ASUS U36S Review: Better Than A MacBook Pro? Discussion

The ASUS U36S is a 13.3-inch ultraportable featuring a magnesium-aluminum chassis that weighs just 3.1 lbs. At just 0.75" thin and with over 8 hours of battery life, could this laptop be one of this year’s best buys? Here's a tip: Keep reading if you are thinking about buying a MacBook Pro for Christmas.

Read the full content of this Article: ASUS U36S Review: Better Than A MacBook Pro?

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Dear notebook manufacturers:

Please stop skimping on the screens and give us small, high-density panels.

Otherwise we're pretty much forced to buy Macbooks.

Hugs n' Kisses...

-mykie

 

ASUS basically hit a home run with this notebook, I'm very impressed with its quality and design. Finally a U-series notebook that stands out.

To make it a grand slam, ASUS could have:
-Used an anti-glare screen
-Used two touchpad buttons instead of the one bar and made it the same metal alloy as the rest of the chassis (and also made the button action a bit quieter)
-Used an anti-glare screen bezel instead of the dreaded glossy plastic

On the wish list, a 1600x900 screen, but I believe only the Sony Z is offering a higher-than 1366x768 on less than a 14". So it's an unreasonable expectation. A backlit keyboard would be nice too.

 

I think the Asus UX31 may also use a 1600x900 screen. when it emerges, it may overlap quite a bit with the U36S' market since they're both aimed to people who want thin, light, and long battery life.

 

Yeah there is definitely overlap with the UX31, but besides the form factor differences, the U36SD has a dedicated graphics card (nvidia GT520M) where the UX will be Intel HD3000 and higher res. There are two new U36SD models on the horizon, the -DH51 with an i5 2430M and the -XH71 with an i7 2620M.

 

shrunken right shift key.... no......................

i wonder why Asus don't change this keyboard layout..

 

It's a common theme across asus layouts. On the UX series they seem to have a full size right shift, but where the delete key should be at the very top right is the power button, of all things...

 

Not a bad notebook, some design aspects I really do not like though... especially those hinges, they look like they won't last.

 

I've just discovered the Sony VAIO S series, which is 13.3" 1600x900:
Screen Size 11" - 13.3" | Sony | Sony Store USA
And it has a backlit keyboard and magnesium shell.

Looks really good.

 

Charles, could you comment on the hinges of the Asus U36S? Are they metal as well? Are they sturdy?

 

looks nice but I think I'd rather wait for the 14" Samsung Series 7 Chronos. Higher resolution and larger screen in the same size chassis.

 

My sister got one of them. Also it has LED backlit "matte" display too. She couldn't be happier!


--

 

The hinges seemed sturdy. To test, I grab the hinge and try to pull it away from the chassis to see how much it moves. Business notebook hinges are sturdier but I think these should be fine.

 

Yes, I have the Sony Vaio SA laptop with the matt 1600x900 screen (and the backlit keyboard, all standard by the way!) and I love it, the Asus has very good graphics but so does the Sony, I wish someone would do a review like this for the SA.

Anyhoo, if the Asus had the better screen resolution and matt I would have been torn! Seems like a good laptop.

 

Asus U36SD better than Macbook Pro? No, the screen (contrast, brightness, blacklevels, gamut) and touchpad don't come near Macbook Pro standards.

VAIO SA? mediocre screen too. The only Sony 13" with a high quality screen is the Z.

Maybe Samsung series 7 will have a good screen. Or Asus UX31. I sure hope so because I'm not an OS X fan.

 

I was very exicted about the Series 7, until they let it out that the graphics on the 14" model is going to be the AMD Radeon HD 6490M, not the 6750M in the 15.6" model

 

Better than a MacBook Pro? That is such link bait.

1. Resolution needs a bump.
2. People buy MacBook Pro's because they are buying into the Apple ecosystem and MacOS X.

If you wanted Windows, chances are you are not buying a MacBook Pro to begin with.

 

i like the fact it has dedicated graphics and no optical drive.

my only concern is Optimus and Linux............. if i install linux on this what will happen?

will the nvidia gpu get ignored, or will it always run the nvidia gpu?

i could live with the latter, but not the former.

 

@REMF, you can either disable the NVIDIA gpu in the BIOS or use either of two software solutions which are still experimental. If you do nothing, the NVIDIA card will run at full speed and drain your power, but you won't be able to use it. I posted more details in another post, so I won't repost all that here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/7961255-post4.html

 

Doesn't look too bad ... MBP having a nicer screen could be a problem for some though.

Overall a fairly good machine, it looks.

Not sure if I would buy one if I had $ to spend, though. Might consider it, but....

 

does anyone know where you can get the U36SD in the UK?

 

many thanks

seems like a nvidia solution is no good for me.

 

regarding the touchpad buttons, with one pass of my fingers (and maybe a few toes) i could count the amount of times i've pressed the touchpad buttons on my notebook in the last year. tap or 3 finger tap for right click... it's just wasted space IMO, but still if they're going to include it, should be done right i agree...

 

Not even a competitor for a MacBook Pro, let alone better.
No optical drive, just one USB port & a lesser screen.

Its a heavier alternative to the MacBook Air, which still has a better screen & more ports.

 

one? it has three.

screen is lesser, but specs and size wise, its in between MBP and MBA

 

Is this better than the Portege r835 from toshiba?

 

That I'm not sure of, I haven't reviewed/seen it in person. LAPTOP mag seems to like it a lot though. Looks like a great notebook on paper.

 

With the laptop being $699. It's a no brainer

 

Awesome price ... that really is a no-brainer. Thanks for posting the deal. You are more than welcome to post it in the deal forum as well.

 

OP: Gee... You bill this notebook against the MBP, but then you don't include the latter in the benchmarks. What are you doing?

 

The price in the USA is ok but elsewhere no and it is not a Crapple competitor.....

People buy Crapples either for media work or for the "look" and closed Apple system.

The Asus only takes max 4gb RAM so anything media is pretty much stuffed plus the input/output ports are no good for video/audio etc...

I've asked the good fairies for a lightweight Clevo then we are talking.......

Meanwhile I'll stick with my bigger Clevo

 

I bought this little fellow (worked with big desktop replacements before) for travel/working and I'm very impressed with its quality and design. but the right Shift key as mentioned...

 

can you all owners can state any overheating issues ?
is the fan speeding even when computer is idle ? is it cool when just surfing the internet ?
thank you all for answering, i'll probably get this one since it's into my budget.

 

Just a quick question: Is the weight 3.11 lbs or 3.7? The review says 3.11 with battery, but sales sites all say 3.7. Big difference... Thanks

 

Title should be "Better Value Than A MacBook Pro"

 

During normal use I've never seen the fans turn on, but since it's winter right now, I can't guarantee it for the summer.

After using it for a few months, I believe this computer is not better than a 13" macbook pro in terms of details, but it is the closer I've seen in terms of battery life and general quality.

The only thing I really miss from my old macbook is the backlit keyboard (and obviously, OS X), but I'm quite happy with it, in terms of value for money I'd score it above a 13" macbook