U30JC discussion thread

A well-written review. Thank you for that.

As to HWMonitor, the latest version appears to be NOT compatible with Win 7 64-bit, or something on the U30Jc (as you noticed ).

Download ver 1.14. It IS compatible. I use it all of the time.
HWMonitor 1.14 32-bit at Guru3D
HWMonitor64 1.14 64-bit at Windows 7 Forums

 

Excellent review. It was very thorough. My u30jc is on the way and I'm excited to get it in a week so I've just been reading reviews and browsing the forums about it. One question I had from your review: once you burnt the recovery dvd's and everything, you had the option to not install all of the software it comes with? I would like to do a clean install if at all possible, so if I could do it that way and not install thing like trend micro, that would be great.

 

I'm sorry to hear that man, it's horrible that we live in a world where this happens often! I hope the airlines are able to do something, just remember to approach them in a professional matter and hear them out with what they can or can't do. Wish you the best of luck.

 

I used my recovery DVDs yesterday and unless I missed an option to customize what gets installed, the recovery will re-install the OS plus the other software that came on the machine.

 

Oh no! What a really awful story!!

So the Left Luggage area was outside the US in Trinidad/Caribbean? I've traveled a lot internationally and had luggage & items stolen (sometimes the entire bag, though usually stuff out of the bag.)

Really bad news. I'm sorry to hear it.

 

Dang. So there's no real way for me to get a clean install of Windows 7 then without actually buying a copy? I just wanted to start off my machine without all of that on there. I know I can uninstall it, but then there's still leftover registry keys that make it a mess.

 

My U30JC came in yesterday and well it is going back.

The shear size is bigger than what I expected. Was kind of shocked.

 

double-post

 

Kevin92, if you search this forum, you can find legal links where Microsoft has allowed users to download ISO's of their install DVD's. Just go find an ISO of Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium. You can format & install from the new burned DVD and when asked for a key, use the legal key on the bottom of your notebook. Here's the link to Windows 7 ISO versions to burn onto a DVD.

Then use your provided ASUS drivers+apps DVD to selectively install your drivers+whatever ASUS apps you want!

Here is a link telling what I did.

 

Oh. Since the measurements are given, I just used a ruler and 2 sheets of paper to make a mock-up of the top size so that I could see it before I ordered it.

It is a fairly normal size for a 13.3" screen notebook. Some are thinner due to no DVD drive. Do you think you'd like something like the UL30Vt or the UL30Jt better, or do you want a smaller screen (12") so that the top dimensions are smaller as well.

Sorry it didn't work out for you.

 

Thank you! This is exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. I know on my current laptop for XP, I would always want to reformat/reinstall without using the recovery partition since that included all of the software I didn't want/need. Now I'll actually be able to have the real Windows 7 disc to set it up right initially, and if I ever need to reinstall.

 

Plus, when you reinstall from an install DVD, you can first try to reinstall Windows over itself, leaving all settings as they were. You can't do that with a recovery partition.

Also, even if you reinstall W7 as a fresh copy from the DVD, it will put your old USER+WINDOWS+PROGRAM FILES+PF (x86) all in a neat little folder called "Windows_Old" (so it's still there) and leave the rest of your info on the HDD alone. Usually a recovery partition first formats your drive, thus wiping out everything on the drive and sets it up in factory state.

So I always install using an install DVD (though, like others, I waded through the 2 1/2 hrs of making the 4 DVD's from the recovery partition, ... just in case, since I was going to remove that partition and merge everything into one large partition. But I'll never use those recovery discs now. They were merely insurance, in case I had done something wrong.)

BTW, I kept hitting+missing on what ASUS drivers+apps to install from the ASUS driver DVD (ie after install of drivers, I was missing "Intel Management Engine Interface", my Fn+C didn't work nor my Fn+V, though there were clear Fn symbols on the keys.

In the end, I just popped in the ASUS disk and installed all ASUS apps+drivers except TrendMicro AV (no Office trial or Bongo on the DVD). Then I slowly removed what ASUS apps I felt I could live without. Suddenly, all of my Fn hotkeys worked+Device Manager wasn't complaining of a missing driver!

Truthfully, with the 4GB RAM, even with the 12-13 ASUS apps installed (not the other sales+trial junk), I didn't notice any slow down, though several populated my task bar (!). They're not large and they're easy to remove.

Just a thought. The driver DVD lets you select what you want and then (if there's no password on the OS) just auto-installs them one-by-one and then reboots after each install. Very easy though it takes a while. Easiest if you let it do that while you go do something else!

