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

You don't have to reinstall if you don't want...you find various opinions about when is better (fresh install versus removing and cleaning) but here is a guide to the bloatware they put on it

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/380681-asus-utility-bloatware-guide.html

 

Thanks Madhouse! That thread by David has tons of good info on what to keep and what is useless junk.

One thing I'm still unclear about is how to create an emergency / rescue disk that reverts Windows back to the previous settings. This seems like a good idea to create one before cleaning house, or a good way to save a clean OS after it's been done without problems.

Does anyone know if the U43JC-X1 comes with an emergency disk progam or Windows 7 install disk?

 

No problem at all!

I'm sure others will chime in but I've noticed a lot of people who use acronis true image home 2010 to do exactly that

 

Hi, does anyone know if the U33jc will have an amazon gift card promotion like the other one? I thought maybe they might introduce it after the laptop releases...

I just sold my old laptop yesterday to get the U33jc, I'm wondering if I should wait and hope for a promotion or order now..

 

This varying weight issue is the only thing that is keeping me from pre-ordering the U33JC. It ranges from 3.7 lbs on Amazon.com and CNET to 4.54 lbs in the Notebookreview.com.

So, I e-mailed some of the authors and editors for the websites that have reviewed this unit, and an editor from ComputerShopper responded that the ASUS PR people provided them with the 3.7 lb spec. On the other hand, Notebookreview's Jerry Jackson confirmed that they weighed the sucker at 4.54 lbs. I really hope the final production units come in under 4 lbs because if it really is in the 4.5'ish range, then getting a 14-incher like the Lenovo y460 at 4.71 lbs begins to look like a better option. Thoughts?

 

So, has anyone used their WiDi yet to act as an extended desktop (e.g. streaming a movie on your TV while surfing the internet on your laptop screen)? It seems to be possible in theory, but this Engadget post is the only instance I have seen of someone claiming to have successfully done this ( Engadget.

I just want to know if anyone has actually done this -- not an affirmation that it should be possible. Can someone who owns the laptop & the adapter please try this? It would be greatly appreciated. This is one of the main reasons I am considering the computer (I know it sounds ridiculous -- but hey, I am returning an HP Envy 14 because I can't stand the sharp edges - ha!)

 

@Pareto
Well, I don't meet your specification of someone who has tried this, but this link should make it pretty clear that it is very possible (and easy).

Inside Scoop @ Intel Cool new features in Intel® Wireless Display 1.2 release, get it NOW!

It details what the 1.2 update added.

If you still don't have an answer by the time I get my U33JC, I will certainly report my findings.

 

I remember reading something on this very same thread stating that there is a near 2 second lag when using the WiDi. So it would be useful just for streaming videos. Not for real time using...
I am not sure though. As soon as I get my TV set up in my apartment I could tell, since my u43 arrived yesterday

 

If there is a best buy in your area, I would stop by there and play with the u43 for a minute...you'll get a good idea of at least holding that for a moment..when I stopped by there I remember thinking the 14' didn't feel as heavy as I thought and I could probably carry that lappy around with no issues

 

Wow, thanks Madhouse !! VERY helpful link as I wait for my U33 !!

 

Keep in mind that the WiDi interface makes for a 2 SECOND LAG between what you do on notebook and what you see on the TV screen. So the extended screen can't help you if you're doing something real-time where you need to see the response quickly on the screen. So WiDi in that seems to only be helpful with movie watching, streaming video, etc.

 

This is perhaps, one of the most well-written, influential, coherent and thought-provoking hoards of information to be found to date; with regards to this range of notebook.

I'd like to say a big thankyou to all of you for the 108 page read that has inspired me to register and slide in here amongst yourselves. (Particularly Quatro, who himself seems to be operating overclocked as a charity for everyone here!)

My dilemna (dillema), is that in two weeks time i will be returning to England to start university. Within a week or two of doing so i will be purchasing a notebook to compliment the desktop i built not so long ago and upgraded with new parts recently.

For a short-while now, i have been following the u33jc, it caught my eye after i spent hours scouring various different laptop selling companies in the UK. I decided to start looking on the manufacturer websites. Namely, Asus. I've always been very skeptical and demanding on laptops, but now i realise you cannot be like that, it is not the same as building your own desktop and choosing every single part.

