ASUS U80V-A1 Review

was under win 7 64 bit

 

I figure it's because the lady who's helping me has no idea what she's doing...she told me upfront that "she's never had to order a special laptop like this".

Is there any way to order it from your Mississauga location and have it delivered to the one on Hwy 7?

 

one question regarding the touchpad and scrolling, do you have to use two fingers for scrolling or one finger? and can you scroll by touching anywhere on the touchpad?

 

Check out the zdnet review that I posted on the page 10 of this thread. It has a video that demonstrates the multi-gesture touchpad. I think it is 2 for scrolling.

 

Scrolling uses 2 fingers together anywhere on the touchpad. There is no special "scrolling zone" as on single finger touchpads.

 

does anyone have an update on the availability of the U80V-A1 in the US? I am interested in getting one for college.

 

I am wishfully waiting that soon someone will be selling it in the US with different options to choose from

Any updates would be great.

 

Hey Sorrix, sorry to ask again about the restocking fee, but I have to clarify this. Did you specifically ask if there are restocking fees for special order products, or did you assume there is no restocking fee because it doesn't apply to products bought in store off the shelf?

If you know for sure that no restocking fee applies for special order products, is there something I can tell the people at the Staples nearest to me that would show them there is no restocking fee? They keep telling me there is.

Thanks again.

 

Forever Melody and Sorrix confirmed that both Staples they work do not have a restocking fee even on special order items. Sorrix did mention that there is a fee for cancelling a special order item at his Staples.

If you are getting a hard time about the restocking fee and there is a chance that you will want to return the notebook then I would not purchase the notebook from that Staples. You just do not want the headache later on down the road.

 

I finally got this laptop! Mine is the T6500 processor that seems to be the only one available in Canada right now.

I've tried a couple games on this and they seem to run well. The Sims 3 runs very smoothly with everything maxed out. Street fighter IV gets an average of 33 FPS on full resolution with medium graphics settings. Bioshock runs very well with graphics on high. Prototype runs alright with graphics on low/medium. It gets a bit choppy at times. (Er.. I don't know how to view FPS on some of these games Sorry, new at this...)

The trackpad and area around the spacebar get hot during gaming but it's not too uncomfortable.

If anyone wants more details or has any questions just ask. I'm sort of a novice at this kind of thing so I might need some help/instructions!

 

Hey Sorrix, great review! I've looking for a laptop for university for the past couple of months and I've made my decision to get the ASUS U80V.

I also live in Toronto, particularly Markham, and i just came back from the Staples Markham store on Markham Road. I've read people having some problems with getting theirs and when I went in today i gave the guy my contact info and the vendor and special order part number you posted previously. He said he would get back to me because he would have to contact the head office.

So I am wondering if he was doing that to get out of it or if that is actually necessary because when I gave him the number and vendor he just looked at it and said "thats looks about right" and also said this laptop seems like an old model. He didn't check anything on the computer or anything. So I am a bit confused on this matter could anyone help me out?

 

Well special orders aren't something we do that often(because only companies usually use that feature to bulk order) so it's not irregular for people who have been working at a Staples for less than 1-2 year(s) not to ever have done one(depending on which area your Staples is located in).

You don't need to contact anyone(other than the manager to approve the order) to make a special order if that's what you're asking though.

It's really not complicated. If you had access to the AS400(our computer system), given the info Sorrix provided, even you(the customer) could put in the order lol

 

cant you make orders through staples' phone service?

And is payment due at pickup or at ordering?

 

Payment is supposed to be at ordering(I say "supposed to" because that's what protocol says, but some sales reps say otherwise). As for ordering through the phone, that's for the catalogue, but idk if the U80V is in the new catalogue(we have the old 2009 catalogue at work).

 

Hi, I live in Sydney and I'm thinking of getting this laptop. Just a quick question to Sorrix (or anyone else who has the same model)- is the supplied battery 4400mAh or 5600mAh?
Thanks

 

Question: Would the special order number (4461487) and Vendor EMJ be different for the west coast? I'm from Vancouver.