 

Thanks again. I think I'll still make the recovery discs, like you said, in case anything were to go wrong. And I'll definitely still install all of the Asus utilities and then pick and choose which I actually need. I just wanted to get rid of all the other unnecessary software, like trend micro and whatever else may be on there. I can't wait for my u30jc to arrive! 4 more days!

 

It looks like Asus is prepping a successor to the U30Jc, the U35:
Asustek announces notebook lineup for 2H10

 

Interesting. I wonder what processor & GPU they'll put in the U35 (Jc?).

 

It indeed seems to be a Jc variant:

Komplett.se - ASUS U35Jc 13,3" HD LED
Listing a new Core i3 370M (guess that's 2,4GHz), 640GB, BT (but guess all european Asus notebooks have bluetooth) and large 84Wh battery.

The price will be 900 euros, which will probably mean 900-1000 bucks. The swedish shop reports stock on may the 31th.

Hands-on with the Asus U35Jc and UL30 | bit-tech.net
It looks like they dont change the notebook itself. Maybe they have done some little tweaks. Maybe they added USB 3.0 or maybe the missing e-sata port. Interesting is the UL35JC here, losing the dvd-drive, but probably still a non-culv processor

Weird that they do report a i3 530M processor, doesn't seem to make any sense with the current Intel ratings...

 

I've discovered this forum and have been reading a number of the posts with great interest. I thought I'd make a few observations on a few items folks have discussed:

1) someone posted a situation in which he tried to power up the laptop and the monitor did not power on but the fan started blowing hard. I can report that this happens to me periodically. It's frozen and inaccessible so I am forced to hold the power button down to do a hard reboot. Doesn't seem to suffer any ill effects afterwards but it's a bit disconcerting. This happens to me about once a week. It only happens after a system hibernation and I try to reawaken it. No idea what's going on here.

2) There was extensive discussion about flex in the keyboard. From Amazon, I was slightly annoyed by flex at the top and squeaking keys (especially function buttons and top right and left corners). I had to replace my keyboard because a button popped up. The RMA was very smooth and Asus simply provided me a new keyboard (had to ship old one back). For whatever reason, the new keyboard has eliminated the squeaks and flex is greatly reduced. Still not a huge fan of chiclet but I'm getting used to it.

Overall, I am really satisfied with the U30JC. (Amazon version). I'm graduating from an old Dell latitude Pentium and Intel GMA so I would probably be happy with anything but seems like a very good balance of attributes, including excellent battery life. I will keep an eye on this strange blackout glitch, though.

 

awesome review!

 

Damnit.. the U35JC is what I want, but it's not going to be out in time for me(before last week in june)

Also, that bit-tech review where he couldn't power it up because "no OS is installed"... man, put linux on a flash drive and boot using the live version (won't install anything to HD)

 

I just bought one yesterday. I got the Japanese version. It has a core i5 processor and bluetooth but only 2 gb ram. Anyways, its been great so far. I got a battery life of about 6 hours on my first use (constant surfing on wifi, video and some light gaming)

Some things which could have been better -
1. The keyboard feels kind of cheap. They layout is a little different too makes typing a little difficult.
2. The indicator lights could have been placed in a better place. You need to bend down to check the status.

The notebook runs very cool even when gaming and doing heavy tasks. You can place it on your lap and use it comfortably. I had considered the m11x (processor too slow, build quality issues) and the MBP13 (doesn't run well with Windows) before this but eventually went with the U30JC and I am glad I did. Later on I might swap the HDD with a SSD and the ODD with a HDD, if thats possible.

I would also be happier if I could use the capslock indicator as the HDD activity indicator. The HDD indicator is placed in a very weird place.

 

Read my post again

The Swedish shop states stock for the 31th of May.

 

So what happened to the U33JC? Now that they have the U35JC coming out.

I also heard they are getting a UL30 which will have a i3 processor?

HUH? So many new laptops released with unorganized specs.

 

Thanks for the info! Used the iso files and backed up activation. Only change I made was that I did make 2 copies of the Windows 7 install disk.

 

Just joined the forum, definitely looking for a more portable laptop and it looks like the U30JC might just be the ticket...going to wait it out a little bit though, I'm not in a hurry and with all these new models getting announced something awesome might come out...But the U30JC is definitely the leader for now...albeit a little bit on the thick side, the battery life is good, and I if I'm going to spend about $700-900US on a laptop, I want an optical drive in there.

