Ivy Bridge Zenbook with FHD IPS screen UX21A UX31A UX32A UX32VD

Thanks for this info, had mine order from a UK retailer for a month but the date gets keep getting put back from Asus according to them so wasn't aware they aren't planning to release it here.
I know it's released in Italy(QWERTY) and so might get it through them but not impressed with Asus. What a bunch of amateurs, the staggered release is embaressing and lack of any real information says a lot of about how they operate to me. Very annoyed, however there doesn't seem any alternatives.

 

Thank you for pointing that out. I'll go with the 1.35v Mushkin ram then. Will the mushkin ram run at the lower voltage or do both ram sticks have to run at 1.5v?

 

God I hate this track pad..its freaking loud and feels cheap!! reminds be of old Dell laptops!!

 

Why 1333 mhz and not 1600 with this ram in 12800 CL 10 ? I don't understand. Can you explain.
I have bought one with an UX32.

 

Check here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/asu...ux21a-ux31a-ux32a-ux32vd-143.html#post8651070

 

you sir might consider this then

Western Digital My Passport Essential SE 2TB 2.5" Hard Drive, Black WDBY8L0020BBK-NESN

and this

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-830-Series-MZ-7PC512N-Internal/dp/B005T3GPXO

best ram would be da mushkin

 

Is this a good choice for ux32vd? Kingston ValueRAM memory - 8 GB - SO DIMM 204-pin - DDR3 - KVR16S11/8 - Notebook Memory - CDW.com

 

anything with a proven and tested brand in the pc community and that has 1.35v and cl11 , so yes but may i direct your attention at the 1.5v it requires unlike the mushkin

 

I'm still trying to find a compatible power adapter for the UX32VD. FYI, the ones on eBay are 45watt power supplies vs the 65watts of the OEM power supply so they won't be sufficient for heavy loads.

 

just get the official power supply rated for your country the zenbooks psu is universal as most if not all are nowadays, im sure you can get one from asus just contact them , or get a universal powersupply ,if you must



http://www.amazon.com/Innergie-Univ.../B003FMVPFY/ref=pd_cp_e_2/189-0217628-7129303

 

I was hoping to get a universal power supply, but none of them include a 3mm/1mm power tip. I might just have to get one from Asus

 

Placed order for 1.35v mushkin ram

Now Just need a cheap sale on a crucial m4 or samsung 830 SSD in 512GB size. Probably go with crucial m4 when it dips to 380

Newegg is really effed up right now. It shows prices of like 80-90 dollars next to the 512GB ssd's then you click on it and it shows the real price.

 

Lol. Yeah.. I figured it's difficult to see on video as I am by no mean a pro in taking/posting videos. I figured it's quicker to post the pics than trying to figure out the whole video. It's also easier to get pictures in focus.

Box already wrapped up ready to go back to Newegg.

 

lols, nice zero, 80-90 hell for that price ill buy a shipload of em xD

 

I think increasingly people are moving towards having dedicated media servers. For example, my boyfriend and I have about 5 terabytes available from a little Acer nettop running arch Linux and xbmc. Also for me, all my photos are in at least one of a few cloud services online.

Once you eliminate music, video, and photos from your computer, then 256 GB is tons of space. I'm not saying it's the solution for you, but media servers might be an explanation as to why others aren't bothered.

 

I have a 5 bay NAS hot swappable with 5x 2TB drives in RAID 5. I use that as my central media storage area. I want to upgrade it to 5x 3TB drives as im down to only 2.5 TB left but just cant afford that now. The NAS is made by Lacie

That being said I don't know why but I still like lots and lots of local storage space on my machines. Just the way I am

 

Noone got this problem? Or can anyone help me fix it? :/

 

I agree. I just got the new Sony SV13A in the mail (I returned it because the screen sucks beyond suck) and the trackpad was 100x better than the on one UX32VD. The Sony also felt lighter even tho it was .4lbs heavier.

Regardless of all this, I'm keeping the Asus -- the screen is amazing, the sound is awesome, the trackpad will take some getting used to, but IMO its the best "ultrabook" on the market right now.

 

its trackpad does suck but i almost always have a mouse hooked up unless im like on a plane or something

 

I'm always working in random places, coffee shops, in the middle of nowhere, I have a small mouse I can bring, but after using the trackpad for a little bit you will get used to it.

 

I don't see a problem with the trackpad if you use tap instead of click but maybe I'm missing something.

 

Alguren, I'm not sure if your microphone problem is with the built-in mic, or one that you plugged in. If it's the latter, as others already asked about it, here is the solution: one needs a combo jack plug, like these (unless one's headset has already the combo plug, instead of the separate green & pink jack):

PC Computer Headset to 3.5mm Smartphone Adapter

eVerbatim - Headphone & Microphone Jack Splitter / VOIP Adapter

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Steel-Series-50006-SteelSeries-Adapter/dp/B0035ER6GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1303297419&sr=8-1

"The latest computer models from leading manufacturers are following suit with the iPhone and Skype trends by combining the traditionally separate headphone and microphone jacks into a single jack. The reasoning behind this is due to the influx of VOIP (Voice Over IP) companies, like Vonage and Skype, who have developed headsets that use a single jack instead of 2 jacks so that you can use a special headset to listen and speak.