 

The special order number should be the same regardless(as SKUs/UGSs are universal to the Canadian chain). However, the supplier could be different. Seems Quebec and Ontario both use EMJ as their supplier for the product so it seems it might be the same. You' have to check at a store near you to confirm(I personally think it should be the same though).

 

I'm planning to but a laptop within the month and I've got me eyes set on this one, it's beautiful. I'm just concerned whether or not the specs of the U80V-A1 is up to snuff with others in the price range.

Will I regret going with 800Mhz FSB/2MB cache/DDR2? How great is the speed difference compared to 1066Mhz/3MB cahce/DDR3?

 

All depends on what you are going to use the machine for. For me it would have been nice to have DDR3 but only from a later on down the road if the latency and price goes down.

In terms of price Asus machines tend to be well priced.

 

Hey Sorrix,

So I went to Staples (Rexdale location) again today, and of course the first person I talked to was incompetent and didn't even know what to do when I told him what I wanted (to special order the laptop). So I asked him to get the Manager, and when I explained to her what I wanted, she said that she couldn't do the special order in-store. She told me that she has to contact her supplier (or something like that) first, and see if she can get the laptop if its available. She said leave her with the model name and vendor item number and she'll call me back tomorrow with more information.

On top of that, when I asked her about the restocking fee, she said one will definately apply, and that (as said before) it will be something like 10-20%.

The more I think about it, the more I realize it makes sense for there to be a restocking fee on a special order item, because it doesn't seem like they can resell it or something as they can something that is purchased in-store or online.

However, if it is possible to get this on special order without a restocking fee as you've said Sorrix, then that's just that much better for me. Would you be able to ask your Manager or someone else to confirm 100% that there is no restocking fee on this special order item? I'm sorry to ask so many times, but I'm getting annoyed going back and forth between the Staples closest to me and dealing with all the incompetent employees there. :\

If you are in fact able to order the laptop by yourself, and make sure that there is no restocking fee, can you just let me know when you're working so I can come straight to your location and order the laptop without hassle? I really hate dealing with the people at the Staples near me. If you could do that for me, can you PM me or respond to this post please. It would be extremely appreciated.

Thanks again.

 

does this ship with 32 or 64 bit windows vista? can't seem to find any info on it.

 

it definitely ships with 32 bit windows vista home premium

 

Sorrix, did you just download a free copy of Win 7? I thought you upgraded to win 7 64 using the provided DVD? How were you able to get win 6 64 on your Asus?

 

Is the "Radeon 5470" a typo?

 

Yes. Supposed to be 4570.

On a side note, the three weeks time that was given to me by the store manager at my location is kinda bugging me now that Sorrix told me his location can get it within a week. Not in a real rush to get the laptop, but is making getting the laptop at Pacific Mall (in which it is priced @ $1130) more appealing, although I've read some bad things about Pacific Notebooks. Just putting that option out there for anyone in the area.

 

yeah i paid pacific notebook a visit too. the store manager there said he would give it to me for 1130. what do you mean bad things about them?

 

P-mall is kind of sketchy (imo at least), and their "no return/refund" policy makes it even more so. Sometimes, vendors will offer a lower price and cut out the tax if you pay full cash. But I guess if you buy it and something is wrong, you can use Asus's 2 year warranty. (Providing the warranty is in tact/ it's legit).

 

well thats the risk you run with purchasing from pmall

 

At the location you ordered it from, did they say anything about a restocking fee?

Also, Sorrix can you take a look at my previous post on this page please. I'd really appreciate it if you could do something to help.

Thanks.

 

just ordered mine from amazon. they got like 4 in stock.

 

would staples do price matching on special orders such as this?.....found another asus reseller in toronto that sells for a bit cheaper

 

It depends on the store itself. We price match, but there's conditions. For example, if there's shipping costs involved(for internet sites) and such, I think you have to factor that in in order for us to price match. Where exactly did you find it cheaper?

 

hey does anyone know is the price Sorrix listed for the asus (1149 CAD) includes shipping and taxes or is that the price before taxes and shipping. if it is the price before taxes and shipping how much does shipping cost?

