A8Js - Owner's Lounge

Yup, easily scratched. When you say curve up, do you mean towards the roof or towards the screen? if it's toward the roof, you can most likely push it back in to place (the keyboard is, like most laptops, removable).

 

i dont have that, but my F11 is kinda hard to press down...

 

hey A8Js owners can you please make a short list of all the drawbacks you're saying this model has? Is the heat acceptable ? I was wondering if this machine is still actual or should I migrate to a SR like G1s ?!
Thanks.

 

- fn key and ctrl keys swapped
- trackpad poor design / buttons take too much force
- top lid scratches easily
- screen could be better (viewing angle)
- lid opening button not easy to find / use

 

Thanks for making this list for me Kinglerch. I am more concerned with the inner drawbacks thou: heat, noise, performance and so on.. how about the build quality of this model ?

 

Other than what I have on my list, there's nothing I've had problems with.

 

- fn key and ctrl keys swapped: true, but you get used to it;
- trackpad poor design / buttons take too much force: I don't thinkk the trackpad has a poor design; the buttons do take too much force. No problem if using a mouse.
- top lid scratches easily: true, but this occurs in almost every model. I have a hp dv1267 that has a similar lid is also sracthed. It dependes on the care you have with the computer. Scratches will occur in any model.
- screen could be better (viewing angle): actually I believe it's quite good, but then again it seems that it depends on the screen brand. 14' laptops all this type of problem, unless you are comparing with LED screens, which isn't fair.
- lid opening button not easy to find / use: no problem in my case.

My answers to Jaymz questions:
- performance: just great;
- heat/noise: it does get hot, and so the fan is spinning almost from the start. In the default rpm (3200) it generates a bit of noise (I've read post of users that don't complain about this, so it depends on the user). My A8js, in default rpm has a CPU temp of around 40-42. With NHC and the fan working at (2700rpm) I get a temperature of 43-45, ie, 2º/3º more. You can hardly hear it. Bear in mind that you have a powerfull machine in a small package.
- battery life: ok, but it's a 6 cell battery so expect 2h30m or less by default. In my case, with NHC installed, undervolted and with some of the hardware turned off (camera, bluetooth, modem, infrared, wi-fi)I get almost 3hs with normal use. When using the wi-fi I get 10mins less.

 

Thanks a lot Nickie. That was impressive summary of what I wanted to know !

 

Hello there everyone. New forum member here. Believe it or not, this entire thread, which I read the majority of on one long, sleepless evening, convinced me to buy the lovely A8JS that I currently am using to type out this post. I've had it about two weeks, and so far my only beef with the notebook is the rather noisey DVD supermulti, but I guess I can live with that considering all its other good points.

However, I wanted to ask a question, and that's mostly why I joined... I want to buy a spare battery for this machine; the battery that came with it's fine, and everything, I just want to buy a spare. I tried going to a local battery store, and they didn't believe that my A8JS existed till I showed them the machine and its model number.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to find a spare battery? I've been tearing my hair out, trying to find one, and no luck, so far...

Thank you in advance!

 

estore.asus.com

 

After a quick search on my lunch break, I found this battery to be the closest.. http://estore.asus.com/shop/category.asp?catid=498

It's not labeled A8JS directly, but rather A8JM orA8JC..while that's the same series number, With my luck I'd still find a way to buy the wrong battery, so I was wondering if you folks could tell me to the best of your knowledge if that's the right battery? Information on that site seems rather hard to go by.

 

I've also noticed that every once in a while I play some sort of sound/music/video, whether it be a MP3/video file or just a notification sound from my IM program, there is a buzzing sound on the left channel. I would say it does it about 10% of the time, and it doesn't do it the next time I play a sound file. I've tried more than one set of headphones/speakers so I know those aren't at fault (I wouldn't think they would be either.)

Anyone had a problem like this before? And is it more likely for it to be a hardware (mobo) problem, or a software problem (OS or driver)? thanks

 

ExcaliberPC.com sells batteries for the A8Js in addition to Asus. They sell both the standard 6-cell battery as well as an 8-cell (which I've never heard of before.) The batteries are specifically labeled for the A8Js in case you're concerned.

See http://www.excaliberpc.com/parts-cat_id-297.html

 

You know I actually have that battery and I found it to have a lower capacity than the one that came with my a8js.

So its POSSIBLE that a dealer has a better battery than the estore, however mine came from a dealer so I suspect its the exact same thing. Thats just where they get them

 

Are you using vista? I had that problem in vista, with it getting buzzing once in a while, in speakers, built-in speakers and headphones. I didn't have it in XP when I got it, I had it in vista and I don't have it in XP right now. So most likely a driver problem.

