A8Js - Owner's Lounge

I've read most of the posts on these pages and recently bought a a8js, of the 24p variety. I don't mind the screen. It's not awesome but it's...fine. It is the CMO version.

Most of the criticism I've read did not end up bothering me, the speakers, ok the function key is weird. But to me the killer is the trackpad.

It has no tactile feel and is virtually useless to me. The buttons require too much force and only on the corners. Plus because it's so flat it's hard to tell where you are on the pad without looking.

SO, my question is...what are the chances I can replace this trackpad? Greater than 0%? I'm willing to try just about anything. At this point I'm near permanently attaching a mouse...which is sad because I prefer my old Dell trackpad to a mouse. This one from asus looks cool, but is just plain bad.

 

The track pad is not that bad once you get used to it...anything new need some time.

 

My A8JS-4034P did not come with Bluetooth enabled...Do you guys think I can have Asus install the Bluetooth into my laptop? Will this void the warrantee?

 

Hi all, i also have a A8js and overall i'm quite happy with it.
But theres this things that bugs me a lot... the screen. For what I've read here I'm not alone on this.

I'm used to some higher quality screens namely LaCie and Eizo screens and this screen is just utter crap in lack of better words. Theres light leakage, theres not a point where the light is even on the screen and the whites are more yellow than anything else. Not to mention that it seems like theres a layer or crystallized sugar on top of the screen that distorts the pixels if you bob your head....

Anyhow, i didn't come here just to speak out my rage (although it felt nice), but to try to find out a solution.

After a few minutes searching i've come accross a couple of brands.
One that caught my eye was this LTN141WD that hopefully will be A LOT better.
So my question is, has anyone knows if this panel will be a direct fit for this laptop, mounting points and plugs wise, and the general quallity.
This was the only screen i found that had 1440x900 in a 14.1in wide package, and from a somewhat good brand.

Thanks for any help!

 

You can install the module yourself. Not sure if itll void the warrenty or not though.

I just placed an order for the module a few days ago.

 

I, too, would like to know the answer to this question as well. I didn't think the screen would be that big of a deal at first, but whenever I change position (ie sit back in my chair, or sit up), I have to readjust my screen.

If not that screen, then another recommendation would be excellent!

Also, changing the screen voids your warranty, am I correct?

 

Where did you buy the module? And do you have any instruction how to install it?

 

I bought it on the Asus estore website, but it hasnt arrived yet...

Theres a video in a thread on how to install it on an A8Js, made by geared2play

 

Here's the link: Asus A8Js Internal Bluetooth Installation Instructions

 

It would be safe to assume that if you need warranty service, you'd have to swap screens again. I don't think it would be much of a pain to do this, and I'm sure this screen would work.

But I have read that no 14.1" screens are great. Anyone know how good/bad this Samsung screen is? Maybe it's not worth changing. On another thread someone changed the screen with an LG model, which I think he said was only a small improvement.

[Edit] I found a great resource on the dell site with a large table:

http://www.dellcommunity.com/suppor...ssage.id=156762&view=by_date_ascending&page=1

It is a chart with 4 different recent models of 1440x900 LCD screens: the LG, Samsung, AUO, and CMO. All 4 show problems ranging from "worst ever" to "just usable"...although it seems the AUO fares the worst. It looks like replacing the a8js LCD screen could get you a little better, but not a great 1440x900 screen.

 

well that is an organized chart.

I remember when I bought my computer here in the dell forum on nbr the owners had decided the lg screen was the very worst and the auo screen was the best.

Because theres only one sample I am going to make the assumption that cmo makes the best 1440 x 900. The same one someone says is the worst screen ever here in the asus forum.

Just goes to show you what they know or what they base it on. larger screens have better viewing angles.

Yes the LG screen someone changed his auo screen to, many many d620 owners did the opposite. At the time the auo screen was the newest thing on the market and made the other two look terrible.

Samsung screens always leak light ( like auo) lg are dim and sparkly. Dell likes to do it like this, if someone is weird about light leakage they get a lg replacement and if they cant read it they get a samsung replacement. They use 4 because people are ridiculous.

