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

I've had no problems running Arch Linux on my U43Jc. Runs wonderfully.

 

Update: I installed a REAL Intel 6200 today and it works fine. Took less than 5 minutes + install drivers from intel. The fake one I purchased from ebay look pretty similar except it had a sticker on one side only. The real one has stickers on both side of the chip. The ebayer did refund me for the chip (minus shipping). The real one was purchased from a reputable guy in the forums, here http://forum.notebookreview.com/com...-advanced-n-6200-advanced-wireless-cards.html

 

Below are my personal notes for a clean install of a U33JC-A1 if anyone is interested:

- Windows partition: 38GB, 200.5GB (I have a 256GB SSD)
- Install Windows 7 HP x64 on 1st partition
- Disable User Account Permissions, Defragmenter, Remote Access, System Restore, Autoplay, and Indexing (SSD only)
- 1024MB virtual memory custom set
- Folder view: display full path, show hidden, unhide empty, unhide ext

- install chipset, intel management, kbfilter, but avoid intel rapid storage sata controller for SSD
- install synaptics_15.0.24.0
- install VGA_Intel_WIN7_64_z815102119 (asus)
- install nvidia 258.96_notebook_winvista_win7_64bit_international_whql
- install ATK, USB3 via Nec/Re, camera azu
- install wireless console 3, wififamily (all drivers ok now), bluetooth azu/widcomm
- install power4gear, lifetime, install audio, card reader, fastboot, nb probe

- Activation via online/phone
- Windows Update all, including new intel vga
- disable windows defender auto
- uninstal features RDC, tablet
- services disable: dis link, rem reg, tab, win err
- services manual: win update
- disable startups: usb 3 monitor, intel proset tray icon, icon utility, realtek manager (via realtek); remove startups bluetooth and srs sound

note: For SSD, use the latest IRST drivers from intel, not Asus. Asus one crashes.
http://www.station-drivers.com/page/intel raid.htm

 

I need some help... I just got a U43JC, wonderful laptop but i can't live with the speed of a regular hdd... I want to install my SSD on it... I created the restore dvds and i installed my ssd, restored using dvds, no error, rebooting : PLEASE INSERT BOOT DISK.... It can't boot after the restoration process... DO you have any idea on how i can install my Windows 7 HP that came with my laptop onto my ssd ?

 

I upgraded to a SSD too. Just use an OEM Windows 7 DVD (there is a link in the thread somewhere), install that, and then all the necessary drivers. I did not use the recovery dvd's because I did not want the bloatware. If you are determined to use the recovery dvd's, make sure the windows partition is active so it can boot from it.

 

Does anybody know where to buy an extra power adapter for the U33JC model in the UK?
It says it a "ASUS ADP-65JH BB" model.

Also, what are the battery sizes available for the U33JC model? Are there any different sizes or just one?

 

For those with SSD's, you "might" want to try vLite which according to its description:

vLite - Vista Lite

vLite is a tool for customizing the Windows Vista (works on Windows 7) installation before actually installing it.

Main features are:

* hotfix, language pack and driver integration
* component removal
* unattended setup
* tweaks
* split/merge Vista installation CDs
* create ISO and burn bootable CD/DVD


Windows Vista from Microsoft takes a lot of resources, we all know that. vLite provides you with an easy removal of the unwanted components in order to make Vista run faster and to your liking.

This tool doesn't use any kind of hacking, all files and registry entries are protected as they would be if you install the unedited version only with the changes you select.

It configures the installation directly before the installation, meaning you'll have to remake the ISO and reinstall it. This method is much cleaner, not to mention easier and more logical than doing it after installation on every reinstall.

Forum: vLite - MSFN Forums

You can remove some of the things you may not need/want from a Windows 7 installation such as (got most from EeePC forum):

- C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download
- C:\Windows\winsxs\Backup
- C:\Windows\winsxs\Manifests ( file names start with "x86_mdm" and "x86_prn" if you don't need to connect with any modems and printers)
- C:\Windows\winsxs (directory names start with "x86_mdm" and "x86_prn" if you don't need to connect with any modems and printers)
- C:\Windows\Globalization (those pictures files you don't want)
- C:\Windows\inf ( file names start with "mdm" and "prn" if you don't need to connect with any modems and printers)
- C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT (if you could live without the function of windows experience index.)
- C:\Windows\Prefetch (delete those files with extention .pf , but you need to search the registry twice for a key "enableprefetcher" and change the value from 3 to zero first)
- C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper (delete those wallpapers you don't like)
- C:\Windows\fonts (delete those fonts that you never use)

in addition, these are some other things you may want to remove

Accessibility (15.7 MB)
Speech Support (451.8 MB)
TV Tuners (17.3 MB)
All the languages (1.11 GB)
Music and Video Samples (403.2 MB)
Help (173 MB)
Natural Language (549.1 MB)
Tablet PC (391.5 MB)
Windows Easy Transfer (90 MB)

 

Thanks for your fast answer, we can use an oem Windows 7 dvd and use our serial number marked on the bottom of the machine ?

