MBP v. Asus V1Js

Well, I figure since this type of thread has been popping up in all the other forums, I'd start one here.

Originally, I had 1 machine I knew I'd get if it came out in time: the Asus V1Js.
I had 3 backups: Lenovo Thinkpad T61p, HP 8510p, and Compal IFL90, in that order if it didn't.

As you can see, I'm looking for something sleek, but plain and elegant, mostly for business and school, but that's still capable of entertainment and games when I need.

Now, with the release of the MBP, a whole new option has entered the arena. A similar thread has been posted here recently about the benefits of the MBP in general, but what I'd like to hear are some opinions of the advantages and disadvantages of the MBP to the Asus V1Js specifically.

Also, please only discuss the non-upgradeable features of each. Cost is also not an issue, within reason. I realize that the MBP will be more expensive than even the V1Js due to the extra OS cost.


I'll start it off:
Main advantage of MBP: It's out now, and I've already waited 3 months for the V1Js to come out--if it even will come out before summer's over.
Main disadvantage of MBP for me: it'll be semi-annoying having to switch between Vista and OS X every now and then when I need to play a game, but nothing horrible.


Others:
Limited port arrangement of the MBP - in particular, I wanted a 54mm expresscard slot or a PCMICA slot to fit the Creative X-FI or Audigy in. I can make do with a USB soundcard though (can anyone confirm if this will be better sound than onboard in laptops?)

Chassis of brushed aluminium on MBP isn't quite as durable. No fingerprint reader, no TPM, no spill-proof keyboard.

Advantage of MBP: the LED screen. The weight and thickness.


Oh and, if anyone has any reason whatsoever to believe that Asus will introduce a LED screen to the V1Js, please speak up! That'll change things completely!

Thanks!

 

TPM is useless to most people, fingerprint reader is mostly a gimmick

Lack of docking station on the MBP
Slightly slower release of drivers for Windows on the MBP, if you use Windows
Lack of modular bay on the MBP

LED screen is definitely a plus
MBP is nicer looking and more slim

External sound is usually better when it comes to noise isolation, both USB and ExpressCard

 

im in the same boat, i have been waiting for the f8 to be released and after waiting to get a notebook in total for about 3+months im sick of waiting.
the mbp is great because it fits a 15.4" monitor into a chassis that is 2.5kg and the new f8 is going to be 2.46kg, and available now. although its disappointing they put a 128mb 8600m gt in it (base model).

ps. is the keyboard layout of the mbp different to a regular layout?

 

Well, sort of. It's a standard QWERTY keyboard, but it has Mac keys on it ...like option and ctrl I believe.

There's also the option of a Spanish keyboard....

 

I would wait for the V1 refresh, If you dont like it you havent lost anything. Im in exactly the same position, trying to decide wether to go with the V1 SR or the MBP, At the moment the LED backlighting is a bonus, but the lack of PCMCIA or Expresscard/54 slot annoys me, as does the price hike for the 256mb version. The V1 SR refresh is supposed to be announced mid june (within a week) And Ive been told it will be out by July by 2 resellers, though they cant confirm specifications. I also really like the Travelers draw in the V1 series, When Im at uni I dont need a CD drive, but a extra battery or a empty lower weight shell would be great. The clinch for me will be the GPU they put in the V1 (Heres hoping 8600GT 256) and the battery life. If I can pick one up for under 2K US I will be very happy.

 

Well, if my 2nd choice is the MBP, it's not a huge deal to wait, since I can just go to any Apple store and they'll almost certainly have one in stock (I hope?).

If my 2nd choice was the Thinkpad...I'd have to order at least 1.5 months before the end of August because of how abysmal Lenovo shipping dates are

Is the V1 refresh really supposed to be announced next week?

Does the V1 come with an empty bay bracket for the multi-bay, or do you have to order that separately? For the most part, I also won't need the optical drive with me, or even a spare battery. It'd be a nice way to lighten my load.

Even if the V1 comes out though, it'd still be a tough choice between the MBP and the Asus. That LED counts for a lot when I weigh the pros and cons of each - almost enough to outweigh the build quality of the MBP...almost.

