W3V VS A8JP - Am I about to make a mistake?

I am getting ready to pull the trigger on a new notebook and I am questioning which Asus to get.

I will use the notebook for internet, music, office stuff, dvds, light gaming (CS, DOD source) and a little video editing. I will take very good care of the notebook and it will stay in the house 99% of the time.


My budget started at $600, then to $1000, and after seeing the A8JP package for such a great price, I am willing to push it to land that notebook.

Two choices- W3V and A8JP.

Am I making a terrible choice if I pick the W3V or the A8JP? Or vice versa?


W3V

Pros-
Build Quality and looks
XP Pro --> Vista Business
Price ($1000)
Bluetooth
Hinges
Solid Battery life

Cons

Only 1 year warranty
Older/slower processor
No webcam
So-so video card
No DVI


A8JP

PROS

Features (bells and whistles)
Webcam, DVI
Great graphics card
Good speakers?
Great processor
Nice Hard drive
2 year warranty
better screen?


Cons-

$300 more expensive
Build quality? (durability)
Hinges?


Any input/opinion is appreciated as this is a very difficult decision right now.

 

I would go for the Asus A8Jp, simply for its C2D processor and X1700 GPU.

It is not advisable to go for the Pentium M processors anymore.

Please fill out the FAQ so that forum members can make better recommendations.

 

if those are your only choices than the easy choice is for the A8Jp. The components in that compared to the W3V easily justify the extra $300. I would also consider getting the W3J if you were drawn to the W3V's looks, you can pretty much find it for less than 1600 now if you search.

 

But do you understand my worries? I am seeing a lot of durability questions with the A8J models. These are not very old computers and lots of people seem to be having problems with the lcd and and hinges, and palm rest, etc.

I want a notebook that will last and the W3V is very well built and looks very durable.

The W3J is very nice, but too far out of budget. The A8JP is already out of my budget but it has everything I want, and is such a good deal, I am coming up with a few more dollars.

 

i wasn't aware that the W3V was still available

 

If you solely looking to ASUS models by all means the A8jP is the one.

However, this is up to you, there are other options that may be more suited for you, like the HP DV6000 series (15.4), and HP DV4000 Series (14").

You may also want to check, dell since they have great deals, and brings down the price a lot.

Other than that tha A8jp gives you the MOST bang for the buck in terms of peformance for low budget.

 

A8jp most definitely

 

Where? With C2D?

 

If you want to play cs:s or dod:s I recommend you go for the a8jp or even the w3j. While the x600 on the w3v can handle source it's not as smooth as you'd like it to be with occasional hiccups and some crashing. Also, playing source on the w3v for extended periods really pushes the laptop and it will get hot, so you probably would need to get some sort of cooling pad. I have a w3v and I play a lot of cs:source and while it is definitely playable, I sometimes get frustrated when the game freezes and crashes or when you get just a half second of lag and die because of it.

And btw, there's really nothing wrong with pentium M processors. They are a little dated but they still perform very well and there are MORE than enough for simple office tasks. The Pentium M is also very sufficient for light gaming. If you're going to get a new computer you probably want to get a core2 duo but if you're on a tight budget theres nothing wrong with a pent M.

 

Everyone is saying A8JP but what about the hinges? What about the build quality? It seems like the A8J models have more than there share of durability issues.

 

well the question now is... are you planning on bringing the laptop everywhere? I've heard of some problems w/ the A8Jps hinges as well but if you plan on leaving it on your desk build quality doesn't really matter. (I read your original post again, since it's going to stay home 99% of the time get the A8Jp it'll last as long as you need it. if you are concerned solely about quality I would suggest looking for other laptops or if you are hooked on W3V then get it. it's your money its your decision.

overall however, I don't remember what video card is in the W3V but I'm sure you're going to get a better gaming experience from another laptop.

 

The w3v has a ati x600 in it which is a pretty old card but and it can barely handle the games he wants to play. The w3v is definitely going to have better build quality than the a8jp but if you plan on keeping your laptop at home almost all the time and if you take care not to bump it around too much then you should be fine. For your budget its going to be hard, if not impossible to get good build quality and high specs at the same time.

On the other hand the w3v is still a pretty capable machine and you won't find better quality for the price of the w3v. The only thing is typically the lifespan of a laptop (how long it lasts before its technology gets obsolete) is around 4 years. If you consider buying a laptop thats been out for nearly 2 years already, you can't figure it to have that much life ahead of it. The a8jp is a much newer laptop and will probably be a much more capable machine a few years down the road. Also, the build quality of the A series really isn't so bad that the laptop is going to fall apart in a year or two. They still leave much to be desired when compared to the W or V series, but they are still probably better than most of the crap you'll find at best buy.

 

I agree with most of the other users who have answered. The W3V, although a great machine, is aged... I'm surprised you can still find one for sale. The A8Jp on the other hand is a very recent and popular laptop... and it's not as crappy/fragile as people make it out to be; the exact opposite actually. It's quite durable and well-built. It doesn't have the sleek stylings that a V or W series Asus notebook has... but it's simple, powerful, and relatively cheap. With all of the power packed into that thing... you won't need an upgrade for quite some time - I definitely think it's worth the extra cash.

 

1000$ is a lot for a w3v. However the core duo version i think you can find for 1400$

That is a closer comparison, the t2400 w3j vs the t7200 a8jp.


the a8jm users that cracked their lcd outside the hinge,
I think they are opening and closing the screen wrong because its easy to do.

I dont think if you open and close it carefully it will give you problems for years.

The hinges are very standard whats different is how in from the edge they are.

Anyhow I havent had mine long enough to be certain but a few months and no problems.