New 14" Asus V2 announced

Who said it was? It's a business machine with dedicaded graphics.... it's better than integrated.... Like I said, given the price point I think it'll be at, we might see the W3 stick around and get even more powerful... but I don't know.

 

Justin,

This is a bit off-topic but as the resident ASUS expert on this forum, I wanted to know your opinion about the somewhat rare VX1. I love the V-series design (as do you I take it) and can get my hands on a VX1 with Core 2 T7400 at a somewhat reasonable price. Do you think the V2 is worth waiting for or is the VX1 (really a V6J in Lamborghini guise) worth pulling the trigger on now?

Thanks for your insights.

 

Well, you're talking about two very different notebooks. For me, if I wanted a Vx1, I'd actually do it the economic and minimalistic way - and buy a V6j...... Now, we actually have some of the yellow Vx1 lids in house and if I really wanted the Vx1, I'd swap the lid for cheap compared to buying the lambo model.

... I'd overclock the gpu MY way.. and throw in a T7600 if need be and a 7200rpm hard drive and still be cheaper than the "real" model.... Lambo is getting a cut of each of those.. they're not getting a cut of the V6.

Even the V1 and V2 are nothing like the V6 though... and if you like what the Lambo is about - you're better off waiting to see what should be the Vx2... which will be a mostly lambo designed chassis (totally fresh outlook on a notebook design)... and that won't share it's chassis with any other Asus, and is being designed from the ground up with not only design in mind... but performance as well........ something I'm sorta waiting for myself... It'll either be a 14 or 15.4" - most likely 15.4"

 

The V6j route isn't bad - its a fantastic computer. I personally wouldn't have been a huge fan of the Vx1, its too flashy, but the V6j is nice. Even just the 1.6 Core Duo with a 7200 RPM drive is way more than I can use. I would say get it and pop a Core 2 Duo in, maybe the hard drive, then you'll be set.

 

Same here... the lid isn't for everyone... although 99% of those that bought it, actually bought TWO (one of each other), and those same people actually bought them through their Lamborghini Dealers..... so they were car owner who bought them to "collect them"... I'm a minimalist as I always say and the V6 is the best way to go in my opinion - if it was between that and a Vx1........ The price point is the simple reason we're not carrying the Vx1.... I'd rather get people into a V6 and give them the option for the lid.

The other thing is... if you're in the US - the core 2 duo model hasn't been released.... so if you're "getting a deal"... no one in the US would have that.

 

Justin,

Thanks very much for your thoughts. There are 2 dealers here in New York City who carry the VX1-5E009P and VX1-5E010P (black and yellow Core 2 Duos). However, I have not been able to find the V6J with Core 2 Duo. Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

They never officially imported core 2 duo versions of either.

 

It might be a silly question but can someone please tell me what's the function of benefit for 3.5G?? Thanks.

 

The V6J was/is really nice. Too bad they dropped the design

 

Well, I can answer that one... I use it EVERYDAY. Ok, so you have wifi... well, between say home and work - you may not have wifi. 3g is cellular.... Most people have pcmcia cards that are powered by services from cingular, t-mobile, verizon, or sprint. I actually have 3g built into my car (long story, but it's a show car which we tricked out with a lot of the products design, build, and sell). Having it built into the laptop will free people of that extra card they have to plug in, or in my case, I have to be within about 100 feet of my car. You'd basically just put the sim card into a slot in the notebook and you're good to go. The card will also be upgradable - so down the road when things change, you'll be able to keep up... However, by going with 3.5G, it should be good for the length of ownership of the notebooks.

.... Service would be provided through your carriers.... unlimited plans are under $70 a month now.... I get DSL speeds when I'm in the middle of no where.

 

Ah but the question is, Justin, do you pay $.002 or .002 cents per kilobyte?

Sorry, Verizon math just cracks me up, and the data plants made me think of this:
Verizon Can't Count

 

PRO,
Which note book have that function now? Heard there is an externel device which able to use the sim card as 3G?

 

so will there be two versions of the v2, one with and one without, seeing as you have 2 possible prices listed on your docking station link? or are these the choices that asus has to choose

 

Sony has versions of their SZ series with it... they're about $500 more than the versions without... I think Dell might have the option on one of their business models, but I know the SZ is the big one.

