U36sd now available at the Microsoft Store

Hey everyone, long time lurker but first time posting here. I know a lot of people, including myself, have been waiting for the U36sd for awhile now. I noticed today it was in stock on microsofts online store so I called a local Microsoft Store (Costa Mesa, CA) and they said they have them in stock too!

Microsoft Store Online - ASUS U36SD
Price is $999, a little more expense than other places I've seen but if youre a student, like me, you can get that free xbox 360 deal.

Sorry if this is old news, but it was news to me and I will be going soon to take a quick look at it even though I'm 99% sure this is the computer I want. Hope this helps someone!

 

great news! wonder how far behind the u46sv is

 

how does the u36sd stack up against the u46sv ? i am considering getting this instead of the u46sv that is nowhere in sight

 

This model is the u36sd-rbk5. The only difference from the u36sd-a1 model is that bluetooth is not available for some reason. Must be a different wireless card.

 

Oh really? I was not aware of this. Is there a list somewhere with the different models of the u36sd?

 

Here's asus' global site for specs of the u36sd: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. - Notebooks- ASUS U36SD

Here's their american specs for the u36sd:
ASUSTeK Computer Inc. - Notebooks- ASUS U36SD

Other regions also have different specs. Here are some comparisons I
found.

Model:
A1 (US) i5-2410M 2.3GHz 640GB 5400rpm ($969)
RX028V (AUS) i5-2410M 2.3GHz 500GB 7200rpm SSH ($1089 AUS) Link to RX028V version
RX138V (AUS) i7 2620M 2.6Ghz 750GB 5400rpm ($1789 AUS) Link to RX138V version
RX146X (AUS) i7-2620M 2.6GHz 160GB SSD ($1884 AUS) Link to RX146X version

The microsoft site you posted shows the model RBK5. I wonder what makes the rbk5 version more expensive than the A1 version...

 

Thanks for putting that list together. I would be willing to bet that the increase in price for the rbk5 is only because it's being sold through microsoft's store.. But luckily I don't need bluetooth and do need a new xbox

 

Is the U36SD available with the xbox deal? I don't see it on the available computers list, though I do see it in the Microsoft store.

 

Yup I called and asked because I noticed that too but they said it was.

 

It also doesn't have USB 3.0 on the spec sheet. Is that an error??

 

Yes that's an error. I picked mine up a couple days ago and I love it!

 

how has it been treating you so far, i'm looking at taking advantage of the same deal?

 

No complaints so far. Build quality is very nice, definitely a step up from my aging Dell m1330. I can't really say too much about it performance wise as I haven't had a chance to really push the machine. The deal worked out really nicely, I got a 2 year accidental damage warranty (a necessity for me) plus microsoft office professional for an extra $200. So laptop, warranty, and xbox 360 for right round $1250 after taxes!

 

hi there! i noticed that u had dell m1330 before which is the same as mine? mind me asking u about the sound quality of u36 compared to your m1330? are they similar? thanks

 

Just did a side by side test and sadly the m1330 is noticeably louder and clearer. The speakers in the u36sd aren't horrible, just don't expect to blow anyone away with them... I guess sacrifices had to be made to keep this form factor. Asus does include a program called "Asus Sonic Focus" that helps with the audio a little but I would still give the audio quality on this machine a 5/10 and the m1330 a 7/10. Hope this helps!

 

thanks a lot for the help! now i'll hav a better idea how the speakers of u36sd is now other than the speakers. u36sd is much more better than m1330 i guess?

 

Yes I would consider the u36sd to be far superior than the m1330 in just about every aspect. The build quality is very nice throughout the entire laptop. There is little to no flexing in any part of the keyboard or palm rest and the entire body has a really nice feel to it. Not quite sure what the computer is made of but it has a soft touch that feels much better than the m1330's all plastic build. The only complaint about the body I have is the glossy plastic bezel. Not sure why Asus decided to go with this, but it's only a minor complaint.

I'm still adjusting to the keyboard as I feel the keys have to travel a little more before they're registered but I'd imagine I'll get use to it quickly. I do however like the keyboard better than the m1330's, they have a very satisfying click. I would've loved to have a backlit keyboard option. That was actually one of my requirements while I was doing research on a new computer a few months back, but this was the only compromise I had to make with the u36sd.

The trackpad feels like it's made from a slightly slicker version of whatever the rest of the body is made of and feels equally as good. I would say its roughly 1.5 times bigger in each direction than the m1330's. The extra size is much appreciated. I just found a little windows 7 program that allows for two finger scrolling in just about every application and it works really well. I'd highly recommend it as it's probably one of the few features I'm actually jealous of when it comes to my friends' macs. two-finger-scroll - Two finger gestures for Synaptics TouchPads on Windows - Google Project Hosting

I would say the screen is of slightly higher quality than the m1330. I believe the resolution is the same but the colors seem better and everything looks slightly more crisp. I would've liked for the resolution to be a little higher, especially considering it matches that of a 3 year old computer.. Oh well.

If you can't tell from my little mini review here, I really love this computer and would definitely recommend it to just about anyone. The missing optical drive might be a deal breaker to some, but for me and most people I know the optical drive goes mainly unused, so why have lug it around all the time? The entire feel of the laptop is much better than the m1330 (in my opinion at least, but I can't imagine anyone thinking otherwise), but if you can I would suggest going into a microsoft store and feeling one for yourself.

 

That's a really detailed review! Thanks How about the temperature? Do you have any problem with it as it's quite thin? My M1330 overheats very easily =S

 

It definitely gets warm but only if you leave it on for awhile. Kind of hard to judge without a thermometer but I would say it stays significantly cooler than he m1330 doing similar tasks. I would not say it has really overheated since I got it, but it definitely would work as a lap warmer after an hour or so of intense work!

 

Hey Gadgetx, great review! I have been wanting this laptop for a while and its great that you confirmed that this laptop works with the Xbox deal! One question I have is did the laptop you received have the finger print scanner between the right and left click? Ive seen many pics with it but the pics on the Microsoft store does not show it. I can see it coming in handy and would love to have it when I order mine. TIA!

 

No, no fingerprint reader on my machine. I'm curious where you saw one with a fingerprint reader though, all the vendors I've seen appear to not list that as an option...

 

Only place I've seen it is in this review:
Asus U36SD / U36S review – what an ultra-portable notebook!

But I guess it could be because he received a preview model and it came with all the good stuff.