I began to think about what type of laptop i wanted. I decided on the things that were important to me (or i think will be). Such as: Portability in terms of size and weight and battery, the aeshetics - sadly something that is very important to me, if it's expensive i like it to look good too, and to ensure it was powerful enough to do everyday tasks and even some light things like graphic-design, audio-production and the standard everyday tasks while on-the-go or sat on an aeroplane. Playing HD TV shows, movies and some not overly-demanding games was also something i wanted. And of paramount importance, the webcam. Very few stylish laptops at this price range (even the Sony Y series with customisations offer anything better than 0.3 mp). For me, having this intergrated was and remains one of the key selling points. This is because my girlfriend of 4 years has had to return to Stockholm to finish school whilst i have remained in The Netherlands throughout my gap year, just visiting her whenever i can. We have skyped almost every night since and i have been using my my mothers laptop for this, since it's nice to lay in bed and chat etc. And it's something i shall continue doing in England in late-September. (Choosing a laptop is even harder when love is involved!)

So it seemed to me like the u33jc was an amazing find for its price (my limit being between £600-£800). It has (i'm hoping it still has when it arrives), everything i wanted, and many more things too; that i have read about in reviews and moreso within this thread. I particularly liked the Optimus technology as a lot of the time for the mobile-user, while on the go they will be doing computing-activities which do not require a high-end mobile graphics unit (or low-end in this case), and thus it achieves greater battery Optimusation which is fantastic.

From knowing extremely little about this share of the notebook/laptop market (or rather any share). I have quickly learnt a lot which is helping me to make my decision. I tend to go OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder) on technology before i am purchasing it and then ease off a lot again afterwards. I guess i just really want the very best for my money as i know it's worth looking. I'm just wondering if there are any other laptops around at this price which meet all of those needs, i doubt it, having looked for a couple of weeks now.

So a big thankyou to everyone once again for all of the information, keep it up!

P.S
For anyone that didn't notice, this is just about the greatest thing ever written:

Last night when i read that, i was busy rolling my first J***T in 6 weeks because i had been on holiday, (It's legal in Holland.) As i got to that line on chest-hair i did something very novice for an exceptional inside-out roller and laughed-out-loud (Yes LOL'd). As i did that i exhaled strongly through my mouth and/or nose and all of the contents of the paper flew out and over my two steelpads (Soft for arm-resting under keyboard next to the steelseries aluminium profesional pad for my lachesis haha).

That is all,
Thankyou

 

Right. But I don't mean to use both screens for real-time work. I know it is possible to mirror the image of the laptop to the TV to watch a movie -- my question is whether I can have a movie playing on the TV (so the 2 second lag doesn't matter) while still using my main screen to do things in real-time (e.g. write a paper). Again, only the Engadget reviewers seem to have suggested this is possible (and the tech specs).

 

I've had the U43JC-X1 (from Amazon) for about a week or so now. If anyone has any specific questions about it, I'd be happy to answer.

The Amazon deal came with a free Netgear WiDi adapter. You can indeed use your TV has an extended display while you continue to work on the notebook's build in screen. I have not tried using WiDi while already using an external monitor (for a total of three displays), but I do not imagine this would be a problem. The only iffy thing about this implementation of WiDi is the very significant lag. Needless to say, you won't be doing anything interactive while looking at the WiDi screen. For playing back video or anything passive like that, it's not a problem.

It does not come with a emergency disc, a recovery partition is included on the hard drive. Also, a disk imaging program automatically runs on first boot and essentially images and then burns a copy to a set of DVDs. Anything present on first boot will be included in that image.

Personally, I booted once to make sure everything was working, make a set of recovery DVDs just in case, then completely nuked everything on the hard drive and reinstalled fresh with a copy of Win7 Pro that I already had (I can't live without Virutal XP). I briefly thought about installing ASUS' utilities until I actually tried running them. Pure Engrish and terrible usability. And more or less useless anyway.

Overall I'm happy wth the purchase, though two things bother me. First is the flex. The right side of the case is occupied mainly by the optical drive and it leads to a lot of bending if you pick it up from that side. Second is the absolutely ridiculous trackpad button. The left/right buttons are a single rocker, and the action is far stiffer than any other notepad I've ever used in my life. On top of that, the buttons are small, and unless you press them away from the center, where to fulcrum is, it is almost impossible to press. Drag and drop essentially becomes a two handed affair and even for single click, I have to adjust my fingers every time I need to click something. I would HIGHLY recommend trying out the trackpad in person before buying this thing. It may be ok for you, but it's a huge annoyance for me.