 

Wow thanks payback...you got me exactly where I wanted to go. Just placed an order today...the video make it seem very easy to install.

 

Glad I could help.

 

Hi all,

I'm sure this will be a simple question, but a search found nothing and 92 pages is a lot of posts to go through, so here goes.

What is the difference between the A8Js 4S024C, and the 4S013P. I'm guessing one has Bluetooth, Vista, and a larger harddrive? It's a little confusing to tell by the NCIX website ( www.ncix.com) -where I'd be ordering from. Any clarification is appreciated!

 

I have 013, and it did not come with Bluetooth or Vista (purchased Nov 2006). It has a 100GB harddrive. I hope that helps at least a little...!

 

Thanks, jwyc... I just got off the phone with the retailer, and they just haven't taken the 013P off the website yet. I was confused as to how it was more expensive than the new model (024C) that comes with Vista, Bluetooth, and a bigger harddrive!

 

Howdie folks!

My thanks to this message board for making my decision a bit easier, there are plenty impressions to gather from all these notebook owners...

Well, I'm sitting in Australia and ordered the only version available here, with integrated BT, the good gloss screen (it's just fantastic, and I've seen quite some others before) and 120 GB 5400rpm HDD. I also added 1GB more RAM. Now I just got 2 questions left:

1. Is there any way to manage the sound-output, other than over the windows internals? Shouldn't there be some kind of SoundMAX program allowing you to setup an equalizer, the digital output etc.?

2. My machine came with Vista Home Pro, but I kicked that off it pretty soon and am now happy running XP SP2. I'd like to have both OSes running though, but I can't do that because Vista comes on the recovery DVD and will just overwrite my XP installation. Installing XP after Vista has proven impossible to me.
Is there a way to extract a normal installation of Vista of the recovery DVD?

Thx a lot!

matt.

 

1. I do see a SoundMAX program in my add/remove programs list... What is this for? and how do I access it? (I do not see it in my Start menu)

2. I am interested in this question as well... apparently Moduslink (the upgrade provider) is not allowing 32-bit xpp owners to upgrade to 64-bit vista business due to "technical conflicts". However, wouldn't we be fine if we perform a clean install?

Also, does anybody recall whether or not 32-bit xpp was supposed to be restricted to 32-bit vista upgrade all along (i.e. over the past 5 months)? I seem to recall that we would have the option to upgrade to 64-bit, and I am quite sure that they changed the table on the following page at some point over the past 5 months: http://event.asus.com/vistaupgrade/

Please reply with any thoughts or comments about this issue...

 

How do those things do with Oblivian? Did anything break on you yet?

I am not too sure about that "512MB" 7700 GPU. From what I have read here, the 7700 does not have the bandwidth to support it. But it still seems to be a decent gfx card.

I am just wondering how a bunch of actual uses feel it does on current games, and how it is holding up.

How are you guys managing with that control key issue? Is it something that you can get used to? Is there a way to re-set the value of those keys?

 

I too remember that we were able to go to x64 Vista Business from XP Pro. I have got my order cancelled because of that, and since the upgrade site is down i dont have a phone number to call them. I sent them a email to see if they can explain it to me why this has changed.

 

Hi all,
I am new here, just wondering if I add 2nd memory to the laptop, will it make the Dual Channel feature work?
thanks

 

yes it will get pc 5300

The performance increase is almost nothing.

 

Hi all,

Just wanted to get in on this thread by announcing that I picked up a new A8Js last weekend, and yesterday picked up another 1GB memory.

I am loving every moment with this machine, but having trouble to balance the wife/laptop demand issue. I can't understand why the wife says "I'm over here" and m,y response is usually "And I'm over here with my new baby". She then gets mad. Oh well, she'll get over it.

Kidding aside, I love this machine. No complaints so far.

 

It performs quite well, though I expected a bit more of it.

