A8Js - Owner's Lounge

Welcome. This has been done for other models in the past, and since there have been lots of good questions/replies floating around in a dozen or so other threads, it makes sense to have our Q&A's all in one place.

I recieved my A8Js a few days ago from Eddie at geared2play, and I'm very happy with it so far. I'm in the process of writting a review for NBR, so hopefully that will be up soon.

Anyway, for interested buyers, here are the system specs for the North American Asus A8Js:

Primary Specs
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 2.0ghz 64bit 4mb cache
OS: Microsoft® Windows® XP Pro
Chipset: Intel 945pm
Memory: 1024MB DDR2-667 memory (1gbx1)
Display: 14" WXGA+ (1440x900) Colorshine Glossy
GFX Card: NVIDIA GeForce Go 7700 512mb dedicated
Hard Drive: 100gb 5400rpm 8mb SATA Hitachi
Optical Drive: DVD/RW 8x Super Multi dvd burner
Dimensions: 13.2" x 9.7" x 1.37-1.46"
Weight: 5.4 lbs.
Warranty: 2-year limited global hardware warranty

Networking:
Intel® High Definition Audio MDC Fax/Modem 10/100 Base T
Pass and support worldwide regulation
Integrated 802.11a/b/g

I/O Interface:
1 x VGA port/Mini D-sub 15-pin for external monitor
1 x Headphone-out jack (SPDIF)
1 x Microphone-in jack
1 x RJ11 Modem jack for phone line
1 x RJ45 LAN Jack for LAN insert
5 x USB 2.0 ports, 1x IEEE 1394 port
1 x TV Out (S-Video composite)
1 x Express Card
1 x SIR-115.2Kbps supported
1 x Infrared Port
1 x DVI Port
Card Reader: SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO

Other Specs
Audio: Built-in Intel® High Definition Audio compliant audio chip,
Built-in speaker and microphone
Battery Pack & Life: 6-cell 4800mAh battery pack 4hours max
AC Adapter: Output: 19 V DC, 3.42 A, 90W
Input: 100— 240V AC, 50/60Hz universal
1-year battery pack warranty



Benchmarks - Stock Drivers/Install


Super-Pi (2 million): 1 min. 3 sec.

PCmark05: 4872

3Dmark05: 4237

3Dmark06: 2664
sm2.0: 1051
hdr/sm3.0: 949
cpu: 1688

Super-Pi (2 million): 1 min. 3 sec.

PCmark05: 4872

SisSoft Sandra Tests
cpu dhrystone: 18323
cpu whetstone: 12630
cpu integer x4: 109626
cpu floating x4: 59358
RAM bandwidth integer: 3735 mb/s
RAM bandwidth float: 3760 mb/s

Everest Mem Test
Read: 4840 mb/s
Write: 1538 mb/s
LAtency: 101.2 ns

HD Tune
min: 14.8 mb/s
max: 41.2 mb/s
avg: 31.6 mb/s
accrss time: 17.8 ms
Burst rate: 82.8 mb/s



Pre-installed according to add/remove programs

adobe reader 7.0
asus instantfun
asus live update
asus MiVo messenger
Asus MultiFrame
Asus splendid video enhancement technology
Asus_a_series_screensaver
asusdvd
ATK media
ATK0100 ACPI Utility
High Definity Audio Driver Package - KB888111
intel(r) proset/wireless software
lifeframe2
livereg (symantec corp)
liveupdate 2.5 (symantec corporation)
motorola SM56 speakerphone modem
nero oem
net4switch
norton internet security 2005 (symantec corp)
NVIDIA drivers
power4gear
powerforphone
realtek PCIE NIC Driver
skype 2.0
SMSC IrCC v5.1.3600.9
SoundMax
Synaptics pointing device driver
winflash
wireless console 2



There you have it. I will be adding additional information to this OP has it comes up and people have more specific questions.

 

Good post.

 

what is a intel core 2 duo t7200 2.0ghz equivalent in p4 ht.
is it like a 4.0ghz p4ht or 8.0ghz p4 ht since its intel core 2 duo?

