ASUS U Series Bamboo Collection Owners Thread (U33JC/U43JC/U53JC)

Graphics-wise, that 3820TG's HD 5470 scores only slightly more than the nV 310M. Very similar cards for gaming power.

The U33's 2.4 GHz processor will be slightly faster than the 2.26 GHz i5 at stock speed, but the i5 has turbo. The i3 won't.

So it will be down to how they compare in battery life, build, keyboard feel, and heat plus the addition in the U33 of 2.0 MP webcam (though 1.3 MP is quite fine) and USB 3.0 and WiDi-capable. And in the US (maybe Canada) Amazon is including a Push2TV box with the U33Jc.

The U33Jc will have a better warranty.

But your PRICE for that 3820TG of $670 US is pretty incredible!

The U33Jc in the US will sell for $970. That's $300 more! At that price, I'd keep what you've got if you're happy with the battery life, build, heat, etc. A great setup for that cost. Well done.

Even the U35Jc here costs $820. That's still $150 US more and has less.

 

Sorry for my absence. I actually bought a MacBook about a week ago. Couldn't wait any longer.

That was a joke...

It is only another week or so to go. The wait has been fairly bareable for me as I have been visiting family for the last week and I don't get back home for another week. That is why I haven't been responding lately. No computer.

I've waited this long, and knowing that I should have a tracking number sometime next week gets me all giddy with excitement when I think about it. If the shipping date gets pushed back again, that may be too much. School starts the 23rd. I need a lappy damnit.

As for you Sprinkler, that really must be hard seeing the U35 in stores. If you've waited this long, might as well wait a little longer for something that you are going to own for years to come. The wait becomes irrelevant once it is in your hands. Blah blah blah. Just wait it out and suffer like the rest of us bamboozers. It will be worth it in the end, for me at least.

 

I went to two bestbuy stores here in the states and the it was in both stores!! so just hold on a little longer...looks like they are on the way

 

This link won't for me at work for some reason so I can't read it yet, but it looks like this is the first review of the 14 inch model (U43JC).

Asus U43JC-X1 Review | Think Laptops - Best laptop review and laptop news blog

 

The reviewer doesn't seem too professional, but the one thing he does complain about is the trackpad. I have a feeling not everyone will be happy with it. I have big hands and the little mouse buttons didn't help me out either when I tested it out.

 

With writing that bad, it can only a be a foreign review that someone has either taken and used babel-fish to translate directly into English or translated it themselves extremely badly!

 

Will Best Buy get any flavor of U33 ??

 

Here's a better version of the review that Taeil2 found:
Asus U43Jc Bamboo

 

Thanks for the link.

"Gaming on the Asus U43Jc isn’t as exciting, though. Far Cry 2 -- at 1366x768, DirectX 10 mode, High settings, 2xAA -- wasn’t at all smooth"

No...really? Why didn't they test it within its suggested/expected range of performance, aka medium to low settings? Reviewers baffle me.

 

PC Mag declares that the U33jc has a battery life of 6.5 hours compared to the 8 hours of the U30jc. Has anybody else heard this? Article is here:

Asus U33Jc-A1 Review & Rating | PCMag.com

 

Looks like Asus finally put the new models on their US site... as far as I can tell there's no new information but I'm taking it as a good sign that the laptops will be on their way here. At the moment the U43 and U53 links are just taking me back to their homepage but the U33 link is working.

ASUSTeK Computer Inc. - U33JC

 

Interesting that the ASUS website references omits both the USB3.0 and Bluetooth references in the detailed specfications.

Also notice the weight is described as 1.8kg (3.96lbs.) which hopefully puts it on a slight diet when comparing to earlier specification details quoted in various postings.

 

Yeah I noticed the lack of mention of USB 3 after my last post and it has me a bit worried... at first I didn't care much for the feature but the idea has grown on me. It would be nice to have in case I want some quick external storage in the future, even if it isn't up to the full theoretical 10x. They still mention it on the overview page though, and all the reviews and sellers mention it, and the U43F at Best Buy has it, so it seems unlikely that those features were removed from the US model.

 

I think I'm missing something here. Are you talking about the U33Jc & U43Jc? ASUS clearly lists the USB 3.0 on their specs page of the U33Jc & U43Jc HERE.

Beside "Interface" it reads "1 x USB 3.0 ports 2 x USB 2.0 ports".

