U30JC discussion thread

Just a question for any U30JC owners. In New Zealand it looks as if the U30JC will be releasing at approximately the same price as the MBP 13" after student discount.

Given the choice between the 2 at the same price, which would you pick?

 

Not sure if its been discussed previously, but all of a sudden my trackpad is on the fritz. It will just randomly stop working and I have to put the computer to sleep then wake it up to get it working again. I have the latest driver for it from Asus' site. Any suggestions?

 

My home operates on both systems. To me, it depends on your needs/purposes for the laptop, what you have invested in your present OS programs and the OS you want to work under.

On the MBP side:
Chassis & parts-wise, I think the present MBP is superior (merely my opinion, playing with both.)

There's no question to me that the screen is superior in the MBP. Blacks appear very black. Very little, if any, light bleed. The body/chassis is stronger, thinner and more solid on the MBP (it is, after all, mainly a single piece of aluminum). Many, incl my wife, feel that OSX is more stable and fast ... and it is (but an SSD or hybrid drive can make W7 x64 appear crazy-snappy & fast as well).

On the Windows 7 x64 side:
I just prefer Win 7 x64. Better & more varied options & menus for me. My older programs work well. My newer programs work well & fast under it. And my Win 7 x64 is VERY stable for me. OSX hides a lot from me and assumes a great deal of what I want.

I open any Office app the first time in 3 sec and every subsequent time in 1.5 sec.

I'd prefer the i3-350M 2 core/4 thread, like 4 virtual cores (2.26GHz) any day over the C2D 2.4 or 2.6GHz of the MBP.

I'd prefer the Optimus-run, dual-switchable graphics with the NVIDIA 310M discrete any day over the 320M integrated graphics of the MBP.

And if you try booting the MBP in Windows or running Windows 7 in a virtual window, battery life suffers and Windows isn't as fast.

So what I'D like is a Macbook Pro pure aluminum body, workmanship, parts & screen with the addition of switchable discrete graphics, i-series processor and native Windows 7 x64 OS support. (Not just virtual or bootable Win). But I don't think that exists!

 

Sadly that dream laptop doesn't exist. If such a one did exist, no doubt in my mind it would have a strong monopoly over the market.

 

May be a software conflict or glitch ... or it could be a hardware problem. I'd call ASUS Tech Support if I couldn't get it resolved by uninstalling & reinstalling the trackpad software. The trackpad should just work. Mine does.

Even when I first reinstalled the OS, Win 7 installed their own generic version of the trackpad drivers ... and it just worked.

 

Oh my, micahmorgan1. You may be doing more than needed, but whatever works for you.

1) Great on the SSD.

2) But why replace the wireless card? This card in my U30JC is the BEST (most powerful) I've ever owned. Right now, in my house I have:
MB 13" white
ASUS U30JC
ASUS Eeepc 1000HA (replaced w/ an Intel 5300 wireless card)
Dell Vostro 1000

My U30JC picks up MANY more signals than the others, incl my wife's MB!

As well, the laptop is set up for two antenna on the wireless card (two antenna wires only inside). Are you planning to install a third for the 6200?

3) The double stick thermal tape may be too sticky and thick for the keyboard slot, especially if you need to remove the keyboard later. Most of that warp-business of the keyboard is pretty small for most people. One person solved it with a sheet of paper form-cut to the keyboard hole. Another just bent the keyboard a bit against any warp. Double-sided light-stick tape may be better. You don't need thermal tape as it is a very non-hot, well-cooled laptop.

 

1. Thanks on the SSD, I'm working on updating the firmware now

2. I'm getting a simultaneous dual band wireless router, and the u30jc only supports 2.4ghz. I thought that the intel would be better for that, but maybe it is overkill.

3. I may hold off on the double stick tape, but I've already tried to bend it and I'm afraid I just made it worse.

 

You just described my perfect laptop (but for now I'll settle with the Asus U35JC when it releases).

 

I'd read up on the dual-band first. I think (but don't hold me to it) that dual-band merely means (like in my house) that my wife can log on with the router on G while I'm logged on with N. Usually, with a router, once a connection is made in G, then everyone must connect at G while one person is using G.

There is a faster connection boost done by compatible routers & cards where the card connects with TWO connections at the same time for 300Mbs, but I don't believe that is dual-band.

Personally, I'd try it with my new router, if that's what you bought, before I tried to replace the wireless card. The U30JC's wireless card is N-compatible and can go up to 150Mbs, depending on your internet service package as well as your router.

