Is Asus for me??

Im not a gamer but Im seriously considering buying an Asus. Is it a waste for me to buy an Asus and drop the 2k on the W3J or not? Should I save the grand and go with something like the hp 2000t? (although I dont like their new imprint design) Im a college student and will just be using it for basic school work, movies, music, web and maybe some CAD. Also considering the HGL30 but Im not sure really. If I get the w3j should I get it with the c2d or the core duo? Im not really sure what the other specs should be either....I pretty much just need alot of advice. Thanks

 

Well no matter what, you're gonna be hard pressed to get a W3J. The C2D models will be sold out very soon after they are available in early November if they haven't been preordered already and stock is running low on the Yonah models. There are a bunch of threads comparing the two models so try doing a search to see what extras you get by waiting. Some off the top of my head are: the old model has a faster Core Duo Processor but by getting it now, you forfeit a 64-bit processor, free mouse, case and extended warranty of an extra year, all of which will all be included in the refreshed version. Then again, that model may not actually be available in decent quantities literally for months. As to whether you should get one at all... that's up to you. A good portion of the price in the W3J comes from its video card so if that's not something you need, you might consider something similar like the W7J which might fit your needs a bit better and for less money. Both of the Asus models will (debatably) be of higher quality than the HP.

Good luck,
~ Brett

 

It doesn't seem to me like the W3J is that good a fit for your needs from what you've described. No point in buying a gaming system (HGL30 included) if you have no intention of gaming or using any GPU-intensive applications.

 

I don't think you need the W3J. However, I'd still recommend Asus. Look at the lower priced models, except Asus doesn't have much of them .

 

So could you give me an idea of some of the Asus models I should look at, I just liked the W3J because of the sleek look. I almost bought a sony sz because of the looks/size but decided against it. I want to get one thats as slim as possible and lightweight in a 13 or 14 inch screen, 12 seems to small. Thanks for the info on the company-

 

If it is the "looks" and "quality" of the W3J you like, you might want to take a look at the W3V. It looks identical, the only difference is that the W3V has a lower graphics card, but saves you a few hundred, plus there is a $200 rebate on them right now I think as well.

As for buying Asus or not, that's a decision we all have to make for ourselves, you're posting in an Asus area, so you know what we all decided was best for us.

 

Yeah I understand that, but my question is more is buying an Asus worth the extra cost in terms of quality rather than an HP or Dell? And who better to ask then the people who own Asus's?

 

Oh and wheres the 200 buck rebate, like which webiste?

 

One of the Built-On models might be good for you. Something like a Z62f or maybe a Z62A if you want dedicated graphics. Not as sleek as the W3J, but still good quality machines and good dealers to back them up.

Your requirements seem pretty basic, so I would think about size and weight, and then select a model from there. Go in a Best Buy or Circuit City and look at the size and weight of the laptops there, and see what you like in those respects. Then come back here and we can help find you an Asus model that fits your needs.

Also, will this be your primary machine, or do you have a desktop as well?

I bought my Asus because it was unique in its size/weight class, I got great specs for what I paid at the time of purchase, I had heard lots of good things about build quality, and I really liked the styling. I think it was worth it in every respect in comparison to the other 12" machines I was shopping against late last year when I made my decision.

 

No I dont have a desktop, I sold it to buy a laptop. And I dont know if I want dedicated graphics, I dont know what that means. As far as size and weight I wand a 13 or 14inch widescreen with the glossy brightview and Id like the weight between 4-5.5 pounds, somewhere around there.

 

Sent you a PM, I'm new here, not sure if it's OK to post other websites on the forum.

 

I bought an Asus and frankly, I think next time I'd rather go with Dell even though the build quality is not that great. Why do I want to go with Dell? Because I think it's better for me to buy a Dell with half the price of Asus and with similar specs or better (with coupons). This will definitely last me two years and by then, I can use the other half of the money to get another dell so you don't have to stuck with old technology.

 

I thought about the dell d620 but I want nice screen quality if im going to be on it alot and after reading up on it here I decided the d620 was a no go.

 

You can get an HP dv2000t without the imprint design, and it'll cost you less.

