Thinking about returning my UL80VT

I love eerything but the build quality and the trackpad/mouse buttons. I can not stand the glossy exterior or the crappy mouse or the way it flexes anywhere I touch it and squeaks

Is there something similar, aka great battery life, little heat, lightweight, under 1000..etc with good build quality from asus?

 

Good luck with that. Asus will only give you laptop worse than what you had. They don't give refunds.

 

I bought it from amazon, I can return it within 30 days.

 

That's good. You should feel relieved.

As for your question, Asus pretty much has the cheapest laptops in terms of the specs that they have. But, you have a mid-tier laptop, so that's a different story. You can get a Sony Vaio CW for the same price.

 

go for it. I sold both my UL laptops after a very short time. i am waiting for the U30Jc. it is not as light as the UL series but i'm told the build quality is expected to be a lot better. however, it will be over $1,000 I bet...

 

The problem with the CW is the short battery life. I like the 6+ hours, I just hate the build quality.

 

I too love everything about my UL80VT except the crappy build quality, awful touchpad+button, and mediocre glossy LCD screen. Unfortunately there's nothing out there that's better at the same price level. Glossy exterior (and LCD screen) seems to be the current trend for under $1000 notebooks these days, and I just want to smack all those notebook designers to make them stop doing it.

Since I can't afford something like a Lenovo Thinkpad T400 which has similar specs but costs almost twice as much, I've learned to live with my imperfect UL80VT. I use the USB mouse which came with my UL80VT so I don't have to use the awful touchpad, and I've gotten used to typing without applying pressure on the palm rest so it wouldn't squeak. What I'm saying is that with some minor adjustments on your part, you can learn to live with the imperfections. Your other choices are: 1. you can return it and get another glossy notebook with less features, or 2. spend a whole lot more for better build quality and (almost) the same features, or 3. wait a few months until Asus or some other vendor releases something better with the same features.

 

Just to add my two cents, Ive had my UL80VT for a few weeks now (build date 12-2009), and am very happy with the build quality. I've already dragged this thing on two flights across country and its still solid is a rock. The key board is adequate, the palm rest is SOLID, no squeaks at all, and though the touch pad was a little difficult to get use to, I now find it very comfortable and easy to use. This is incredible since my work laptop is a Lenovo T61 and as you all know, Lenovo/Thinkpads are known for their solid trackpads, so to be able to adjust to a completely different touchpad and like it is saying something. YMMV...

Syd