ASUS U30JC-A1 13.3-Inch Laptop (Silver) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)To set the context: I have a two year old Dell desktop, a 4 year old Dell Latitude D400 (12" screen with INtel Pentium M), and a 1 year old Dell Mini 9" (Intel Atom). Like many, I no longer use my desktop, and the D400 was getting a bit long in the tooth. The Mini I found useful for taking on travel but was agonizingly slow for daily use with a very cramped keyboard. Even the D400 choked on multiple websites on occasion and multitasking was a chore. Of course, neither laptop had discrete graphics.
This new laptop has changed everything. To be fair, I would probably be raving about the better experience on any current laptop compared to the older Latitude. However, I really do think the U30JC, even though it's under $1000, is on the cutting edge. It sports Intel's new Core i3, the successor to the Core 2 Duos (still around at good deals), and Nvidia discrete graphics. Critically, Nvidia's Optimus allows for seamless switching to the integrated graphics when power saving is an issue.
I have not really taxed the computer yet and I will update the review down the road with thoughts on more heavy duty performance and battery life issues. But I imagine a number of folks are considering this model and would find initial thoughts helpful.
1) The build quality is very nice. The brushed metallic exterior and lack of plastic except on the screen bezel minimizes fingerprints. Very solid and looks great.
2) I prefer matte screens but the glossy screen in regular indoor conditions is great. I can see this be annoying in very bright light, however. Definition and video quality are leagues better than what I'm used to or have seen before in sub-$1000 laptops.
3) Performance is awesome on my limited trials. Hulu, youtube, multiple websites, quicken, windows media player. Everything pops up so quickly and the platform has no issue with lots and lots of multitasking. No stuttering, no lagging.
4) I really like the programmability and adjustability of everything. For example, maybe this is a Win 7 feature, but I really like the ability to assign "hibernate" to the power button.
5) This is definitely not a thin and light ultraportable. It's a bit heavier than my D400 and bulkier because of the bigger screen. I am still going to travel on work with the Dell Mini. It would be OK for students but I think it's too big (and performance overkill anyway) for most business travelers. I am viewing this as a desktop replacement and because I'm not going to be using this as my primary movie viewer or gaming platform, I really think 13" is where I want to be at.
6) Battery life seems to be excellent. I have not put a video on endless loop to max out the battery (and you can read technical reviews that are now popping up). HOwever, just having the laptop idling and using it periodically throughout the day, it was lasting a looong time.
7) I am not a huge fan of the chiclet keyboard and prefer the regular keyboards with more travel and contours. However, I can see that this would be easier to clean and it's not a bad typing experience. I don't find the layout strange in any way.
8) I really hate touchpads (one reason why I stuck with Dell and its pointing stick). I found this touchpad hard to use and not uniformly sensitive, especially on the left side. This could be a slightly fiddly unit or could be my lack of experience. In any event, I am going to use a mouse. (Lack of integrated bluetooth on this laptop is a demerit).
9) very quiet, didn't run very hot in my limited testing.
I found the whole Asus package to be stripped down and bare bones, which I actually liked. I didn't think there was a ton of bloatware compared to other companies. The box was very small and spartan and there is no manual (it's on the desktop). Some of the built-in Asus utilities are not fully explained. Most of the Intel/Nvidia and random stickers come off easily to provide a very clean, elegant look.
Overall, I believe now (and will update with additional thoughts) that this is a spectacular value. Yes, there are things that I would like changed, but I am very happy with the machine standing alone and then compared to the price point, it's awesome.
Update: After a few weeks of usage, I definitely affirm my initial positive review. This went on a coast to coast business trip. Battery life was phenomenal (I still haven't fully drained but it was lasting for hours off the cord when just doing basic businessy-web stuff). Traveled very well and was not as heavy to lug around as I expected. (although it is slightly heavier than it appears).
One of my keys popped out (my fault) and so I had my first encounter with Asus support. The support was fine and they are shipping me a new keyboard under warranty. So I am satisfied with my limited interaction with Asus US support. Speaking of the keyboard, I still am not in love with it. The chiclets slightly squeak sometimes and the limited travel does take some getting used to. But I can imagine some folks would prefer this kind of layout (very similar to Macbook).
Having the optical drive definitely came in handy for installing some software.
Finally, the glossy screen has turned out to be less annoying than I anticipated. Almost all of my usage has been indoors and not in bright sunlight. I would not recommend writing a novel in a sunny coffee shop, however.
The balance of this (performance, value, battery) is really perfect for me.
Update 2 (May 28 2010):
One slightly disconcerting development that I post so that others can be aware. In general, I almost always hibernate my laptop. On certain occasions, when awakening, the screen does not power on and the cooling fan starts blowing very hard. I press power for several seconds to shut down. When powered back on, most of the time it actually comes back to the hibernation point (in a few times, it did a hard reset).
I have seen this comment from a couple of other people. It does not appear to affect functionality.
The other slightly annoying thing is that sometimes the screen flickers for a second... especially at the beginning of a computing session.
My only slightly educated guess is both of these issues are related to the growing pains of Optimus and switching between the GPUs. Probably needs to be a driver update in the future.

