Newbie thinking of an Asus

Hello! I'm a doctoral student and I need a new laptop. My experience is with "standard" business grade machines like the IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad and the Dell Latitude. But, I'm thinking that an Asus might be good too. I'm a pretty heavy user and will be relying on my computer as my lifeline as I do my thesis! I can probably do RAM installations myself, but am sort of scared of doing anything else myself. Is it crazy for me to consider one of these?

I did read the FAQ, but I thought if people had personal experince to share (maybe if there's anyone like me who was scared to take the plunge but is glad or sorry that they did?) and thoughts, advice, that would be great!

 

?? Do you mean the built on asus models? Or Ensembles?

Well, either way, and if you hang around this section of the forum, asus is very well built notebooks. I don't have an asus, but am highly considering one. For price / built quality Asus are considered one of the best.

 

If you want an Asus, get the W3J, it's an exellent laptop. If you want a IBM, get the T60. Both great choices.

 

If you are still looking for a business class computer to use, Asus sounds like a great brand. Their computers are reliable and work well. You can get an Asus Ensemble model which is completely ready out of the box. I have the V6j, which is an absolutely fantastic computer. It has worked great for 3 months now. I am very glad. The Built On Asus Models (sometimes referred to as BOA) are good and very customizable. If you buy one, you will either have to pur the parts in yourself, or pay for someone else (like the retailer) to do it for you. If you have any specific questions, they are easier to answer.

 

I second the Asus W3J..its an EXCELLENT machine.

 

Thanks! I'm thinking of an Ensemble because I don't think I know enough to customize. Or maybe I could work with a retailer and figure it out? Would there be a cost savings in doing so do you think? I mean, among the people I know, I'm considered technical because I can install RAM! But that's pretty much the limit of my expertise

I am seriously considering the T60 as well. I don't suppose anyone has had them both or was thinking of the same decision and might have some insight?

Thanks in advance!

 

The best thing you can do is to fill out the FAQ on what computer to buy. Then people can give you reccomendations to what you want. You can either post that in the general area, or if you are really thinking about an Asus, post here, and you will get more tailored responses. Good Luck.

 

Thanks! I did a FAQ in the general area, but I've pasted it here because I'm thinking that an Asus might be the way to go. I should have just done that in the first place - I appreciate the help!

I originally said around $1000, but based on some of the responses, I think I need to up this a bit - probably to $1500 or so... I'm willing to spend more for quality, but wouldn't want to spend $1500 on like a Gateway or something like that, know what I mean?

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
A 14.1 or 15 inch screen would be good.


3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
MS Office Stuff, using Endnote, managing medium-sized datasets, statistical analysis (SPSS), doing some narrated powerpoints for lectures, ripping cds - basic stuff, but I use my computer all the time and like to have multiple apps running, so it will be on a lot. I also use an external display and an ergonomic keyboard when I am working at home..


4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Yes, I'll be taking it to school, to a coffeeshop for studying, to conferences etc. I'll probably use it at home the most though. So, I don't want it to be super-heavy, but it doesn't have to be four pounds or anything either.

5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
No

6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
Well, my concerns are build quality, durability and reliability. So, I'd prefer to avoid brands that don't have a good track record in that arena.

7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
I'd like 4

8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
No, I don't mind at all!

9) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in?
USA

Screen Specifics

10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
I prefer standard. I read articles online and will be doing my thesis on this machine, so I find that a widescreen is a pain because I can hardly read or write anything without having to page down.

11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?

Standard

b. SXGA - 1400x1050 - Compromise resolution between XGA and UXGA. But, resoluton isn't as important to me as having a standard screen though.

Widescreen - I prefer not but in case....

e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.


12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Hmmm, I'm not sure, I think I need to go look at some

Build Quality and Design

13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Not really - the quality is more important to me than the design.

14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Pretty soon. I'd like it to last about 4 years.

Notebook Components

15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
At least 80

16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
Yes, I'd like to be able to burn both CDs and DVDs. I don't care that much about making labels though.


Please state any additional features you need.
Before I was a doctoral student, I used to travel a lot for work and had a Thinkpad and then a Dell Latitude that work provided. So, I'm used to the business quality machines. I don't know if I can afford it though on my meager doctoral student stipend!

I've seen people suggesting the new HPs, but the IT guys at school have warned me to stay away from them (though I believe our school mostly has Dells so perhaps they are biased?).