 

Quick answer is yes. You can find the download links on this forum.

You'll likely need to phone in the activation, but that is fairly fast & painless.

 

Thank you all, it's done ! Activation works perfectly. I used my home pc dvd and registered using the Asus serial number.

Ahhhhhhh great feeling of ssd speed

 

I have another question, did you found the ELAN Windows 7 64bit driver ?? Its not on the asus website.

 

Since no one commented on my question about the u43jc webcam acting a little slow....has anyone attempted to change the settings through lifeframe to decrease the camera delay? I would rather have worse quality picture and a faster speed so that there isn't a 1 second delay from what the camera is showing. thanks in advance

 

You can find the Elan driver under u35. I found that if you install asus virtual camera driver and use that in for example skype the camera is much faster.

 

thanks for the reply storm...I installed virtual camera and when I used it it seemed slower than the normal one....but that said....the normal camera seems like it is a little faster....a little more acceptable. I have just compared the camera to a few others and was a little surprised how good the quality looked on other laptops. Not a killer for me but would be nice to have a nice camera for skype.

 

Does anybody have issues with the Wireless Console after wake up from sleep? I can still turn wifi on/off with the hotkey, but the popup doesn't show up anymore. Also, even though Bluetooth is turned off originally, the hotkey turns it on along with the wifi.

 

I have the same problem with the webcam... totally unusable... totally unacceptable for a laptop that price... i would expect that type of webcam on a 399$ Gateway laptop... but not on a 1100$ one. If you have any clues on how to get it to work better ?

Thank you for the reply of the touchpad, i found it under the u33jc... strange that Asus did not add it to the u43jc drivers page.

 

my webcam quality is fine but there is some delay and there are some problems with people on skype being able to see me through the webcam..

also i had a question about when the screen is closed.. if the laptop was running and i close the screen and reopen it, the screen goes black. the power light is on but i'm not sure how to get my screen running again.. usually i end up having to manually power off the entire laptop and rebooting it... there may be some huge newbie thing i'm missing out on but i really can't figure out how to otherwise get my screen running again if the screen is closed. :/

 

Your screen/power settign is in the "power options." By default, it goes to sleep when screen is off. Touch keys and screen goes back on. You can change it.

The hotkey turns both on or off, not only one of them. I have noticed that bug where after sleep or hibernate, the wireless console tray icon will not show up if presssed.

 

Well, if you use the hotkey and the WAN and Bluetooth images pop up, you can actually click on the Bluetooth one to disable it. Then, as long as you don't sleep your computer, whenever you use the hotkey, it will only turn wifi on/off. I want to figure out this Wireless Console not working after wake-up business though.

 

okay seriously can anyone find the u33jc in stock anywhere... besides amazon with that ridiculous 3-4 week wait.... i am needing a laptop here soon but no one has one in stock... so i thought a good alternative would be vaio.... anyone else know some unique laptops ie the bamboo.... thanks.

 

Does anyone here's laptop have a weird purplish tint to everything?

 

Hello! I've lurking in this thread for a while now but haven't seen much noise or news regarding the U53. I wonder if anyone knows of any updated info on its progress or an estimated release date! Thanks!

 

i will be honest i am somewhat worried that by the time these are released they will be outdated... i would at least like to get somewhat nice for 1000.....

 

Okay, so there is finally a BIOS update for the U43Jc! But... it appears that it's only something related to USB3.0 and has nothing to do with being able to update Optimus drivers, unfortunately.

I don't know if I should just give up hoping for that update or not. Was there a specific reason they would do that for the U33 and not the U43?

 

If you're worried about specs, then just go for the U35. The hardware is exactly the same, and the only real difference is the design and weight.

 

Actually, there are several differences between the U33 & the U35.

BT, WiDi-capable, USB 3.0, solid aluminum plate top around the keyboard, (and that awesome wood veneer), etc.

 

Went ahead and ordered the u33jc-rx126v. Fingers crossed the better processor didn't cause them to downgrade any other parts in comparison to the rx068v.. Funny thing is on the website i ordered from. digital-fusion.co.uk the rx068v is slightly more expensive..

 

Wow, I actually forgot about those things. Oops. You're right. I should have remembered all of that, plus the 2.0 MP vs. 0.3 MP Webcam.