The problem with these systems is that you cannot use an external microphone. If you plug headphones into this new "combo" jack, they work. However, if you plug a microphone into the combo jack, the external microphone will not only NOT work, but it also disables the computer's internal microphone as well as the internal speakers because the computer thinks there are headphones plugged in.

We have designed this adapter cable to solve this problem for court reporters. Just plug this adapter into the combo jack, then plug your microphone into the cable labeled MIC and your headphones into the cable labeled HEADPHONES. Once you do this your external microphone will work properly and your playback will run through your headphones. "

 

Vaio s13a with a premium panel? i know its TN, so what was so bad about it, the vertical viewing angles i guess?

Its the only think holding me back from getting it instead of the ux32vd

 

Buy a full blown leftover "z" from MS if you want a Sony..half price.

Buy Sony VAIO Z Series (VPCZ21BGX/B), 13.1-inch ultraportable notebook pc, sheet battery, power media dock, Blu-ray Disc - Microsoft Store Online

 

Yes the premium. Compared to Macbook Air and Asus displays, it was terrible. I guess thats not fair since they're both amazing displays.

I was gonna go for a Z...but the trackpad is too small, the bezel is way too large on it, small shift key on the right hand side, very expensive, Sonys are not known for the best quality.

I really like that you can dock both of those Sonys tho. And I think Sony is giving away a free docking station now on the S models.


Sony VAIO Laptops Desktops Computers PCs | Sony Store USA

 

The pad does make a rattle sound even if you just tap it quietly which annoys me! And the corners are kinda loose as if you can't get any feedback by clicking if you know what I mean.
I thought Asus already solved this problem from the first original zenbook. Guess not, maybe a 3rd gen. zenbook will improve next year. Let's just hope for their sake they do or else I'm gonna find another brand. Im a bit disappointed knowing by the fact that I spent almost 1900$ for the UX32VD and got a cheap trackpad hmmm.. I live in Europe yes due to the high price.

 

So a quick update from the Merk...

My 32 came yesterday. I had to wait until I was off work to check it out, despite being in IT, cause we are shorthanded and I was running my a$$ off ALL DAY LONG. Didn't REALLY wanna deal with it when I did after work, but was interested to see how it looked.

Fortunately, everything seemed great. I was able to update the BIOS, burn an ISO of the recovery to a Blu-Ray disc, which only required ONE disc instead of the usual 4+ (it was 14.something GB). I checked backlight bleed, keyboard backlight, keyboard flex, trackpad height, etc... everything is PERFECT.

Today, without going over any of our reviews, I opened it up, swapped the ram, and replaced the SATA drive with the Crucial SSD. I did peak at a video to figure out how to remove the old drive... cause I didn't see the 3rd and 4th hard drive screws (since they were hiding under the battery). Other than removing the memory foil, and putting it over the Mushkin RAM I bought... I'd say the ENTIRE thing was a no brainer.

Now, I've never had a SSD PC before. Just my MacBook Air with soldered to the MB SSD. So I was QUITE amazed how fast a 64-bit install of Win 7 went on this bad boy. Wow. Already done, and just gotta plug in the SATA drive and start pointing to drivers so I can get the wireless and stuff up and running.

By the way, not that bloatware of ANY sort is good, but personally... I thought the comments about this system being overrun were a little off base. After all, there are no versions of Office or Office-replacement apps, ISP programs, etc. Just all the ASUS utilities, and many of those are GOOD things. If you've owned Packard Bell and other computers in the past... this is NOT so bad.

Anyway, love my new laptop. Just need to get the OS finished, install Office '10, CS6 (just for Photoshop), etc... and I'll be good to go. Probably gonna have to pick up Max Payne 3 so I have something to try this system out with besides Blu-Ray discs. But it really IS nice!!!

 

I had a UX31A and I guess they are just way different animals. I was going to return it completely because of the backlight bleed and some network card issues with disconnects. Now I am exchanging it instead..going to try one more to see if I can get one without flaws. If I do I will definitly keep it.

 

Thanks very much for that.

FNAC.it in Italy seem to have it for a decent price and they are a big store.

The other thing to establish is how the warranty will work or, if you get a dodgy one if you have to send it back to Italy by courier for a replacement!

Will wait a few days more to get further clarification on the UK potential availability but this is looking the best option so far!

Thanks again!

 

Nice, all this talk of certain 32's with no backlight bleed makes me happy and think that they've nailed down the QC issue that caused the bleed. So maybe all future productions will be without this backlight bleed problem. Or, at the very least, if one finds bleed on their model, they should have success exchanging for one without (eventually). I'll wait a few more weeks before diving in (definitely getting one soon though), mainly to let stock settle in more and hopefully flush out all the bad models.

 

I've been enjoying my UX31a-DB51 since it shipped from Amazon, but tonight the thing shut off randomly twice in the space of about two hours during normal internet browsing. Has anyone else experienced random shutoffs? I'm getting worried that my unit is broken.