Thanks in advance!

 

I know prise wise it is pushing it, but the Asus V6j sounds like a pretty good fit. It is ia 15.1" screen, with 1400x1050 resolution, weighs close to 5 pounds, is very easy to carry (I am living of campus right now and it is a breeze to carry it for 4 blocks in a bag), gets 4 hours of battery life, has the hard drive and CD drives that you want, great build quality, looks nice, and most importantly is great for the type of work you plan to be doing. As I said, I know its a little more than what you want to spend, but this is the computer you are looking for. Good Luck and feel free to ask any questions about this model or any other).

 

Thanks! I don't mind going over a bit for quality because I figure that I'll likely have less hassle and downtime. I am going to investigate the v6j a bit more. You said you've had yours 3 months - if you don't mind my asking, what else did you consider? And what made you decide on this one?

 

I actually used to have an HP, which I really liked, but it just all the sudden went down hill. I then started doing research and learned about Asus laptops, and decided to stick with them. I was deciding between the V6j and the W3j (around February). I wanted something powerful, but not a "gaming rig". The W3j was nice because it had more power, but I decided that I didn't want to wait for the W3j (about 6 weeks longer than getting the V6j) and I decided that I didn't need the power of the graphics card, and that I would rather the larger screen, nice design, and higher resolution. I did a review for this forum on the V6j, you might take a look, I went pretty in depth. Its located here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=55901&highlight=V6j

Good Luck with your decision.

 

Thanks! I think I prefer the bigger screen. I used to have a 12" Powerbook and while I liked the portability, it was a pain for long periods of time. I do tend to use an external display though, so I guess (like everything) it's a tradeoff. I think I could deal with the W3J though because it's not quite THAT small. Thanks for the link - between your review and Kaarechr's, I am learning a lot!

If anyone else wants to chime in, that would be great too. I appreciate everyone's help. As you can tell, I'm still in the "looking" phase

 

i have a w3j and love it..but..since you don't game you would be paying about $300 extra for the x1600 that you will probably not use..the v6j is better for doing work on because of its noticeably higher resolution and the height really does help..it also isn't that heavy..i believe its only slightly heavier than the w3j..for a similar t60 config expect to pay about 3-400 more..they also will have much better battery life since they can be configured with a 9cell

 

If you can go only up to 1500, look at the A8Jm (PortableOne MX) ... great machine for that price... 14" WXGA

 

Thanks! I procrastinate enough already without adding gaming to the mix! Jterp, if I understand you correctly, you're saying I'd be paying more for the IBM with a similar configuration, right? I know Lenovo is having a back to school sale, so I'll have to investigate a bit more myself as well . Derrick, I'm going to check out the links in your .sig file.

Everyone's been so helpful - I appreciate it!

 

this past week i've been toying with external monitors..i've had two different 19" a 21" and currently im just using the 14" screen on my w3j to type this..i've realized that i've become used to reading each post and then scrolling..so for forums i barely notice the lack of height..even in word you can accomodate...still for thesis work..i believe resolution will be extremely important for you

heh concerning the back to school sales..those usually bring the sky high prices to reasonable limits..though still slightly more expensive than asus..i'd almost compare lenovo's to bmws..more options but expensive..even in base configs like the 325i aka t60..for lenovo specific deals..i believe the lowest was 2000 for a 15"..you're probably better off heading over to the lenovo forum yourself and seeing if they're a good fit for you

 

Oh I'm in that forum already . I swear, I'm probably going to get kicked off for asking so many questions. I have a 19" external monitor and I wind up doing my typing on my computer and using the external monitor to have a reference document up (like the old version of my thesis or an article or something).

Sooooo, if Lenovo is like a BMW, is an Asus like a Lexus? Now we're speaking in terms I understand!

 

I'm biased towards smaller screens. Sub 14.1" is all I would ever concider (unless I had 2 notebooks, then 1 would be 17"). If you're going to use an external monitor most of the time, notebook screen size should be irrelavant. Even if you planned on using just the notebook screen 100% of the time, over time you would adjust.

Screen size should be measured against your mobility with the product. The more you move, the smaller the screen should be. No matter how much you love the extra screen real estate while working, if your neck, back and shoulder are irritating you, how comfortable are you going to be with that 15.1"?

Just my opinion...

