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

Thanks so much for that, I ordered from Gentech just now after canceling my preorder at J&R and they said they should be able to ship it out today... holding my breath until I get tracking info but I'm excited after waiting a month and a half

Edit: Hm you said Monday, I'm assuming mine would be at earliest Monday then as well, or they've revised their estimates and you'll get yours sooner...

 

I just got an email that said that my notebook is ready to ship. Until I get a tracking number I don't believe that it necessarily goes out today. I waited so long that it doesn't matter if I get it Monday or Tuesday Happy that it is now in stock for everybody.

 

Just get a reply back from Ken at GenTech. It seems they certainly plan to ship some units today. Guess my unit isn't shipping directly from the Asus warehouse after all At least I am very close either way. If it ships early enough today, I may have one in my hands by tomorrow. Most likely though it will get to Vegas tomorrow night and not go out for delivery till Monday. I'll have to wait patiently knowing my notebook is somewhere in my city. I need something to distract me. At least the EPL is back in action this week.

That is interesting about the HDD partition. I feel like such a noob. All of the HP's I've used as well as my last Toshiba all had about a 10gb D: drive partition for a small backup. That makes sense to keep all of my personal files on the D: drive instead of on the OS partition. I will have to look into making the D: drive my default so I don't have to manually change it in every program.

So do yous store other things on the OS partition? Programs/Games? Or is it just intended for the OS? Guess I'll have to see how big the OS partition is as to whether I can put other stuff on it.

Update: It looks like mine IS shipping directly from Asus. Ken will get tracking info from Asus "later." This was supposed to shave 2-3 days off my shipping time but if GenTech gets orders shipped out today, who knows. I was hoping my notebook shipped the same day they sent orders to GenTech and XoticPC, but that doesn't look like the case.

 

Hi guys,

I was waiting for the UL30JT for so long but decided to go for the U33.
I would like to upgrade the CPU to Core-i5 520M with the same clock speed an Watt level as the Core-i3 370M.
Will this upgrade decrease the battery life?

Thanks in advance..

 

Is it normal for the U43JC screens to be really really messed up and green and crazy during setup?

 

We have been told that the U33 has the CPU soldered in. This is why retailers that customize the CPU no longer have other options available to choose from.

Honestly though, is there any particular reason you would want to upgrade from a 370m to a 520m? The performance difference seems pretty marginal. While I would like the ability to one day upgrade, the 370m should have plenty of juice for a few years. If I were to upgrade the CPU, it would be to an i7 620m or whatever is out in a couple years that I could get for a reasonable price. Since it doesn't appear to be ugradeable though, I will be fine with the i3.

Battery life shouldn't be affected too much. A battery saving profile should get very good battery life. Keep in mind that the default clock speed for both CPU's is 2.4GHz. The 520m can turbo boost to 2.93GHz, but if you are going for battery life, you likely won't be using turbo boost.

I will certainly be doing a Hybrid Drive upgrade which seems like it would offer far more bang for the buck compared to a minor CPU upgrade. My $.02.

 

Does anyone have any clue when Amazon might be getting the U33 in? They don't seem to know themselves...

Thanks!

 

Just received my tracking number from GenTech. No info available yet. It shipped today from wherever it shipped from. Guess I won't know until it gets to me. Here's hoping that it shows up tomorrow and that some of yous get tracking numbers today as well.

@jrobbfed
I have never heard an ETA for Amazon for the U33. If Amazon can't tell you, no one probably can.

 

I got my shipping number too but no info available yet. I live in San Diego so I hope that I get my U33JC on Monday. UPS doesn't deliver on weekends.

Time to save the data from my Asus F6V and do a clean install before I give it to a friend.

 

U43JC-X1 came from Amazon today with a completely defective screen and/or graphics card. Awesome.

 

Awesome, I just got tracking info from Gentech for a U33JC-A1 as well. I'm happy because I only ordered from them today.

Sorry about the messed up laptop Orzo. In my experience though Amazon is awesome about customer service. I had a shipment get lost and they overnighted me a new one free. And it was a big heavy laserprinter. Good luck with yours.

 

Looks like we were really lucky the next shipping is ETA 9/30 for Gentech.

