New 14" Asus V2 announced

Specifications

* Intel® Centrino® Duo Mobile Technology
- Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T5500/T5600/T7200/T7400/T7600
- Mobile Intel® 945PM Express Chipset
- Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
* Genuine Windows® XP
- Genuine Home
- Genuine Professional
* 900/1800/1900MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE
* 2100MHz WCDMA/HSDPA
* DDR2 533/667MHz, up to 2G
* 14" WXGA ColorShine/WXGA+ /WXGA+ ColorShine, ASUS Splendid Video Intelligence Technology
* ATI Mobility™ Radeon™ X1450 DDR2 256MB, 512MB HyperMemory™
* SATA 80/100/120/160 GB
* 3M Pixel web-cam
* 10/100/1000 Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth™ V2.0+EDR
* 3x USB 2.0, 1x port for Docking Station, 1x u-DVI, 1x TPM, 1x Fingerprint Reader, Instant Fun PLUS
* 34.1 x 24.5 x 2.9-3.6cm, 2.3kg

http://www.asus.com/news_show.aspx?id=5218

 

Nice looking computer. Sounds expensive though...

 

I now want that computer. If they dont overprice it like the rest of the V series, I will buy it.
(Take my definition of overpriced loosely. I'm just complaining that the V6 is too expensive for my meager college student budget)

 

wow, yet another 14" model! I hope this one has a back hinge like the V6 and W2, if so, I am sold!

 

Can it be configured without the webcam? Imo, the webcam ruins the sleekness.

 

Oh baby.... 14", dedicated graphics, and a docking station... Closer and closer to replacing both my PCs with one...

 

I mentioned this a while back.... Asus didn't have anything official then, but the docking station to the V1 clearly says "V1/V2 Series Docking Station. Since a 17" wouldn't fit with that design, and another 15.4" wouldn't be logical, I figured it would be 14". I have been waiting for this design for quite some time, but the only thing is, it's not going to go into production until the spring at best, and I don't think we're going to see it until October of next year at the earliest. It will no doubt replace the W3 in the current lineup, but the W3 has one more model year to get through. My guess is there will be a Santa Rosa W3 model in May, and then it'll phase out towards the fall.

V2
13.4" x 9.6" x 1.1"-1.4"; 5lbs

W3
13" x 9.7" x 1.18"-1.28"; 5.4lbs

However, with the built-in 3.5G, we're probably looking at a system that today would be $2,000 at LEAST with the same configuration as the current W3..... although it would be a hell of a lot cheaper than Sony's model with built-in 3G, it's still a lot for a lot of people........ and that's what it's a business model! The webcam on the V2 is a rotating one though - unlike the V1 (which everyone wants to tell me does rotate).

The V2 is probably going to be the system I get behind the most SINCE the W3..... I've known a widescreen V6 and more like a 14" V6 were in the works since right around the W3 release in 05.... so it's been basically 2 years that I've been waiting for this exact model.... It will be a treat.

 

Thanks for the infomation PRO. Now i can wait for the V2 or....?

I know this is not a Lenovo thread, but saw a Y400 (14'1) without any web-cam? Any review in this as in spec?

 

So the V2 is finally announced. There's been some stuff on the support website for a while now so it's about time.

If Justin's right about an October availability date, the current specs using the Napa platform are going to be dated. Maybe ASUS will do something like the G1 and just get something out the door early, instead of waiting for Santa Rosa and DX10 GPUs like we thought. Sadly, any eventuality is probably too late for me.

Anyways, is that a 3MP webcam they are claiming? And I thought a 1.3MP one was pretty decent for something built-in.

 

Anyone who's been hanging around here for 5 or 6 months should know that just because I said it'll probably be 9 months before we get it - that obviously it'll be under the next generation platform...

They're not going to push it out at the end..... at least the US office isn't going to bite if they did. The US market is typically horrible for notebooks during the quarter of a new platform - although this does work in Europe and Asia, the US market simply doesn't buy, unless they get huge discounts and there's no reason to bring in a new laptop just to lose money on it..... and especially not if that just puts more pressure on another model in the lineup - like the W3. We saw pictures and official specs of the V1 in early summer (we'll have them probably the first week of January)... They officially announced the V1 (much like this announcement), back in May I seem to believe.

