The future of Asus Z70Va?

I have been saving up to purchase the Z70Va for a few months but am now concerned it is going to go away.

Is it going to be updated come March or is it going to be dropped? I really like the current model and it's screen, is that all going to change to a shiny screen?

I really don't care about the new cores so that isn't a factor to make me want to wait... money is.

I have been saving and hoping for the past 3 monthes and the price has actually gone up instead of down (assuming demand) so not real sure what to do.

What is the future of the Z70Va?

 

It is indeed the demand, especially of late where it's sold out or low in stock everywhere, including the distrobuters.

However, prices for LCD's, CPU's, etc. will slowly go down in the coming weeks, assuming the current situation for the Dual Cores.

As for the future, sure another 'refresh' with the Dual core and perhaps a x1600 may seem likely........hope for the best?

 

The issue isn't if it will still be produced, but rather if it will still be available as a barebone.

Asus is going through some major changes in their Notebook division and the whitebox part is becoming it's own company which will not have any shared chassis' with the ensemble side. Since the M6 was an "Asus" chassis it is supposed to go away along with the Z71v by the end of March.

What will replace them will be a unit based on the A series w/ a 256mb ATI x1600....... Great powerhouse, but another blah design in my opinion. That model should be out close to the launch of Asus 945 chipset models, but the Z71v and Z70va will continue to sell in their current configuration for at least a month after this model is released...... My guess on that is because a lot of people are going to say... they don't need ALL that power and the older models still have something the new ones won't.... looks.

 

i really don't like the fact that asus is taking their best designs and making it ensemble and dropping these crappy designs as barebones. the barebones are what have made asus laptops so popular. It's always been dells advertising and customization, ibm's reputation, lg's warranty, and asus's barebones that have made each company competitive and now asus is throwing sub par designs at their strength... doesn't sound good.

 

Asus' barebone business is technically not "theirs" and they don't want their name associated with them... they are the products of the dealers who buy and build with them and to do that their custom line is going to be irrecognizable from the higher end ensemble models...

 

Just because the barebones line isnt tech theirs but the dealers doesnt mean they have to look like crap. I mean wont more dealers want to buy them if they look better because then more people will buy them?

 

no..... but they don't want any competition between the lines..... and the custom line is supposed to be dedicated to being more affordable....

 

But if they are the same company they are both getting the sales so they lose nothing. they will corner the custom side of the market and the ensemble. i mean i dont like pcs you cant configure not everyone needs the same specs. and if you are saying they are two different companys then they still should want both to do well, so they should still make them better looking. I just see MSI and other brands getting better no reason for asus to be taking a step back. They need more brand recognition not less. What else are they gonna start doing using cheaper screens on all the barebones to make them even more different, cheaper materials? See thats what made asus great they were the best barebones and they were pretty decent priced now why should i buy an asus barebone now they are all plastic worse screens cause they wont share the ensemble conterpart and they are ugly. I might as well buy a dell.

 

Correct, but if they target the same group of people, then they sort of split their sales.....

... but yeah, the rest of your rant is shared by me, but at the same time I don't think any way that I try to explain it to you would make sense........ I know what they're doing and there's a bit I can't come out and explain, but for you..... why the rant anyway? The high end models are going to be ensembles and the barebones are going to be "mainstream" ... they're not going to be crap....... but more generic I'd say...... It's going to make the cost of the custom systems cheaper overall, which is probably the biggest thing Asus is looking at. They'll sell more barebones if they can make them more affordable.

... but regardless I'm still probably the more ticked about how the early stuff is looking and I don't see things looking up for 5-6 months either.

 

I understand the keeping costs down. But making it look better just by shaping the plastic differently or making it a different color wont cost any more. There is a reason in a way i liked the barebones better. You say the ensembles are top of the line. But then why are they using 4200 rpm drives in the w3v. and 1.8ghz in the w3v and the v6va those arent top of the line but the price for those machines are. I like the fact that i could buy a machine that is just as nice looking and great build as the ensemble but put a 5400rpm or 7200rpm drive in it and a 2.0ghz or faster cpu. 2gigs of ram. but what do i have to do now buy an expensive ensemble and upgrade the hardrive from the start costs more for nothing. Now if they allowed customization of the ensemble line like every other manufacturer does then that would be great.

 

First...... the current configurations were a holiday order to help get rid of all the current models.. I didnt' agree with it, but they all sold and if someone waited around till then to order one.. I feel bad, but that's what was offered at the time.

But for whatever reason, these designs are what they're using right now and I think a lot of it has to do with a new platform that whitebox manufacturer's have decided on...... not only would the hard drive, cpu, ram obviously be a "standard" .. but the optical drive would be more "standardized - bezel carrier" and also the battery and body panels......

I'm not 100% sure what this is all for yet....... but I think it means that could could basically use the same motherboard and parts in 2-3+ different computers...... so if you grew sick of this design.... you could purchase another chassis and put your parts in it....... I beleive it's to help drive costs down..... or rather, probably help the ever sinking profits by making more common parts..........

We'll have to see where it's going.