 

So those of you who got shipping info from GenTech, your tracking is for UPS? Mine is for FedEx. I am going to assume that mine did ship from somewhere else then. Doesn't really matter though since they are all shipping on the same day.

@andrewmatta
Can't believe you just ordered today and already got tracking info! Awesome.

 

Mine is UPS. When I ordered I had a very large selection of shipping choices. I chose the free shipping option which was UPS ground. Perhaps when you ordered you chose a FedEx option?

 

Yes, UPS. Gentech is located in Covina (LA area). I live in San Diego so the shipment should be fast for me

 

Wow, my tracking info is up. It is leaving Newark, CA. I believe this is where Asus is located as there are a few search results for Asus in Newark.

Looks like it would have been better if it went through GenTech first as many of yous are getting shipping info today as well. LA is a lot closer than the Bay Area. I won't be getting my notebook till 9/14. Bummer. I thought my notebook would ship when Asus' shipment to GenTech did.

mygymnop, I'm guessing you are in pole position to get one first. Tomorrow maybe?

 

Yeah it's weird, I thought Asus will ship our shipment and your order to you at the same time, so you don't have to wait for us to received the shipment and then ship it to you, it'll take a day extra.

 

Oh well. Not a big deal. Yous had my best interest in mind, and Asus probably could have shipped it earlier. A couple days won't kill me.

 

Yeah I wish they ship your order and our shipment at the same time as planned.

But look at the bright side, it's on it's way.

 

I will get mine according to UPS on Monday they don't deliver on weekends but Monday is early enough. You get yours on Tuesday so not bad either;-)

 

Thanks for your reply Case1,

I want that extra CPU power when needed, usually when working at home plugged to AC.
But if you say the performance difference is not that big, i might use that money for that SSD/Hybrid upgrade.

Anyway, i saw at XOTIC-PC that they do customize CPU
ASUS U33JC-A1 - XOTIC PC - ASUS U33 Bamboo Laptop

Thanks again!

 

Not sure if XoticPc really offers customize CPUs for the U33JC. Could be that this is old information before they knew that the CPU is soldered on the mainboard. Give them a call.
Performance wise I wouldn't expect too much difference (some i5 can be even slower than i3 processors) and if you want the CPU change for more performance in games the bottle neck will be the dedicated graphic card (Nvidia 310M) and not the CPU.

Marco

 

All very true.

 

Hi I just got an asus u43jc-x1 and I'm trying to find out how the nvidia optimus thing works. I really want to know which graphics card is being used. I looked up vidoes about it online:
The NVIDIA Blog - Take a Look: New Optimus Interface

and for some reason my user interface doesn't have the options to show the notification under the view tab. Do I need to update the drive or something?? I believe I have the newest update and nvidia driver.

 

I canceled my pre-order after hearing lots of news about the U35JC (and one report here, with the U43) having that high-pitched whine problem. I am sensitive to noises, and I know it would drive me crazy. When you people start to get your U33s, can you please report on the noise level? I'm being overly cautious, I know, but I've already had to return one laptop, and I'd rather just get something that works this time! Thanks!

 

Go HERE and download the Optimus (nVidia) Test Tool gadget to know when your nVidia GPU is on. Driver 258.96 also has it sort-of built in ... though I still prefer the nVidia Test Tool gadget.

 

Except some us of are finding the we can't install that 258.96...

 

Ah, have you tried what others found on the U35/45Jc thread? They updated their BIOS to the latest and were then able to install the 258.96 drivers without a problem.

 

I will get my U33JC tomorrow. Give me a few days and I will report back about the whining noise. I am sensitive to noises too. The scratchy or click noise of some older HDD drives me crazy.

 

Count another one with U43 whine. Mine emits a high pitched whine that can definitely be heard if the room is otherwise silent. In fact, I've put a small fan on my office desk just to generate some noise so that it's not as annoying. Seeing as the U33/34/35 all pretty much have identical components, I'm sure the U33 will have it too.

In between the whine, the terrible track pad, and the complete uselessness of WiDi, I'm starting to heavily regret this purchase.

 

I'm not seeing many positive posts anymore regarding this laptop range.

I'm starting to consider myself getting something else, anyone know of any other 13" i5 laptops that don't look like crap?