 

Dang the V2 looks nice! I just wished it had a higher end GPU, X1600, 7600, X1700 or 7700. Looks very nice and packs a lot of features. And it has a 3M camera? That’s crazy! In Taiwan, they are no longer selling the W3j, they never even bothered to update it to C2D. It does say that it will be using a Core 2 Duo CPU's, and doesn't mention Santa Rosa... This leads me to suspect that it will be out in the first quarter of next year here...

 

In terms of the design, if I'm reading the diagrams in the manual right, the heat exhaust is now on the left side and the DVD on the right. The Ctrl and Fn keys also seem to be in the right place now and there is a u-DVI port.

 

d'oh, didn't see the pic on the bottom of that Asus page. Looks like a mini V-1.
although I still kinda like the W3's looks a bit more.

 

That is a nice looking system!

 

I still don't get why Asus wants to retire the W3 series by introducing new ones. They were popular, generally without "scandals", and one of the best looking notebooks ever released.

Nonetheless, the V2 still looks nice, although just not to W3 standards.
They should've put a better graphics card into it.

 

The W3 is quite unique actually... and it's design is going to be hard to beat.. Why it gets replaced... because, as I've said, they all have a typical 3 year lifecycle..... I mean the W3 will still probably be on the Taiwan site for a couple more years, but in terms of what we'll bring into North America, we wouldn't be able to support both... heck, it's hard to support the A8js and the W3jp at the same time.

 

When is this supposed to be available in North America again?

 

No one knows, but May timeframe, at the earliest, is a good bet.

 

I saw that Lenovo Y400 too and it looks like a very nice lappy! If it's 1440x900 too, we should have many more choices in 2007 for 14-inch screens!

 

That release won't have Santa Rosa available, will it

Has Asus announced what they're doing with Santa Rosa, or is that too far away? How long does it usually take for a manufacturer like Asus to integrate new technologies into a computer?

 

I agree with the people saying the webcam ruins the sleekness of the design... A small integrated webcam is one thing, but why do they have to call attention to it by making the area light silver and bump out a little from the rest of the lid? Looks completely stupid.

 

Well, I could go either way on this issue as I'm a minimalist at heart, but the addition of anything should be it's own seperate element and that's what they're doing here. One thing those of you who don't own a W5/W7 - or the upcoming models like the V1/V2/S7.... but if you had, you'd notice that the lip that bumps out is the lip that you open the lid with... so it does serve a purpose. On the models with rotating webcam (W5/S7/V2), that seperate element is 100% required in order to flip the camera........ on models like the W7 and V1.... we can certainly question the absolute need for it, but on the other models, it's justified.

Now, when we talk about color... THAT bothers me... On the W7, the bottom stripe on the lid is a dark charcoal grey, while the camera and the beltline trim around the notebook are silver. On my own W7, I repainting the camera the dark charcoal grey to match the bottom stripe and it in my opinion, it works better. It's not the black of the stock lid, so there's enough to differentiate the elements......and I'll certainly mod other models that point that out as obvious as that in the future. One thing I liked about the black W5f, was that they made the camera a dark charcoal and it looked 1000% better...... on the W7, it doesn't look bad because the camera is a much smaller element, but someone could look at it and question was the camera is silver and not charcoal grey..... so, so would I.

 

charcoal sounds like it would be a nice accent color -- classy, rather than loud.

 

Totally..... especially since it's already used on the W7 on the bottom.. and on the black W5 on the camera... it works really well. Now, on the V1/V2... I don't know. I'll have to see the production colors on the laptop to make a decision, but a darker color will always do a better job at hiding anything when within a darker surround....

 

http://www.connect.de/computing/news/umts_notebook_asus_v2.80466.htm

Here it says that the v2 will be available in January. But the news is from the 28th of september.

 

The webcam really destroys the sleekness of the notebook, in my opinion. Why couldn't they minimize it like Apple did with their Mac notebook series?

 

Well for the V2, I guess it was justified since it's swiveled mounted. For non-swivel models, a minimal approach would be nice. Would allow the bezel and likely the overall dimensions to be smaller too.