 

I got through the same line of toughts that you before buying mine. And today I am more than a happy camper, this is definitely a solid laptop with very few cons. I do use it more than my other laptop tha tI also love. one would think you would miss the usb 3.0, the bluetooth or any other gadgetry addons not present here but actually I do not. When looking, I saw only one laptop that would beat this and it was the way expensive vaio z and the battery life was less good ( this laptop (us version) gives you a real 8h+ battery life with wifi on) that's simply amazing for so much processing power.
Oh last thing, add an ssd into it and you will be even more amazed.

 

Hi guys.

Anyone got a review bout the ASUS U30JC-QX043V? Wanna know how long the Battery lasts at least. This german shop says it will last for 12 hours, like every new asus nb but they almost got ~8hours, a review would be nice :>

 

This German model is equipped with the i5-430M (2.26GHz) processor. Unless you overclock it, the stock speed is identical to the i3-350M model (2.26GHz) selling in the US, so you should get about the same battery life. Consequently, any of the reviews on the i3 model will tell you what you want to know about this German-sold U30Jc as to speed, graphics & battery life. ASUS itself rates the U30Jc i3-350M model at 9.5 hrs battery life, so I wouldn't agree with the German store's claim of 12 hrs. That's the UL30Vt they're thinking of.

Of course, if you wish, you can turboboost that i5 core to 2.53GHz at the cost of some battery life.

Here are some reviews of the U30Jc to look at:
HotHardware Review
Laptop Mag Review
PCMag Review
NotebookReview.com's Review
The Tech Report
and lastly, our very own LowlyMarine's Review!

Enjoy!

 

the ul30vt would be nice but i dont understand why there are notebooks without an optical drive...

whatever, thanks for the reviews quatro

 

I am interested in the U35JC as it is similar to the U30JC but without optical drive. I'd easily give up an optical drive for a thinner and lighter laptop.

 

ding ding ding! asus has a winner

 

A lot of people already own a slim, external USB DVD drive. Since a DVD drive isn't something a person uses daily, there are lots of people who would prefer a notebook that is lighter weight & thinner (for daily use) than the U30Jc ... like the UL30Vt, the UL30Jt or the soon-to-come U35Jc.

 

I am not so sure about the fact that the U35Jc wouldn't have an optical drive. Do you have pictures or a source?

The ones I saw were just the UL30-serie notebooks. There wasn't much news and the best was probably bit-tech, which was really screwing up the information. It didn't make any sense at all. The pictures without optical drive looked like the UL30-series to me. Especially the cheap plastic body and the hinges. The Asus U-series have always been higher-end notebooks. Like here with the U30 with magnesium.

 

Like a few other people in this thread, I will be replacing my Dell xps m1530 with either the U30Jc or the U35 (depending on how patient I am and when it comes out) but I've read every single page of this thread and I still have two questions that I haven't found answers to yet (unless I overlooked some comments).

1. I imagine so, but do we have confirmation on if the A1 US version has a slot for adding internal bluetooth? and
2. both Newegg and Asus list the max memory as being 4Gb, while the i3-350m is capable of handling 8Gb and Gentech and xoticpc have 8gb customization options. Is it safe to say that Newegg and even Asus have the max memory available of 4 gigs is incorrect?
Asus U30Jc site: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
Newegg U30Jc: Newegg.com - ASUS U30JC-A1 NoteBook Intel Core i3 350M(2.26GHz) 13.3" 4GB Memory DDR3 1066 320GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce 310M

 

I've had an Asus rep in Beijing tell me that it is possible to add an internal BT module. However, you would need to disassemble the notebook. Since my U30JC came with BT, I'm not really motivated to disassemble my notebook to see if the rep is telling the truth or not.

8GB will work, but why would you want that much RAM in this notebook?

 

ASUS' site lists BOTH the UL30Vt and the U30Jc as handling up to 4GB max, but Amazon lists the UL30Vt as upgradable to 8GB max but the U30Jc as having a 4GB max.

Personally, I haven't tested the max RAM limit of my U30Jc, due to cost ($300+ for 8GB). For that much money, I'd rather have an SSD. My 4GB is working fine for me.

Has anyone upgraded their 4GB RAM to something more in their U30Jc?

 

The "cheap plastic body and the hinges"? I'm looking at those photos now and the first four look utterly identical to my U30Jc, including the hinges.

And the body of my U30Jc is plastic except for the palm rest/trackpad and lid.

