's why I take great offense to anyone who says they have a problem with something because I feel I should be the first to know about it and if I saw a problem I wouldn't be using it and that translates into not selling it...... I know that may be hard for a lot of people to understand, but it's the way I am and it's the way I intend this business to stay.... love it or hate it.

 

Justin i am the same way With my home theatre/automation company. I wont sell anyone something i wouldnt use myself regardess of profit. although some people come with things they have heard are great, and they wont budge on what they want. And its just to large of a job to turn down but even then i will only compromise so much.

 

Enthusiasts...
The bread and butter of our business.
Wouldn't have it any other way.

The Bad:
I wish the common US consumer was more developed and more apt to research their purchases a little more, rather than jump on the next TV commercial bandwagon. Not to say that other countries don't do it, we just do it the most. It's a common human trait to respond to what we see the most of as being the best. It's not just Dell... it's Budweiser, Pepsi, etc... To the Amercian public, Marketing is their consumer information. It's really too bad... While I lived in Europe, I noticed more research and discussion, rather than following advertisements. It's why ASUS is having a the hardest time in the US... they're not popular. Once consumers can see past that blind spot, the educated decisions begin.

The Good:
Technology [Internet] is feeding us with more options and ways around the "one way tunnel" found in TV, Magazines, Newspaper, etc... We are wanting to seek more information rather than just accepting it. Others still fall into the marketing trap though, but we can help them see the way...
After all it is our job.

On the MSI note, they look very promising.
Once MSI is more stable with the Turions, it will be a great competitor to the ASUS Centrino line.

 

Well if asus ever starts selling 800 dollar laptops at best buy they will make a fortune. Most people dont need the fancy metal latops will all the features. I do everything with my pc and i still dont know why i spend so much on them i change them so **** often.

 

They do actually sell $800 notebooks [well we do for them]... but no, not at Best Buy.
That's where they need to up their anty, like Shuttle did with their XPC's.
Shuttle has entry level to high performance XPC's at Best Buy and Circuit City.
Where's ASUS?

The Z91E and Z93E are configurable to that price... almost leaving no room for margin, but if it comes to the bone of the matter it can be done.
There are also new Ensemble models out now [soon to be posted on the store] targeting the entry level market.
They saw that problem are trying to new things...

You're right. Many people here do not desire quality products...
Same reason they buy $400 Dell's.

 

Thanks for the info/recommendation, Justin!

I'm assuming, though, that you made your recommendation before it came to light that the Z62f would be so **** affordable

Looks aside, would your recommendation still be the same? I'd wait for the reviews to start rolling in, but I think I'd trust the opinion of a reseller more anyway. Is the Z62f inferior to the Z63a in any area BESIDES looks/hinges? Thanks for any info you'd like to throw in!

 

You get a better chipset, but "better" is really up to the need of the consumer.... you're going to be looking and living with the computer for the next few years and in that time looks and build are going to mean a lot more than the added power that you're never going to see......

it is what it is.... I'm not too fond of it, but soon enough it's all we're going to be able to sell.... when the 63's are gone... it's a personal taste, but I know from experience that if I can't make 100% use of the current setups, I won't even come close to that on the new models....... and therefore 99% of the forum won't either.. So in this case looks are very important because the performance difference isn't going to be noticed by many..

 

Thanks for the perspective - kind of brings a few things to mind.

I hope the Z63a doesn't run out of stock everywhere while I mull over everything indefinitely

 

do i see a latch system? why are they going backwards!!

 

Sorry to quote an old post, but people aren't "Stupid" to think that Asus would warranty their customized ensamble system. I specifically called Asus' notebook division in the Bay Area and was told by the manager of the notebook division at the time that Asus would absolutely warranty an ensamble notebook that had changes. I forget the guy's name (this was 2 years ago) but I did get verification that he really was in charge of the notebook division there. They would NOT warrant the changed part, so if you changed the RAM, DVD burner and HDD they wouldn't warranty those parts, but they would still warranty the MB or LCD for instance, assuming the new part didn't foul up the LCD or MB. I also know that Asus warrantied my reseller bult-on-asus M6 instead of making me send it to the reseller. In fact they repaired my motherboard for free even though I told them I dropped the computer. IBM, Dell, HP would have charged an arm and a leg to swap in a new MB, while Asus simply resoldered the board.

Moreover, there are laws on the books that suggest that you can modify electronics without necessarily voiding the warranty. Check out the Magnuson-Moss Act of 1975. I'm not saying you could replace the chipset, but there is no basis for denying a warranty because the RAM or HDD was changed.

Maybe Asus' policy has changed since 2004, but to say someone was naive for thinking they would honor the warranty is false.