Or are you talking about something else?

UPDATE: Oh, I see. Your link is to the usa.asus.com site. Mine is the www.asus.com site. I think the usa.asus site is a simple mistake. Especially since the BB models have the USB 3.0. You'll note they only list 2 x USB 2.0 ports. That model has 3 USB ports as do all ASUS in the past while.

 

USB3.0 is NOT included in the detailed specifications at: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. - Notebooks - U33Jc

Also, no mention of Bluetooth anywhere in reference above.

 

This is all just needless flapping! Quatro is right, it's just a simple mistake on the US asus site. If the U33Jc doesn't come with USB 3.0 and Bluetooth I'll eat my hat and every other posters hat on this forum. Let's all take a deep breath and move on

 

The US model may come w/o Bluetooth, as this is not the first time Asus has done this.

Here are a few other details on the U33JC:

1. Speakers are still located under the palm rest.
2. TW model comes with i5 CPU, Bluetooth 2.1 and 7200rpm HDD, along with a software turbo switch. So there may be different models in the US in the future.
3. It should weight more than the U35JC, as the entire keyboard area is metal. I wouldn't trust the 1.8kg weight listed on the US site.
4. They've also forgotten to list WiDi.

 

Hello everyone,
This is my first time responding to this thread but I've been watching it for the last two weeks or so. I ordered my Asus U43JC-X1 from Amazon yesterday since they just got 2 in stock. I'll be receiving it in a couple of hours and I'll be sure to put some pictures of it for everyone who is waiting. They still have some in stock if you're waiting to order yours.
Amazon.com: ASUS U43JC-X1 14-Inch Bamboo Laptop (10 Hours of Battery Life): Computer & Accessories

 

Just got this in my email...

Amazon Bamboo Laptop

Looks like you buy a U43JC-X1 from Amazon and get a $150 gift card.

 

wow that's a pretty good deal...makes the laptop $850 since amazon credit is like cash to me....what to do...

 

Ohhh. Tempting. But its the x1 version... and i would much rather have the u33 w/o optical drive.

 

The only difference between X1 and A1 is the bigger harddrive? Couldn't see any other differences in specs on Amazon.
I preordered anyway the U33JC with GentechPC no need for an optical drive and a bigger screen. If the U43JC would have a better graphic card, maybe I would consider it but not with the 310M.

 

No Bluetooth.

 

tried the free gift card deal and worked out fine. total cost 999 with 150 gift card coming also. have been looking for a while for new laptop and this deal sealed it. should have computer in 1 or 2 days

 

That's a great deal! It comes out to be cheaper than the UL80JT and U45JC

 

Make sure to report back with an unboxing or review of some sort. We would all appreciate it.

 

Thanks for that link! I just canceled my preorder and ordered from Amazon. Hopefully it'll be here by this weekend!

I think the major differences for the X1 are...

- 500 gb instead of 640 gb
- no bluetooth
- 1 year warranty instead of 2? (this was discussed a while back, but I'm not positive)

 

Yah, that is a great deal. I will wait for the U33JC though just because I prefer "smaller" laptops. Hopefully there will be a deal on that too!

 

You can Use Your Credit Cards' Extended Warranty

 

Most of the models on amazon have 5400 rpm hard drives. Bump that to 7200 rpm and I might spring for one.

 

or take the 150 and put it towards the purchase of an ssd drive

 

SSD or hybrids are must haves. I have a SDD and ddr3 memory upgrades ready, just need the U33JC to ship!

 

Can anyone recommend some good SSDs? What are the best brands to go for? How much of an improvement do Hybrids make over normal drives? Are they worth it or should I just save up and go for an SSD?

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...ssd-thread-benchmarks-brands-news-advice.html

 

Sweet as a nut! Thanks MadHouse! Reading that thread should keep me busy until the U33JC eventually hits the stores

 

After reading this I decided against a hybrid drive:
Seagate Momentus XT hybrid hard drive review -- Engadget

 

For the U33JC-A1 and U43JC-A1 on Amazon it looks like they have a promotion for the netgear push2tv for WiDi instead of a $150 amazon gift card. Not quite as good of a deal, but decent if you planned to buy the adapter anyways.

 

Hey, has anyone's u43jc arrived yet?
I just wanted to know how long does the battery last (us version, 8 cell battery)
It probably lasts just a little less than the u33jc (which itself should last the same as the u30), but I just wanted to be sure before I order mine...