 

Why is LED such a big deal? Yes it uses less power but its no brighter and dosent offer any better picture quality (Most people couldnt pick them side by side) But if the V1 has equal or greater battery life to the MBP it has my vote. Im fairly sure the emtpy draw comes with it, But the second hard drive bay and battery are extra. And mid june is when I was told it would be announced so hopefully that info is correct. The V1 comes with a 2 year warranty. Keep that in mind. With the thinkpad, What GPU does that have?.

 

The T61p has a NVIDIA Quadro FX 570M. Horrible for gaming yea, but it's got other features that are tempting. That's why it's a distant 2nd backup in case the V1 doesn't come out in time, after the V1 and MBP.

As for the LED, I'm off to compare the screens after work and see if it makes enough difference for me to buy one of those. No camera with me, so I won't be able to post any pics for you, but they already did that over in the Mac forums here - they don't really reveal much of anything at all though.

 

BTW, you know you're going to get lynched now if the V1 isn't released next week after getting everyone's hopes up

Oh I thought of another one, the MBP res is only WXGA+. Not horrible, not great either.

BTW, has anyone here seen WUXGA on a 15.4"? How's the screen? I find WSXGA+ is bearable, but I've never seen WUXGA on it.

 

I'm a big fan of anything that prolongs battery life. The LED is supposed to increase the possible color range because it's a purer white. It'll be interesting to see how much the LED backlight increases battery life in a real life test, like DVD play back.

 

I don't think the V1 has much going for it in terms of battery life though atm

Speaking of battery life, is there any way to find out if the battery issue for the V1 is fixed when the refresh comes out short of buying the thing and waiting a month?

Also, did you notice on the pics in the mac forums comparing the LED to the CCFL that at some brightness levels, the LED looks kind of oddly-colored? The yellow/green on it seems a bit odd. Maybe it's just because of the way the pictures were taken though.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=128341

 

The thing is, not everyone has the battery problem. Mine works fine and people that don't have a problem aren't going to come to the forums and make new threads about not having problems. It's very difficult to judge what percentage of V1 owners are having battery problems. In some ways geared2play is right, this is common across all brands and to some degree it's just part of life. If you read through battery university's website it states that Li-Ion batteries "...frequently fails after two or three years." If two to three years is the average then there is bound to be those that are worse. This is why we have a warranty right?

 

Well, I dropped by the Apple shop and checked out that display.

When I saw it, the colors did seem more vivid, and the white especially clean, and the image was overall brighter a max brightness. However, to be honest, if I were to compare 2 laptops side by side--one with LED and one with normal CCFL--I couldn't tell which was which with 100% accuracy. There's definitely some sort of difference, esp. in brightness, but as you lower the brightness, it's not clear which one's which.

Overall, it was a pretty impressive screen though, but the difference isn't *overwhelming*. It definitely looks great on a glossy screen though.

Along the way, I checked out some of the Sonys on the stand in Best Buy. By contrast, they appeared utterly underwhelming

I'm still leaning heavily towards the MBP. I'll wait 1-2 more weeks for the V1, and then we'll see.

One thing no one's mentioned was that the keyboard is actually really good! It didn't flex much at all and was very quiet. In contrast, my old Thinkpad keyboard actually had considerably more flex and wasn't quite as crisp.

 

I bought the MBP 128MB version two days ago. And I have a V1Jp, so maybe I can help... keep in mind I'm not using OSX at all; I've installed Boot Camp v1.3 and am using WinXP exclusively on the MBP.

Couldn't disagree more. I have some seriously sensitive data on my harddrives, and therefore need to password protect them to the max. The TPM allows me to have three levels of passwords entered at bootup with a single swipe. Without it, I'd be typing 3 12-15 char passwords every restart and resume.

Like most things I guess, its all how you use it.

IMHO, the difference is dramatic. The crispness of the matte screen I have on the MBP by far superior to the V1. Also, the LED back light allows for deeper darks and brighter whites, something the glossy screen provides for CCFL backlit screens... basically the LED is even better than the gloss, without the reflection issues the gloss brings with it.

