Z33 questions

how is the build quality on the Z33, it looks like a good and cheaper alternative to the S5 and W5 series in the thin and light arena. and how is the screen?

 

Goren,

It's the same screen that has come on the S5/M5 for a year and half now...... so any review of those will give you an idea.... I think everyone basically likes the screen.

It's not a cheaper alternative..... it's just the M5.... it's an S5 with a built in drive..... so, it's identical....

The W5 is sorta like the M5.... but with a smaller screen and some other goodies..... it's basically about the same size foot print, but the screen is shorter...... the camera makes up for the rest of the space... The M5 has been a very very popular model over the last year and a half.

The only updates are that it now has a sonoma chipset and the standard color is a hue different... now a dark grey instead of a charoal (almost black)....

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

 

Hey another question, actually 3.

Is the keyboard a full size keyboard?

Is there a palm heating problem that exists?

Which vid card chipset is it, 855 or 915?

Thanks

Rixo out!

 

Not a full size keyboard.
It gets mildly warm...but nothing unbearable.
Intel i915 chipset

ASUS M6800Ne, P-M 715 (Dothan 1.5), 512MB Ram, Toshiba Combo drive, Samsung Spinpoint M 40G HDD with 8M cache, Mobility Radeon 9700

 

thanks a lot![ ]

Rixo out!

 

The keyboard is pretty darn close to full size though....it's not bad to type on at all.

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

 

Lies I tell you! The z33 gets oo hot i can cook eggs on it. I baked a sausage on the palm rest the other day. Sorry i couldn't resist.

Eddie B.
www.Geared2Play.com
4422 Ave. N
Brooklyn, NY, 11234

 

By the way congrats on the silent fan on z33 to asus. i was worried we had another turbo cooler like the m5.

Eddie B.
www.Geared2Play.com
4422 Ave. N
Brooklyn, NY, 11234

 

Yeah, have you looked at it? I swear they took my S5 fan idea right off this forum..... At least I was willing to physically try it even though I couldn't complain about mine...... but you're right.... Another refresh that not only gives you the newest technology, but takes care of little quirks from the previous model.

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

 

Now I'm debating on whether I should get the Z33 or the Z63...decisions decisions...[xx(]
The Z33 looks awesome in the pictures I've seen so far...but the Z63 seems more practical.
HMMMMM...

ASUS M6800Ne, P-M 715 (Dothan 1.5), 512MB Ram, Toshiba Combo drive, Samsung Spinpoint M 40G HDD with 8M cache, Mobility Radeon 9700

 

Well it depends on what you need...........both machines are very simliar in regards to the performance they can put out, but the Z63a is bigger and has a color shine screen....... other than that they are identical. I guess what the bigger size you get a slightly larger keyboard... but thats about it. You can't go wrong.

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

 

If I had it to do all over again (and had the time and a bit of extra cash) I'd buy the Z33 in a heartbeat. All of my small annoyances with my S5n are not present in the Z33 according to what I've read, I love the way it looks and will probably have Z33-envy until my next notebook purchase. [ ]

 

hey geared2play, are you serious that its really really hot?! damn, this might be the dealbreaker [ ]

Rixo out!

 

This is BS.... seriously. If you throw a 7200rpm drive in there....... yes.. hot and short living.. With a seagate 5400rpm drive, which has the life and heat of a 4200rpm drive... it's a nice little laptop... These little systems can sure be powerful and i've had people get a 7200rpm and like a 2.1ghz cpu..... all of them understood the battery and heat issue and usually got a 9 cell battery with them or something.. they just NEEDED a lot of raw power and at the same time a tiny system. There isn't another 12" system like this thats out there that people would be able to put those sort of configurations together into.... You're looking at usually a 4200rpm drive and the minimum cpu like a 1.6 or so.....


It depends on what you want.. you can certainly get a lot of power out of these and running at full blast all the time is going to create heat in anything...... but the usual use of a system like this is email, word, internet........ with occasional heavy use..... When you're doing the main things, the cpu can and should be clocked down manually or automatically to say 600mhz......

I guess the way to put it is, you can have the most impressive 12" system in the world..... if you want.... but if you just want to use it for normal things... don't max it out because if you don't need the power you'll regret it.... not just in your wallet but in the shorter life and more heat that it'll create.... If you were considering maxing a system like this out.... I think you could almost get 2 of them with a normal configuration for around the same price.

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

 

Hi everyone!

All the way from Denmark I reply to this exiting descussion. Funny how much you can learn of the Internet!

Anyway... I have just bought the M5N, and the fan-noise problem occured instantly!

Another thing I found interesting, though, was it's ability to create 1280x1024 on the output for the external TFT/CRT screen. A couple of weeks ago I tried the W5A (which has a WXGA screen built in), and this model could NOT generate the 5/4 ratio i need (1280x1024). It only came up with WXGA ratios, which is stupid as almost ALL TFT-screens are 1280x1024 now adays!

Therefore my question is: Does any of you know if the Z33a can create 1280x1024 on the output for the external screen???

 

Hejsa Lau,

Both the W5a and the Z33 should certainly be able of doing 1280x1024 on the VGA output. If they aren't... it is most likely a driver issue. The resolution used on the VGA out is independent of what the notebook's lcd is showing.

I do remember another guy having problems with the VGA out on the W5a though. Do a search on this forum and you will find it. I don't remember if he was ever able to resolve it. But either way - it should be a driver issue as any notebook can show a res of 1280x1024 on an external monitor (provided the ext. monitor supports the res!).

 

Wow, its gone from no Z33 discussion to ALL Z33 discussion! Woot!

So, seems that everyone loves this notebook (as do I, my laptop money burning a hole in my pocket); are there any shortcomings? *****s in its otherwise perfect performance? By the time I actually put my credit card to the test, my expectations will be so high I might expect it to levitate out of the box.

>edit< Oh, that is funny. The word c h i n k as in "blank" in the armor, is censored. Sorry!

 

"glitches" probably would have been a better word...[ ]

ASUS M6800Ne, P-M 715 (Dothan 1.5), 512MB Ram, Toshiba Combo drive, Samsung Spinpoint M 40G HDD with 8M cache, Mobility Radeon 9700

 

Honestly, any other meaning had not even occured to me. I live in the Bay Area, for darned sake! I am PC to the gills!

No offence would ever be meant or implication suggested.

Now, back to our regularly programmed geekiness (if that is a word).

 

I left a Z33a on all day yesterday looping a dvd....... the system wasn't hot, and the hard drive actually seemed cooled than it would be on my M5np after running all day.

I didn't think the system needed improving, but it got it anyway.

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

 

Oh my LOL
Guys i was Joking about the eggs. I was just being sarcastic. Dont have a cow. I am on m5n now. There is no heat under the plam rest. Using WD drive.

Eddie
www.Geared2Play.com
Tech Spot
4422 Ave. N
Brooklyn, NY, 11234