 

So nobody knows what the difference between the X1 and A1 correct? I am waiting until next week to purchase it in a store instead of online, do you think that is wise?

 

I ordered U43JC on amazon today morning

and I just got an e-mail of shipping~

 

U43JC- A1 or X1?

 

it's X1~

 

Help me decide!!..

I can get this ASUS bamboo U43JC-X1 from Amazon with $150 gift card for $850 or dm4t with following specs for 724+taxes ~800 (with new coupon from HP Pavilion dm4 14-inch Core i5 Laptop - Page 2 - SlickDeals.net Forums)

which one is better????


HP Pavilion dm4t customizable Notebook PC
* Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-430M Dual Core processor (2.26GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.53GHz
* 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5450 switchable graphics [HDMI, VGA]
* 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
* No additional security software
* 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard) - Up to 6.5 hours of battery life +++
* 14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768)
* FREE Upgrade to 500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
* SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
* HP TrueVision Webcam and Fingerprint Reader
* Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
* Standard Keyboard
* HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope


ASUS:
CPU: Intel Core i5-450M processor 2.4GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.53GHz
Display: 14-inch Slim-Type LED-backlit HD display (1366 x 768)
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 310M 1GB DDR3 VRAM + Intel HD graphics
Memory: 4GB DDR3 1066MHz (up to 4GB)
Wireless Data Network: 802.11 b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz),
Intel WiDi HD Wireless Display technology
LAN: 10/100/1000
Storage: 500GB 5400RPM hard drive
Optical drive: DVD Super Multi
Camera: 2.0MP
Operating System: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit)
Input/ Output:
1 x HDMI port
2 x Audio jack
1 x RJ-45
1 x VGA port
2 x USB 2.0 port
1 x USB 3.0 port
Battery: 8-cell 5600mAh (up to 10 hours)
Dimensions: 13.54 x 9.4 x 1.2–inches (W x D x H)
Weight: 5.15 lbs (with 8 cell battery)
Color: Brown
Warranty with accidental damage: 1 year
Global Limited Warranty: 1 year

 

I'd say the ASUS was better. The ATI HD5450 is very comparable to the 310M; similar ranking & scores. But the ASUS has a slightly faster processor and a better (stronger) battery and a better warranty, IMO.

"TruVision" still doesn't tell you the MP of the webcam lens, which makes me suspicious. Apple used to do the same. Apple had the 0.3 MP (poor like the ASUS) but called it a fancy name like iSight or something.) HDD is the same. Final cost is close.

On the DVD drive, does that matter to you? Would you prefer an internal DVD drive, even if it makes it thicker & heavier? Or would you prefer it without one?

The HP DOES have bluetooth which is better and the fingerprint reader is relative. Depends on if that's important to you.

BTW, GenTechPC lists the U43Jc at 5.07 lbs. ASUS lists the U43 at 4.7 lbs with the 6-cell battery. Where did you read that it weighed 5.15 lbs?

 

My friend ordered the U43JC-X1 from amazon and got it today. But he just realized that X1 doesn't come with bluetooth, and he's not too happy about that. Seems kind of strange to me that a $1,000 laptop made in 2010 would not have bluetooth... but anyways, is it possible to order an internal pci/pci-e bluetooth card and install it yourself on the u43JC-X1 motherboard? It seems like it shouldn't be a problem, because wouldn't the A1 and X1 models have the same motherboard?

 

I got my u43jc-x1 a few days ago. The battery seems to last about 5-6 hours with normal use, surfing the web and listening to music. It would probably last longer if I dimmed the screen and turned on the super hybrid engine

 

Can you give us some temperature readings on the laptop. Such as idle, gaming, and youtube hd. Thanks.

 

hi guys, just signed up so i have some questions as i am about to become 1st time Asus owner

whats the difference between u43 x1 and A1? besides the hdd i dont see any difference? thanks

 

Asus of course, i was thinking about the hp but they tend to overheat and honestly, they are not that reliable.

The 150 is a giftcard for future purchase, its not instant deduction fyi

 

Asus sneakily took out the bluetooth in the X1 model. I'm trying to figure out if it's possible to install an internal bluetooth bought off ebay, and just install in yourself.

Does anyone know the model of the bluetooth device in U33/43JC-A1?