small w7j review

keyboard feels good, didn't i describe it? no flex IMHO.
screen doesn't distort.

good point actually. its kind of a mix. hard to describe. i might say some kind of light metalic looking plastic. it has no mirror effect, but is a bit shiny. never touch the outside with greasy fingers, leaves good visible remains, more than it would on a matte surface.

 

It just got sweeter.

 

I just got my W7J 2 days ago...didnt like the shiny screen but decided it's too hard to try and sell it so I m going to keep it.

I dont have many benchmarks since I dont know what everyone is interested in but I just ran Super Pi to 2 Million accuracy and the best I was able to get was
1 Minute and 21 Seconds

This is with the standard package, no tweaking, all unneccesarry programs and services are still running.

You will get significantly worse if you put it on battery savings mode etc. and I don't see any dynamic switching option ...

The battery life on battery savings mode looks like it will last just about 3 hours, and on max performance seems like 2 hours or less. It takes quite a while to charge the battery.. I haven't timed it yet, but it seemed like it took at least 2 hours to charge it from 50% to 100%. Again, this is just an estimate, I didn't time it.. but it seemed slow to me. I remember that my Inspiron used to charge faster.. but the battery got very hot on that. The battery barely got warm on the W7J.

This is based on running the laptop on Max Battery mode:

The fan on this laptop is very nice.. it pretty much runs all the time that you're actually doing something other than typing an e-mail.. it blows very hot air, so it makes me wonder if it should be spinning faster!... but the underside of the laptop stays quite cool. I can barely feel any warmth on the underside right now, but the plamrests do get somewhat warm! It's not too uncomfortable though, but it would've been nice if they didn't get warm at all. One more thing I noticed odd about the fan.. when you move the laptop while it's on, the fan starts making a humming noise.. only while the laptop is in relatively fast motion. If you pick it up really fast, or put it down on something without being extremely gentle you will also hear the fan scrape.. makes me wonder a bit just how sturdy the inside components are. The outside build quality and feel in my hands feels quite sturdy, but the fan seems flimsy. I guess Asus did not intent for his laptop to be moved around while it's on..

The finish of the laptop is a smooth type of material, unlike my old Inspiron 8200, so all your fingerprints will remain on it, and your hands will feel very sticky on the palmrests (not very practical)

My worst complaint so far is the TouchPad.. I don't know what Asus was thinking but the material the touchpad is made of is the same as the rest of the laptop!... Smooth finished.. so it is very hard to use it. My finger will not glide on this thing properly unless it's completely dry.. which can't be the case for long because the palmrests will warm up your hand and make it all sticky.. Looks like bluetooth mouse is a must unless your have particularly dry fingers. I'm quite disappointed that Asus didn't use the traditional material that touchpads are made of.. They went for the looks instead of function.. One other thing about the Touchpad that is annoying to me is the stupid blue light between the buttons. Why do you need a blue light there? It's just distracting and I hope to figure out a way to turn it off soon.

I know some of you asked how the keyboard is.. any flex.. Well I don't feel any, the keyboard is quite sturdy..and fairly quiet. The right shift is very small though, but other than that I got used to it almost immediately, so I'd give it a 9/10.

I'd also like to add a note on the screen. I got mine from MilestonePC and the first one I saw had quite a lot of light leakage which was immediately noticeable.. I tried another, and it also had leakage, a more uniform pattern but was still quite annoying.. The 3rd one I tried had the least of all, and doesn't bother me at all.

Another thing to note on the screen, both the left and right corners are darkened.. Since the corners don't get used much it's not a problem though, but at this price I would've expected a evenly lit screen. Only if you're using a white background you will see this, and also if you have a window open that is white close to the corner, you'll notice it starts to get darker towards the corner. Not fun if you're trying to design some web graphics but if you do, just stay away from the corners.
Lastly, in battery savings mode the screen times out afer 1 minute.. and I have yet to find a way to get the screen to turn back on other than closing the lid, having it go into standby, and then turning it on again. I'm going to try some different power settings and see if it helps.