 

The positive posts were pretty much only from people that read the spec sheet, preordered the laptop months ago, and are riding their hype and expectation, with no laptop in hand. The reality is that this is a middle of the road notebook with some irritating build and usability issues.

 

Well, I do have a u43jc. It's not terrible. Course it's not my dream laptop, but then again, I'm not willing to shill out a few grand for one. Although I haven't fully used it, the battery life seems to be sufficient to get me through a school day without charge. Maybe my ears are bad or because this is my first laptop, but I don't seem to hear any annoying sound. Then again my desktop is pretty loud so i'm probably used to it. Performance wise, it is what I expect from a laptop. My desktop was 1.5 years old and it runs about the same speed, although slower at some times. The only 2 quips I really have is the way it handles games and how I'm able to get the temps up and CPU up to 50% so easily by just doing a Kapersky database update or scan. First one will probably be fixed if I try going with Quatro's suggestion and overclock a bit (and learn how to update my bios!) and the second one probably could be fixed with a clean install (which I can't do since I only own copies of Windows XP). Should be easy for other people to do so though.

oh and if some people are wondering, game wise:

TF2- up to 100 when I respawn and no ones is around. down to 5 when is was ~20vs20 fire fight. Still trying to find optimal video settings.

L4D2- Runs smoothly with very little hiccups. Will post vid settings if asked

SC2- pretty sure quatro already mentioned something about that. Will post if asked though.

 

Yeah i'm going to have a good look again when i get to England very soon.. Particularly if i will have to wait another month for it to arrive in the UK. And you can do a clean install with the operating system you have been supplied with. Find your product key, write it down and burn yourself some install disks for the same operating system. (I believe it comes with 7 Home Premium?.) This is legal since you own the software license that it was shipped with. Feel free to PM me if you would like any help with this.

 

0.0 really?! Where would I find say product key??

 

Hey, thanks for the feedback/promise of feedback.
I'm starting to get desperate for another laptop though! I am moving in a couple of months, for one thing (so no waiting another 2-3 months for the next cool product to come out) and my current laptop is experiencing random shutdowns with worrying frequency.

I'm not expecting this laptop to be anything other than mid-range for something like gaming, but the only other laptops in this size range (13-14'') that are comparable are either WAY more expensive, have crappy battery life, weigh a lot more, are missing a dedicated graphics card altogether, or come from companies I never want to deal with (like HP). The Sony Z series is the only high-end small, light laptop I've seen, and, as expected, it has heat issues. Tell me, bigdoof, when you regret this purchase, what other laptop do you think would have been better?

 

There are many freeware aps that can do this for you. With previous versions of windows i used Magic Jelly Bean key finder but i know with windows 7 ultimate i have installed on my custom built desktop it shows the product key in system information. If you can't find it try this Windows Product Key Finder PRO: Freeware Software Download

I just googled it quickly for you. If it doesn't work search for Windows 7 product key finder.

 

I regret not shopping around more. I needed a laptop, browsed a couple of sites, then bought the very same day. For $1000, I was expecting something with more substantial build quality and that really hasn't been the case at all.

As a comparison, my previous computer was a Dell Studio XPS 13. For ~$1000, it was build like a rock. Solid, zero flex, metal construction, excellent track pad, excellent build quality all around, and lightweight. I was expecting something similar to that. Instead I got a laptop with a fair amount of flex, horrible trackpad (did they even test this??), audible power supply whine, and some questionable material choices.

 

The product key is on a sticker on the case. No need for that.

 

ASUS doesn't provide any discs. You only get the pre-installed version that is so full of bloatware that I started off with around 90 processes running. I've only been able to manually get it to 80 since I'm afraid of deleting something that I'm actually going to need.

 

You should be able to burn recovery disks. I have not done this on an Asus but Acer and Toshiba do this. Installing from the recovery disks won't fix the bloatware problem because the recovery disks will restore the bloatware too. However, once you have the restore disks you can do whatever you want to your computer and if you hose it you can bring it back.

Maybe someone who has an Asus could confirm how to do this. Of course this only works if you have a dvd burner.