 

Yes, I too have the same problem. I just passed it off as a bad speaker (I rarely ever use headphones so I've never noticed it there). I checked and I'm using the latest driver from Asus. Hopefully someone has a solution for this they can share with us.

 

Yup, Vista.

Also it looks like I'm going to have to send my A8Js back to Asus because its ethernet jack is seemingly broken. I installed a new OS since I purchased the system (installed Vista over XP). Will Asus have a problem with this or will I be okay?

 

They might. However, don't expect to have any of your installed programs and whatnot when you get it back. They'll likely reformat it to see if it's a driver issue. Which it might be. You could reinstall XPto verify if it is, in fact a driver issue.

 

They sent me an RMA email today and what it said was a little confusing, telling me to note which parts are still in the laptop and which are removed. (maybe it's for those that are sending in barebones laptops?) I called Asus and I said that I have a "pre-built" laptop that I'm sending in and asked if it's okay to take out the HD in advance and they said yes. I've read conflicting answers on whether it voids the warranty to replace the HD....do you think the person gave me a correct answer or maybe she was confused as to what I was saying?

I find it a bit funny that a company like Asus is so anal about these kind of things....I used to have a Dell 600m and I remember them having me do warranty replacements for the keyboard and hard drive myself! Considering that Asus sells motherboards/videocards/barebone laptops/etc (not directly targeted towards mainstream consumers) and Dell sells computers to practically everyone, I would expect it to be the other way around!

 

Replacing the HDD does not void warranty. Neither does changing RAM. However, send it to them with a HDD, since they can't actually do any work without one. Also, you might get it shipped back without the HDD you send it with (unless that one is the same size as your model had).

 

How bad are the A8s to carry around a lot? I got a W7S since I'm always bringing my notebook around with me, but the power is wanting. I had been using an acer 14.1" so it isn't impossible to lug one around with me everywhere, but I do like the smaller W7s. I'm really interested in having a Go 7700 instead of this nutless 8400M G, but I don't want something that's going to be annoying to lug around all the time.

 

It's fairly easy to lug around (even in the following messenger bag) with books.

 

Hmmm, I did end up sending it in without a HD and it seems like they didn't care! They sent it back to me with the necessary repair finished.

However one of the DIMM slots seems to have the "arms" bent out a little. Both of my DIMMs are working fine but I don't remember if it was this way to begin with or I just noticed it now.... (FWIW I believe they replaced the mobo)

 

Hi. I'm new to this forum. I'm planning on getting an A8JS or a W7J.
I've been using a Toshiba Satellite A80 for a couple years. I've been using it for everything - work, playing music & running some racing sims but I think it's time for an upgrade
I've been hearing good things about Asus laptops - and the nVidia graphics card is something I like.
Just wanted to ask the A8JS owners about sound on this model.
The A80 I'm using has Harman Kardon speakers & a realtek soundcard - pretty good with music & games (I usually don't use headphones when I have the lappy on in my room - so good sound is a bit important to me).
I don't really know how well soundcard/speakers on the A8JS perform & the models they display in the shops here are not turned on / not charged so I can't really bring a CD and play it.
I read a review that said that sound on the A8J was a bit weak - but I wanted to check with people who were actually using the laptops.
Hope someone can give me some feedback.
Thanks.

 

In general, laptop speakers are not good for music. I would recommend some sort of external speakers in either case. Even cheap ones would outperform laptop speakers.

But the speakers on the a8js are probably the worse than average, worse than any laptops I've owned anyway.

 

The speakers are pretty crappy, on the other hand the speakers in my 8600 are quite good.

 

Yup, crappy speaker, even for laptops.

 

Hey guys I just bought this laptop last week. The problem I'm having is that my wireless says it's connected to my home network but for some reason they say there's a problem with the connection. My sis who has an hp works fine but mine won't connect to the net. Anyone have a similar problem. I don't think it has anything to do with the range because I placed my laptop beside the router as well. Also I don't think the laptop's broken. My sis said she thinks it's the way the laptop's network configurations have been set. But I'm positive that everything is right. I pretty much no nothing about computers or internet connection so this is my first laptop.

Really would appreciate some help guys.
By the way please don't reply by telling me to call the Asus helpline or something since I would rather hear opinions from you guys about what you think the problem may be.

 

ok well something to try is to set it for 11 mps or wireless b only.

Its in control panel devices.

That is likely the problem, that you have a B router and it connects to it with G.

