General Asus Notebook Questions

Hi guys, I've just registered after researching about the M50/M70 laptops for a while. I have some questions that I would like answered, because I am ready to upgrade from my old laptop (Dell Inspiron 8100... 6 years old!).

These questions may sound a bit daft, sorry for my ignorance.
Would love to hear opinions from M50/M70 owners, but hearing from other ASUS model owners is appreciated, too!

1. How does the Asus notebook feel in general? Does the plastic creak when you apply pressure to it (securing the laptop lid down, applying pressure to the laptop palm rests, etc). I have an OCD when it comes to the creaking sound -- I absolutely hate it and it gives me the impression of a cheaply made product.

2. Is there any way to boot Windows XP from a flash device (MicroSDHC, etc) on the multicard reader? I've seen the EEPC boot up and I like how quickly it loads. I won't be using the card slot for much, so I would love to have a dedicated Windows installation boot quickly from it.

3. Ignorance question alert -- will the screen look fuzzy when I lower it from its native resolution? My Dell Inspiron 8100 has a crisp 1400 x 1024 native resolution, and anything below that setting will make the screen look blurry and ugly... maybe that's how resolution works?

4. How quickly does Photoshop CS/CS2/CS3 launch with the T9300 processor? It would be nice to know the RPM of the drive, too

5. Are the laptop key presses quiet?

6. Is ExpressGate as convenient as advertised?

Thanks!

 

I own F8Sn (not M)

1. No creak, no sag case. NB feels solid and sturdy
2 Yes. Card reader seems to sit on IDE and bootable
3. There is no simple answer because it depends on personal perceptions. After all you can hook up external monitor for image demanding apps. This is so easy
4. After you start a computer, PH takes about 2 sec, AI takes about 5 sec. When you close running session and open another one soon after, PH runs almost instantly, AI takes around 3 sec.
5. This is my take only and many others can disagree - keyboard is good and DELL keyboard feels 'mushy' and shallow in compare with ASUS
6. Now answer

 

Thanks for the reply, Oldman!

 

3. Yes any resolution below native will be fuzzy, on any LCD monitor. Won't disturb in games, usually, but will disturb in text environments such as Windows desktop. A better solution for the desktop is to use higher DPI settings, rather than lower the res.

4. Hard disk RPM is usually 5400, should be available in the detailed specs where you're buying it from?