Which ASUS to buy? m50?

Posted on the general topic forum:

From what I can tell ASUS seems to be a good fit for my needs, question is which model most closely fits my needs without expenditure on unneeded components etc?

1. Solid computing (Web, Email, Word, Excel, Photoshop, photo reprocessing converting RAW images etc.)
2. No gaming
3. Multimedia functionality (ie: want BluRay drive as source for Plasma) also the kids can watch movies on the plane
4. Ideally something I can load XP on if possible, or if Vista, sufficient to run vista with future-proof to win 7 capabilities
5. Good quality components (I am proficient with dealing with software problems, I don't want to have to worry about hardware issues)

General Questions:

1) What is your budget? $1200 or less

2) d. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen

3) Where will you buying this notebook? US

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

Mostly ambivalent, interested in ASUS as it seems to be a good fit for my needs.

5) Primary tasks:Web, Email, Word, Excel, light Photo processing (raw image conversion), watch movies (use as home entertainment device?)

6) Travel? Some travel (few times a year)

7) No gaming

8) Battery life?: long enough to watch a movie on a plane

9) online without seeing is okay assuming I can get enough user feedback to make informed decision

10) OS? : 1. XP (if possible) 2. Vista (if necessary)

11) Screen Specifics

b. WXGA+ – 1440x900
a. WXGA – 1280x800
c. WSXGA+ 1680x1050

12) Glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?

Don't care

13) Notebook's looks and stylishness important to you? Not really, functionality more important

14) When/how long? Soon and as long as possible

Components

15) 250G sufficient, the speed of the drive seems to be a more important question for me.

16) Optical: BD combo (I think)

 

The lower spec'd version of the N50-series or M50Vm lineup is a good fit, mostly, for your budget (no BD, however).

The M50Sv is also a solid choice. I would recommend a reputable reseller who still has them, i.e. GenTechPC.com.

 

Thanks!

Is there a good place/resource to compare ASUS models side by side? It is very difficult to determine what is what with ASUS. ie: what is difference between Vm and Bm model or ax-1 etc.

Other then ASUS any other brands to consider?

How about XP compatibility. I would really prefer to wait until Win7 before upgrading from XP.

 

I know one of the resellers had such a comparison feature but right now I don't remember which...

XP compatibility is usually good for ASUS notebooks, but you may need to do some work to get the drivers for all the devices. Luckily, for many popular models including the M50 we already have guides:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=122632#xp

 

I've just completed a couple of pass overs from Vista to XP on the M50VC
Didn't have a lot of trouble with the drivers but the only one that I can't get working correctly is the infra-red receiver. I got one to install but it's not working correctly (in my searches I discovered this forum). However it was just me being bullish as the remote doesn't come with it anyway.
Don't forget to install the express gate program for xp. It really added the extra WOW factor to the laptop when I showed them that one