Symptom would be that the pages load very slow.

look at the connection icon, does it say connected at 54 mps? And your router is it wireless b, 11 mb/s? If so that is the problem.


Also uninstall the n4switch program, and the intel program and just use windows wireless connection. This is because youre not going to find experts on those programs to give you advice.

edit net4 switch would actually have a use in a situation like this, to save settings for each wireless connection. If you want to keep it and figure it out o ahead but i recomend removing it and not wasting brain cells on non universal applications.

 

To explain it more clearly. When I go to network and sharing center, it displays a picture of a laptop then beside that unidentified network and then internet. The problem is the connection between my pc and the unidentified network. When I identify the problem it says i need to plug a cable into the network adaptor, I may have the network security settings for my home network wrong, or automatically get new IP address. As I said I have no idea what any of this means.

I tried what you wrote Stamar but I didn't really understand it. The only thing i did was uninstall net4switch.

Second has it been occurring to anyone else that it takes a really long time to shutdown and logon. Today when i logged on the screen turned black for at least 3 minutes and then the desktop appeared. I'm really having doubts about this laptop.

 

ya theres too large a communication barrier going on here i recomend live chat with the dealer or a help line.

When you hover over the taskbar icon of the wireless connection does it say its connected at 54 mbs ( yes or no)
YES - is your router a wireless G router. The one plugged into your cable or dsl, the router.

If your answer is yes, and then no that is your problem. If not we can try to move on to something else.

disable the intel pro set wireless program, go to its settings and say let windows manage my wireless connection.

I know i definitely had connection problems also when my computer was new because the net 4 switch didnt seem to be compatible with the intel pro set wireless and it would usurp the connection.

Also intel proset software doesnt connect automatically on its default settings. neither of those programs are good.

When you have windows running your wireless connection you can do right click repair. It should give a message about what stage its having a problem with. Right click view available networks. Make sure to pick the one you want to connect to and see if theres some distant one youre connecting to instead.

 

I just replaced the LCD bezel and hinges on my A8js.. i had to order new ones cuz i droped the laptop and they broke. but now its like new!.. i feel so happy!!

 

Hi guys,

Has anyone changed OS to XP from Vista ?
I just went thru 1/2 way of the threads and I thought I'd ask here instead.

I got mine about 3 mths ago on Vista but Vista is not compatible with some of work programs (based on XP). So I did a clean instal of XP, but now it takes 2min20sec to load windows, startups, wireless connection, etc. I've only installed office, antivirus, firewall, some essential Asus drivers. I've left out bluetooth, life/multi-frame, instantfun, etc. Left BIOS as is. Disabled msnmsgr, adobe reader on startup. Even getting into windows takes 40 odd seconds then the rest is loading drivers/startups.

I'm wondering if I need to update any drivers or BIOS but the one on the Asus website is to fix asus logo problem at startup. I only installed the necessary drivers to run the hardware/tool I need at the moment.

Pls help.


jdondrox

 

Oh, just in case you need to know...

upgraded to 2gb ram
xp serv pack 2 and recent updates installed.


jdondrox

 

just came across this useful thread

An old-timer's guide to installing Windows XP
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=81828

I should've looked there first. Cheers.

 

What antivirus are you using?

 

For some reason I always see an ant crawling on my a8js every morning. Does our laptop have some kind of sweet element built in that attracts ants? I don’t recall spilling any soda or anything on my laptop. It doesn't attract dozen of ants, just one... Anyone else has the same problem?

 

Hi there,

I bought an A8Js a couple of months ago and I've recently encounted a problem with the sound output becoming distorted. Randomly, and not particularly often, the audio in the left channel will become distorted, and this occurs regardless of whether I am using headphones or the (terrible) A8Js speakers. Once it occurs, the effect persists until I turn off the machine. Interestingly, sleeping it for about 5 seconds is sufficient to deal with the problem.

So I thought I'd ask if anyone has encountered this, or what steps you would recommend I take in diagnosing the problem.

I'm running vista and when I first got the laptop I installed new drivers where avaliable, but I haven't performed any bios updates.

Thanks for your help.

 

I have a real hard time diagnosing vista problems because im back on xp.

Well it seems to be software.

Theres a good chance its the driver update you installed for the sound.

 

Same here. I did have a problem with the sound in vista though. Every once in a while the speakers got a buzzing (or maybe it was distorted) noise, but it ended as soon as the sound stopped. For instance, when watching a movie, if it started to buzz, I needed to stop the movie and press play again to fix it. Or when the system made a sound, like when an accessory was connected, the sound that was played had the buzzing noise. But only that sound. It was pretty rare and merely mildly annoying, but I still tried to fix it. I tried different drivers and reinstalling the hardware completely, but I couldn't fix it. But still try what I did.