But in the last 2 photos, it shows a dimpled trackpad (like the UL30Jt) and a black lid. He confuses the two so I suppose the first 4 photos are of the U35Jc and the last 2 are of the UL30Jt (or whatever "UL30" model he's talking about!)

... and using a kind of fuzzy logic, he describes the "UL30" (UL30Jt?) as HAVING an ODD while the U35Jc doesn't. Yet it is now confirmed that the UL30Jt does NOT come with an ODD, like its brother the UL30Vt.

... so by reverse logic, is it then the U35Jc that DOES come with an ODD, like its brother, the U30Jc? That would make more sense.

In other words:
UL30Vt & UL30Jt - No optical drive
U30Jc & U35Jc - comes with an optical drive

But you're right, his descriptions are confusing (perhaps due to translating from Chinese or another language?)

UPDATE: Retraction! Retraction! Rereading your post, GENETX, I realized you were probably referring to the last two photos as the one having the "cheap plastic body & hinges". It appears thinner in the photo and may be the one with no optical drive. Sorry, I should read more carefully before I posted.

 

That is indeed what I ment. But the odd thing is that, after I opened those photos again, the last 2 photos (which we think is the UL30Jt) shows U35Jc on the sticker if you look good... On the other side, it wouldn't be the first time that Asus makes mistakes with these kind of things...

The UL30Jt will basically be a UL30A with culv (18W) Core i5 or i3. The dutch model doesn't have an ODD and is listed with an i5 520UM. The U35Jc already has it's support page on the Asus site, but there is no manual at this moment....

 

You've an excellent eye for details. You're right. I didn't see that. It's clearly written "U35JC" on the lower right photo's sticker.

But that makes no sense (to me) at all to put the UL30 series in an aluminum palm-rest & trackpad (a clone-U30Jc body) while reducing the U30Jc down to a UL30 plastic body.

Strange, the ASUS driver page has drivers for the U35Jc, but it's not listed in their product page (the UL30Jt is listed on both.)

Time will tell. Thus far, I can't find any other info on the U35Jc.

Nice find.

 

Indeed. I guess the sticker is a FAIL from the marketing at Asus once again. I've seen specification lists being edited by Asus with an overlay, or just by a pen on big events in the past like Cebit and CES....

And I'll keep on looking for new details on the U35Jc as well. I guess that this model will be introduced in the Netherlands instead of the U30Jc.

 

Does anyone know if the U30JC is now shipping with OEM style activation of windows? I have one on order and was told Asus is in the process of switching to OEM activation, but that until now most Asus notebooks required entering the windows serial number and activating over the net. Is there a bios available with the SLIC 1.1 code block in it?

 

It was posted in this thread I think.

 

And that ad spec says that the U35Jc WILL have an internal optical drive.

Some are thinking it doesn't have an ODD. Incorrectly, it would seem.

And as we thought, the UL30Jt has NO optical drive.

 

Wow the U35JC is going to be SUPER thin!!

 

So would I. However, my U30jc arrived on Friday. I like it but it is taking some getting used 2. My prior laptops were a Fujitsu P2120 (3.3lbs) and a Panasonic R4 (2.2lbs).

 

A friend in London is asking me where he can find a U30JC with an i7 processor.

Any ideas ?

 

Color me confused. You say the ad spec says the U35Jc will have an ODD, then you post a picture of said ad that clearly lists the U35 as "Optical Drive: N/A" The reduced weight and thickness would seem to support that, as well.

It seems the U35 will be functionally identical to the U30 with a marginally faster CPU and more VRAM (which isn't likely to matter over the 310M's 64-bit bus, especially not at 1366x768).

Then again, that chart also has the battery size for the U30Jc wrong, so who the hell knows. ASUS' marketing department isn't the most organized in the world.

Addendum: Also, doesn't it seem really strange ASUS would be replacing such a popular model in barely 2 months, if that May 31st release date is right?

 

What model are you suggesting it's replacing? The U30? I think the U30 and U35 will coexist

 

The U35JC looks like a very nice offering. I wonder how the battery life will compare to the UL30JT, though.

 

That ad did seem to suggest the U35JC specifically has no optical drive.

Also, a new review for the U30JC at Anandtech.

 

The specs & reviews have always listed the weight as 4.8 lbs and 1.2" thick so it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Tho' if your previous notebook was 2.2 lb & 3.3 lbs, then the 4.8 lb would feel very different.

I went from an ASUS 10" netbook to the U30Jc. ... yet when I pick up my 15" Dell Vostro 1000, it feels like a brick now.