The more I think about it, the less "the same" they are... (some things are the i3-370M, Nvidia 310M, Optimus, battery life, etc.) But definitely both have their own unique appeal.

 

I finally got a call from XoticPC on Friday saying that their first shipment of U53s should come this week, so hopefully we'll be seeing them pretty soon.

 

i talked to gentech today they are not getting a u33jc shipment till the start of november o dears...

 

Wow. That is insane. I wonder what is up with all this backorder delays.

 

makes you wonder huh?

edit---
in the mean time we can all now enjoy fallout new vegas

 

Heya dudes!
I've been following the u33jc for a while now and I've noticed a lot of reviews mention the heat of the machine can become quite uncomfortable.
What what kinda experiences have you guys had on this issue?

 

13yren, for my everyday use on a U33JC (internet, email, word, excel, powerpoint, movies, music, some photoshop, and work applications using java)..., the laptop has been super quiet (most quiet laptop I have ever had), and never hot at all. Keep in mind I am not a gamer and with my everyday use, my cpu rarely runs at max other than spikes here and there.

 

Thanks for your reply isosunrise, that's good to know - especially since I'll be using mine for similar stuff (photoshop, 3dsmax, movies, web etc.)

 

I cannot reproduce any heat issue. The keyboard, palm rest and touchpad are still just warm while playing games. The fans are usually quiet and the only thing what you can hear is the streaming air...while gaming you will hear the fans/air a bit more but never annoyingly loud. At work with background noise I cannot hear anything.

 

Same. I was going to reply but I wasn't sure if I've used it enough to really present an accurate picture but from my (limited) experience it's stayed pretty cool and my friends were surprised by how cool it was also (temperature-wise).

 

can you guys check what type of monitors you have? in device manager i mean. on mine, i had two AUO31EC's in a row which had a bad purpleish tint.

 

Can't find the entry under monitor. Is it under hardware ID?

 

Yeah it's under hardware id and should look similar to this :
MONITOR\AUO31EC

 

OK Mine says: MONITOR\CPT17D5

 

Same (MONITOR\CPT17D5). No purplish hue going on here.

 

Third MONITOR\CPT17D5, no purplish hue either.

 

Looks like asus is trying to save money...by putting crappy displays in their newer laptops....


yay

Are there places that can replace a asus's laptop monitor with a better one? Like let's say i didn't buy the laptop from xoticpc....can i send it to them and have it upgraded?

 

Tim, we have U33JC. Don't you have a U53JC? It is a totally different size laptop so I hightly doubt the hardware display number would be the same.

 

Well i technically have neither. It's a U52F, has the motherboard of the u53jc and the design of all the asus bamboo notebooks.

I just wanted to know because on the first of my 4 exchanges (i know), it was a perfectly colored display. Literally had better colors than my monitor. And now i have this crappy AU Optronics display, and apparently AUO is notorious for making horrible displays.

 

I just wanted to let UK people know that I finally received my u33jc from SimplyAsus today. I'm in the early stage of burning the recovery disks and cleaning up the install so might come back later with a review. But so far I'm impress by the build quality, the ergonomic and the aesthetic of this laptop. The best combination I've seen so far and it has true character!

 

Damn, judging from when you posted last it's taken quite a while for the laptop to get to you! I'm guessing that's just to do with the pre-order rush from ASUS, but I think I'll order from elsewhere anyway

Speaking of which, has anyone ordered from here?

 

Hi guys, I've been following this thread for a good couple dozen pages or so, since I have had my eye on the U33JC since August. It's been a long wait, but I managed to order one from a Canadian supplier here. I do have a question though:

The screen lid of the laptop seems to have some flex to it, and doesn't close all the way. That is, I've noticed that the lid is just under a 1/2 centimeter raised on the corner, and then goes to around 3/4s of a centimeter height near the middle. If I apply a bit of pressure to it, the rubber stoppers meet the casing, but otherwise they seem to be raised above it. Would this count as a defect (although it's definitely tolerable), or should I bring it up with the supplier and/or Asus themselves?

Also, and this one is quite annoying. I occasionally hear (once every 4 seconds) some kind of click noise from the laptop, possibly something regarding the hard drive? Any ideas what that is?

 

Hey just wondering a few things about this laptop before I pull the trigger. Mainly, just wondering if anybody here has played games such as Team Fortress 2 on their U33 and if so what did you have to alter on the display settings in game (if any at all) to make it playable with no lag? Just wondering this before I buy either this or the U35, depending on whether or not I want the bamboo finish and the couple other perks of the bamboo.