If you have no dvd drive (or just want to be able to make a backup to another hard drive) you can instead use a cloning tool such as Clonezilla (free, open source; similar function as Norton Ghost) to back up the computer: Clonezilla Live on USB flash drive or USB hard drive
Clonezilla is nice because once you get your computer set up nicely you can back the whole thing up and restore to that point if something ever goes seriously wrong.

 

Yea. First thing I did when I got it was make some back up DVDs

 

Haha, I fit all three of those statements. A bit harsh, but fair enough. Don't forget about the reviews for the U33JC. They were mostly positive.

Engadget:
"U33Jc actually feels like one of the more solid laptops we've reviewed, save for its plastic chiclet keyboard."
"Sliding a finger over the smooth wood to navigate the desktop was a rather enjoyable experience, and the lovely-feeling texture of the pad makes up for the single mouse button."

Anandtech:
"It’s interesting to have a bamboo texture underneath, but other than that, the touchpad just works."
"To me, the ASUS U33Jc has everything - style, performance, portability, battery life, and value."

PCMag:
"The frame is as rigid as the aluminum Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz) ($1,199 direct, ) and Asus U30Jc-A1, though it's thicker and heavier than expected despite purging the optical drive."

LaptopMag:
"Measuring 3 x 1.7 inches, the U33Jc's bamboo touchpad was remarkably smooth, making it easy to navigate the desktop."
(Discussing WiDi) "The same high-def trailers we played earlier on the U33Jc's screen looked smooth on the big screen, and the sound came through the TV's speakers loud and clear."
"If you buy this notebook, the Netgear box is definitely worth the splurge."

Cnet:
"The rest of the body is composed of glossy black plastic and gray brushed metal, and the entire package feels solid and sturdy, and likely to stand up to serious road abuse."
" The wooden surface works fine as a touch pad, although it lacks the multitouch gestures found in most other current laptops. Still, it's impressive that even with the wood covering, the touch pad is as responsive and accurate as any other we've tried."

ComputerShopper:
"The touch pad’s decent size and smooth texture afford easy zooming, scrolling, and tapping. We have no complaints about the mouse button; it has nice vertical travel, and it isn't too stiff."
"The high-performance, feature-rich Asus U33Jc-A1 Bamboo is, hands down, the best ultraportable $1,000 can buy."

NotebookReview:
"The build quality of the U33JC is very good with a solid main chassis that doesn't squeak, creak, or flex even under significant pressure."
"The Synaptics touchpad is a fairly nice with the same bamboo covering as the palm rests. The touchpad drivers provide excellent accuracy and minimal lag with a range of options."
"The ASUS U33JC-A1 is an extremely attractive and extremely well built laptop with a few annoying little issues."

TechReport:
"The surface is perfectly smooth, making tracking fluid and precise with no break-in period required. The see-saw single button is nice and clicky, too."
"The flex-free keyboard feels incredibly solid even when typing aggressively at speed, and the surface of the touchpad is silky smooth."
"Asus has created a system that looks and feels like a Jaguar but is priced like a Toyota, and that's a very good combination indeed—one worthy of TR Recommended distinction"

Sorry for the horrible formatting, but you get the idea. These are people who HAVE used the machine, and for the most part they are positive. I tried to highlight the negative points that bigdoof pointed (mainly build quality and trackpad) out from his experience. There are obviously other positives (and negatives).

So while it is fair to criticise us for not having used the notebook yet, we have certainly read a review or eight that seem to confirm our expectations. Not saying people won't have problems, just tryinig not to come off as naiive as you make some of us sound. Always glad to have your input though, bigdoof. Sorry you are regretting your purchase.

 

To me, what the press has said about a preview machine is completely irrelevant. I have the computer in my possession. I have used it. And the trackpad buttons are ridiculous. Of the other people that have the production computer, I have yet to hear of a single person has said anything good thing about it. No lie, the most positive thing that has been said about this is that they use an optical mouse anyway, so the stiffness doesn't bother them too much. The worst has been that several people outright don't buy the computer because it's simply that annoying.

That being said, what I am noticing is that the buttons seem to be a bit looser than when I first got it. This means one of two things, either that I am letting wishful thinking get the better of me, or that the buttons really are loosening. If they are, that's great...but it also makes me wonder about the long term durability. I will see.

