W5 or W3?

I'm torn between the W5 and W3...which one should I get guys?

The W5 would be an upgrade from the S5N (ULV 1.0 Ghz), I found myself missing the optical drive at times and wouldn't mind having it included this time with either Asus models.

The W5 & W3 are comparable in price, the W3 having the dedicated GPU and DVD burner to help justify the price. Weight difference is only a pound or so.

BTW, Justin or if anyone could help, on the W5, whats the equivalent GPU speed compared to a dedicated GPU? I know that I was able to play some ea sports (low settings) on the S5N. I'm not a huge gamer, but I like to kill some time with some ea sport games and somes strategy games (AOE II). Recently I was at the bestbuy and notice some strategy games that require a min. of 64mb VRAM!!! Wow, I haven't played in a while, but the requirements have gone way up. I bet my S5N won't even be able to install those games with out having a hernia! [ ]

Has anyone seen the screenshots for the new AOE III, looks breath taking yet I'm afraid that its a GPU hog!

decisions.....[V]

 

The W5 is a niche laptop. If you like little and white.

The W3 is a mainstream, top of the line laptop for the everyday person and power user alike. So what if you don't game all the time. The W3 will be a better all around machine for you now and in the future. I would rather get the unit that I wouldn't worry about "Is this going to work on this machine?" With the W3, for a while, you don't have to bother with that question.

I would definately choose the W3 over the W5 anyday.

Thanks,
John F.
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ditto

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
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How important is TRUE portability to you, dt34? You definitely get more bang for your buck with the W3, but if you really want to be able to bring the thing with you everywhere you go, something smaller and lighter might be better. I know how hard the decision is to make, but just really go with your gut.

_{I am one escroww}

 

W3 - that's my $.02

 

Well, if you can afford it, the W3v will be better...
if you'll be on the move a lot and wanna save some money... W5

ASUS M6800Ne, P-M 1.5 Dothan, 512MB Ram, Toshiba Combo drive, Samsung Spinpoint M 40G HDD with 8M cache, Mobility Radeon 9700

 

That wasn't technical KO... It was a full KO !!!

[ ]

 

Of course everyone is going to say the W3 because it's the better computer (I definitely like it better than the W5 too)!

_{I am one escroww}

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by dt34
I'm torn between the W5 and W3...which one should I get guys?
<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>

Dear dt34,
I was thinking that I couldn't see why you are so torn between two very distinct models. Ok, let me put it this way..

Faster Processor
W3--- Yes (1.86Ghz)
W5--- No (1.73Ghz)

Dedicated graphics
W3--- Yes (64Mb)
W5--- No

Bigger hardrive
W3--- Yes (60GB)
W5--- No (40GB)

Faster hardrive
W3--- Yes (5400RPM)
W5--- No (4200RPM)


Better size screen**
W3--- Yes (14")
W5--- No (12.1")

**this is a personal preference.. but it is really a "practical" preference. A 12" screen is just too small and not good for your eyes. [8)]

With a $$ diference of $150. Go for the W3. []

C.

 

dt34,

Ha, I think I'm having the same problem making a decision. I hate to admit it, but I can't help it, but I'm just drawn to the white of the W5. The W3 seems to have everything anyone would probably need, but I like the portability of the W5, but that 12" widescreen makes me worry about my eyes too. I think I won't be able to make a final decision until the barebones W3 comes out. Have you considered that as well?

Jean

 

Maybe you will be able to get a white version of the new M5 when it comes along! I love the white too. It might just be eye candy but it sure is yummy eye candy!

_{I am one escroww}

 

and the winner of this round by TKO is the W3....lol

Yeah, the W3 is the better machine. The W5 is just eye candy, I've gotten so many compliments with my S5N though, plus its so portable. [ ]

I may end up getting the W3 next month and give my sister the S5N, looks like I have to buy a new sleeve and laptop bag (spent +$100).

Too bad I can't have both!

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by jeanlo

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by jeanlo

 

Yeah... let me post this diagram I made... again..... it'll make it much more clear..



Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]

 

mbdriver

Thanks for the info on the screen size comparison. I guess the barebones W3 may lack in some of the features that makes the W3 standout, ie. aluminum and BT. Not to mention the 3 yrs Global Warranty.

I'm heavily leaning towards the W3 now.

Gotta still do some more laptop research, the W3 still is at a pretty hefty price, are there any other laptop brands that can stack up to the W3? Toshiba? Sony?(hate them) Samsung? etc.

Thanks for everyone's help, if it weren't for you all, I would have gotten a dell 700m instead of the S5N back last year. [8D]

 

Yeah, in terms of height, your 12" screen from your S5N will be pretty much the same as the 14" widescreen that's on the W3.

I'm still trying to figure out if I can deal with the W5's screen. I've seen the Sony S-series screens which are 13.3" widescreens. In terms of height, it's basically right in between the 12" and 14".