WoW runs absolutly smooth (1440x900), well, not really a surprise.
BF2142 runs very well, too (1440x900) with 2xAA and almost every option on high. Though if you put everything on high you'll experience that the machine just peaked it's performance. I did not try to overclock the graphics card yet, that might resolve that issue.
HL2 runs perfectly fine in 1440x900, so does Flatout2. C&C3 runs well, too, though it seems to be a bit unsmooth when you scroll around the battlefield.
UT2004 is just a pleasure to play, with everything on very high in 1440x900 and absolute smooth gaming. It actually looks really good like this - I never saw it like that before, but the colors and the leveldesign just stand out on the highres glossscreen. And even with 24 bots it does not seem to be stressed out at all.

Quake 4 runs very good in 1024x768, couldn't find a way to get it to 1440x900 yet. It still looks fantastic, the screen interpolates the resolution very convincingly. Q4 runs with 'ultra realistic' settings and smooth as.

The only downside so far is NFS Carbon, which somehow has by far the least performance of all listed games. And it looks much worse than Flatout2, so I guess it's just crappy EA programming. However, it made me put quite some options on medium or even low to make it run smooth (in 1024x768). It still hangs here and there, but you kinda get used to it.

Overall the machine performs really good, though I expected a bit more from the core2due/nv7700 combination. I thought BF2142 would just run very good with all options on, but it does not. NFS shows the same 'problem', but here I guess it's more the code.
And it loads quite a bit slower than my mates 2 year old Dell desktop, so the harddrive can't be too good, too. Will probably look for a 7200rpm drive soon.

Hope I could help and I also hope that someone could help me with my questions -)

matt.

 

Oh and - how can I get the bluetooth stack to be DEaktivated from the startup? I have to push the button for it every time...is there a better way? Couldn't find something about it in the options.

 

I believe the only solution is to install the wireless console software. This allows for the bluetooth and/or wireless to be deactivated when you start windows.

 

I also like it disabled, so I disabled the BT driver in device manager. Now it is always off. To turn it back on I guess I'd have to reenable the driver and restart.

 

Hi all, first off, I want to thank everyone who posted in this forum section, lots of good info if you're thinking of getting a good laptop.

A few days ago I got my A8js and must say I'm very happy with it so far, it’s the A8JS-4S024C model, with vista pre-installed and 2gb ram. The screen is very good, no lightleakage what so ever. I'll be dual booting this thing in the near future, because vista doesn’t support some off the programmes I use.
If people are interested in benchmarks just let me know, I'll be running 3dmark06 today to find the right driver for the Go7700. I'll start off with the stock drivers and will upgrade to the laptopvideo2go ones.

Stock drivers gave me the following scores in the windows experience index:

Processor: 4.9
Memory: 4.5
Graphics (aero): 4.8
Gaming graphics: 4.8
Primary HD: 4.5

maximum score is 5.9, so I was impressed with these scores for a laptop

 

As far as I know the best score is 5.0. I had 4.9 for everything but RAM, there it was a 4.5.

 

no 5.9 is max , if you press, what do these numbers mean? you are send to the help file, which says: The base scores currently range from 1 to 5.9. But still, I'm impressed.

 

Sounds like our wives might be sisters.

 

Ordered my A8Js yesterday and should get it tomorrow.

How are S.T.A.L.K.E.R and Supreme Commander?

 

um
supreme commander is not any good imo

stalker i havent tried yet but everyone is positive on that one

 

I installed vista ultimate the other day, and after installing all the drivers i pressed the instant fun buttom. Lo and behold, it opens opens up windows media center. Kinda cool IMO. As is the new atkosd2. Very pretty, that one.

 

I mean how do they run.. =)

How do S.T.A.L.K.E.R and Supreme Commander run on the A8Js?

What are the graphics drivers that give the best 3dmark scores and fps's in games?