 

Been an A8Js owner for a while now (since November 06) and want some suggestions on future upgrades / etc.

1) I'm getting a new HD (Seagate's 160gb 7200rpm momentus drive). I understand that the A8Js doesn't support the 3.0gb interface of SATAII but will work fine as SATAI. Anyone foresee any other problems with this?

2) I have a fresh copy of XP ready to install. The question is, I can get Vista Ultimate essentially free through my university. Is there any significant advantage to switching over to vista at this point or will it just become a headache? I don't want to deal with driver issues (especially for 3rd party graphics drivers) and hate the progressive bloating of the OS's (I'd still be using win2k if I wasn't forced to switch to XP due to MS's product life cycle). So is vista worth it?

3) I have the AUO screen, and don't like it much. A few posts above mentioned replacing the screens with an LG model. Will any 14.1" screens fit this machine? Are the connectors for laptop screens standardized (within a specific size). I'm also getting some irritating "splotchy" white regions on my screen, the origin of which is totally unknown. I'm a design professional and this screen could stand to be replaced in the near future.

Cheers! Loving the A8Js otherwise!

 

I would get the 250 gb 5400 rpm hd from newegg.com as an upgrade over the one u want. I think its a western digital

It will be faster in many cases and larger in all cases.


The main advantage of vista is like readyboost some small interface upgrades....

The main disadvantage is speed, ram usage, bsods and some compatibility.

But really I dont feel there is a huge difference either way they are similar. Not a huge leap like from ME to XP or from 98 to 2000 etc.

No real point in upgrading to vista.

It could be a small electronics project to change the lcd. But any of the replacements with the same resolution on the secondary market will work.

I wish i could find the link to the exact model again

cause whereever he bought it it was reasonably priced like 180$ around. You can get gouged for a replacement lcd.

 

Hi Fabarati, that does indeed sound like the problem I'm getting. I might experiment with what you discussed regarding stopping/starting movie etc the next time it happens as I was actually sleeping the machine to get rid of it. Your post seems to be in the past tense yet you say you couldn't fix it - what happened? Do you still experience the problem or did you change to XP or something else?

 

Nah, i just messed up Vista (I'm good at messing up OS's). I played around in the registry and with system files a bit too much trying too change stuff (like the colour of the taskbar to a more solid colour, instead of the greyish hue that was always there) and stuff went wrong. I also had som programs that didn't quite work in Vista, so I went back to XP. I quite liked vista and miss some of the functionality. Besides, it was pretty. But like I said, the sound issue was not that much of an issue for me, since it happened like once or twice a week.

 

I just joined the A8Js club, buying the A8Js-4S050E (Core2Duo T7200 2GHz, 2GB, GeForce Go7700 512MB, 160GB HD). Haven't really played around with it much - just uninstalled some of the bloatware and installed a few programs. So far I'm pretty happy with it and haven't noticed any glaring imperfections.

 

I think it has something to do with the drivers of soundmax. I hope they release new drivers soon. I notice that mine happens when i heavily multitask..

 

Hey, this is my first post, so here goes--

I recently got a Vista-Ready Asus A8JS. After playing around with Vista for a couple days and failing to wirelessly connect it to my network, I decided to go back to good ol' WinXP. Even if I managed to get it working, Vista just really sucks in my opinion. Anyway, I came to find that my support CD only has Vista drivers. So my question here is, could some kind person with the A8JS XP support CD please send me the image (.iso, .img, .nrg, etc) of the CD through some means? Such as FTP, MSN file transfer, Xfire file transfer, etc. Any help is appreciated. I'm begging you

Thank you in advance.

 

You can just download the drivers from Asus's homepage

 

I just got my A8JS today, and the cooling fan buzzes. It's really annoying. I can't take it into the library because it's such a distraction. Is this common or is mine defective somehow?

EDIT: I cracked the thing open and it's definitely the cooling fan on the right side. The fan itself can be taken off, so it can be replaced w/o replacing the heatsink.

The problem is that I cannot find anyone who sells just the fan. I actually can't even find the fan/heatsink assembly.

 

It wouldn't suprise me if its a problem that can be fixed by the drivers - the problem happened for the first time in about a week and this time I tried using device manager to disable and enable the soundmax and that fixed it.

Its a bit annoying but I think I can live with it at the moment, given how rare it is and how easily its resolved.