My other concerns were about the questionable build quality and flex. This is U43 specific, and probably doesn't apply to the U33. But this thing bends more than a $1000 should, particularly around the optical bay, and to a lesser degree on the entire lid. And the high-pitched whine is both annoying and worrisome. I've spent far less on a computer with less flex, and in my experience, $1000 has previously gotten me a lot more.

I never read any of the press previews before my purchase, so all I have to go on is what I have in front of me, sans the hype and reviews. One thing I would keep in mind is that these publications are given pre-production notebooks to test for free (in this case, months and months before actual release). It is in their best interest to spin the sample product in a positive light so that the gravy train keeps on rolling, and the click traffic flowing. Unless a product is terrible in all respects, I've rarely seen a truly critical product preview from the above publications. Publications/blogs and manufactures have a symbiotic relationship, it's the nature of the business.

EDIT: I just realized that all of the above reviews are for the U33. Maybe none of the U43 issues exist on the U33. Here's hoping.

 

Yes, and that really is the most important point. You actually have a U43 in your posession right now and you are not pleased with it. I'm certainly not trying to tell you you are wrong. That would be silly. I do imagine some of the structural issues will be limited to the U43, but things like the trackpad and possibly the high pitched noise could be universal. I do recall the UL80VT having chassis problems as well. Once that optical bay is added and the screen gets stretched, these build quality things seem more prevalent in these U/UL models, unfortunately.

As for the reviews, I believe these were final production units the reviewers had in their hands though. While the reviews came out months before the US release, other countries have had bamboo notebooks since before the reviews came out. One reviewer even mentions that they changed the touchpad from what was on pre-production units, which furthers my assumption.

As for the credibility of the reviews, well, I believe that there is enough competition and options in the market that there is no incentive for the sources to spin their reviews. They could certainly hand out bad reviews to many models from every manufacturer, but there will always be good models to keep the gravy train going. Plus, a negative review wouldn't make me stop visiting a website, those are usually the most helpful reviews.

Many things are objective, like benchmark numbers and heat, but things like build quality are totally subjective. Would all of these reviewers collude to state they are happy with the build quality if they really aren't? Do positive reviews of a somewhat low volume product really bring them more clicks? Reviews are only a part of what these sites do after all. Also, there were many conflicting opinions about the keyboard. Some felt it was too mushy, some said there was no mush and it was a dream. I imagine that comes down to personal preference. The screen also received varying criticism.

If I knew of a machine in the same price range that offers better build quality, performance, portability, and battery life, I would have bought that instead. I had PLENTY of time to look around as I had been waiting for the UL30JT since January.

Again though, all that matters is that you actually have one in front of you and aren't pleased with what you have. Judgement day is coming for the U33Jc with some people receiving theirs tomorrow and me on Tuesday. I really (really) hope the reviewers' opinions are consistent with the owners'.

P.S. 4 1/2 years ago (when 100GB notebook HDD were still rare, HA!) I purchased a 14" Toshiba (M505 I think, when Centrino was brand new) from Costco for $1,500. It was a respectable machine back then, but I will be getting FAR more for my money in every aspect this time around. I am currently using a sub $1,000 (after $400 coupon) 1 year old 14" HP dv4t which I expect to get blown away by the U33 as well.

 

This is very true.

Yes but what i suggested is still possible, there are many ways to get the software you need to re-install after a format. Like i said, it is legal since you own the key.

 

I have read that the easiest way to remove all the bloatware from a new PC is to use this FREE tool.

I have heard others talk positively about it and it was recently mentioned in Maximum PC as well.

Welcome | The PC Decrapifier

 

My U33jc is on the delivery truck will give my first impressions in a couple of hours.

 

Excellent guide to help you decide which processes you can do without...this is one of the sites I use to tweak the hell out of a win7 box

Windows 7 Service Configurations by Black Viper

 

ASUS' use of the single toggle mouse button is a bit annoying, I admit. But I did have to learn to press the bar near the ends and nowhere near the middle third or more, which made it very stiff to use. The ends click down quite easily on my U30Jc.

BTW, I can't tell from the pictures, but is your mouse bar that thin little bar line or the wider part? My mouse button/bar is quite broad.