So far... the M570TU is the superior machine to the M860TU?

Well... I posted this earlier but some weird error message popped up when I posted it and apparently all it processed was the title .

Basically the post said: based on the information that's been revealed so far, such as HDD heat issues with the M860TU, do you guys think that the M570TU is a better "overall" machine? I mean, both of them are geared toward "gaming" specifically, and also other high end tasks, but I asked myself: would I really want a slightly less heavy/bulky laptop for the price of a weaker design?

The information so far may be from fluke machines, but there've been 5 or so now users complaining about high HDD heat, right?

The M860TU is only 1.5lb lighter. If you're specifically searching for a "gaming" machine, why not just get a 17" with a superior build quality and seemingly greater "upgradeability?" The M860TU is barely more portable and I found out by asking some people that laptops are hardly useful in college classes because of pace (I guess it depends on the class though) so taking an even remotely "gaming" style laptop to class would be out of place.

I've been going back and forth between these two for a while, but now that I think about all the variables, which are few, the M570TU just seems like the better bet.

Am I being unfair? What do you guys think? Be honest now... is that extra ONE point five lbs really gonna kill your back to transport anywhere?

So can you guys help me out with your reasons for choosing M860TU over the M570TU? If the HDD heat ends up not being an issue, I might head back over to the M860TU side if you guys are convincing enough .

Thanks.

 

17 inch versus 15 inch notebook. I don't think you can really compare the two; of course the larger one with more fans will run cooler?

 

I know that. But I DO want to compare the two. Just saying 15 inch vs 17 inch is vague... I meant to ask, is there really a big enough difference in bulk/weight to warrant considering the M860TU over the M570TU? Really that's the only considerable difference between the two: size. And to me, it's not even that considerable, so that's why I was asking you guys.

Main question: why get a M860TU instead?

Thanks.

 

To start out I want to say that I have owned an Asus desktop replacement 15.4" for about 3 years now. At the time I was going to buy it I had the choice to get the desktop replacement with a P4 desktop processor and great graphics card or a smaller, cooler, more portable and less powerful Asus rig. I opted for the first choice after long debate and haven't looked back. I realize now that fan noise, heat, and weight don't really bother me much. Does it get noisy when I render big things in 3dsMax? Yes. Does it force me to carry a large backpack if I ever need to move it? Yes. But I have never had a time when the extra weight, heat, or fan noise made me regret getting the 15.4" DR instead of the more mainstream notebook with slightly worse features. This is obviously taste, and since the M860TU and M570TU are so similar, its almost like comparing Apples to Apples.

I just purchased a M570TU and can say a few things about this process. My decision was based on my experience from before- I knew that size didn't matter, and that my laptop sat on its pedastool most of the time... and when I needed to move it I could move it without much fuss in a backpack. I knew I wanted a larger screen (lots of typing) and WUXGA. Considering how technology has evolved, the M570TU weighs as much as my old Asus and is slightly wider in size... but is very much more powerful. This was a choice I found easy to make.

As for school, you don't need a laptop for college. I am a CS and Digital Arts major and have been going to school for quite a while... trust me, you don't need to have a laptop for your classes. You might see the other people with the laptops taking notes... but how many of them do you see compared to regular pencils and paper? Notice that most of the people with a PC in class actually do other things than take notes- notably play games, hang out on myspace, or do work for another class.

There are few times that a PC in a classroom actually speeds up note taking, especially when you are talking about high end math and science classes where you will see plenty of strange symbols. The only way to go is with an actual stylus/touch screen notebook (and obviously neither the M570TU or M860TU have this feature). I also found that notes on a computer, if you take lots of computer classes and spend lots of time on your PC as it is, forces you to sit even longer at your desk and stare at your screen. Paper and pencil is a nice break from the screen.

If really do want to take notes in class or multi task, get yourself an ultra portable sub notebook instead. It has everything you need, costs a lot less, and has amazing battery life. My Asus eee1000 with Linux does it just fine (but I use it almost exclusively during my breaks between courses).

To defend the role of the large notebook in a classroom, there are a few applications I found for mine. Taking courses that require you to sit at lab computers doing work on software like photoshop, 3dsmax, maya, etc. found me lugging my desktop replacement to and from the sessions and doing my work completely on my own machine- which has lots of benefits. But even with such applications its fairly easy to see that you could simply use a jump drive instead.

Both the M570TU and M860TU are great machines... but really they aren't that different. The real question isn't over the 1.5lbs (which you will never notice) but weather you want a laptop that is 17" or 15.4" and how willing/able you are to move it around when you have to.

Best luck on your choice, K.
K.

 

Other than size:

- not liking 17" or widescreen displays <- I don't like them, personally
- design/style differences <- I think this is a big reason that people prefer the M860TU
- blu-ray option (is this available on the M570TU? i couldn't find info)

But yeah, fairly similar for the two.

 

price? and battery life.... and size...

i would argue that the m860tu is far superior to the 17inch brother.. even if the 17inch had a 9800m GTX

 

How can you say that you don't like 17" displays?
The M860TU is widescreen anyway, just 15.4" wide, not 17" wide.
They both have blu-ray option, and the drives are easily replaceable anyway.

 

Yeah, I don't like being forced to use widescreen ;( As for the first question: limited space? I'd probably get a smaller one if it wouldn't melt and had the right components.

 

For me the M860TU was:

Lighter
Smaller (marginally)
Longer battery life
Cheaper
And I don't like the orange trim frankly. But that's just me

 

Thanks for the detailed post Kov, it did help a lot and your assumptions seem to be a lot like mine.

Tarentum: 15.4" vs. 17" screen. They're the same resolution and form, the 15.4" is just a smaller version, but still both are widescreen, correct?

Gavinh: you can get silver trim with the M570TU, which is probably what I'd do because I don't care much for the orange/copper trim either.

P.S. I guess the greatest factor is price... Isn't the battery life like 20 or 30 minutes more on the M860TU?

 

I'm sure it can be tweaked and niggled to be more.

I don't think the silver trim is available yet. Also, the M570 just doesn't look as sleek and simple, it has too many lines. I'm a huge fan of plain Jane stuff.

 

As mentioned the M860TU does have slightly better battery life and costs a little cheaper... but again, its really not that big a difference. 30-40min extra battery life? $80 price difference?

I think it was clevo's intention to make two nearly identical models with very similar trim, but with different sizes for verity. Just go with what you think you will need and can deal with.

Its sad to hear that people are having heating issues with the M860TU and I know that at least one person returned theirs... its a nice looking machine. Since it has the same fans as the M570TU I hope that this doesn't translate into my purchase either.


Oh, and good choice on color. I went with the silver myself

K.

 

the 571TU ie, the black and silver trim is now available.

 

I bought the M860TU because I find desk space to be quite limiting in dorms. I need to fit a phone, laptop, printer, and scanner all on one desk, and 15.4" vs. 17" is really not a question for me anymore.

Furthermore, I've used only 14.1" notebooks in the past (dell latitudes, lenovo T61s) and I personally find even the M860TU to be slightly on the big side. 17" is simply too much.

Besides, smaller laptops usually cost more for the same config. However, that doesn't seem to be the case for the M860TU, so I jumped for it. It's the smallest laptop out there that could carry a 9800m GT, and that sealed the deal.