 

Until then, everything's pure speculation. Heck, even ASUS' so-called confirmed specs for the V2 isn't final. Look at the config of the V1 when it's announced and check out the specs now; it's almost like they're two completely different machines.

 

Does the V2 lid have the aluminium brush finish like the W3 series?

 

No, the V2 will be like the V1 and the V6..... which is a magnesium alloy and not brushed or obviously anodized... it'll be painted.

 

So overall the V2 will be better in their magnesium alloy than the W3?

 

I prefer the anodized brushed aluminum lid of the W3... mainly because it's finish is harder it's actually molecularly bonded and can't be rubbed or scratched off - where as paint can.... and the hinge design of the W3 gives way to HUGE hinges on the inside of the chassis which are about as big as the hinges on the 17" W2.... so they're going to be perfect for years and years...I'll have to get a V2 eventually before I assume it's build against the W3, but if it's remotely like the V6 and V2, it's going to be right there and basically the above mentioned things are the only things that I can see which will be better.... because unlike the V6 (which has a neat back hinge like the W2 - and the powerbooks), the V1 and V2 has normal style hinges... it's not the style that ruins it structurally (just cosmetically), but it's what's underneath, or more to the point, it's what can fit underneath that allow for bigger and better hinges in models specifically like the W1/W2/W3 and V6...... bar none, the top notebook hinges out there.

 

I share your sentiments, I really love that back hinge!!

 

Ok, just come back from ASUS dealer in my town. Ask for W3J, u know what is their answer? "This model is obsolete already" & they sort of laught at me

So now I probably wait for the V2, just have to stick to my 15'4 for the time being.

 

Well, since you're in Asia, you're going to get first dibs on the V2, so no worries for you and you'll get it with Vista too!

 

I hope so V2 will be out soon, I mean W3J "OBSOLETE" wtf?

Damm you reseller

 

Now that's what you call good customer service. Laughing at the customer in front of him? Wow.

 

Hey! He's in Asia, he's *lucky* that they're even laughing at him! You know...the retailing experience can be harrowing!

 

The W3j maybe be obsolete, but the W3jp is not..... the jp is the Core 2 Duo model.. the Core Duo W3j technically is obsolete.

 

Thinking back, I'm obliged to agree. You see, I used to live in Hong Kong six years ago and I was continuously ridiculed by salespeople for my highly English accented Cantonese... go figure. I know I'm Chinese, but please. At least have the courtesy to respect your customers for goodness sake.

 

Well, that the kind of "customer service" u will get in Asia market. Try Singapore Sim Lim Square, u know what I mean

PRO,
Will try again to ask for the jp, hope they still got it.

 

W3Jp still in PATA Hard Drive? Or they upgrade to BATA?

 

The W3Jp is still PATA, not SATA i think you meant to type SATA instead of BATA?

In terms of being obsolete, yes older models are obsolete based on technology, like stating all Single core CPUs are obsolete, Dual Core CPUs are the new technology, running along side with Quad Core.

However in the case of the W3J chasis, it is essentially the same, which is what people like, plus the fact that the W3J has recieved new hardware each time there's new technology.

 

Ditto that.... although I answered it in another thread last night.... the W3 as an entire series is PATA....

 

We have two threads on the V2 and both have become sidetracked on the W3, please let's get back on topic, thanks.

 

You're right... and therefore I'm going to direct everyone over to my thead which has more information and pictures:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=92674

 

Sorry about that

 

NOP, FiReWoLf, we need the deets on these new 14-inch lappies, although Pro's Web page has helped a lot!

 

... what details could you possibly want? All that was posted here was Asus press release... the details are on our product page, and like I said, the only thing that is assumed would be the configuration and price.... but in my professional opinion, using an educated guess... the configuration would be no less than what I've come up with, and I seriously doubt it would be any more... But we won't know that until it actually comes in... and that'll either be a 2-3 months...... or 8-9 months...... I for one am hoping for sooner...

But seriously.. what details could you need... the none changing details are set in stone and I made sure of that prior to releasing them.

 

X1450 on the new notebook? This is totally not a gaming machine.