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Optimized Performance for up to 9.5 hours of Unplugged Mobility The sleek 13.3-inch U30Jc has incredible features that go far beyond the capabilities of standard entertainment notebooks. Start smart with it\'s all new Intel® Core™ i3 processor thatis smarter and faster with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology for enhanced multitasking.Plus, the U30Jc features NVIDIA® GeForce™ graphics with NVIDIA Optimus™ Technology that seamlessly transitions between powerful NVIDIA graphics and Intel embedded graphics to give you smart visual performance or battery-savings when you need it. At less than 4.5-pounds and only 1.5-inches thin, its unique and lightweight design makes it easy to carry anywhere you go. With full HD playback capability and HDMI connectivity, you can easily enjoy the big screen experience on any HDMI-ready HDTV or home theater setup. Here are a few more reasons why you should be consider the ASUS U30Jc as your next mobile warrior notebook:


Key Features
Up to 9.5 hours of battery life for all-day unplugged freedom1 (Learn more)
The new Intel Core i3-350M dual core processor gives you smarter multitasking performance(Learn more)
Thin and light design only 1.5-inches thin and dressed in brushed aluminum for on-the-go portability (Learn more)
13.3-inch HD LED-backlit widescreen for crisp visuals that don\'t compromise battery life (Learn more)
NVIDIA GeForce 310M Graphics 512MB DDR3 VRAM delivers great HD entertainment performance(Learn more)
NVIDIA Optimus Technology automatically and seamlessly transitions between powerful NVIDIA graphics and energy-efficient Intel onboard HD Graphics to suit the task at hand(Learn more)
4GB DDR3 RAM for increased multitasking speed (Learn more)
High-speed wireless N networking (802.11 b/g/n @ 2.4GHz) (Learn more)
SuperMulti DVD drive to enjoy your favorite movies where you want (Learn more)
HDMI output for easily streaming HD video and audio to a compatible HDTV or external display (Learn more)
Altec Lansing speakers with SRS Premium Sound for resounding acoustics (Learn more)
Multi-touch trackpad lets you intuitively navigate through web pages, documents, and pictures (Learn more)
Chiclet keyboard for increased typing precision and comfort (Learn more)
Express Gate for instant access to internet, music, Skype, and more in seconds
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit for a faster and more reliable operating system (Learn more)
Eco-friendly EPEATand Energy Star certified
2 year global warranty and 1 year Accidental Damage Warranty (Learn more)

Learn More
Latest in Mobile Graphics Technology
Achieve More, for Longer
Compact and Brilliantly Crafted
The Next Generation of Intel Processors
The Complete Multimedia Package
Increased Productivity
ASUS Makes Your Windows 7 Experience Better
ASUS 360 –Comprehensive Care Package Included
Relax, You\'re Covered With ASUS Accidental Damage Warranty
What's in the Box The entire U30Jc-A1 package contains a warranty information card, notebook, AC Adapter, and 8-cell battery pack
U30Jc-A1
AC Adapter
8-cell Battery Pack
Warranty Information Card
Specifications
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Display: 13.3-inch LED-backlit HD display (1366 x 768)
CPU: Intel Core i3-350M Dual Core Processor (2.26 GHz)
Graphics: NVIDIA Optimus-Enabled: NVIDIA GeForce 310M with 512MB DDR3 VRAM + Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD
Wireless Data Network: 802.11 b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz)
LAN: 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
Memory: 4GB DDR3-1066 DRAM (up to 4GB)
Storage: 320GB 5400RPM hard drive
Optical Disc Drive: DVD Super Multi Double Layer
Camera: 0.3 Megapixel
Speakers: Altec Lansing speakers with SRS premium sound
Microphone: Digital Array Microphone
Card Reader: : 1 x 5-in-1 card reader (SD/MMC/MMC+/MS/XD)
Input/ Output: 1 x HDMI output,1 x Headphone-out jack (S/PDIF support),1 x Microphone-in jack,1 x VGA port/ Mini D-sub 15-pin for external monitor,1 x RJ-45 LAN Jack,3 x USB 2.0 ports
Battery: 8 cell 5600mAh battery (Up to 9.5 Hours)
Dimensions: 13.12 x 9.52 x 0.8 ~ 1.2 –inches (W x D x H)
Weight: 4.8 lbs with 8 cell battery
Color: Silver *GeForce 310M compared to Intel Integrated GM45 1Estimated maximum battery life test was done in ASUS Power4Gear battery saving mode with Mobile Mark 2007. Actual battery life may vary based on product settings, usage patterns and environmental conditions. 2 For notebooks purchased on or after Sept. 10, 2007. The ASUS 360 Notebook Service Program and Accidental Damage Warranty covers "ASUS" brand notebooks only, and does NOT extend to: "Built on ASUS," "ASMobile," "Powered by ASUS," the Eee PC, or some other models. These retailers are currently among the companies that do NOT participate in the ASUS 360 Notebook Service Program and Accidental Damage Warranty: Best Buy, MicroCenter, and The Source by CircuitCity in Canada. Limit of one claim per notebook for Accidental Damage Warranty. ASUS reserves the right to discontinue this program and to modify the terms and conditions thereof at any time. ASUS Accidental Damage Warranty Program starts from the date of your ASUS notebook purchase, when all the requirements are met. 3 One incident covered per notebook. 4 Rated number 1 PC brand according to SquareTrade, the leading direct-to-consumer warranty company (for more information visit http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/laptop-reliability-1109/ ). All specifications and terms are subject to change without notice. Please check with your supplier for exact offers on selected models.Products may not be available in all markets. Product may not be exactly as shown in images. Celeron, Celeron Inside, Centrino, Centrino Inside, Core Inside, Intel, Intel Logo, Intel Atom, Intel Atom Inside, Intel Core, Intel Inside, Intel Inside Logo, Intel Viiv, Intel vPro, Itanium, Itanium Inside, Pentium, Pentium Inside, Viiv Inside, vPro Inside, Xeon, and Xeon Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. † Internet access required. Free TV content varies by geography. Some content may require additional fees.

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