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

For credit card warranty, I am about to purchase the latop with my american express card. SO i get 1 year additional warranty + the Asus 1 year standard warranty? how does this work? im in US.

thanks all

 

I stopped by Best Buy today and took a look at the U43 they had on display. I was very pleased with the feel and look of the laptop in person, so I'm taking the jump and pre-ordering the U33 right now. Can't wait.

 

How does the warranty work? 1 year accidental... then after that, 1 year global (add up to 2 years). Or those 1 year accidental and 1 year global stack up?

 

For those of us that live in the UK. A little update for you on when the U33JC will be available. I sent the following email to the sales guys at www.simplyasus.com this morning and got the reply also shown below:

My email:

Their response:

So I'm pinning my hopes on getting an order in next Thursday, all things being equal!

 

Thank you sprinkler!! fingers crossed

 

Granted these are some extremely beautiful laptops however wheres the SPEED, Memory, BlueRay Burner etc. Well CHECK OUT THIS LINK & Customize the 15.6 Model (ASUS U53JC-A1) : ASUS U53JC-A1 - XOTIC PC - ASUS U53 Bamboo Laptop

Naturally I got MINE TRICKED OUT on a PRE-ORDER
My Bamboo Baby is going to have a Intel® Core™ i7-620M, 2.66-3.33GHz, (4MB L3 cache), 8GB (2 SODIMM) DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (2x4GB), 6X Blu-Ray Writer/Reader + 8X DVDRW/CDRW Super Multi Combo Drive, & a UPDATED Intel® Advanced-N 6200 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module.

The rest of the options avail. are just "Fluff" which I opted NOT to get. This ULTIMATE ASUS BAMBOO LAPTOP is in pre production as I speak and is just waiting for what ever parts (including the laptop itself) to come in. I even went as far as to have this screamer set to ship to me OVERNITE !!!

PS: and if that wasn't enough check out the 2 laptop sleeves i got coming in from CHINA See Links Below:

No1. Zebra Laptop Sleeve Case Bag For 15.4" 15.6" Notebook - eBay (item 320575702351 end time Aug-20-10 23:36:53 PDT)

No2. 15.6" Notebook portable Sleeve Bag Case for 15" Dell HP - eBay (item 250658284163 end time Aug-27-10 18:44:46 PDT)

All i can say is this purchase is SWEEEEEET !!! BTW i already have a Black Notebook Cooler ZM-NC 1000 & the
ULTIMATE IN LAPTOP LEATHER CASE/BACKPACK/MESSENGER BAG See this Link:
Travel Luggage Briefcase Messenger Backpack School Bag - eBay (item 270621568566 end time Aug-20-10 13:37:13 PDT)

 

i think its 1 year total, (global + accidental)

what about american express guys? is that 1 year additional?

 

I got U43JC bamboo now~

It's very good, but ODD.

Can I replace ODD into HDD??

When I look into preoreder, there is an option for no ODD and additional HDD.

 

I ordered a U33. If you buy now from Amazon you get the WiDi thingy Free.

Considering all the bloatware Asus Laptops typically have, has anyone around here ever completely wiped your Asus Laptop, and installed a Fresh Clean Windows 7 64 bit OS??

If so, exactly how do I do that ??

 

I just got the u43jc from amazon.com. My first impression is a mix bag though. Overall, the build quality is nice, and the display color is better than my toshiba Qosmio q885; however, during the first few hours of setup, my computer frozed once. What really turns me off is the heat. During idle operation, my u43jc processor went around 55 to 60 degree C. When transfer files and listening to music, it goes up to 70 degree C. When I try starcraft 2, it can go up to 80 degree C. I don't know if that's normal for this laptop. I remember reading review saying the bamboo keeps the tempreature of the laptop cool, yet, this is 10 to 15 degree higher than my Toshiba Qosmio, which has a higher end graphic card. Can anyone confirm they have the same heat issue? Or did I just got a lemon.

 

Certain credit cards will extend your warranty by an additional year. So if your Asus came with a 1 year warranty, you will get a total of 2 years. Likewise, if your Asus came with a 2 year warranty, you will receive a total of 3 years. While Asus will only repair your laptop during the first or first two years, for the extended 1 year you'll have to go through your credit card company. I remember certain Visa cards offer this and all American Express cards do also. Nothing needs to be done in terms of paperwork. All that is needed is you using the card to purchase the entire laptop (ie you can't pay for a laptop with 2 different cards). I'd suggest calling your credit card company to confirm on the extended warranty policies prior to purchasing any laptop.

 

And here is a picture of computer idling. The GPU for 310m idle at 60 degree C! While my Toshiba 360m idle at 41 degree C!