Small things: I've only used it for 4 hours now. the first 2 hours were uneventful, but this last 2 hours, the machine has periodically frozen for about 3-4 seconds about 4 times. I keep typing and nothing shows up, the mouse doesn't move etc. A few seconds later everything resumes and what I typed quickly shows up.. at least it doesn't freeze completely but this doesn't seem good so far.. I think it may require a fresh XP copy and some tweaking.

 

Thanks for the short review. Looks like i'll be leaning towards the Sony SZ.

 

i THink your bring hard on the W7. also the W7 has no light leakage this is what you are seeing.

For all those new W7j owners out there, the first thing many of you may notice in the a little card on the keyboard explaining what this "V-Cut" is all about and sort of a disclaimer for those who think they have "light leakage". Basically, the card reads:

"This Notebook PC incorporates the new V-Cut technology, which is becoming more popular in Notebook display panels. V-Cut technology utilized prisms to decrease weight, increase brightness, and lower power consumption. Under some background settings and usage environments, the sides of the display panel will appear brighter than other areas."

What this means is not that it has light leakage or that it is ok, but rather the sides can be brighter in those same situations you may see light leakage and not to confuse the two. Although this it's focused on with this model, I can't really tell much of a difference between this and say the W3j of the W5f, although both of those screens did change a little bit with the core duo revisions.... but for a 13" display, the W7's is certainly sweet, especially for those that have seen and love the W3's display. Imagine just a 3/4" smaller, but the same resolution - so just a hair sharper.

 

Yeah, if the sony SZ with led backlighting was even remotely close in pricing, i'd choose it over the asus but at $1499 US...it's pretty hard to beat =D

 

I hate the keyboard on the SZ have you guys tried it? its horrible.

 

Wow! Is there anything you liked about this computer? Overall out of 100, what did you think of this computer?


Get ready justin! You should be getting some more questions and concerns after this new review!

 

the w3j and w5f are great machines. THis falls inbetween im sure its a great machine as well. not sure what that guys is talking about with charging. charging a laptop battery takes like 3.5 hours. and for the hands feel sticky on palm rest just dont sweat. I appreciate a good review but things like that are pointless to mention. it just brings concerns that arent even concerns. now the lCD quality is am important point. It may not be light leakage but i can see it bothering some people, as well at the battery life.

 

carcal_to- I'd like to see how you like (or dislike) any other laptops, such as the sony SZ, or the macbook. I don't know how "fast" you're moving the laptop when the fan scrapes, but I don't think your hard drive likes it better than the fan. It's best to be nice to it, just because your HD spins so fast, on a tiny little spindle.

How "very hot" is the air coming out of the vent? burn you when you hold your hand there?

Also your freeze-ups seem to be more software than hardware. Like something's maxing out your processors for a while. It's happened to me a few times, just when I'm running processor-intensive tasks. I don't know if you could attribute those effects to the notebook. Blame microsoft!

Also, I'd like to see how battery life improves if you run it on dynamic switching with RMClock, or something else like NHC. Also, can you underclock the GPU for heat? See if that can improve battery life too. I think power4gear is something of a ridiculous program... it affords minimal control over system parameters, and I just uninstall it, and use RMClock and speedfan to control system speed and fan speed.

 

Oops/ Duplicate post.

 

40C isn't bad at all. That's probably like a 48-50C CPU temp then. Maybe you should call asus support about the fan... seems like it might not be secured well. Or, the fan motor isn't supporting the rotor very well. If I owned it, and it did that, I'd crack it open and see what the matter was. But I'm a tweaker, and I'm not afraid of breaking things, which I do a lot. I'm just not afraid of it. That's too bad about speedfan not working. I'm not sure how powerstrip works, but I'm pretty familiar with RMClock. Sad thing is, the lowest voltage that a duo can support natively is .950V... but I suppose the speedstepping is more advanced than the old dothans.

 

caracal_to, i totally agree with you on the touchpad. the surface makes it pretty hard to use. but i dont have that fan issue you do.

 

I can't say anything about the Sony SZ or the Macbook.. I've only seen them at the store but the price was so high I didn't even try them out... I've only had a Inspiron 8200 and another very old 12" before. I'm sure I wouldn't like the macbook just from the reviews I read.. Anything that gets that hot that you can't hold it on your laptop is totally useless to me. I need this laptop almost entirely to use on my Lap while on the move.