 

Hi man, thank you for your post - I actually do have one question, that may actually look stupid, so I apologise in advance. Some say that the notebook looks a bit cheap, not only for its considerable flex, but also because of the (in)quality of the metal trim etc. Do you find the notebook sturdy or weak? What is your feeling about the built quality of the notebook as a whole? Thank you so much for your answer

 

The bamboo surfaces (lid and palmrest) feel like a coated wood and is reasonable to the touch. I was a little worried about out it would feel, but I have no problems with it. My only concern is that with constant wear, the area housing the touchpad may start losing its finish. But without any knowledge of what this material actually is and how it's finished, I can't say for certain.

The rest of base is metal or hard metal-like plastic on the top, and standard-fare plastic on the bottom (contributing to the optical-bay flexing). The screen bezel is made of some incredibly flimsy plastic and the whole lid actually has a fair amount flex if you apply a small amount of pressure to it while the whole thing is closed. It's not terrible, but it's certainly there, likely due to how thin they tried to make everything and the relatively non-rigid materials that they used. The metal trim around the base is tasteful and while possibly a hard plastic instead of metal, seems study. With regard to build quality, the weak point is predominantly the optical bay flex and the very cheap screen bezel. Overall though, I'm fine with both.

Coming from a Dell Studio XPS 13, it's really no comparison. The Dell was constructed with an aluminum or magnesium base, the hinges were all very high quality metal fixtures, and there was absolutely no detectable flex anywhere. But this ASUS is far cheaper, so I'm not complaining...too much.

 

The flex near the optical bay is because asus didn't do anything to reinforce the plastic there. There is a metal cage that holds the optical drive in place internally and there is a substantial gap between the bottom of that cage and the bottom of the laptop. In that gap asus didn't bother to thicken the plastic or put any kind of support. But on the plus side since the opening on the optical drive bay is so large one could concievably stick some plasticard in there to add support yourself.

The touchpad is from elan microelectronics. It supports two finger drag vertical and horizontal scrolling but no dedicated side scroll area on the touchpad. The software from elan microelectronics allows you to set a couple of custom functions for two finger tap, three finger tap, and double tap and drag. But there is no pinch to zoom feature. The rocker style buttons also take more pressure to use than other laptops with non rocker style touchpad buttons.

 

The 1.2 update added a thing called Fast Cursor which is supposed to remove much of the mouse latency. Still not saying you would want to use your external display for interactive activities, but it should at least make it tolerable for some web browsing and navigating folders and whatnot.

Perhaps it is just marketing fluff but I am hoping this will make the external display responsive enough to at least browse some folders and find music or videos to play. We will see. September 9th is about a week away.

 

I got the u43 in and I love it, I mean, my fiance loves it Its everything I expected. It did have tons of bloatware, but that was easily removed. The size is great. I really thought 14 would be too big, but now I think the 13 would be too small. I got the 14 inch caselogic neoprene sleeve and its too big, I recommend the 13 inch if you're buying the u43.

It performs well and I'm still messing with the different energy saving features. During normal use the fan remains off and the everything stays cool. While playing a game it does get a bit warm on the bottom and you can hear the fan kick in.

The best feature so far isn't the bamboo (which is awesome), it's the widi. I got the 150 gift and free widi adapter off Amazon. Fyi, the widi adapter comes with an hdmi cord, no rca's. The first night we had the laptop we were streaming hulu to the tv. I have used a htpc in the past but I like this much more. Being able to sit on my fat ... is pretty important ;-) Anyway, the widi works perfectly and I couldn't be happier with it.

I haven't had time to really see how long the battery lasts. So far I've charged it fully twice and its been about a week. I haven't seen any battery low warnings which is new to me. My dell's battery is low after about 2 hours of watching videos.

About the negative reviews, you see that a lot with hyped releases. People get all excited, and when they get their new cool toy their life doesn't change like they expected. Its not like you're going buy this laptop and be magically whisked away to the Swiss Alps. Where you chase bad guys in a European roadster with your black friend who flies a helicopter. Sorry, just because the laptop is cool, doesn't mean you will be.

If anybody has any specific questions please let me know.

 

T.T I'm starting to really wish I knew I could get the WiDi AND $150 gift card when I got my u43. Sounds like I"m missing out on alot

 

I'm not sure what to think about this. I assume that this is targeted towards my post regarding the flex and terrible trackpad. I honestly had not even heard of this model before I can across it on Amazon. I didn't read any of the previews by the various media outlets, and I wasn't sitting around waiting for release day. I simply needed a new notebook, browsed some deal forums for the best available notebook, and bought the same day. Quite simply, there was no hype in my mind.