I actually find the WXGA+ of benefit over the WSXGA of the V1. It makes things *just* big enough to read comfortably. But thats totally preference.

True. I happen to be one of the lucky ones that have a problem with the battery life. My V1 is actually in for repair right now for it. I'm crossing my fingers they've got it fixed... when it was working properly though, I was able to sweeze out just over 4 hours with both batteries installed. The MPB gets that under the same squeeze with its single battery.

Having used both now for a little bit of time, I can say the V1 still has to get MY nod by a very narrow margin, assuming the battery issue is solved. Reasons?

.Security offered by the TPM

.Traditional use touchpad; with the MPB I need to use two fingers on the pad followed by a click, to right click. Also, tapping the pad does not work as a click.

.access to single press page up/page down buttons on the keyboard - the MBP requires a two button press to make that happen.

.optical battery option - Nice to have that extra time if needed.

.the graphics chip is good enough to play LOTRO and WoW and CoV at their max settings with no issue. I don't need more than that for some time to come...

On the other hand the MBP has some serious advantages...
.that screen. man oh man is it nice. But if the V1Js comes out with it too, the MBP takes a serious backseat all the sudden, despite the following niceties

.size and weight. smallest 15.4 I've played with. It really is a nice small manageable size

.vents - the V1Jp is just flat stupid in its placement of heat vent... it blows directly on your right hand that is holding an external mouse. If you need to work in some tight spaces like I do, this is a real PITA.

.backlit keyboard - I actually find myself liking this more and more. No more bending down of the screen to find a key...

Its a tough call, thats for sure. Bot are sweet machines, no question. The V1Js could trump them both... we'll need to see. The MBP... its the first Mac that I feel can function as a daily Windows box. Its also got some real nice features that the Jp can't compete with... maybe the Js will.

My suggestion? If you're a windows guy like me, wait a bit. With Dell and IBM and Asus all gearing up on the LED and SR scene... the next few months are going to be very interesting.

 

Yeap...hopefully the V1Js comes with a few surprises (although...if that cnet review is anything to judge from, it may just be the exact same as the V1Jp, only with the SR stuff--which will be a disappointment to say the least. ATM, I'm hoping that the fact that CNET, which is more often wrong than not, gives out those specs means that the V1Jp won't have those specs).

I've waited 3 months...I guess I can wait one more. I'm not too keen on Dell, and Lenovo probably won't give any surprises with their T61p, since the specs have long since been leaked...

Also, the longer I wait, I guess the more chance they'll get Boot Camp working enough to support some of the better features of Vista, or at least 64-bit Vista editions.

 

I spoke with a reseller about that review, He said it was a prototype and that different countries get different setups, Keep in mind in Australian PC magazine they did a review of the F3Sv featuring a 8600GT, Not GS. But it never ended up materializing with one . The back lit keyboard is a very nice feature.

 

I don't think you fall into the "most people" category.

 

I owned an Asus laptop couple years back, I bought it because it got nice
spec and cheaper than big brands(e.g. thinkpad) plus Asus make good
mother boards so I assume their laptop will be equal reliable....wrong! it
got major design flaws with heating/fan and literally melt itself down afterwards... I have to visit their fremont office multiple times to get it
fixed..and when it dies again just after the 1year warranty, I simplely
throw it away.... vs my SONY,IBM laptops never give me so much headaches. As a recent MBP owner, I would say go with big name: you
get what you paid for...

 

You know what I found funny...on the MBP I tried, Itunes opened literally instantly. My finger barely bounced off the touchpad button before the thing was already on the screen fully loaded...

MS Word 04 on the other hand...took a good 3 seconds

 

taelrak, I am looking at the exact same boxes as you. I just wish the T61P and V1JS would get out so I could make a decision. I've been waiting a long time to upgrade, but I haven't fallen in love with anything yet...