 

November 1st ...
So close and yet so far ... !

 

Can't wait for the review

 

I'm sure how much faster/slower the C2D is from P4's, anyone know?

I'll try to post some initial imprerssions soon before the review.

EDIT: Couple quick comments:

1) I was complaining in another thread about the screen quality. Actually, now that I've used this things for less than 2-days my CRT moniter looks blurry and bad by comparison! The A8Js screen has a little light leakage, but it is VERY crisp and bright. Mediocre viewing angles tho.

2) Stock 3Dmark score was a little over 4200. Running some other benchmarks later today.

Ask away w/ questions.

 

Still waiting on mine, will take pictures as soon as I get it

 

It would be equivalent to approximately a 3.5-3.8ghz P4.

 

Mines on a train, should be here on halloween

 

I'd just like to add my own opinions so far:

I mentioned in another thread that I find the trackpad sort of "sticky". (Keep in mind though, that this is my first laptop, so I am not comfortable with the trackpad in general anyways. I am quite happy using the Logitech/Asus wired optical mouse instead.)

I also mentioned that my tab key clicks a little louder than others. Not really noticeable, but a bit annoying when I pay attention to it. I think that it has sort of "broken in" now... so perhaps its a non-issue.

The provided carrying case is mediocre IMHO. It does it's job of carrying the laptop, but I feel the padding could be better. Also, there isn't much room for anything else. Assuming you bring the AC adapter and mouse, space is quite limited. There are three compartments in total; the last one is quite tight.

Vertical viewing angle is quite poor. It's quite noticeable when I have to open the lid further in order to see black properly.

My final point is actually a question, too. I recently noticed that the DVD drive beeps (faintly) when it starts to read. (I am not sure if this happens all the time, but I've noticed it quite often...) I guess my question is to other A8Js owners: do you notice a similar beeping? Or to notebook owners in general: is beeping "normal"? Or should I be concerned?

That's all for now...
Oh, but I realize that I've only mentioned my complaints!
So far I am very happy with my purchase. Keep in mind though, that this is my first notebook, so there's a big novelty and convenience factor. Also, the desktop I am moving from is quite old (AMD Athlon 750MHz, 640 MB SDRAM, GeForce2 MX400) so it's a pretty big improvement in the first place...

 

Oh, and I feel kind of foolish for not waiting until after Oct 26 in order to be eligible for the Vista upgrade down the road...

 

Hi everyone! I'm another proud owner of an A8js, so I thought I'd stop in and chat a bit about this little machine.

I've had it for a day now, been using it on and off, mostly just trying to get it to talk to my desktop through an ad-hoc wireless network since I have a wireless PCI card, but no router (yet).

So far, my first impressions is that this is a well-built machine. Feels solidly built, no creaks or flexes. But maybe that's just because I'm really ginger with it since it's a pretty expensive toy.

Still running the pre-installed Windows setup, will probably get around to reformatting and repartitioning the hard drive in the next few days as time allows. So far though, machine has been snappy and responsive. Plays high-defintion H.264 movie files better than my desktop (AMD Athlon XP 2400+ w/ ATI X700).

As for the screen... well that'll take some getting used to. I love the WxGA+ resolution of 1440 x 900. The font size is just a teensy bit small, but I love the screen area that I'm able to get out of such a compact package. The hardest thing is the viewing angles. The optimum viewing position is what feels like a very small arc horizontally and vertically. No real measurements but my friend and I watched a movie on the screen and we both found it hard to find a good sweet spot where blacks and dark colours in movies looked right. Ghosting is a small issue as well, a little noticeable but not too distracting. Light leakage is there, especially at the bottom of the screen, but again, it's not terribly distracting. If it is, then you're probably watching a boring movie

I recall reading a few complaints about the speakers on this lappy, but I can honestly say that they're not that bad! If they're quiet, then odds are the source is quiet. I've had a few videos that sounded very quiet on this machine, but most of my music collection comes out really loud. The speakers are also able to sound better if the laptop is resting on a table, so that the sound can reflect better towards your ears. The quality isn't stellar, but I wouldn't expect much more from such tiny speakers.