 

**** you can actually get it pretty cheap with a c2d, but it doesnt offer it w/o the imprint. I guess its not that bad.

 

Well when you customize the HP to meet the specs of the W7J, a computer which seems to perfectly fit your needs, it's a couple hundred dollars less. However, for the Asus, its made up for in a warranty that's double the length of time, the included case, the included mouse, the better support and the higher build quality. That HP does have a nice price-to-performance ratio though so you may have found exactly what you're looking for already.

~ Brett

 

Dont mean to hijack the thread, but I'm in the same boat as bw1985. I've got a limited budget around 1k and dont know if i should save money and get a dell/hp on sale or stretch it and build a custom asus s96 or buy f3f. My old notebook is more than 5 years old so I need one to last at least 3 more years. I wont be gaming much either but I still would like to upgrade to vista eventually. Do I need a decent graphics card for it or can I save money and go with the f3f or even a dell/hp with integrated graphics? Thanks.

 

I just ordered a new A8Js and spent about 2.5 months researching a model, with the intent of getting on this october/novemeber. I'm by no means an Asus expert, but my general impression is that with Asus you get what you pay for. Consequently, you need to be clear about what you want and what you're willing to pay.

That being said, I think Asus has a model for pretty much everyone that fits their needs/budget. Comparing to other notebooks, I personally found Asus to be a better "bang-for-buck" (even if it meant paying fractionally more, you'll still come out ahead).

I may be wrong too, but then again, my budget was around 1500-1700, which is a sweet spot I think for many asus laptops. You get a lot of machine for the money in that price range.

It would be helpful if you let us know more specificially what your uses will be, your budget, etc...

Someone said that you basically have three factors to consider: Performance/Portability/Battery Life. You only get optomize two of those and need to compromise on the third, unless you're willing to throw a lot of money into the equation.

 

I would get W7J. Sounds perfect for you... Its so **** sexy and powerful (for its size).

Dont get dells... I know you don't like ugly stuff.

 

Im pretty close to ordering a w7j right now but I guess I dont have to order it rignt now, I could wait untill q1 next year if theres anything worth waiting for...can somebody say so if there is.....thanks

 

You're not going to see another meanful update to the W7 until probably no earlier than April 1st. If you wait until January, Vista will probably start coming on the units, but that's another issue as some can't wait for it and others want to wait for SP1 this time next year..... so that's sorta up to you, but in terms of the notebook itself, I can't see much changing except maybe a slight cpu price drop or upgrade one notch to a 1.8 in January if the cpu prices drop....... either way, it would be under a $100 upgrade or rebate and those come along once every quarter.... so it's more like - make use of a new system now and for the next thre months or wait three or so months and get a slight discount. Even those strapped for cash realize your productivity would pay for that little difference ten times over in that amount of time, so it's just a matter of when YOU are ready to get a new system.

 

I feel the idea that one should wait to buy a laptop until they can wait no longer really makes sense.

~ Brett

 

I used to think that and then I realized that it actually doesn't work out as well as you think it would. Waiting too long puts you in a position to get something within a certain period of time and "settle" with whatever you can get your hands on. It actually might be a worse situation than just going out and getting whatever you want before you really need it.

In my time doing this, I think the best advice is to buy it when your want and need for it overlap. If you need it too much - as in, your laptop just died and you've got a report due tomorrow - is simply too long. You need to ready for the bumps in the road... like low supply, or ordering it too late in the day.... and too close to a weekend... whatever...

.. It's hard to do, but you really want to at least get something 2-3 weeks before that "need" is all you have...... ideally, you'll be up and running and productive just a hair before everything else goes to hell.

What do you think about that?

 

That's essentially what I meant. For example, in my case, the laptop I'm typing on could be used for another few months without any major problems, maybe even a few years... but the more demanding programs I have are clearly starting to slow down, and before things become literally unusable, I'm planning on buying a W3J to bring myself back up to date before something catastrophic happens. i.e. - I've reached the point where something breaks and I can't get the things I need to done.

~ Brett

 

Thanks, now I just have to make a final decision. I wish there were more 13" laptops out there so Id have more choices then just sony sz and w7j......

 

my laptop has a cracked lcd and is missing 3 keys.

So I waited until after it was too late and just did without for a month lol.