@Flexx, it would be great if you could post where you found it cheaper

 

It's the price before taxes. There isn't any shipping charge however since the order is over 50$. Also, it's a lot easier to have it shipped to the store and have them call you so you can pick it up later because shipping at Staples happens from 8-5 on weekdays only(not the best time for some people to be home if they're working).

 

So, how is the U80V, for everyone that owns one? I am really considering getting one. What are some problems with it? What's the battery life like? Any other things with the U80V?

Oh, and does it come with a free upgrade to Windows 7? Thanks.

 

I was also considering this laptop for university use and very light gaming. I wanted atleast 3-4 hrs of battery life and it seems this might work for me.

I'd also like to hear from the owners of this laptop on its performance and temps in games and idle.

Has anyone seen any other configurations of this laptop with a P8xxx processor in Canada? I'm from Toronto too but would be willing to purchase it online if I found the P8xxx processor based version.

Just to let you guys know, Infonec has this laptop currently for $1119, however I have not called to see if they have stock (I'd be able to pick it up from the downtown or Markham store to avoid shipping costs). Do you think Staples would price match this?

 

lol this is the store i was talking about.....for those who missed it it was 1109 just yesterday....but the price is now $10 more. Even still its cheaper than Staples and they have a physical store which would mean that Staples cant tag on a shipping charge when price matching....and another benefit is that Infonec is a authorized reseller of Asus Products which would help with price matching.

I do have a question for the staples employees here.....is it 10% of the difference in price (10% of $30 ) or 10% of the price matched figure (10% of $1119)?

 

10% of the difference, so $3.

 

If it's cheaper at Infonec, why not buy it there? I mean, if they are an authorized dealer, then it should be safe and there shouldn't be any issues returning it. The only reason I'd get it at Staples would be because I get a discount as an employee. Other than that, it seems to be longer to get it.

 

Hey, Sorry been busy at the cottage. Yea i am 100% positive there is no restocking fee. This is what my managers have said. I seriously dont understand how dumb people are sometimes. They do not need to contact anyone at all. The computer is already in the system via that part number.

If you want to and you feel better about it, although you dont have to. You can come to my store, i work mon,tuse,thurs next week.

Also if you wanted to return it because u didn't like it and are worried about the restocking fee(even though there isn't one) Just lie and make up a problem as for reason for return. I will be home tmw and can help ya out if you need man.

 

lol, sorry, you didn't mention the name of the store.

With Staples you get the 14 days to return without hassle, I'm not sure about the return policy at Infonec though.

I'm going to P-Mall to check this thing out.

 

Hey,

Thanks a lot for the response. I think I'll skip dealing with these stupid people at the Rexdale Staples and just come to your location. If you could tell me what time you're working on Thursday that would be great. And just let me know how I would find you when I'm at the store (your name should be fine, then I can just ask any employee where you are).

Thanks so much, really appreciate it.

 

Are they just going to wait till Windows 7 comes out before selling it with options in the States?

 

Infonec is the name of the store....

 

Had a look @ infonec's site.

 

I know the name of the store, I was referring to the above post where a specific store or online site was not mentioned, but as it turns out we both ended up talking about the same place anyway.

Thanks for the info sinizter

The credit note only part is what is steering me away from purchasing it there

I did take a trip to my local staples with information from this thread to the sales clerk and told them that another staples had no problem ordering it, he said if another staples did it then it should be no problem for them and that they would call me back with an ETA and other details

 

Why not get it from NCIX? They have a return policy(just have to check if the U80V is part of their "no hassle 15 day return policy"), why not get it from them? They can price match Staples or any other online store, you save taxes(they only charge 5% federal) and the 7.5% you save more than makes up for shipping costs.

 

They have it on their website, but they don't have any in stock.

 

Well, I took the plunge and ordered my U80V. It's backordered, though. I hope I get it after my return from vacation trip (two weeks today).

 

Why not buy it off of Amazon? It should come out cheaper right?