 

Glad to hear you like it. Just something i recently read on Anandtech

[..]ASUS does better, offering a standard two-year warranty, and after registering your notebook (within the first 90 days after purchase) you get an additional one-year warranty bringing the total to three years. This two (or three) year global warranty comes standard on all ASUS notebooks starting in 2006, and it's difficult to complain about a three-year standard warranty. The cost of this warranty is already included in the price of any ASUS notebook, so while they may cost a bit more than roughly equivalent models from other companies, once you factor in the need to purchase an extended warranty for most other laptop manufacturers, the final price is about the same as what ASUS is charging.[...]
http://www.anandtech.com/printarticle.aspx?i=2899
In case you didnt know of it (like me) or had forgotten

 

Are you implying that the extended warranty (if registered within 90 days from purchase) if free-of-charge?

Because thats how I understood it.

 

Wow, didn't know about that warranty thing, thanks. I did actually register my notebook last Saturday (well within the 90 days), but didn't get any info on that additional year from the asus site. It sound pretty good to me, since I live in the Netherlands and bought this laptop in the US (they don’t sell the Js here). The 2 year International warranty was already a big plus, any free extra's are welcome .

Do you know if there is some kind of countdown thing on the asus site if you registered? For instance, when I log in with my dell on the dell website I can see the days of warranty and support I have left, does asus have such a thing on their support site? Because I haven’t found it yet.

 

Well, i only know as much as you. Anandtech usually know what they are talking about, so i don't think it costs extra no.

 

Is bluetooth supposed to automatically enable as the computer boots up? I just install a bluetooth module and it automatically enable upon bootup.

 

Try to find an application called wireless console 2 on the asus site, it was pre-installed on my js, mine had wifi and bluetooth pre-installed as well. With this app, you can switch both on and off, or just one of them. Ones you switch it off it will be off until you switch it on again, even when rebooted.

 

My thoughts about the A8Js.

Notebook: Great, if id get the chance to use it. Asus should have provided a driver cd for win xp also. Found out that they didnt after installation of win xp. No LAN drivers --> no network --> no drivers --> no life.

Vista: The biggest mistake ever. Never should have installed it. Buggy as hell. No program supports it. Poor driver support and the last straw was that it didnt let me save my excel sheet --> have to start from scratch and after that it said " you do not have permission to shut down this computer" LOL. Back to Winxp forever. Peace out.

 

It would be nice if they let us download the driver discs. I have this XP disc and would prefer the Vista disc [Wanna trade?]

IMO Vista is just a learning curve right now. There should be settings, drivers, and programs to allow you to do what you need. If not, it should just be a matter of time, patience, and reading. In the end I think Vista will be worth the effort...although maybe it will be in 2008.

The reason I installed Vista first is that I don't want to have to redo the system again as Vista gets more mature. I am willing to fight through it for now as everything I really need is working so far.

 

All the necessary drivers is in the included ASUS driver cd included with your purchase. If you didn't recieve one, you should call up asus...

 

The driver cd that came with the notebook is only compatible with vista and the OS provided with the notebook is vista, so there was no mistake on that part. I would have hoped for a cd that contained drivers for vista and xp.

 

Did you buy the a8js which came with vista preinstalled? That is probably the reason why your driver cd only came with vista software. My a8js came with windows xp pro and it has all the drivers i need. ASUS should have included one driver cd for vista and one for XP or include both on one cd. The driver cd is not needed, you can find all of the latest drivers on their website. The worst thing about their website is that it takes forever to download something, they need a faster network.

 

Yup, he's right... I'm one of the ones who took forever to download the individual drivers from the website...trust me, it's worth every minute. The satisfaction you get from finally installing XP and removing Vista is (insert superlative here)

i just want to know... if i remove the recovery partition.. lets say by 'accident' would i be able to one day ask them to put it back on my HDD at the service centre?

 

guys... i find a dimmer patch on the centre bottom of my lcd screen of my a8js.... the spot just appears to be somewhat dimmer than its left or right... i wonder if i'm paranoid, and the spot goes away when i tilt to look at the screen differently...theres no Bright Dots, dead pixels and such... just that the patch is usually there when i look at the screen from my favoured position... Is this what's known as the 'viewing angle' problem? or is there something wrong with the LCD panel?

 

thats light leakage.

 

So, if you get Vista pre-installled, you still have to install 'drivers?' Like video card drivers and stuff?