Not sure what you're talking about as "external device", but I said the common way right now is through a pc card.... some people use 3G phones and connect via bluetooth (not as fast)... Like I said, I have a 3G router that is hot wired into my car that uses the stock multifunction antenna that car has to get a good signal, and then it routes the signal through a built in wireless router.. So anyone in or around my car can connect to it like they would wifi..... We use this at car shows and it really brings the geeks flocking... That's an "external" device..

ejl - We don't even have a date for the V2..... and specs are just the obvious ones....... as far as the 3G card, I think it'll either be yes or no thing from the factory. I think we'll get it, because I think they'll keep the W3 on as a high end 14" around the $1800 mark...... while the V2 can grab that higher end business customer that needs everything under the sun. If it were a removable minipci card or something... it would be nice to simply have as an option - but I don't think that'll be the case, but I could be wrong.

I do not however thing we can support two versions of the same notebook.... and I'm going to push for the 3g, I know that. Since Asus' press release points out 3.5G as the BIG stink over the V2, it may simply be THE feature they push on it, and not even have it as an option.... meaning they'll put it on all of them.... in other words... V2 = 3G - or something like that.

 

I'm using my 3G line to connect online at home, from phone through cable to my notebook. One disadvantage is that phone batt flat very fast. That y i heard that I can just use the sim card & slot-in to my pc without going through my phone? Is Sony SZ capable of doing that?

 

Right.. read my post again... that's what I said. Yes, the Sony SZ with 3G takes a sim card...... this is what the V2 will be able to do. You could also get a pc card which takes it... which is the most common method used in the USA today.

J - I don't know what it is per KB..... I'm actually an original data service beta tester for the North East for ATT - now we're still doing it for Cingular's HSDPA network... I get an unlimited service to test our new phone and pc devices..... report average speed when I travel... and to show clients the network... I think it costs $15 a month... The program actually has to be offered TO you by cingular... there's no other way to get it.... I don't think anyone should pay per KB now.. especially with the speeds I average... I could send an attachment in 10 minutes that would be more than some $50 plans cost for the month...... We had this plan from back when unlimited plans were going for $250-300 a month.... and the speeds were maybe 1/4 of what we have now.

 

I just ran the CNET Vista analyzer, which is much better than Microsoft's btw, on my W5F and it came up with very specific recommendations on the video card:

Minimum attributes of your Video Card:

Video RAM: Required - 256 MB , You have - 128.0 MB
Video Card 3D Acceleration: Required - Yes , You have - Yes
Video HW Transform & Lighting: Required - Yes , You have - No
Vertex Shader Ver.: Required - 3.0 , You have - 0.0
Pixel Shader Ver.: Required - 3.0 , You have - 2.0

Does anyone know if the ATI Mobility Radeon X1450 will conform to the last three requirements? I'm sure it will handily beat the first three, since that's my Intel integrated graphics card rating, but want to make sure that this ancient vid card has the right stuff.

 

I can't say for sure since there isn't much information about the x1450 even out there (anyone with it is encouraged to prove me wrong), but I'm going to take an educated guess and said that it will be.... All of the new dedicated cards are going to conform to at least the minimum spec for the highest end Vista version requirements (understand)?

 

I figured as much, it would be stupid at this point not to, but thought I would ask anyway.

 

well

vista aero doesnt require pixel shader 3.0 it will run on older cards.

To meet the requirements you listed you actually do need the current ati line.

The minimum would be the x1400 so the x1450 exceeds those

 

How stable is your 3g internet? Can you actually game on it or does it drop and pick up a lot?

 

My big bro useless Verizon wireless for his wireless broadband access and I find it quite intriguing. He gets 100 KB/sec download speeds and can connect online anywhere in the U.S. as long as there is cellphone (Verizon) reception. Which is nearly everywhere in the country except in the boondocks. He doesn't have to use his phone - just put in a PC card which Verizon provides.

The amazing part of it all is that it's only $60 a month - just $15-20 more than what I'm paying for cable modem.

EDIT: My only complaint about the V2 is that there's no firewire ports.

 

There's a firewire port on the right side......

My connection is quite nice.. it depends on where you are, but within about 2 hours of the major cities in the north east- DC, Baltimore, Philly, NYC, Boston - I got upwards of 700 kb/sec +, which is awesome. Have I gamed on it... no..... I find it hard enough to im while cruising down i95, but I have done one thing that is pretty cool... We have a front mounted camera in my car, and it's on the network.... and technically you could take a drive with me if you wanted.....

 

This is off topic but where can we see pictures and information about your car? It sounds pretty cool and I would like to take a look.

 

Hey, if you want to take it off-topic, you can PM him. Let's keep it on the V2, please.