On the keyboard, you do have to take it slowly and analyze where the bends & warps are initially, bending it very gently ... or use a bit of double-sided Scotch tape that isn't SO sticky as that thicker thermal tape.

 

wrong comment on my part.

 

dual band isn't b or n, it's 2.4 ghz and 5.0 ghz frequencies. The 5 ghz frequency is less common and so has less intereference from other devices. If you have simultaneous though the 6200 can use either or and pick up the best signal. Also you can dedicate say an xbox to one frequency and the laptop to the other.

 

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.-Forum- Is Atheros AR9285 PCI-E mini card dual band wireless card? Can It be changed?

See the discussion here at asus support forums

 

Yes, I realize the difference between N's 5GHz and G's 2.4GHz. Yep, dual-band means the router can transmit in both frequencies and be utilized by other devices in the two frequencies at the same time.

I have an N router at home. On my ASUS 1000HA, I switched out my wireless card for the Intel 4965AGN and I switched from G (2.4) to N (5) on my connection (and my connection showed 150Mbs instead of 54Mbs on the wireless),... but because my internet service was limited by my monthly plan to 6Mbs, my ACTUAL download speed was the same (testing on www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/).

That wasn't on my U30JC but on my 1000H where I had changed out the wireless card to a true 5GHz N capable card and connecting via my N router.

So the type of service plan is also important.

BTW, N, while more unique, is typically also weaker in range. Mine is and others report the same. So it's not all an improvement.

 

Exactly. To make the new wireless card work properly in dual-band 5GHz N, you MUST install (properly) a third antenna. The third antenna is not in the U30JC. You'd need to install it and that's easier said than done. (CORRECTION: This is wrong as the 6200 card only takes two antenna)

I bought & installed a third antenna (eBay) for my 1000HA netbook but put the third antenna wrapped up on the bottom. (It should go up alongside the sides of the screen). My quick fix was seen by the card, but made no difference in download speeds, no matter where I connected (incl the library that operated on 12Mbs).

Just tellin' ya. To do it right, you need to disassemble the screen ... and to do that, you need to be sure of what you're doing.

For me, my wireless card is presently the strongest in the house. My wife with her Macbook often has problems and signal fade ... me? Never.

 

Just finished installing ssd and wireless card, quite a difference. (the 6200 is the two antennae version, the 6300 is for 3, so works perfect so far on the U30jc. No needed extra antenna.) If you look gentech pc and others often upgrade the wireless to this card. If I have problems I'll revert back, but so far so good. I understand that I'm limited by bandwidth on the internet, but I should reduce drops in signal, and I also communicate with a shared drive on a desktop which should be improved. Anyway all intel innards now.

 

There won't be a difference in downloading over the web.... Most ISP's (at least in Holland) offer 20Mbit/s, so even the 54Mbit/s of the g-standard is 2.5 times faster.

The only major improvement for the 802.11n standard is to copy files faster within a network which gains rates up to 1000Mbit. So only if you plan on transferring much and large files over the LAN, then a better WiFi will help.

I am still using 802.11g as I only surf the web and already reach my max speed. For those 3 times a year I just plug in a cable, giving me the 100mbit I have at home.

 

Thank you for clarifying. That helps explain what I, myself, was wondering about.

And to you, micahmorgan1, good job! I'm glad it worked out for you and you were able to do those upgrades. ... and that your card wasn't a three-antenna type card like mine was.

(And there I go again commenting before I look up the specs. I just looked up the 6200 card ... yep, only two antenna posts. Sorry to assume w/o reading first. My older card had 3 antenna posts so I assumed your newer replacement card would as well. And according to GENETX, it will help your networking speed with your shared drive. This is good info for me to know as well. Small wonder my last wireless card & router "upgrade" did so little for me ... I have no home shared network.)

 

Hey I got a dumb question, I ordered a 2.5'' ext HD enclosure, havent received it yet. But how does it hook up to the laptop? USB to USB? Or USB to SATA? Cause im guessing i need to order a cable for it?

 

USB to USB. Most of the newer enclosures use an A/B USB connection (regular-sized USB plug on one end for the laptop & a tiny USB plug on the other end for the enclosure (sort of like the tiny USB plug on my phone & other devices.)

You won't need to buy a USB cable. The enclosure will come with the screws and the USB cable ... and usually a little "Chinglish" page on how to install the HDD.

SATA is the type of port connection the HDD slides into. You'll see it.

Once you get it, if you have a problem, just post here.

 

Gentech PC has a new U30JC model available for $889: the U30JC-B1.

The only change seems to be the i3 370m base processor, which can be upgraded to several i5 options.

