So many Asus models to choose from

Could someone help me narrow down which model is best for me?

General Questions

1) What is your budget?
$1800

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

d. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen


5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Basic MS Office, watch recorded shows from TV tuner, media playback (possibly HD Content), light gaming

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Not taking it on a regular basis to class or anything.. possibly just the library, will most likely stay on my desk.

8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
No preference.. the more the better.

9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
No

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
Windows XP or Vista

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

d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.

Probably either of these two.. any higher resolution and I'd be afraid after a few hours that I'd have trouble seeing text, etc.

12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
I'm split on this.. probably either one.

13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Slightly

14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Probably in July.. I'd like it to last at least 4-5 years.

15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 500GB?
At least 250GB

16) Do you need an optical drive?
I'd definitely like a CDRW and a DVD Burner. I'm not completely sure about a Blu-Ray writer, but maybe.

I'm definitely leaning towards a 17" monitor.. I'm just not sure whether I should get the M70 or the G2S.. or if there is something else out there I don't know about. I'd definitely like at least a 2.4 GHz processor, 3GB RAM, TV Tuner, a webcam, fingerprint reader, and a microphone. I was wondering about upgrading to 4 GB of RAM.. but I know this requires a 64-bit OS. Would I be able to upgrade to this? Also, is there a site someone can recommend to make this purchase?

Thank you so much.

 

get the m70. upgrade to 4 gb ram. eventhough a 32bit os will only recognize 3.5gb ram, you'll be able to use it when you decided to use a 64 bit os

 

You can take a look at M70Sa-B1, which costs around 1599.99USD.

http://www.excaliberpc.com/Asus_M70Sa-B1_17_Notebook_/partinfo-id-587345.html

You need to have 64bit operating system to take advantage of 64bit. As far as I know, you cannot upgrade the operating system through recovery disk, but if you have a Vista 64bit disk, you can simply install it with the license key included with your laptop.

Personally I highly recommend 64bit Vista, as they are a lot more stable, and faster than 32bit version.

EDIT: as for retailers, you can check here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=122632

There are many retailers listed.

 

Can you provide any information on battery life.. I was reading about how it's not so great on the Asus and that you might have to calibrate the battery?

 

I would say the battery life is somewhere between 1.5hours and 2.5hours.

 

All Asus laptops are glossy.
The G2Sg-A1 will have the best gaming performance (equipped with the 8700m GT GPU); obviously it is geared for gamers and if gaming is once of your top priorities, I'd go with ths
For a more modest looking notebook, the M70 series would probably be a better choice. If you're looking for a well-rounded notebooks, then go with the M70

GenTechPC is highly recommended for getting an Asus. I've purchased all my Asus notebooks from them and their service is superb.
Other reputable Asus resellers include BtoTech, xoticpc, and excaliberpc