 

But you do have to weigh screen size and weight. Take for instance the W3j and V6j. They have very similar weights, but the V6j has extra screen. Also, if you invest in a decent bag ($50 maybe) then you can reasonably carry most notebooks (maybe not 17 or 19" monstors).

 

I totally agree! Weight is the main factor in mobility, not size. It's also what's going to cause the most discomfort. Although size may not cause discomfort, it does affect mobility. Size affects your ability to navigate through crowds, what the notebooks fits in (bags, compartments etc.), and how you use it (sitting on your lap, deskroom, in planes etc.)

It sounds like snh628 has a fair amount of experience with notebooks, so he's probably fully aware how a 15.4 will suit his needs. If size isnt a concern, and both those comps are similar weights, the V6J is probably your beast... I'd still get the 14" though

 

Woooohooo... Just did a little price comparison on the 2 machines.

W3J 2.0Ghz, x1600 = $2,128.98 CDN

V6J 1.66Ghz, go7400 = $2,210.01 CDN

W3J has much more bang for the buck. That's without mentioning the style factor the W3J brings to the plate!

 

Thanks - all of the different opinions are interesting. Oh, and you can't tell from my name, but I'm a she not a he . I'm the computer geek in this family - my husband knows nothing!

 

yeah.. we tend to gender stereotype ppl in here as 'he's

 

Oh it happens all the time - I used to work in an industry that was 70% men, so I'm used to it. Or in stores - like when we were buying my Treo, the guy kept talking to my husband. I was like "Hi, um, it's for ME". Hee. You really can't tell from my username here though so it's not like I was offended or anything.

 

thats awesome..my wife complains about me spending so much time on this site..i've been on here since i started looking at the w3n..which became the w3v..then finally the w3j..which i finally bought haha

actually my car analogy is off..the lenovo is more lexus..expensive..but reliable with lots of options..asus is more stylish and affordable which really doesn't work for cars..ok back to the topic at hand..since you don't game the ibms look better for you..especially if you ever want to type with it on your lap..this is the cheapest lenovo with a high res screen but with the lowest dedicated graphics
http://www-131.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/s...storeId=10000001&langId=-1&partNumber=2623D6U

 

snh628--I was in your exact shoes a few months ago...doctoral candidate needing a thesis machine for jobs very similar to the ones you mentioned--and I wanted to let you know I am totally thrilled with the Asus-based PortableOne MX I chose.

A couple of thoughts that you might care to ponder: I am (so far...and this is early on, I know) not finding the widescreen aspect of my display quite as useful as I had thought I would. There's not *quite* enough 14.1-inch wideness to see both docs side by side with no overlap at the size I like to view them (I'm a little nearsighted...), so I could just as easily have gone with the V6J non-widescreen display and done a little less scrolling along with the clicking back and forth as I read and type. And while I concur that weight does matter in the machine, the truth is by the time I put one or two source texts, an extra battery, power supply, cords, pens, paper, lumbar pillow (for those really long days in the library carrel) and water bottle into my computer backpack, I would not know if my machine were 8 pounds rather than 6, much less 6.4 pounds rather than 5.9. (recognizing of course that my choice of sturdy backpack helps distribute that weight in a way that makes those half-pounds less noticeable than they would be with a messenger bag or similar). But either way, I would counsel you to consider but not to obsess too much over the weight/size of the machine except insofar as you pay attention to how you want to use the display/keyboard in the most-frequent modes of use. In the context of all the other ephemera that has to come along to the library or coffeeshop (at least in my research, and I'm guessing in yours as well) small weight differences will probably not make as much funtional difference as they sound like they will.

Bottom line: for me, the Asus-based Portable One MX is doing a great job of helping me (and motivating me to) finish my dissertation. The quality of the Asus chassis and the nice job Portable One does of setting up the operating system/software makes for a pretty unbeatable combination. Good luck to you!

 

My ASUS V6 has excellent build quality. I hope that's true in all their notebooks.

 

Thanks everyone! Lenovo like a Lexus I can deal with - BMWs have too many quirks and are in the shop too much . Then again, I drive a VW Beetle, so I don't know where that fits in the computer hierarchy!

Happy Camper, I especially appreciate your point of view because we're in the same boat! Good luck with your thesis - isn't this a pain? The more I think about it, the more I want a standard screen. I like to be able to see whole paragraphs while I'm typing and I'm also kind of near-sighted, even with my glasses or contacts (yes, I sound dorky - a phd student with big glasses!).