It would not burn your hand no, but it was hot.. I just used a temp probe and go 40 degrees celcius.. I guess that's not too bad? I've never measured other laptop's exhaust.

I am always very nice to my laptop.. I always put it down very carefully and am very careful with it. I heard the scraping/humming just by moving it around the house.. I didn't discover this problem by abusing it.

I installed SpeedFan but it didn't detect any fans? I guess it's not compatible? I will try PowerStrip, that can underclock right? and I'll get RMClock too and see how it goes.

As for the other poster who asked if there's anything I like about it... There are things I definitely like about it. It looks great that's for sure, and it's very light, and the battery/underside doesnt burn like my old Inspiron, the Asus software is working perfectly so far.. I think with some tweaks, wireless mouse, and maybe getting that fan fixed if there really is something wrong with it, it's a sweet laptop..

And for the screen I think you're right, it's not light leakage, but that's what it looks like.. and some of them had it more than others. One I saw had it only on the right side of the screen but not on the left, regardless of the angle.. and the corners are also dark regardless of the angle, and only the bottom corners. It's still very usable, it just would've been nicer if the bottom corners weren't like that. I will post the pic of it as best as I can with the camera.. but if you see a W7J you know what I mean.. all the ones I saw were the same. I looked for that problem on a few laptops at future shop and I couldn't find that problem on any other one. Anyway I can learn to live with it

 

What does the touchpad surface feel like?

 

its the same surface as the finish of the rest of the notebook. its a smooth surface but somewhat sticky.

 

Does this really comprimise the use of the touchpad?

Can you increase the touchpad sensitivity and press more lightly?

Can you still use the touchpad with accuracy?

Would on of these help?

 

lol that glove probably would not work.

yes you can increase the sensitivity and it does make it easier. i alson find using the side of my thumb is much more effective than a finger. i dont want to turn anyone off from getting one. it does get easier with every uswe but my initial impression of it was that it was hard to use.

 

Yep, same surface.. It's a really flat surface with no pores.. like say a shiny computer desk... Try to glide your finger on your desk for a while and you'll see how it starts getting sticky.

My guess is they tried to make it look good by blending in the touchpad with the rest of the laptop.. thing is it's totally unfunctional, and I'd rather have function than good looks... I still look at the touchpad and just think, "There must be some kind of mistake, how could this be possible.."

or "Maybe Asus will find a way to replace it with a different surface.." but it looks like it's not replaceable... I would sure love to see Asus come up with a replacement for it though...

I'm really not a fan of the pointy stick thing on the Thinkpads at all, but in this case, if this laptop had it, I'd be using it happily.

I know about being a tweaker, I'm a tweaker myself.. Thing is once you open it I think you lose your Asus warranty.. don't wanna do that!... It's probably impossible to get another fan like the one inside yourself.. I'd rather let Asus do it for free

Update:

I JUST Increased the sensitivity and it helps a LOT! It just might be what I was looking for.

About the glove thing.. I actually did that.. but I wrapped some TP around my finger as a glove

 

Sounds like problem solved... Is it still an issue???

 

dont use speedfan. It can cause your pc to freeze up. just use centrino hardware control. 40C is nothing for a centrino. thats actually low. Power strip isnt needed either. you can use centrino hardware control to downclock your GPU. i havent never tried it with nvidia chip though only ATI.

 

Quick question....

seems that mousepad is a real pain in the @$$ to use, with that sticky(once wet/sweaty) surface.

I was wondering if something of a mousepad "protector" could be of use? like... you know how some glass surfaces come with this vinyl type see-through protectant layer. Usually found on like... alarm clock surfaces, watches, etc etc.

Could one of these be applied to the mousepad? (wondering)

----Also.... someone mentioned Power4Gear being useless... but i thought Power4Gear was the only way to step down the CPU consumption (to reduce battery and heat), and to slow down the fans.

I know for the fans, speedfan exists (but i hear its not trustworthy..), but for the CPU, what else could you use to drop it to 0.9 ?

 

Can We Get Some More Pictures Pleeeaaasse!!!

 

no, there is no protective layer over the mousepad. the stickyness is jsut inherent of the finish of the laptop.

power4gear is useful and will step down the cpu when using the battery (not in ac mode) but there are other programs which can do this, like NHC and the like so you are not forced to use it although i find power4gear useful.