Jean

 

I totally agree that the screen on the W5 is really too small to be all that practical for even the average user these days. I think that model is one that does well in Asia where they are more open to smaller notebooks, but I don't know how well it is doing in N. America. Justin could probably tell us, but in all my perusals of various message boards I think I've only seen one person who owns the W5. I definitely notice the smallness of my 12" screen and I think a 13" regular ratio or 14" WS are the ideal screen sizes for portability and functionality. I don't mind my 12" screen - it's enough for me right now - but the horizontal scrolling does get a bit tiresome when images or long URLs force a horizontal scroll.

If you're having trouble visualizing screen ratios and sizes, head over to Best Buy or something and check out the models they have on display there that have the same screen sizes and stuff. I found that really helped me visualize.

dt34, I haven't seen anything that stacks up to the W3 yet. It really is a beauty - wicked specs, nice design, incredibly portable compared to others its size, beautiful screen. It's definitely the whole package.

If you do want to look at other brands, I have heard really good things about Fujitsu. Don't know anything more than what I've read online, but they seem like another decent not-so-huge brand.

 

I wish I could see the W3 in person, would make my decision a lot easier, something about seeing it in person versus seeing in pictures.

Well, for all of those who've purchased the W3, take some pictures!! [ ]

More opinions and picture would greatly help. [ ]

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Sencha...If you do want to look at other brands, I have heard really good things about Fujitsu. Don't know anything more than what I've read online, but they seem like another decent not-so-huge brand.
<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>

I've found after comparing the quality of Fujitsu's to Asus' the Fuji's seem to lack in quality. I was looking at them before and even if you take a look at the keyboard and press it in you'll notice theres a flex on most of them, but you take an Asus and you press any keyboard as hard as you want and its solid, just like an IBM. Although this obviously isnt the only thing that makes a laptop sturdy it shows quality, also I didnt like the material they used so much in general, feels sorta cheapy or something. I dont know thats just my 0.02c.

 

The W3V looks smaller than I was expecting. It probably *isn't*, it just *looks* like it is, becasue of the width-to-depth ratio the widescreen gives it. I'll take it down to the Post Office today and weigh it, but it feels pretty light for its size.

Before I ordered, my main concern about it was the weight, until I realized that I carry enough crap around in my bag -- pens, lots of paper, several folders, etc. (I'm a writer) -- that one extra pound wasn't going to make any difference to me. Yeah, 5 pounds is 25% more than 4 pounds -- but figuring that with the weight of the stuff and the bag itself, I probably haul around 6 or 7 pounds anyway. Looking at it that way, the difference between 10 and 11 pounds is only 10%. So unless you'll never be carrying anything *but* the laptop, I wouldn't let the weight issue decide the issue for you. Sure, the difference between the W5 and, say, the Dell XPS is an issue, but between the W3 and the W5, I'm definitely happy I went with the W3

 

Good way to put it... I've had customers say they already carry around a lot, so an extra ounce would kill them........ (yeah ok) ... but some people went with an S5 over an M5 because of just that...... but the way you put it is more like how it really is.

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]

 

hmmm, thats heavier than i imagined, having second thoughts now....i really like the S5N weight with the extended battery....close to about 4lbs, i probably won't notice the difference in weight if the W3 was truer to Asus' specs. [ ]

 

I just weighed my W3 on the scale at the Post Office. It weighs 5 pounds 9 ounces; the power brick and cords add another 13.1 ounces.

I was surprised -- it doesn't feel that heavy.

 

It's really only about a half a pound heavier than I thought it would be. ASUS specs for weight are kind of wacked anyway. They should give the weight with the optical drive and it would be more realistic.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by dt34

 

Just to clarify, that 5 pounds 9 ounces is the weight of the system, high-capacity battery, and optical drive.

Perhaps ASUS gave the weight without the battery? I didn't think to weigh it by itself, but it seems to weigh about a pound or so....

 

Noting can really beat carrying around the S5, but I think if you just get a bag with a good shoulder strap it wouldn't be so bad to carry around the W3 and all its accessories. You can always get a good laptop backpack or something. But if you prefer a shoulder bag as I do, just get one with a good, thick padded strap and you'll never really notice the difference. I used to carry around this Dell Inspiron 7000 which weighs a ton and just as long as you have a good bag, it's no biggie.

If you really want the specs of the W3, that is still an insanely good weight. I'm not really sure you can beat that. And for just taking it out for a few hours, you can always throw the travellers drawer in there instead of the optical drive. The W3 is sweet - if it weighed 12lbs I could see why that would be a problem - but it weighs so little with all it has inside. If you can afford it, go for it!

Or if you think you'd be happy with the smallness of the W5's screen and definitely feel the W3 is too huge, go for the W5. Or maybe wait and see how the M5/S5 refreshes are. You have lots of options - I know that's probably the problem! It was for me.

 

I just received the w3v this afternoon. I don't think the weight is a concern and please take my word for it because that size and weight was the #1 priority in choosing my perfect laptop.