Matt

Edit: I have more than 1 post here, however my old id "mawst95" isn't working and my email addy associated with it is no longer valid. Just don't want people to think I'm a 1-post troublemaker

 

Matt.... two years ago is when Asus started to seperate the lines and the "ensemble" line become something totally different...... What you don't understand is that a 3rd party (a dealer of a product) can't modify the product and then sell it as a product of the original company and tell customers it's warrantied by that original company.....

.... but quoting the law isn't going to help anyone...... However that law doesn't apply to the dealer who makes the modifications....... and since there is an agreement between the dealer and Asus, if Asus tells them they can't do this or they will void the warranty...... the customer won't get one in the end and it's the dealer that the customer has to go after...... You're not going to by a modified Vaio on ebay and think Sony is going to warranty it... although that may not be the right comparison, Asus does have a right to void the warranty as it's clearly started that ANY work done on the system that is not done by a trained Asus employee - voids the warranty on the system. It's very plain english, but then again, you don't need to take my word for it. I'm not responsible for these modified systems and it's those who have them that try to get Asus to cover them that will wish that listened to me in the first place...... I'm sure you don't want to be the one that people look to when they found out your information is far out-dated either...

.. This is why any company who modifies an ensemble before selling it must notify the customer that Asus' warranty is void and they MUST provide some sort of replacement warranty through themselves. If you modify the system and have a problem with the lcd lets say......... yes they will replace that under warranty as long as it isn't connected to any work you did on the system....... but YOU will be replacing it... not Asus. They will not work on any machine that's been tampered with mainly because if they do and they find anything wrong with the system, they could be liable for it......

 

I have to say that after working in the retail computer market, Justin makes some great points. Depending on the structuring of the warranty, which will vary by manufacturer and point of purchase, modifying the laptop becomes a large case of liability. I am unsure as to the margin status in a resale or e-commerse setting, but in retail, your best margins come off of your tech shops providing parts/labor services in the form of BTO or diagnostics and repair. The company will and should consistently choose to put itself in a position where it minimizes the possibility of them offering the "labor" services for a lesser charge or no charge at all. It may be frustrating from the viewpoint of the consumer, but makes a good deal of sense from the point of the manufacturer/retailer/reseller. Just my two cents.

 

A-Lit is right and explains something that if it came out of my mouth someone would no doubt call me names...... Sometimes when people don't agree with what I say, they babble on and on about how... "well you sell them, of course you'll think that.. blah blah"... but at the same time, there's a LOT of things that people say as end-users that I could say are only said for that one reason... You've got to look at an issue like this from every side and you've got to be around it for a long time to really understand it. So, yes certain things piss me off as a consumer, but as a business, I understand what's going on and why.... This issue stems from the splitting of the Asus lines into a complete ensemble solution and a custom built-on whitebook solution... and they want to keep the two totally seperate, but provide a company with two options to sell. On the ensemble models, part of the price that is paid by the distributors is the built-in warranty cost...... those who void it are seriouslly impaired because Asus still gets the money, but then the dealer becomes legally responsible for the product. Some may think that's a self-less act by a dealer, but nothing in business is ever done to actually lose money....... coming up even is often the best people can do, but purposely losing money isn't just dumb but but you'd have to question the validity of a secondary warranty if the company is going to knowingly void Asus' awesome warranty and then become responsible themselves for what could be a $2,000 unit.

Asus' plan when telling dealers not to touch the ensembles or risk voiding the warranty wasn't a threat made to screw anyone over... it was made as a statement that they thought no one in their right mind would want to void the warranty, so no one would modify them... That backfired, and Asus is surprised it did... but don't really care because they are going to get warranty money on something they'll never have to see agian..... So you can see why they don't care to do more to stop it...... but never-the-less.... it's a sticky issue... it's better for me to warn people about something like than than to hear someone upset and complaining about it later... just a PSA if you will.

 

I am looking for my first laptop and have been checking out the comments posted in the forums for information. They are very informative! Maybe it is because I am a little older than many of the retailers and other posters here (Eddie and others advised me of that apparent fact), but I do not see what the big deal is about looks. If a laptop functions as it should, so what if it is not as pretty as the last model or even if it is butt-ugly. In a tool, shouldn't function be form and not vice-versa?

I am looking as Asus as the only brand I will buy because it is INCREDIBLE quality for the money. In terms of core duo, I am looking at future proofing my notebook as much as possible for what I want to spend. Will I wait for everything coming down the pike (ie; 64 bit)? No, but it does mean that since dual core is now available on desktops and laptops and from both Intel and AMD, programmers WILL program for it. I am sdishertened that I need to wait another month for womething to come out that I will want to purchase, but if it functions while looking fugly, so be it.