Edit: I believe it's cheaper than the A2B because it lacks bluetooth.

 

GenTech now also has the U33JC (13.3" bamboo & no ODD), U35JC (13.3" & no ODD) & the U43JC (14" bamboo w/ ODD) listed for pre-order.

Nice specs on the U33JC (BT, WiDi & USB 3.0), about $70 more than what the U30JC opened for and very classy looking. It appears to have brushed aluminum over the entire keyboard area and above.

U33JC
U43JC
U35JC

 

guys, yesterday, i set my laptop on power saver, n then the p4g power saver, so the taskbar on the bottom only showed up if i ran my mouse over it. i put the laptop on hibernate after that last night. today, i turn it on, and i change the mode to balanced...and the taskbar STILL only shows up when i run my mouse over it. i am going to go crazy. wut can i do to make my taskbar come back for good?

 

Asus has a nasty hack to get some battery saving which I suggest to turn off. Open Power4Gear from the Start Menu and navigate to the Battry plan and hit "On Battery". Put Battery Saving Desktop to No.

Also make sure that your graphics settings are put to 32-bit colours (Asus puts it to 16-bit with their trick to force Aero to be disabled..). With the taskabr itself, just open the properties by right clicking on it on an empty spot. Uncheck the option to automatically hide the taskbar.

 

how do you put the graphics settings to 32-bit? i got the taskbar to come back. =] dam that power4gear battery savingsss

 

GENETX just told you how above. You DON'T want to put it to 32-bit color. P4G defaults to that. GENETX was explaining how to turn that feature OFF in the P4G battery saving mode.

 

I'm about to pull the trigger on this bad boy, I was going to wait for the n82 or 3820TG but really this is just a stop gap for me between desktops and chances are I won't do any serious gaming on it anyway (especially considering I have a PS3).

I have 2 options in Canada with the major differences being:

$1057: I5 430M, 500GB 5200rpm, Windows 7 pro (which I believe is 32 bit)

or $909: I3 350M, 320 GB 5200, Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit

Should I be at all concerned about the 32 bit windows in the future on the I5 option?

 

I just got my U30JC-A2B, i'm loving it!

However, the webcam on mine does not have any sort of glass/plastic covering. There is just a hole that leads to the webcam, with some extra space that could potentially seep in dust/water/etc to the rest of the screen...

Is this normal?

 

The laptop should come with a key on the bottom that should work on both 32-bit and 64-bit ver of the same type of Windows 7 (for example, I owned a 32-bit key of Win 7 pro. When I installed Win 7 Pro x64, I put in my old key ... and it worked!

But I'm surprised if they are selling it with x32. I've not seen anyone else doing that. Be sure and double-check that.

BTW, are you wanting a laptop w/ a DVD drive? If not, and you'd prefer lighter & thinner, I'd check out the U33JC over at GenTechPC (they should be paying me for the free advertising!). It has the i3-370 (2.4GHz) and BT, WiDi and USB 3.0. Not sure if it is available for pre-order yet in Canada, but it's coming here in the next few weeks so it should be available in Canada as well.

 

Absolutely not. At least mine's not like that. Mine has a thin & small plastic plate with a clear circle in it over the lens and level with the black bezel.

I'd call ASUS ASAP about that. Or if you've only had it a few days, then call the seller you bought it from. They might do a straight-out exchange.

 

I'm not sure how often I would use the optical drive and I already have an external one so maybe I should go for the U33. I would probably use USB 3.0 a lot more (at some point) than the optical drive too.

 

Here are some photos & descriptions on the U33JC over at the ASUS product page itself. Very nice & classy-looking:
ASUS' U33Jc

And the U33JC over at GenTechPC's Page

 

Can one expect the U33 to have a better screen?

It's priced 150€ higher than the U30jc here!

If the only pros consist of having the USB3.0 and the design thingy , then i wouldn't consider this device.

 

Doubtful it's a better screen as ASUS seems to use the same panel on all of these U & UL models, though the bamboo line is supposed to be a step up in quality & workmanship. Only a hands-on analytical review of the screen will tell you.

The U33JC's extras appear to be:
1) Classy dark bamboo wood surface on the palm-rest, trackpad & lid.
2) Brushed aluminum surface throughout the entire keyboard, beside the keyboard and the area above it plus it looks like metal trim on the lid and upper chassis (all plastic on the U30JC)
3) BT
4) USB 3.0
5) WiDi (wireless external monitor access)
6) Almost 1 lb lighter than the U30JC (but no ODD either)
7) 2.0 MP webcam vs the poor 0.3 MP webcam of the U30JC

It sells for $80 more than the U30JC here in the US (at GenTechPC). Taxes, taxes there in Europe.