I can't even begin to tell you how many times I went down to Best Buy or Microcenter, lifted and held every single 12", 14", 14" wide, 13.3" notebook (of course I made sure the battery was attached and asked to attach one if it was missing).

I basically ruled out 12" as being too small and 15"+ too big, so it was either 13.3" and the 14" variations. The w3V feels great. It's only slightly heavier than my 900 page Calculus hardback textbook. I'm very happy with the weight even if Asus underestimated the official weight or didn't weight the complete laptop package.

I was more surprised with the weight of the battery and in comparison to the laptop, it is much more dense. You will notice the difference in weight the battery makes. Even with the battery, it's still not what I'd consider heavy. The laptop feels solid and the weight is evenly distributed. It feels good carrying it under my arm and in a carry-on bag, you won't notice it.

I will admit I was worried about the weight issue and even more so because I purchased it thinking it was 4.7lbs but now that I actually have it, I was worried about nothing.

This is my first ever notebook and I may not have a past experience to compare to but I love this thing! If 15" is too big and 12" is too small, 14" wide is seriously just perfect.

I remember comparing the 14" regular with 14" wide laptops while comparing weights and the slimmer longer profile is so much better. It may just be a visual illusion but the rectangular profile simply does the trick in having me think this is a real small laptop.

Rectangle profile > Square profile. [^]

 

whats the word on the screen?

and the heat/temperature issues?

 

what kind of word do you want to know about the screen and temps? For me, the screen on the W3 is the second nicest I've ever seen Asus put on their systems. The first as I'd said before is the L5's ACE view.... which is the best screen I've ever seen on anything... lcd or crt....... although the W3 isn't THAT nice.... it's a great screen for 14" widescreen....

But I let end-users who have recieved theirs give your their opinions...

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by iikimchee

 

I'd certainly say thats one way to look at it logically.

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]

 

I only mentioned those two things as "issues" b/c they have come up in posts here or elsewhere as problems with the W3v. Some say it gets quite hot, and some have said they had issues with the screen - whether it be "sparkling" or "horizontal lines(meijern)"
I really hope they ARENT issues so I can buy one of these worry free!

 

I don't think the W3 gets any hot than the M6 or W1 and those run basically the same set up although are in a larger scale that has more room for venting, etc...... I think there is a line between warmth and loud fan noise that really seem to be blurred. I don't have an exact external temp reading but it's certainly on par with any system with dedicated graphics and the same basic cpu, hdd set up......... but it's in a smaller form factor. Personally, I don't feel "warmth" around any particular part of the system, but keep in mind the graphics board is directly under the one side of the keyboard.

As far as horizontal lines... I can't see pixels, lines, etc....

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]

 

awesome, thanks justin

p.s. when did you say the next shipment would be coming in after the 15-20 that are coming in next?

 

Tuesday evening / Wednesday morning.... a good portion of those are already gone though.

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]

 

awesome, thanks justin

p.s. when did you say the next shipment of w3's would be coming in after the next one of 15-20 units?

 

will there be any left to order on May 1st?? [ ]

 

I noticed when I turn on SpeedStep to auto in BIOS, the W3V runs relatively cooler since it lowers the multiplier to 6x when there isn't much CPU intensive priorities needed so it'll be running at about 800 MHz instead of 1.86 GHz. It's useful in a way that I don't really have to run Power4Gear as well. Extra [unnecessary] software/processes running is my enemy.

[l]ikwid.[f]uzion

 

Running the Probe utility ASUS included with the W3, I seem to be running 62-63 degrees C in general. I don't notice much heat on the palm rest unless I put my hand flat on it to check. There is noticeably warm air blowing out through the vent, but it's not even enough to keep my coffee warm if I place the mug there.... [ ]

As far as the screen is concerend, I had to check something on my gf's desktop computer last night and nearly had a heart attack. I'd thought her 17" flat screen was really, really nice before I got the W3; now it looks like a 10-year-old CRT that needs some "percussive maintenance." The W3 is *so* much brighter and sharper and clearer. I'd been thinking about getting a 19" flat screen for when I use it at home, but now I'm seriously having second thoughts about that. The W3 screen is good enough to do all my InDesign/Photoshop/etc. work on by itself!

 

Nothing better than someone happy with their system to plug it.

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by LiKWiD FuZioN

 

Justin, is there a noticeable difference between the W5 and W3 screens, specifically with W5 having the Crystal Shine? I'm just curious since barong stated that his W3 has a really nice screen.

Jean

 

They both have "colorshine" (glaretype) screens...... the W5 is supposed to also have a "cyrstalshine" screen (which is high brightness)... however, I think the W3 is just as bright --- most people say it's one of the brightest screens they've seen.... so I'm not sure what's up with the terminology.

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]

 

no thats part of the ATK100 drivers.

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]

 

I can't really tell from the info on Asus's website, but do they have docking stations that are compatible with the W5 and W3?

Jean

 

no...... the portbars only work with the M1/M2/M3/M6

Thanks,
Justin
PROPortable
www.proportable.com
[email protected]