This laptop is nice, no doubt. But there also exist some build issues that, depending on how much you value these sort of things, can be annoyances. And good lord, the trackpad buttons are bad. And the WiDi, while good for things like video playback, are generally ill suited for use as a secondary monitor.

This, to me, is an honest assessment that hopefully will help others to make the right choice on their next notebook purchases. I don't regret this purchase at all, but it is not even close to perfect.

 

My main problem with the buttons is that they are a little bit too small. And the fact that the trackpad has "no borders" doesn't help me much either... it does look cooler that way. But these aren't much of a problem to me, since I am using a wireless mouse all the time...

Overall it is a really nice laptop. The keyboard is very good in my opinion. At first I thought that the key travel was too short. But now that I actually experienced some typing in it, it doesn't bother me at all...

 

Nice to be hearing some input from people with U43's in their hands. Keep it up. Some pics would be nice. Or a video review
I am sure yous are just happy to have something in your hands. About 1 week to go for me if things (finally) go right.

@Matrim33
Nice to hear the WiDi is your favorite feature so far. I am even more excited now to give it a try!

 

Was informed my U33JC (i5 edition) would arrive this week, no deliveries came to the place I bought it today so it looks like it's going to be at least another week.

 

My U43JC just arrived yesterday as well. Lovin' it right now. I have the battery tested and I think it can last around 5-6 hours. The trackpad is not the best of the world but since I had tested the display at Best Buy, I have that in mind when I ordered the U43JC and not too upset about it. Going to try the wireless display and see how it would work.

 

I've had a change to play around a little more with the WiDi feature. After updating the WiFi software on the computer and the WiDi firmware on the P2TV device, it seems generally more usable. Before, there was about a two second delay before anything on the display registered on the WiDi-connected TV. Now, the delay is about one second. With the Fast Cursor feature, however, the mouse cursor is mirrored on the WiDi display with about a 250ms delay. This means that using the mouse is much much much more feasible now. It is important to note, however, that only the mouse motions are updated quickly. Everything else still suffers that one second delay.

The update, while certainly a step in the right direction, doesn't particularly change what you can use WiDi for. For purely passive activities, such as video playback, it remains absolutely wonderful. For very basic interaction, such as clicking on static UI elements (basic web browsing, interacting with your media player, etc), it is much improved. However, anything involving more extensive interaction still remains non-ideal. Essentially, WiDi is useful as a passive display screen. Don't plan on it replacing the functionality of a true secondary monitor.

 

I can't wait for all of you to start getting your U33Jc's. Then this thread will really start to hop again.

 

I can't wait either, I don't mind waiting, it's just the whole not actually knowing when it's coming thats really annoying me.

 

I agree lordfreaker, it really is the not knowing part that will drive one mad. The closer we get to 9/9 without another delay, the better I feel; although I am still very skeptical. It is ridiculous how unreliable all of the release dates have been.

I wonder if I would have pre-ordered at the end of June if the delivery date was over 2 months away... Meh, probably would have.

 

Hi people,

I need help to find one solution for my new U35JC notebook from Asus:

How can I secure lock the notebook if asus forgot to make a Kensington slot in the U35JC-A1 ???

The only hole that I found was a little one close to the DC plug.

Thanks,

 

The more I use WiDi, the more I dislike it. It simply is not reliable at all. I have the laptop set up about 15 feet away from the WiDi receiver in an environment with no detectable 802.11b/g/n signal other than my own router. The video display will frequently freeze momentarily or the audio will frequently drop out. There are clearly issues with the implementation at the current time. At this point, WiDi is kind of cool as a gee-whiz feature, but if I actually wanted to display something on the TV, I'm just going to plug it in via HDMI.

 

I wonder whether I would have as well. While the U33JC is definitely my first choice laptop, there were a few laptops in a close second place. I think I would have bought something else, like the Alienware m11x or a Lenovo (or a [etc] ...). I can't say whether the U33JC is worthy of being my #1 choice until I've actually used it. However, I can say that my impatience and an earlier purchase would have been irrational. I still don't need a laptop, but that point is drawing near.

 

I've just seen that Samsung has announced the Samsung QX310 and Samsung QX410 models, which pretty much match the specs of the U33JC and U43JC models although they go up in price for better casing. These are about 1 month away from being available in Europe. Not sure if that is "standard 1 month" measurement or "Asus 1 month" equivalent...