So far, I'm liking this machine. It's my first laptop so I don't have a prior basis to compare it to, and I haven't tried gaming on this machine yet, but I've been pleased with this Asus offering.

EDIT: I started out with the trackpad feeling kinda stick and rough as well -- really hard to glide on -- but after a day's worth of usage, I can say that it's really smooth and easy to use now. Maybe it's like seasoning a cast-iron pan -- you need your hand oils to fill up the rough spots of the trackpad so it gets smooth

 

Heya. I'm really interested in buying the A8Js, but the deal about the light leakage kind of scares me, as I just returned my first laptop (an FSC Amilo Xi 1546) cause the light leakage at the bottom was just so annoying. Like a huge white arc - in my eyes at least.

Now, would it be possible for those owners that noticed the light leakage to actually take a picture of it? It would be very much appreciated!

Enjoy your new lappy!

 

thanks for the reviews, has anyone got their pics ready yet? Also I'd love to see 1440x900 vs 1280x800 or 768 to see how much of a difference it is.

 

re: light leakage

I went to best buy and looked at an acer 14" wide. It had a fair amount of light leakage, like my A8Js.

I have my background on black.

Go check it out. For these glossy type screens, it appears to me that 14" screens have inherently "more light leakage" than compared to 15" or 17" screens. Also, the bigger the screen, the better the viewing angles?

 

The light leakage is definitly noticable against a black background, but I've gotten used to it. The monitor seems nice otherwise (so-so view angles), so I'm not to bothered by it.

 

1.) Which resolution gives larger font size, 1440x900 or 1280x800?

2.) The security features states that it has bios booting and harddrive password protection, can anyone expain these features in detail?
and what is harddrive lock?
If the harddrive is removed, is it completly locked unless a password is given?

 

peekaboom

i wouldnt even worry about whether its ok to you or not.

I would get a digital camera and take a picture of the screen in a dark room and show it to us so we can tell you whether its a defect and you should return it or not.

You know you have no idea so why not take advantage of free help

ill be back with an edit of a link to this forum and an example.

 

Hi stamar have you got your A8Js?

 

I believe 1280 x 800 would give the larger font size. The physical screen area is the same, but the lower resolution would result in larger pixels, so for a font with the same pixel dimensions on both displays, it would look bigger on the lower resolution screen.

I'm much too afraid to try the security features

 

I know the Asus A8Js has a Express Card slot, but what type is it? Is it the 3#mm (can't remember the exact number) or the 54mm one? Thanks. Also, for those of you who bought the lappy from Btotech, what software was bundled with the laptop, other than OS?

 

Also, is it worth the money in extending the warrenty? How about the accidental damage warrenty (its $200 to cover both LCD/battery and notebook)???

 

no I mailed a payment to btotech last monday and a mail mix up has occurred.

Im pretty sure eddie has my payment, Im pretty sure Ill have it this week . But somehow 3 days mailing became a week so um, 5 day shipping from brooklyn might take longer .

lol Im going crazy about it myself because I thought Id have it like um, 2 days from now at the latest. But I dont know how long its going to take.

Right now Im going to try and upgrade shipping because I want it this week.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=55929&highlight=light+leakeage


heres a random example ok.

Im sorry the previous asus owners didnt get into this, showing the other owners their screens so they can all see what looks correct.

But were going to start doing it now. Just too big an investment not to have it work right. When I get mine Ill take pictures.

YOU need to take pictures of your asus machine to make sure it is functioning correctly. Your opinion doesnt matter that much. We need to see some of the screens to see if some have leakage some dont.

Not a description that does nobody any good.

 

The express card slot should be the same as the A8Jm, allowing you to use both 54 mm and 34 mm cards.