I just got back from looking at the MBP. I'll say this, the glossy screen was not as reflective as I expected, though the lighting in the Apple stores is probably setup with that in mind. I still prefer a matte finish, but I'd be flexible on the MBP. The student discounts make it a sweet deal, too. It's probably a good thing my wife didn't have her student ID with her.

The keyboard was reasonably comfortable (though the display table was too low for me), and I was surprised to see it had an Alt key and F1-F12 keys (I didn't think they did). I'd be running Windows apps primarily, so the single mouse key is a drawback, but I'd probably be using an external mouse mostly. The system was fast with everything I tried, but not being familiar with OSX, the test was pretty limited.

I'm going to take another look this weekend. If there are no new Asus or Lenovo offerings in the next few days, I may crossover. Someone talk me down

 

That WUXGA screen is wasted on the rather un-unique matte T61p

The promotions that Apple's offering for education are rather nice - free ipod nano, free printer, + academic discount. That and, I can walk into the store and walk out with it all any day. I'd have to wait 1+ month for a T61p. That's also helping my decision along.

C'mon V1..don't disappoint!

 

I'm kinda in the same boat as you Taelrak. I'm definitely leaning toward the 2.4Ghz, 15" MBP though. However, while the hardware all makes sense to me, I'm a bit apprehensive with how I'll do with OS X. This would be my first Mac...and while I don't think the switchover would be much of a hassle...I'm worried I'll find myself 1-2 months into using it primarily booting with Vista.

Since I've been a pc user all my life, the majority of the applications I use are windows based. Similarly, I like to play games occassionally too.

Does it still make sense to buy the new MBP?

 

You know, the more research I do, and after frequenting the local apple store waaay too many times, I'm seeing OS X more of a pro in the comparison against the Asus V1 rather than a con...

Since that was 1 of the 2 major reasons I was hesitating (the other being the MBP lacking business durability and features), I think I may just buy one tonight...

...maybe...

It'd still take a month or so to get here though.

 

I would wait, theres no harm in it unless you desperately need a new notebook right this minute. Yes OSX does have some charm to it, And you can put Vista XP on it anyway, Just like you can put OSX on a PC (Hacked copies run perfectly). I just hate that single mouse, And I right click alot and I dislike this whole tap twice crap, Ive hear the MBP touchpad dosent respond to tapping as a click which would piss me off no end.

 

Why not just get one at the local apple store? Taxes?

 

They only have stock models - won't customize.

 

Also, you pay taxes even if you buy online.

Matt! I caved! I couldn't resist! They got me!

New MBP on the way!

Actually, after much reflection, I decided that even if the V1 came with LED backlights, I still wanted the MBP. Hard drive space is not that important to me, and I find myself actually wanting to use OS X.

Bad news? Delivery Date :July 30!?!? Apple taking lessons from Lenovo I see...

Gonna call again tomorrow and see what's up

 

check out the V1J santarosa video review from CNet UK
http://videos.cnet.co.uk/laptops/0,139101541,39034048-1,00.htm

 

I'd rather not watch it again...that review keeps coming back to haunt this forum...

I've already wasted way too many posts bashing that review though, so all I'll say here is....it's a good thing I don't listen to CNET's "reviews", because that review would've done wonders to convince me against buying the V1

well...not that I ended up buying it anyway...but still...

I especially love the "supersmart CPU" part

It's a shame, because the V1 is such an awesome machine, but because so many consumers follow CNET blindly, the V1 won't get the recognition it deserves.

I appreciate the suggestion though.

 

i mentioned earlier that i was in the same sort of boat but have really gone off it now, i just think that the basic things like keyboard and touchpad, that you usually dont account for will s**t me up the wall in the long run. its an amazing piece of hardware though.

ps one thing i just dont get is that their mighty mouse has 4 clickable buttons (could be 3) but they only put one on their touchpad???

 

No clue about mighty mouse. I use the VX Rev

Having used a Thinkpad for 3 years, I can understand being spoiled with a nice keyboard . I didn't find the MBP too bad when I tested it at the store though.

Ah well, I don't think it'll be too bad.

 

I just noticed...

If I use Leopard with Spaces, I can almost pretend I'm using Asus Multiframe