Just got my F3J, have questions about Asus Utilities

Hi,
I just got my F3J yesterday, and I have a few questions already. First, could someone please explain what the Asus utilities that are included with the notebook are. Specifically I'm curious about Power4Phone, Slendid, Lifeframe, Net4Switch, Multiframe, InstantFun, and NBprobe. Power4Gear and Spledid seem worth keeping, as well as LifeFrame which seems to turn on the built in webcam. I can't figure out what the rest of them are and if they're worth keeping or having start up in msconfig.

Secondly, for those with Vista, is there supposed to be a Windows logo during the splash screen at startup that features the cycling status bar? XP had a Windows XP logo, but Vista just seems to have the status bar and a copyright.

Thanks in advance.

 

Oh yea, is there any way to easily merge the C: and D: partitions without reinstalling windows?

 

i think norton partitition magic should do the work, used it to split the drive without installing windows again, since it splits with no problem merging should not be a problem

 

For the software:
Power4PHone - deals with void related applications (useless for most)

Splendid - video modes, Normal - Gamma Correction -Vivid Mode -Theatre Mode - Soft Mode - Normal [Press FN + C to easily change modes) (some people remove it)

LifeFrame - used for the Webcam (most people keep it)

Net4Swtich - sets profiles for networks (useless, most people remove it)
MultiFrame - a nifty tool for window sizing, if you look at a window, like Internet Explorer, you will see a small grid looking icon beside the minimize button, well press it and play with it, you'll love it. (keep it)

Instant Fun - Apple also has this function, MCE has this too, I personally find this useless, it just loads new screen for movies, music and more, nothing special in my opinion. (useless in my opinion, but your choice)
NBProbe - used for getting temps. (most people use NHC, RMclock or Speedfan)

To deal with your partitions, use Partition Magic, read the user manual, and follow instructions, it is easy to use, but I still advise you read through it. It is a great program.

Enjoy your new laptop!

 

Thanks for the reply! I am still on the fence about Multiframe, but your advice seems good on the other apps. Does anyone have any input on the Vista boot up splash screen?

 

I tried Partition Magic 8 Pro last night and it seems like it isn't compatible with Vista. I got the generic warning when installing, and then when trying to run the program I got an error saying that it couldn't find the partition drive letters or something. Has anyone had any luck doing this in Vista specifically?

 

I got Vista on both my laptop (F3Jp) and my desktop, and both of them just have a blank screen with the status bar and the copyright, i guess Microsoft got lazy

 

Don't merge the partitions, it's bad practice. For most, at least. Keep your OS and applications separate from your data.

 

Since posting this I found a way to change that blank screen to display the Aurora pattern instead, and also Vista has a built in partition management utility so you don't need Norton to do the job.