 

Man, if Asus used a 320M or even 325M instead of 310M, that would be awesome. Just a little more oomph for the GPU could really extend the lifetime of these new notebooks.

 

thank you so much. so for my 3rd year warranty, i call my credit card company and they will deal with Asus? (assuming i have the 2 year standard asus warranty)

thank you

 

TRUTH!

I have an Acer 3820TG w/ ATi 5470, slightly better, but I really love ASUS laptops more and these are tempting except for the lacking video card.

Then again, I only play CS:Source and TF2 and have an Xbox...

How will this laptop play CS:S?

 

Precisely

 

I was debating between this, the HP Envy 14, and the Lenovo Thinkpad X201 and I decided on the Asus U43JC - X1 from Amazon. (I read through this entire thread before I decided lol)

I was just wondering - I'm a noob here - if I wanted to get a a stand-alone monitor to use with this notebook, can I just purchase a monitor and connect it to the laptop or is there some software I need?

Also - the WiDi thing - it's just for connecting the laptop to HDTV's right?

Recently I've been hearing user comments about heat issues with the laptop - is it really that bad?

Also - what is the purpose of the bluetooth option on a laptop? Just wondering..

Thanks so much!

 

Hi zyzz, and welcome to the forums

If you want to connect your U43 to a monitor/TV, all you need is either a VGA or HDMI cable. Keep in mind that if you use a VGA cable, only video is transmitted and audio will still be outputted on your laptop speakers. This shouldn't be a problem for monitor since most of them don't have built-in speakers. No special software is needed for this.

If you want to take advantage of WiDi, you'll need to purchase an adapter for WiDi and connect the adapter to your HDTV or monitor via a HDMI cable.

The built-in bluetooth is for connecting wireless bluetooth devices to your laptop. Such devices include wireless mouse and keyboards.

 

ahh icic thank you for clarifying!

 

opps i meant to clarify earlier - this works the same way for dual monitoring with a stand-alone monitor right? thanks again!!

 

yes, plug it in and you are set

 

Is there any instruction to take ODD out?

My plan is exchanging ODD to HDD with caddy.

 

I spent some time with the U43F-BBA5 at Best Buy, and I was surprised by how loose and rattle prone the ODD was. Then, when I tried typing for a while, I noticed a vibration in the palmrest that seemed to come from the area of the ODD. The long and short of it was that I went home and changed my order from a U43JC to a U33JC. Still, I wonder if the display model I was typing on was beat up or defective, or if the weak construction on the ODD and palmrest was typical of the model. Comments?

 

I also played with the best buy display model of the U43JC and i also noticed flaws with the ODD most prominent was flex. I applied a light squeeze around the ODD area with my thumb on the palmrest and my index on the bottom of the ODD and the area flexed so easily and distorted the bottom panel. Then again it was a display model so I assume customers have abused it.

 

When I looked at the model just after it came out in the store I noticed the same thing. That makes at least three people who noticed flex in the area, and considering I tried picking up most laptops in the store and didn't notice many more computers like that, it seems likely it's a flaw in the design. However, I don't see it being a problem so long as you don't pick it up from that side of the laptop every time. Still, it makes me happy I'm going with the U33JC. All other parts of the chassis besides the area near the door of the optical drive felt sturdy to me.

 

Well I just bit the bullet and purchased the u43jc from Amazon.com the $150 gift card made it a pretty good deal. Any recommendations what to do when I get it?

 

I got the U43JC from amazon with $150 gift card.

There is high-pitch noise, but others are pretty good~

 

Is the noise really annoying if you're in a quiet place?

 

Hey everyone. I've had about a week to cool off, but my U33 isn't coming for at least another 2 weeks. Ken over at GenTech told me the new ETA is September 6th. Supposedly the production of the bamboo is the cause for the delays.

Anyway, I am still in for the long haul. I may start looking around, but I've waited this long. Sheesh. I first thought that same thing at the end of June. "I've waited this long, I can wait a few more weeks." The middle of July passes. "I've waited this long, I can wait a few more weeks." The beginning of August passes. "I've waited this long, I can wait a few more weeks." The middle of August passes. "I've waited this long, I can wait a few more weeks." What's next? All this isn't even counting the 6 months that I waited for the UL30JT.

Come on Asus. How do you miss a release date by over a month and a half on a notebook that it took six months to even hit the market after its announcement?

 

Well, If you are sensitive, it will be very annoying on quite room.

but after playing music or else, you can't sense it.

 

Are you kidding me? I preordered the U33JC too and now I am starting to get annoyed. These losers at Asus.

 

Amazon.com: ASUS U43JC-X1 14-Inch Bamboo Laptop (10 Hours of Battery Life): Electronics

$150 amazon Gift Card if you buy the 43jc-x1 from amazon... and apparently it's in stock.