Just the thoughts of aged wisdom.

Mikeylee

 

Well..... age doesn't affect taste... or maybe it does I guess... Some may say you have it or you don't. A computer is a functional item and some people look at it that way... Some people look at a car as a way to get from point A to point B, while others believe it's getting there that most important.... these people are the ones who have nice cars and enjoy driving. A computer is very much the same and to me, my car and my computer are two of the biggest things in my life. I have good taste, or would at least like to think so and I have degrees which supposedly tell me I should be qualified to critique design....

Ok.. so most people spend what.. almost 2 hours a day in their car? Those same people probably spend 8 hours with their computer, if not more... I get in probably close to 12. It's an extention of you. If you don't care about quality and looks... you may just buy a dell... Most people can't even dress themselves, so as long as a computer lets them write emails and download porn... it's just a GD computer. If you're concerned about true functionality and performance.... design and quality may not matter.... Asus' motherboards are the key to their systems and there's nothing better... regardless of how it looks. However, looks and quality often go hand and hand with these systems. The better the materials, the better the quality... and the longer it'll physically last....... not to mention, if you worry about looking your best and you're with your computer for half of the day... it's a part of your wardrobe... trust me. Bringing some ugly ratty computer a design meeting (speaking as a graduate architect), is like a salesman trying to recruit people and tell them how much money he makes... and yet he drives up in a 20 year old Honda Civic....

I'm not going to tell you you're evil or stupid for nothing carrying about these things or having the money to get one that's "nicer looking".... but look at it from my point-of-view and I think you'll understand a but more.

 

Justtin,
A couple of points in the above quote, both of which impact this thread since many people posting on it seemed exteremely influenced by your concerns about ugly computers.

First, you have difficulty seperating issues; to wit, having good taste and being qualified to critique design are totally different. Since you mentioned fashion, have you seen what fashion critiques wear. They tend to be able to talk about fashion, yet the dress like clown wanna-bes. If you did not confuse exposing your personal taste as fact but instead focused on the critique you are alegedly qualified to provide, your already helpful information would be even better. But then again, that may just be my taste.

Another thing is this thread seems to be full of young men and women in college. To say a computer or a car is an extension of them is very base, superficial, and short-changing them. A computer should be something they utilize to free them time to find out who they are, not be used to define themselves. That computer and car will still be working away long after they have a few dents and scratches on it.

Above, you repeatedly beat the drum that design and quality go hand in hand. I never said that and that is not true. I build my desktop computers exclusively with ASUS motherboards because of their quality and intend to buy one of their notebooks for the same reason, regardless of their design. Buying a Pentium M computer over a Core Duo because of external looks does 2 things. First and foremost, it is a diservice to customers who will be buying a computer that looks better, but is already one step behind in technology AND at no cost saving to them. Second, I guess it helps you clear stock and allows you to pontificate about something.

I am gld yoou are not telling me I am evil or stupid because that is irrelevant...unless such statements make you feel better. My comments have nothing to do with finanicial ability or the other tripe youu mention. I am explaining your influence and focusing on what matters in these threads. Magnetic latch being cooler...absolutely. A reason to not buy a certain computer...oh please.

In retail sales, there is a saying that you sell the "sizzle." I for one always appreciate a salesman or other professional who sells the steak and tells me about the sizzle as an added bonus. I would rather have the best tasting steak with no sizzle. <that is an analogy...I can explain those if needed>

Oh yea, I am not saying you are shallow or self-serving by thinking the way you do. I just hope to share some wisdom of the ages and think you will understand if explained to you.

Mikeylee

 

Yes, both Z62f and Z63a are looking good to me and Z62 has a newer generation chipsets. If I had not bought my Z63 and the prices were comparable, I would opt for the Z62. Next year's model car is always better than this year's model in someway.

 

hahaha
You are saying that. But its ok we are all screwed up here. This "job" distorts the mind

 

You know... although I appreicate someone who can actually bring a true opinion to the table, you talk a lot about understanding my point of view, but I have a time believing that you actually do based on the some of the comments you made.

1. i don't care about the fashion industry..... that has nothing to do with someone knowing how to dress themselves and looking good.

2. my degrees mean nothing... what I said has nothing to do one system being better than the other... I think you missed that.. the point is that I can appreciate design while it's a known fact a lot of people can't.

3. If you drive a German car you could probably appreciate the different in quality over say an American car...... but it's often the minuet details that are really what sets them off. I'm not talking about the yuppies who have them just to impress people...