 

Plus the I3 370M is quite a step up from the 350M right?

 

It's 2.4GHz compared to 2.26GHz. Not sure how much one will feel it in real use... and the lastest U30JC-B1 has the i3-370M processor now.

 

woooooo loving the options we have right now! there was the envy 14, but i'm loving the wood finish on this asus. and let's not forget the acer 4820tg!

edit: bummer the u33jc only has a 56 Whr battery; i believe u30jc had a 84?

 

Where did you read that? GenTechPC here clearly lists the U33JC's battery as 8-cell 5600mAh which is an 84Wh battery.

ASUS' website here lists 3 possible batteries worldwide for the sale of the U33JC, but GenTech in the US is expecting the full-sized 5600mAh battery ... as they well should since the U33JC is the bamboo upgrade from the U30JC which has a full-sized battery.

 

Ok, I called ASUS' 24-hour help line, and the representative said that "not all models come with a plastic cover...including yours, I guess" and that not having it "will in no way damage any components" but that I could buy some sort clear adhesive at a computer store if it really bothered me that much :/

Perhaps it's because mine is the A2B model?

 

Perhaps. I didn't realize they made such differences in the same model.

 

you are correct. i saw 56 and assumed they were talking about Whr. thanks for the clarification. i was soo close to buying the u30jc a month ago but they keep on coming up with more and more choices!

 

And every 3-4 mo, there will be more choices ... but you have to buy at some point.

 

Nope, 32-bit it should be, while Asus puts it to 16-bit.

First verify wether Aero is working. If Windows-button + Tab works (giving the window switch effect), then it is already set back to 32-bit. If not right click on your desktop. Then choose to change your resolution. Click advanced. Hit the tab "Monitor" and set the drop down to 32-bit. I have a dutch version, so I hope my translation is correct on the options you get.

 

Oh, yes, of course. Graphics are set at 32-bit. Where did I get that 32-bit was the lower color setting? Duh.

 

I'm surprised that an optical drive is approximately 1 lb (according to weight difference between u30jc and u33jc)

 

Same weight difference between the UL30VT & UL80VT, though the UL80 has a slightly bigger screen as well (13.3" vs 14").

Not sure why. Just seems to come out like that. Perhaps a controller & port on the motherboard adds to the weight?

 

Quatro, you seem to know more about Asus products than me.

I am currently looking at xoticpc.com Custom Laptops, Gaming Notebooks, Custom Gaming Laptops | XOTIC PC where they have the various Asus models.

It seems the u35jc is meant to replace the u30jc?
it has no cd tray
the trackpad is now dimpled to make it appear integrated into the rest of the laptop
no longer with the altec speaker branding
appears the aluminum used on the keyboard has some carbon design on it now(?)

 

Yes, several of us were wondering about that ourselves.

A rep with GenTechPC wrote that, as far as they could see, the housing shape for the U35JC is IDENTICAL to the UL30JT. The outer difference being the printed pattern on the U35Jc's upper surface. Do keep that in mind.

So, the U35Jc's housing design-wise is nothing like the U30Jc. Only the letters are similar to confuse the innocent!

The U33Jc's housing looks a bit more similar to the U30Jc ... but not really when I study the photos. It seems the U30Jc was unique. They're not repeating it for some reason. And the U33Jc's design is unique to the bamboo series.

But the casing of the U33Jc appears pretty quality to me w/ the dark wood bamboo & aluminum surface over the entire keyboard area and what appears to be metal trim on the upper surface & lid. And it's features are, thus far, also unique.

There's a discussion going on about these models over here.

 

now that i look back the pictures, i believe you are correct. the carbon-sketched design must be plastic as well as the area surrounding the touch pad (similar to the ulxxvt series)

 

If true, it's an odd production choice to me that ASUS has made on the U3-series models. It feels like a step backward. Beyond a slightly better processor (370M vs 350M), the rest of the specs are the same (no DVD in the U35, of course), but the housing looks inferior; less aluminum. I would have expected the U35Jc to be an upgrade on the U30Jc, but it doesn't look like that.

Or perhaps I'm wrong and the entire top is aluminum ... but I doubt it.

 

so a question for some of you guys

that at least have had the notebook for more than a week or two,

How is the battery life? what kind of usage are you getting?

Also............... i am looking at the 520 icore model to be honest, but can't decide ..... yet... compared to the u30-a2 is there a huge weight difference?


Edit: I forgot to ask.. how is the brightness on this laptop? 200nits> or less>