What ASUS computer best fits the bill ?

Ok, so here's the dilemma. I am looking for a 14-15' laptop for my son that will be mostly for college and some gaming, but initially will be needed for a video project. Essentially he will need to upload a bunch of sport video tape on to the computer and make a "highlight " video to send to various college coaches. I've been reading this terrific forum for some guidance , but I've ended up with analysis- paralysis . I've had Dell laptops, latitude and inspiron, but I am not completely pleased with with them. People tell me the Mac is the way to go , especially for the video stuff. I like what I read about Asus . But I am really stuck on which model . I was leaning to the V1 , but then I read about a big battery problem . has this been solved ? The W3 gets rave reviews , but would this be buying old technology? G1s early production issues or is it just Vista ?
Then there's the whole Vista vs. XP thing . Sounds to me that Vista came out too early , but should I invest in a passe OS. Seeking advise from the expertise here. Thank you !

 

Can't go wrong with a Macbook Pro for video editing.

Another Asus model to consider is the F3SV from newegg.com

The Dell Inspiron 1420 is relatively cheap with academic discounts www.delluniversity.com. But best of all, it's been manufactured by Asus.

 

If you want something to game on you'll want a DX10 graphics card to future proof the notebook. This is currently available in the G1s, F3, and A8. For video editing you would want a faster processor, the G1s has the fastest in all the ones I mentioned at 2.2ghz.

I own a G1s and am very happy with it, there are no major problems with it. If you can wait, the updated version of the V1 will come out, the V1s, which will essentially be a business version of the G1s.

 

The C90S is also an option, I'm sure the guys around here and I could help you choose an optimal set up for it!

 

Oh yeh. The Asus C90S is one of the best deals around for an Asus at this time of age. They're making a whole new line of models too in the future- such as the C80C in 4Q07 and the C30 (I think a 12.4" laptop, could be wrong. Look it up on the notebook review section of the site or google it) in possibly 2-3Q08. Asus C##0S's are great laptops. I heard they are one of the first "true customizable" laptops available with desktop processors and such that can be upgraded to your son's needs during college instead of sticking with old technology. AlexOnFire is right- Asus C90S is a great buy. It's on preorder for one more day, and tomorrow, it's coming out. Every Asus fan here is talking about it. Check it out!

 

It is your son who needs this. You should get his input on some things as well unless it is a surprise gift. You need to consider things like does he plan to do notes on it. Some classes I have were 4hr session. No way to run on battery alone unless I have secondary one. Most campus have power plugs but some rooms don't.

Do not buy C90S (reason: battery, weight)
There is no way to future proof a laptop beyond 1 year.
Mac are great but you should again consider whether you son will be comfortable with OSX else you will need to buy XP or Vista and do a secondary OS install using Bootcamp.

Video editing can be done on any laptop if you have a decent processor, capture hardware and software. (Capture depends on whether you doing a capture via IEEE1394, AVC or USB. Most laptop have usb and IEEE1394 mini)
So just about any laptop including dell with a 2ghz or higher processor will fit the bill. You need to look into video editing software ...if this is just a first time or basic project then just get something simple to use. There will be new ATI 2600HD mobile video card option which aren't out yet as they will include hardware encoding capability which nVidia lacks. nVidia has decoding but not encoding. May not be important but it really helps a lot in getting away with low end CPU.

Gaming: You should at what types of games your son plays. Most older games will run fine on even last generation dedicated cards. Both G1S and MBP w8600GT will fulfill your needs here.

G1S and MBP both will have production issues... there is no way around it. You can already see issues with MBP being hot. G1S is also hot under heavy load. But the good thing is you can get support for both product fairly well. On price G1S wins over MBP but MBP wins on looks.

 

I think that's more of a personal opinion...

I highly recommend a 14in model instead of a 15in model unless you're considering Macbook pro, which is almost as light as a 14 in model. I have a dell inspiron 6000 and I can tell you that a 6 pound notebook isn't ideal for carrying around in school especially with books. 1-2 pound less may not seem to be much, but it will really make a difference.

For video editing, 1-2 Gb of RAM plus an average or even low-end graphic should be fine. Again, as others said, it really depends on the software. It doesn't matter whether it's a PC or Mac. For what your son is doing, it should be simple enough with Windows Movie Maker. I assume that when people told you "that the Mac is the way to go" for video editing they're referring to iMovie with OSX. Personally, I don't like iMovie at all. If I remember correctly, I believe that quicktime files also takes up a lot more memory than wmv. Also, as with most stuff from Apple, iMovie just seems kind of "simple". In my opinion, Windows movie maker just seems more customizable. Again, I have to emphasize that it's only my personal preference. If you really want to get Macbook pro, you really should consider getting Bootcamp and a copy of Vista or XP depending on your existing softwares/needs. Vista is really the better choice unless you're upgrading from XP. Most people run into problems because of upgrades; native vista system should be fine.

What is your budget by the way? And what games does your son play? Basic games hardly requires 8600GT, which is quite expensive.