But just to clear, I don't care if you by this or that or from here or there..... it's your choice and I've been involved with this forum long enough to know it's not just made up of a bunch of lemmings that are oogling over my ever word. I'm a real person, with real opinions and not only am I entitled to them, but my opion on Asus does rank slightly higher than someone who has never seen them in real life... because I have at least half a decade of everyday use with more than thirty different models over that period.

Is a W2 better than a Z83v? That's the question and the answer is a lot more involved than a little aluminum here and a magnetic latch there..... Those are details which if you can't appreciate, there's certainly no reason for you to pay for them (that's why there's a range of systems), but contruction and materials play a huge part in not only price, but the overall look (as dimensions and weight are determined by the materials used).

If we concentrate the argument between the Z63a and the Z62f, I can tell you from my experience what is good and bad..... I could start with the touchpad and left and right click buttons which don't feel as good or will hold up as long when you look at one over the other......... but just in the design itself. I could look at hinge design and tell you how one will wear over the other.... I could go on.... design isn't just about looks, but also function. There's no need to go into the differences between the systems because they're all right out there in the open.......... but my opinion still stands and as of yesterday, we're out of Z63a's (but still special ordering them) and have two dozen of the Z62f's that came in this morning. They're going to sell because they're dual core, but of the Z63a was updated into a dual core - customizable model.... there isn't a sole who would pick the Z62f over it....... whether design was important to them or not..

 

... someone PM'd me to tell me they couldn't afford a beemer so for some reason they couldn't understand what I was saying... so I'll another little analogy that everyone should be able to get...

In a partner, we all want good qualties.... you want them to be a good person, smart, have a lot of interests, has a sense of humor, etc..... Those are things that everyone is looking for and can certainly get through the rest of your life with someone who those qualities. But there aren't many people, if given who'd pass up a person that had all of those same qualities but was also beautiful and had a trim physique.... You don't need to be shallow or have a poor self-image to understand this.... if anyone else, I'm sure I can come up with another one eventhough this is one giant waste of time.

 

Justin,
I finally agree with you. It is a waste of time because we are on two different wavelengths here. So, hang in there with the good computer advice, but please tell us if the computer has "good qualties.... is a good computer, smart, have a lot of interests, and has a sense of humor, and a little less time on the flesh on the oputside that will change for the worse with time. You are an asset to this thread. Please stay that way. I would appreciate your opinion on the workings of the new core duos as they are released, started with the Z62f, which we have already established is not as attractive as previous offerings.
Thanks man,
Mikeylee

 

When it comes to aesthetics, good versus bad simply for eye candy purposes will always be a matter of preference and opinion. The bottom line is to purchase something that you will be comfortable with for both its performance and its aesthetic value. What is important to some may not be work $200 to another.

Mikey and Justin are both referencing what I also believe to be the only true value of an "aesthetics" assessment - how does it perform under this skin. An LCD basically has to be compared based on its look, as this is its purpose, however how the form of the product supports or undermines its function is the most important aspect of the look. A silver-plated piece of crap is still a piece of crap. My girlfriend's old Inspiron looks like a big ugly brick, but it does everything she needs, so it truly doesnt matter. However, it creaks like an old man and has a CD drive louder than some window fans.

Althought I may admittedly be slightly upset with a "blah" looking laptop, I'd get over it and I'd be content to have a no-frills design that I knew would withstand a few years of use while also performing well under my requirements. But, to each his/her own.

 

Is it just me or is Asus giving us fluff on their newer models?

Is this their way of going mainstream? By fluffing us and reducing costs to reach peak profit?

I hope not.

 

I think part of the issue is that the good looking systems aren't crap....... they have the same if not better performance....... so it's not just a pretty facade with nothing under the hood.....

But that aside, I don't mind making other people's points..... but I also made my own.... and the point is, I tried to make both sides becasue I understand both sides and there isn't a right or wrong....... However, with that said, I'd rather a a W2v other a Z83v and I think the only thing that would keep people from saying the same thing is maybe if they could afford the W2 over the Z83... but it's not just the look...... it's how I know it'll hold up. It just so happens the systems that are going to hold up longer (and this is from my experience), are the systems that are fancier - mainly becauase better materials and design go into them.

You can't go wrong with ANY Asus system....... period....... but if we're going to have a thread about which one looks better.. especially one that I started... then I hope people who have the brains to be looking at an Asus to begin with, can make their own decision based on their own taste.... but where I think Asus stands out are with some of their higher end designs that may be totally original, or have some footing in their ODM business with Apple and Sony....... but the laptops stand out from the normal everyday laptop. Owning an Asus is about standing out. Maybe not like having a big red laptop... but standing out to those who can appreciate something different and appreciate the finer things in life.

I don't agree with buying a Rolex or a MontBlanc.... but those who do will tell you about all the details and the weight and finish... and so on...