 

It's much better, I have no problem moving the mouse now

 

Good stuff... Glad I could help

 

Can We Get Some Different Pictures Pleeeaaasse!!!

 

quality of pictures arent great, im using my phone. if you want a partciular shot... request it.

 

Hi,

Was just curious, if anyone got the mouse and bag in bundle... Is the mouse cordless? bluetooth? Is the bag a notebook sleeve + a bag? or is it a proper notebook bag?
Would it be possible to have pictures?

Thanks

 

the North American version doesnt get the bluetooth mouse or the carrying bag.

 

Thanks for the new pic's... How big was the desktop screen behind the W7J in the last picture?

I don't suppose you could get any pictures next to a 12, 14, 15.4" lappy?

Thanks for the effort. Much appreciated!

 

the panel back there is a 20.1" from dell.

sorry i dont have any other laptops to compare to on me.

heres the best comparisson i can do.

 

Thats an awesome pic!! It really gives some perspective.

BTW, where do you get the weather, calendar and whatever else desktop apps from?

 

its yahoo widgets.

i am using the stock weather program, MultiNewsReader (rss feeds from sites), and Month Calendar.

 

Actually, I would love to see the W7J put up against a 14.1" widescreen notebook.

I have narrowed it down to the W7J or the IBM Z61t (14.1"), but would still consider the W3J. The IBM's higher resolution screen (WXGA+) is the big attraction for me, but I'd love to see the size difference between that and the W7J.

On paper, doesn't look like much, but looks like it's one of those things that can only be understood in person.

 

Please also comment on battery life (wifi on, bluetooth off, screen at half brightness, internet usage) when you get a chance.

 

from what I've read about w7j, its either both wifi and bluetooth are on, or both off, its controlled by the same button on top left of laptop

 

Yes but software in windows can do differently.

 

yea jdkbx is running linux....so thats why he cant turn off each separately but maybe carcal_to or linsook could give it a shot...turning wifi on and bluetooth off

basically battery life is the only thing holding me back...if the w7j can get around 3 hours just surfing/word with wifi on and bluetooth off id get it

edit: whoops my bad....yea jdkbx, not linsook, was the one running linux

 

just to clear up some confusion. i (jdkbx) was running linux. judging from the screenshots and the review im assuming linsook is not.

 

I hope that if you can turn off blue tooth, turn the screen down for indoor use and also underclock the GPU, 3 hours should be attainable. Now we need someone to try that out =D

 

ya, we can selectively turn off either wifi or bluetooth or both with a tray application thats installed.

 

battery test....battery test....battery test...

...haha no peer pressure

 

3 hours on stock 6 cell should be very attainable. I'm curious what batt life is with 9 cell, bluetooth off wifi on, half bright screen.

I hope it's at least 4.5 hours.

 

doing battery test on battery saving mode in power4gear.

Start Time: 3:50 p.m. EST
CPU Clock: 1Ghz
Brightness: 13% (2nd level)
WIFI: On
Bluetooth: Off
Use: websurf, email, chat.

 

i doubt you got the clockspeed right. from what i know, and experienced myself this cpu is limited to stay between 1000~1833MHz. (in my case it was 996MHz-1.83GHz).
specs are here.

 

ya you're right. its 1 ghz, but in system is says 365

 

Well, everything was going well on my W7J until today...
I set up a bios password, which I have used hundreds of times, .. and just what I was afraid of happened..

It boots and the password doesn't work.. The HDD one goes through but the BIOS refuses... I'm 100% of what I put in,.. yet it doesn't work..

Can anyone try to set up a password and see if theirs works? (Or do they dare to now that I said this) I had lower/upper case in my pass but I dont think that matters.

Really sucks to be locked out.. first time it ever happened to me.

 

i'll do it in a minute, almost done testing battery...


ok i'm done testing.

Start Time: 3:50 p.m. EST
CPU Clock: 1 GHz
Brightness: 13% (2nd level)
WIFI: On
Bluetooth: Off
Use: websurf, email, chat.
End Time: 6:44 p.m. EST

Just 6 minutes under 3 hours...

 

password enabled in bios, set on always, works fine for me.