For the record, fans appear to be running under load, and the machine is not extremely hot when it shuts off. Power is cut immediately--I don't see a BSOD.

 

Yeah I know. Are there any more people without any backlight bleed? While I don't have a lot of backlight bleed, I wonder if it would be worth it to exchange my UX32VD for another hoping that I get a backlight free one.

 

I ended up returning my first unit to Amazon after having it for a week due to wifi issues, and they sent me a new one. The new one is working great, but while my first unit had no bleeding that I could see, I see bleeding on this new one :/ But oh wells, it's only when it's on a black background.. but to whoever asked this before about if anyone had received a UX31A with no bleeding issue.. Yes, I did. My first unit had no bleeding.. wish I could say the same for my new unit, but it doesn't bother me much as long as I'm not staring at a dark screen for long periods of time.

That doesn't sound normal..

 

You could check internal temps, power cutting off like that is often a sign of thermal shutdown being triggered. HWMonitor will allow you to check the temps of various components.

 

Does anyone experience eyestrain or perceptible flicker due to the 1080p models' LED PWM frequency? It shows up in some videos of the Zenbook Primes, such as this one. The uploader assures it's only visible on camera, but I can easily see it when I'm paying attention, especially when the backlight is turned down or the notebook is being moved around.

In addition to experiencing headaches, I usually see afterimages for a while, causing walls/objects to look like they're flickering (which is cool, but also disturbing ). Some of my other notebooks have had a flicker, but this one is almost CRT-bad.

Has anyone else been feeling similar fatigue?

 

What's the tolerance of these chips? I'm running around 45-50C in regular usage, and that seems pretty normal. I'll have to see if I keep having shutoff issues--thank god for Amazon's generous return/exchange policy!

 

Well this laptop is set to a refresh rate of 40Hz. Did you change this to 60Hz already? If not, try that and see if there is a difference.

 

Of course. Turned off all the other power-saving stuff too. The strobing was still there, even at max backlight and A/C power. Could see it with a careful naked eye, also whipped out my smartphone camera to verify that it was much stronger than other screens in the house.

 

holy cow. I take back what I said. I didn't realize my brightness setting was on its lowest. When I turned it up, I saw bleeding throughout pretty much the entire perimeter of the LCD screen. I tried watching a movie on it, I could see it everywhere and definitely distracted me from the movie. -___- Now I miss my first unit even more with its perfect screen If only it hadn't suffered from wifi issues.. Sighs.

 

Anyone know what Asus driver you need to install that will get the FN-disable of the trackpad working? Did a fresh install, and all the other stuff FN-key combos work, but not that one.

 

I think it's the ATK package.

 

Does anybody know how to turn off the backlit keyboard (Yes I know FN-key). Cause everytime I put the device on sleep it turns back on.. it's tedious cause when I want it on I press the key again not automatic!

 

That's what I thought too, and it controls all the FN-key things (volume, brightness, key backlight) and draws the little on-screen-display. But FN-F9 still does nothing.

 

I just did a fresh install of Windows 7 64-bit enterprise and went to reinstall the drivers. Didn't find it obvious at first, and before I knew it, I was reinstalling EVERYTHING it suggsted. So a couple questions and comments.

1) My Fn F9 DOES DISABLE the trackpad. So you must be missing something if your's doesn't work.

2) I reinstalled ExpressCache by accident. I've pulled the 500GB SATA drive, but haven't touched the on-board SSD. Is there ANY point to leaving that "drive" alone and leaving ExpressCache installed? Or is that a BAD idea?

3) The trackpad goes opposite in nearly EVERY way I'd expect it to work. Dragging up makes the page go down, etc. Is there a way to INVERT the directions the pages / scrolling goes, without screwing up the mouse direction? That would be really cool, IMHO.

 

Maybe you should download the Elan touchpad Driver in order to make that work. That goes for you @Merkman. You can try to fix it in settings!

Any tips of the keyboard light I can disable it without turning on automatically again?

 

Hey all!

I got ux31a i7 265gb version, it is great. Although I have Sandisk sticker on box (Powered by Sandisk), the disk inside is ADATA (it says that in bios and computer management).

I have one question: "I would like to enable 3 finger tap as 3. button. Is that possible? (I am really used to 3. button in Chrome)

Thank you

 

Thanks for your answer! It's actually the built-in microphone that i can't get to work :/ Do you have any idea why this may be?

I'm thinking about buying a headset, but i still want my computer to work as intended, just in case

 

I think you have powered by Sandforce, not Sandisk and I think that is a controller and not the SSD itself.

 

It is very hard to tell without looking at your machine directly. If you right-click on your speaker icon in the tray, and choose "Recording Devices", you can play around with Settings/Properties. Basically you should see the green bars running up and down beside the proper recording device when it hears you speaking. It might be disabled, etc.

It should work without the Realtek drivers too, it is a good way to check to uninstall them and see what happens with the standard Win7 microsoft drivers.

 

No problem, looks like it comes with a international warrenty.
So I assume that means we can send it back to UK but does this mean we can get a replacement since it's not out in UK?
Would be nice to get confirmation on this, let us know if you find it anymore...