 

Same thing happened to me with milestonepc.com I mailed my payment to the old location so now it's taking longer then usual. The wait is killing me, I check my email about every hour to see if Danny has recieved my payment. I'm pretty sure I'll have the A8Js by next week. Hopefully

 

that is a weird coincidence kit

In this case I should have talked to eddie about how he receives mail at his store becuase theres some sort of gate where the usps cant deliver unless they are open.

I would have put up the $23 to western union it if I knew this could happen. Small price to pay I thought it would have been more.

anyhow as far as i know mine ships tommorow and it will be here 5 days or less if i can get it to 3 days because its worth it to get it by friday for me.

 

You guys don't like credit cards?

-Ryan

 

I don't have one, just turned 18 last month, I should go apply for one soon though.

 

I'll post some screen shots tonight. Its not as bad as the dell in that post its getting there. The "light" isn't as concentrated in the bottom, but the light spreads across the entire screen in a bit of a gradient.

What's the protocol for getting this fixed? I'm assuming I go through Asus's warranty process if I decide to get it fixed. Can they just replace the screen or do they replace the whole unit. I spent forever getting this beast set up and I'd hate to do that all over again.

Screen issue aside, I really like this unit.

 

No, I'd much rather have a photo where the auto-exposure winds the gain up past the threshold of pain, resulting in a photo where the entire screen is light gray and the areas affected by leakage are white. Virtually every image I've seen of light leakage taken in a darkened room has the disclaimer along the lines of, "It isn't actually as bad as this," leaving the reader to make an entirely subjective decision.

A poorly taken photo is just as useful as a subjective opinion of the reviewer.

 

Im not certain actually peekaboom

In the dell case they actually mail you an lcd

well we have a difference of opinion tedj. It is just my opinion though.

I get very little from people describing their lcd screens. People describe their s96j screen as perfect and the w2j screen as dim but its rated at 40 nits brighter. Clear and beautiful. I mean someone talks about their lcd here in this format and its in one ear out the other.

admittedly even pictures have a high margin of error but that at least shows me something.

I have absolutely no idea what peekaboom is talking about describing his screen, not even a clue and hes posted about it six times.

 

Go to the bank and open a checking account. You evidently had the cash to purchase the laptop. They will give you a debit card usually with a visa or mastercard logo on it. You can use them like a credit card if you need to. They never charge you any money for it nowdays. Unless you are dumb enough to spend money that you don't have. Which is really not a good idea for anyone.

 

Just placed my order with btotech.com today. The purchasing experience was pleasant and I'm very excited to get my new A8Js. I'm eager to hear anymore impressions or new owners comments on this (hopefully) great laptop. Pics are always great too.

 

A review's been posted on the main site...

 

My thoughts on my new A8Js:

Small for the power it has
Fast
Incredibly loud DVD drive, that thing sounds like a semi truck firing up in my laptop. Also the DVD is some off brand cheapo...hardly what I expect for a premium priced notebook.
Big problem: The leading edge is SHARP, I sit slightly below my laptop and rest my wrists on the laptop, and its sharp...I'm going to get rashes from this, it already hurts after less than an hour on here
Poorly built--this will be argued, but I actually feel concerned hauling this around with me. My old Dell 9300 was a beast, I never once feared man handling that thing. I can make the screen ripple relatively easily, and with the old Dell you couldn't make the screen ripple with significant effort.
Not asthetically pleasing as it should be for the cost...
FN key on the wrong side

In summary:

I would have bought the 15.4" Inspiron 6400 over this, if the Inspiron came with an X1600 or better video card.

I am satisfied with this laptop, but very far from impressed.

 

I started a light leakage thread. Look for that.

Also, I've noticed that the DVD unit is pretty freakin loud too. Doesn't bother me too much though. I haven't thought that this unit was particularly poorly built. It is a lot nicer than many other mainstream offerings I've seen lately, but definitly no business class or W series.

I think it looks pretty good, and I'm definitly diggin' on the touchpad.

There are a few ergonomic issues that I have. Nothing major, but the DVD drive is a little clumsy to open and the latch button for the lid isn't the nicest thing. Keyboard is pretty quiet (though not silent) with just a tinge of flex in the top middle, although you have to be staring at the keys to notice it.