I understand your frustration with Dell notebooks. I own an Inspiron 6000 and I've compared it to W3. My thoughts? It's like comparing a car from a junkyard to a Lexus. I also have some problems with my inspiron. However, dell just recently refreshed its inspiron line. I think they switched to Asus for manufacturing (even designing?) in the process. Dell's inspiron line is worth a second look.

 

Be aware that V1 has better build quality than the G1, which is in turn better than the F3. (V1 business/carbon fiber, magnesium > G1 gaming/high-grade plastic > F3 budget/plastic)

The G1 is heavy, the V1 relatively light. Some (many?) V1-s do have the battery issue and no, it has not been resolved, nor is there a solution in sight.

I suggest Vista over XP even though it's having problem, better for the future.

Indeed the C90 battery life will probably be very bad, so it's not a good thing for classes; it will also be probably very noisy with all those fans, so again not a good idea for classes. The V1 has a hotswappable bay where an extra battery can be installed, raising the battery life to above 4hrs (before the wear issue possibly installs).

The W3 is EOL, so not very recommended. Great notebook though, the Merom version w/ 2 GB+ of RAM is still very competitive. Also has swappable bay for extra battery > around 4hrs battery life. Will not play the latest games well, though (ATI X1600).

 

Thank you all for the input. Can anyone confirm the comment that Asus builds/designs the new Dell inspiron line ?

 

Rumors say ASUS builds the Dell XPS M1330.

 

It's more of an issue for people who actually use the unit on batteries heavily. People like me who use it as a desktop replacement and are plugged to the wall most of the time won't find it as much of an issue, though I'm still kinda unhappy about it.

I wouldn't. While Vista is the latest and greatest, there are quite a number of things which aren't quite right about it. Also, since it is inherently heavier software-wise and hardware-requirement-wise, your laptop will be always generating more heat and would be struggling more.

I agree, but I would like to see some reviews on it before I decide. But it's immediately obvious that there would be some sort of compromise for that sort of unit.

As an addenum, the hotswap bay battery is always used first by the system, and thus far the hotswap bay battery does not suffer from the same problem as the main battery.

If you can the W3J at the liquidation pricing ~1500-1600$CDN, it's an extremely good deal. The only issue I had heard of was the grainy image issue that was fixed with the BIOS update.

Any midrange/performance laptop he purchases will run hot. It's just a question of how hot. The G1 has a slightly bigger internal heatsink than the V1, but as someone said earlier it weighs more overall.

As far as gaming goes, you're much better off with a desktop. The heat from the GPU is a liability for laptop and is likely to put it into an earlier grave.

 

About windows, I'd prefer XP over Vista ... i dont' know why, even though i haven't use it. I did try vista at the computer shops but its not really convincing me to switch to the new system right away.

Since you mention Video Editing, probably XP will do better in performance. Adobe CS3 suite will optimize the performance in Dual CPUs also.

Gaming: Get something with 8600GT or 7900GS. Remember since you use these cards, The battery life will last at most at 1:30 mins with standard 6 cell battery.

Why don't you repost this in What NOtebook should I buy section so people can help you out.

Other question is that you didnt say how much you wanna spend. IF you want a budget type, i'd suggest you can look over barebones .

Xoticpc.com offers compal IFL90 at a fair price when config a decent specs system.plus a 8600GT.about 200$ cheaper than Dell 1520.

Asus S96S is nice but the graphic card 8600GS is not really better performance than GF7600 7700. If any company offer 8600GT and a WSXGA screen it's worth to go and try it.

Remember that you can buy separate RAM and HDD online for cheaper price so check and calculate which is need to choose and which you can buy outside and swap parts. newegg.com offers large selection of laptop parts.

 

First, about powerful graphics cards. It's always been the case that the more powerful graphics cards eat into the battery more and produce more heat; but lately this trend has gone wild... (in my opinion)

If the notebook will not do heavy gaming, then I suggest staying away from the latest, hottest (literally) GPUs.

About Vista: I suggested it since Microsoft is pushing it hard. I'm not saying Vista is better; no, it's newer, buggier, eats up more resources to do the same things. I'm saying that because Microsoft is pushing it hard and it'll make life a bit difficult for people with XP in one or two years from now. Perhaps I'm overestimating and it's more like 3-4 years. But it'll happen.

It's not a bad thing to have XP now, and move to Vista later. But it's paying extra afterwards.

Overall, I wouldn't know with certainty what to suggest. Everyone should make his/her own informed decision. Personally, I'll stick with XP for at least another year.

Yes, good addendum. Definitely worth noting and absolutely true.

 

You wont like vista just tinkering with it some in a store now and then, you have to have it for about a week on your own system and use it on a daily basis before you really start to appreciate it.

First 2 days I was like "what this is it" not really caring about the new interface and not liking all the new options.

Now 3 weeks later, I dred when I have to boot into xp for somthing because I like Vista much more, and the interface really grew on me.

 

I completely agree with you. People are just afraid of change.

 

Indeed, I don't deny that I'm afraid to change to Vista now because it will mean a productivity dip for a few weeks, until I get used to the system and tweaking it.

But I still think that Vista is newer, buggier, and takes up more resources to do the same things. It's in the nature of Microsoft OS-es (and to a lesser extent, of all other OS-es that get released).