 

Grrr. I pre-ordered this as a gift for my fiance's birthday. That was at the end of July. Her other laptop died and she really needs one. Starting to look at other laptops now...

 

Can anybody else confirm the delay? Xoticpc says that they haven't heard anything but that they wouldn't be surprised if it was delayed again.

 

I've had a gut full of all this waiting and all these delays! If the u33 dosn't hit the stores in the UK by the end of this week, I'm kicking it to the curb and grabbing me a U35JC. I can live without all the added extras, so that at least I can finally have a laptop! Shame on you Asus!

 

I don't know what Asus is thinking. Here in the US you can't even get the U35JC until end of the month and the UL30JT now an Amazon exclusive with delivery between 2-4 weeks?

 

Yes, it really is frustrating. I am supposed to hear whether the shipment of U33's left their oversea facility sometime early this week. I will keep you all updated. GenTech seems to be fairly certain this will be the last delay though...

These delays really make me wonder though, why have just about all new U/UL models been delayed? It isn't just the bamboo notebooks. Something else must be going on. It seems the US market is kind of getting screwed.

@sprinkler
I suggest calling Asus or a retailer and ask if Asus has shipped any notebooks from their facility. If they have, you know they will be coming soon, but probably not by the end of the week.

When I got the email saying there was going to be another delay, I was incredibly pissed. I was ready to jump ship. Every time I go to Costco I think, "I could live with this HP, it has some nice features and is cheaper." It really is tempting, but I just remember how bad the last couple HP's I've had have been. I truly believe my patience will be duly rewarded.

 

Has anyone else noticed this high pitched noise with the U43? I didn't hear anything in the loud, crowded Best Buy store, of course, but I'm pretty sensitive to noise and I know it would bug the hell out of me if the U33 was making high-pitched sounds or had a noisy fan or something.

 

If the U33JC makes high pitch noise or is overheating easily it goes back!

 

Hello, I am considering "Jazzing" up a U43JC from GenTech with a few mods here and there. Having never ordering a computer from them I was wondering if they are a good company. I see that many people appear to have ordered from them and are completely satisfied.

Thanks!

 

Of course you can not sense any high pitch noise in BestBuy.

Even car is passing over window, you can't.

only in very quite room


and it's kind of on-and-off.


but, when you sense it, it MUST BE VERY ANNOYING.

 

I was all ready to buy the Asus U43JC and decided to stop by BestBuy to try it out first hand.

I'm glad I did because the mouse buttons killed the deal for me.

I'm a touch typist and like the interface of a touch pad, but the buttons are just gross.

I have never had to press mouse buttons that hard before to get a click!

I like everything about this machine, but...

What were the designers thinking?
Did testers really like this?

I will wait to see if the they get it fixed with the U53.

 

Have you try to push at the end of the button?

 

I was told by the production manager of Canada Computers that the U43JC-A1 should be in within the next 1 to 3 weeks.

 

yea, its a rocker button.

for best effect you'll have to push at the very ends.
the more closer to the middle the more harder it is to push because its the dead zone.

 

So I just bought the U43F from best buy today and am loving every second of it. I was wondering how flexible this is to upgrade. I've never owned a laptop before so I'm a total noob. Will I be able to replace the HDD with an ssd? Is there any way I could install a seperate graphics chip?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

I ordered a Push2TV adapter from eBay for $55, brand new. That brings my total to slightly less than the Amazon deal for the U33JC plus the free Push2TV adapter.
Now I just need my damn U33JC

Nice to hear you are happy with it. Any comment about the touchpad and buttons?

Yes, you can easily replace the hdd with an ssd. I'm sure there are guides on here somewhere, but even the manual will likely tell you how to access the hdd.

Unfortunately, the GPU cannot be upgraded. You are stuck with the integrated Intel GPU, which should be fine for everything but gaming. If you planned on gaming, you may want to return it and get a U43JC. You can get a good deal on Amazon if they are still offering the $150 credit.

 

I am placing my first order with them, but so far their customer service has been amazing. It seems like a small business that really cares about its customers.

Since this is my first order I can't comment on getting upgrades done by them, but I honestly don't know any upgrades that are worth going for. What are you considering getting upgraded?

 

Hi all,

Long time lurker, first time poster

I've been on this thread for ages as I've been like most of you all, waiting for stock (in UK) to pull the trigger and buy.

Anyone else notice on SimplyAsus the estimated date now says 24th September?

bamboo

Might have to start investigating if there are any other laptops that meet this specification. Been without a proper working laptop for months now.

 

I was going to get the intel i5-540M up grade and a larger hard drive. That's about it.