 

Looks like a nice computer. Can't say I know a whole lot about Samsung as a notebook manufacturer. They do make a nice TV.

Not sure what the U33 is running in Europe, but €1,199 is about $1,550. That is over $600 more than I paid for my U33.

I know US tends to get things cheaper than Europe, but even $300 more sounds like a lot. At least throw in a better GPU and bigger HDD.

 

I ordered my U33 on August 18th, and have never waited so long for something I had actually ordered.

I can hardly wait.

 

I have a question for anyone who's had experience with Asus in the past.

The last time I paid a lot of money for a laptop was for an HP in 2004. I used that computer through 2008 (and have since given it away, and it's still in use now). Towards the end of that time I was able to purchase a replacement battery so that the computer could stay powered on and unplugged for more than 3 minutes.

I was wondering, if I should happen to have good luck with the U33 and would like to continue using it in 2015, what are my prospects on being able to find a replacement battery? I was looking around online for U30JC batteries and couldn't find a single place selling them, even though that machine has been readily available for a while now.

Any ideas? Thanks.

 

For items such as notebook batteries, I usually search for them on ebay.

In the case of a replacement battery for an Acer 10.1" netbook, I was able to find many vendors on ebay (often from China) that offered suiable replacements - and from my experience, the buying experiences have been highly satifactory.

I would be surprised if there weren't choices out there in ebay - especially for a product accessory for a mature product.

 

I have an Asus V6J that takes an unusual battery. After numerous attempts to get a replacement from vendors, some of whom may have really thought they could get one and couldn't and one who simply ripped me off, I finally did the thing I should have done in the beginning: I got in touch with Asus and bought a replacement from them directly. From now on, that's the only route I will take, and that is what I advise other Asus owners to do as well.

 

Thanks, good to know it's possible to get replacements from Asus. I'm just worrying that since laptop batteries are so specialized that it might be difficult to find a replacement a few years down the line, especially when the manufacturer stops making the current models and moves on to newer ones. I've had perfectly serviceable desktops last a decade and it would be a shame to have an otherwise useful laptop need to be permanently tethered.

 

I'm not 100% positive, but I think the generic batteries for the UL30/80Vt series are the same size battery for the U30Jc.

GenTechPC, right now, sells the spare 8-cell 5600mAh battery for the U30Jc for $110.

I'm even less certain about the bamboo series at this time.

But I have NEVER had a notebook I couldn't buy a battery for. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

I have a Asus V6J too.. I had the battery replaced 2-3 times within my 2 year warranty period because it kept showing high signs of "battery wear". That is the least of my worries now, as my screen has the backlight issue that has been reported on the forums too - been an issue for the last 12 months or so. (I have to leave it open on max angle and also stick a mini screwdriver to hold the cable in the hingle at a certain stretch for the light to stay on)

I don't know why they put the cable through the hinge without some slack so it doesn't get stressed everytime the lid is opened and closed.

i hope this design fault doesn't exist in any of their current models.

 

Right, called Asus UK today again, was told the end of September they expect to ship the U33JC (i5 edition).

 

The end of Sept?? ASUS clearly must be having supply issues for this many delays on a notebook open for pre-order!

Sorry Case1! Any word from GenTechPC on their ETA now for the U33Jc?

 

Just wrote Ken an email. Hopefully no further delays here in the States.

XoticPC says middle of September.
ExcaliberPC says 09/08

Got the confirmation from Ken (GentechPC) that the ETA is still 09/09. So no delays anymore...

 

Well, he said the i5 edition of the U33Jc will ship towards the end of September, so maybe the i3 edition is still good. But whoever is waiting for the i5 edition, "end of September" could mean delays up to November.

 

Hello everyone I have had my laptop for a week and half and now I have that dreaded high pitch whining sound. Should I attempt a Bios update or does anyone else have any other suggestions?

 

Ken contacted me today. He said Asus' warehouse should be receiving their shipment 9/8 or 9/9 at the latest. Hooooorraaaaaay.

Sorry to hear about the UK delays. I would be willing to bet yous are approaching your last delay as well seeing that the States will be getting units very soon.

What model do you have? U43JC/F?

 

I have the U43JC-X1 from Amazon

 

I have been using my U43JC-X1 (also bought on amazon).
And I just now realized the high pitched noise. While I was wearing my earphones. So the problem is probably on the soundboard....

 

We have also confirmed with ASUS the U33's are expected in tomorrow. Unfortunately a very small shipment is hitting the U.S. (Approximately 50 units).