Tried out the SD card reader, worked as advertised. Played the FEAR and PREY demo's last night too, very nice, great performance.

 

This post is a bit disconcerting. I have used a Dell Inspiron 9300 and 6000 and felt both were cheaply made. The plastic on the Inspirons has a very cheap texture and feel to it. Is the A8Js this same type of plastic?

People's taste in aesthetics will vary greatly, I find the A8Js to be a fairly attractive laptop albeit a little plain. Is it a Macbook Pro? Nope, but it isn't a total eyesore either.

 

The Dell's plastic LOOKS cheap, I agree. But I quickly realized that LOOK as it may, its tough as nails.

Also...I agree peekaboom, I forgot to mention the piece of crap latch mechanism. It's just a total pain to open...

 

The screen sits down well, the button is just a little tricky to push, its very thin and slightly recessed. Same as with the DVD open button, a little tucked down and small.

My only other build quality complaint is that the screen hinges aren't very stable. They don't feel "weak" but if the table the laptop is sitting on jiggles a bit the screen will bob around. I've seen this on other people's laptops, its not really a big problem though.

One has to keep in mind that this laptop has excellent specs for the price. The downside is that the screen and build quality took a hit. It's thin and light, but has short battery life.

Few benchmarks w/ STOCK DRIVERS:

Super-PI (2million): 1min 3sec
3Dmark05: 4237
PCmark05: 4872

HDTune
min: 14.8 mb/s
max: 41.2 mb/s
avg: 31.6 mb/s
access: 17.8 ms
burst: 82.8 mb/s
CPU usage: 3.1%

Everest Memory Test:
read: 4840 mb/s
write: 1538 mb/s
latency: 101.2ns

 

I agree with you. Excluding Dell and their deals, the A8Js is a good bargain based on what you get for the price. Corners have to be cut somewhere, and Asus chose to cut the chassis quality and aesthetics. I am on a budget and have a hard time spending extra money on a (slightly) lower powered machine with better looks and feel (the W3j).

 

Are you sure your expectations weren't a little high? Justin from ProPortable has explained in a few threads that is this a middle of the road laptop and not to expect high end quality.

I'll reserve judgement for when mine arrives, hopefully I am more satisfied than you seem to be.

 

I was actually expecting a worse build quality, so I'm totally happy with this machine, and my gripes are pretty minor IMHO. Like I said, it isn't a "w" series or some other business build, but compared to other lappy's in this range, its pretty nice.

 

I agree with you on the inspiron e1505 and e1705

It is large and bulky, but light meaning theres a lot of air in it. Made of GI joe toy plastic.

However, it is very durable. not fragile. Again, it has some fisher price in it. So I see your point about cheap and durable and expensive and fragile.

the inspiron line is tough, it has the road worthy test to it and there is some truth to it. The latitude doesnt have that insignia....

I made the same point in an earlier thread.

However to me the a8jm seems extremely durable so I dont see your point there.

 

the DVD drive is loud as all hell.

 

stamar I see your A8Js was shipped, still waiting on mine don't even know if milestonepc got my payment yet...

 

Yes thanks.

I got a free upgrade ( as far as I know eddie didnt ask me to pay him but we talked about what it would cost) to 3 day shipping so it should be here this week.
Good luck with yours.
I used postal money orders and i was one day from canceling them and just sending it western union.
Ask danny what you should do. Is it priotity mailed? Because heres what we had to do kin, I had to tell eddie the tracking number and he went to the post office.
your letter is probably in the post office in toronto is what im saying.
You can ask me advice on this in pm your situation almost sounds like mine.

 

My A8js Just came in this afternoon, i booted it up and at this moment im attempting to reformat it with clean install of XP with less crap.

Anyone think about removing the stickers on the palm rests?

 

Bdc84

Notice much light leakage from the bottom of the screen? Try checking in normal or dark lighting and across the range of screen brightness settings.

Let us know