help choose my asus notebook

i've narrowed my choices down to the w3v, z70v, and the z71v. My main uses for the notebook are the following:

1.) web browsing / aim
2.) photoshop (i would like it to run that without a sweat)
3.) gaming that would at most be n64 roms

I'm not sure how the weight of the notebook would affect me. I'm a high school student but I'm also a part time college student and I would be taking my notebook to college twice a week. Besides that, I would only be taking my notebook to a different room in my house occasionally. The notebook needs to last me a few years. Since I'm not used to using notebooks I'm not sure how the heat will affect me but I wouldn't want it to be that hot. Oh, and I like the looks of the w3v and z70v but thats not top priority.

 

Definitely go with the W3v.

It's glossy screen will serve you well with Photoshop... the colours will definitely be more virbant. Plus, since you will be moving it around quite a bit, the weight of the W3v will be easier on you than any of the other choices...

and of course, it's very well featured.

 

thanks for the quick reply . The only concerns I have with the w3v are the heat issue and the limit of options for it but the latter isnt too much of a problem.

 

The heat issue really isn't too big of a deal...people usually blow it out of proportion. I would think that the V6v has more heat issues since it's thinner...

Good luck with your purchase. The W3v is a beautiful notebook!

 

thank you very much Aurora. any other input? how well would it handle my moderate gaming needs that i said above?

 

i like the z70v or z70va (if u're willing to wait) better for u. doesnt seem like u'll be moving around that much out of the house and its still definitely carryable. also the bigger screen should make things like movies and stuff more enjoyable. its also cheaper if that's an issue.

 

my max price is $2000 maybe a couple hundred more if need be but I wouldn't want anything pricier than that.

 

I admit the Z70v(a) would be good due to its resolution... but the W3v has a nice glossy screen which would make colours and gaming/movies slightly more enjoyable..

if word processing was the main usage, then I'd reccomend the Z70, but as far I've heard, I still think the W3v would be better..

the X600 radeon in the W3v should easily handle your ROMs

 

The gaming will be fine. I play Empire Earth II with medium settings, and Half Life 2 works good with them on low. ATI x600 and a standred 512MB Ram shouldn't steer you wrong. Espceially for light gaming.

 

You are not really limited by the W3V since we can totally customize it for you. I would say max out your RAM so that you can handle CS2. I know how hard it is to run with 512. You can also use your student ID to get 3% off on the unit.

 

i think if i were to get a w3v, i wouldn't get it customized at all and i would stick with the asus warrenty...but thats just what im thinking of doing if i were to get a w3v, its not finalized.

 

i've got a w3v, check my review if interested, i'm very happy with it.

 

thanks joey, i've read your review before and it was one of the reasons why im very interested in this notebook. can anyone who has a w3v or any notebook with a similar screen tell me how it is on your eyes (like if the smaller screen size will affect you when using it for prolonged periods of time) thanks :asus:

 

I am currently on my W3V currently and have been for the past few hours. Screen size doesnt bug me at all, in fact it's the perfect fit for size/mobility and viewing capabilities. Plus the heat issue doesnt bother me at all, I've been around other laptops that are worse. I think some people are more sesitive to it or something.

 

thanks for all your help and now after my own research im leaning towards the w3v just because it seems so outstanding and its slightly more portable and smaller

any other input? / are there any other deals that give discounts for students?

 

Get the Z70v i think its a much nicer machine than the w3v and the w3v really isnt as light as it should be.

 

this may seem slightly off topic, but have any of you tried using the second hard drive kit? if so, how does it perform?

 

I have the Z63a (same size and screen as the W3v) and I think it's great. I'm very happy with the 14" screen, it doesn't really seem like a "small" screen when you use it. Some people can't stand the glare-type screen, but I don't really mind it. I don't think I would pay a huge amount extra for it, if I were given the option, but the colors look good and I don't find the reflections distracting at all. There isn't a huge difference in weight between the W3v and the 270, but the footprint of the notebook is smaller, and to me at least it seems much more portable.

I think your best bet would be to try and see the notebooks in person, since the differece between these two notebooks seems to come down to personal preference.