~ Asus F8 Owners' Lounge ~

I don't think there are 9-cell batts for the F8, but please check yourself I might remember incorrectly.

If there aren;t you're stuck with that batt life...

I don't think it's significantly more portable. It's somewhat more portable. The weights & sizes listed on asus.com (or in reviews) should help you make an idea.

 

You can extend batterylife by disabling hardware (webcam, bluetooth, optical drive, memorycard reader, TPM, IR, FW and, if you feel like it, USB).

The F8 is fairly thick and heavy for a 14" (it weighs as much as a Macbook Pro), but the footprint is smaller than a 15,4", so it'll fit into smaller bags (or bags with more stuff in them.

 

so if its not more portable what was the reason you guys bought a 14" over a 15" ?

 

My previous 14" (A8Js) was more portable then the F8, with it being lighter and thinner, but it broke, and I was given the F8 as a replacement.

I went with the A8, because it had the fastest gpu for sub17" laptops, it was fairly cheap and it was quite portable.

 

Hey fab, is it possible to create a new 'power profile' or something...so for example if i'm stuck in an airport and want to watch a dvd off battery power, can i go ahead and 'disable' all the stuff you mentioned, and save it as a 'uber-extended battery' profile? Then when I need it, i can quickly go somewhere and change the profile?

Thanks! I ended up buying the M50sva1.

 

I don't know. I'd like one as well, actually. I just do it manually, which is very annoying. However, I haven't looked into it, as I don't do it very often. Instead I use my powerbook for mobile use.

 

"so if its not more portable what was the reason you guys bought a 14" over a 15" ?"

Asus F8 (14'') - 34.0 x 24.4 x 3.72 cm (W x D x H)
2.6 kg, (with 6 cell battery)

Asus M50 (15'') - 37.5 x 26.9 x 4.4 cm (W x D x H)
3.02 kg, with 6 cell battery

The F8 is both lighter and smaller then its 15'' cousin. I also keep one AC adapter at work and one at home so I dont have to add the extra weight to my commute.

 

That is true. I was comparing it to the XPS m1530 mentioned in the post.

Dell XPS m1530 (15.4'') - 35.7 x 26.3 x 2.37 cm (W x D x H)
2,62kg, with 6 cell battery

The F8 don't compare as well with that.

 

Hi everyone! New Asus F8 series user here...F8SV to be exact. I installed Windows XP, and its basically running like a champ, except for a couple of weird things...

1. Under Device Manager, there are a few devices under "Other Devices" with yellow question marks. One of them says "Unknown device", but if I look at its properties, it says its located in " Intel(R) ICH8M LPC Interface Controller - 2815". Does anyone know what this is??

2. VERY strange thing that happens with the Network Card (LAN). Basically, after restart, 2 "new" Local Area Networks pop up for Comodo Firewall. I then lose LAN wether I give those 2 "new" LANs access or not. If I look at my Network Zones in Comodo, and delete those 2 new LANs, then disable my normal LAN and re-enable it, I get my internet back. If I just use Windows Firewall, I just do the disable/re-enable thing, and most of the time it works...if not I have to restart. I really have no idea what this is about. Is it a bad Network Card? Bad drivers? Any help would be great!

Thanks.

 

These are dimensions and weight posted on DELL website


Weight: Starting at 5.78 lbs8 (2.62 kg)
Width: 14.06" (357 mm)
Height: 0.93" - 1.38" (23.7 mm - 35.1 mm wedge)
Depth: 10.34" (263 mm)

So DELL is roundly 1.4" thk
Secondly this starting at 5.78 lbs weight doesn't tell me the truth. Did DELL include battery?
What is really good with DELL is battery capacity.

One thing more - why do you compare notebook with dedicated 520Mb Video to another one that has 128Mb? It makes a lot of difference in terms of heat dissipation measures since memory generates more heat that anything else (and consume lion's share of battery juice.

 

All manufacturers report their weights *without* battery and, specifically in the case of Dell, perhaps minus the HDD and ODD too.

This allows them to claim lowest possible system weight, and they don't need to worry about finding and publishing all possible weights of multiple systems with multiple component and battery configurations to avoid liabilitity issues. Kind of silly when you think about it, as there isn't more than a few grams difference between various ODDs and HDDs since they're all built of similar materials to identical dimensions....

 

Thank you Skies for clarification.
My suspicion actually has some grounds.

 

well, ok iwht the height part.

I checked the weight with a 6-cell, at least that what it said. The number might be wrong.

The dell is 256MB of higher clocked memory. The difference in battery life won't be that much. The screen is what consumes the lion's share of battery. And even if they the fact that it has double the vRAM is to blame, why have it? 8600m GT/9500m GS/HD2600/HD3650 can't effectivly use more than 256 MB anyway, so that's still an unnecessary "feature".

And when I get the same batterylife (about 1:40) on a 14" as you get on a 17" with better specs, something is up, isn't it?

*websurfing, I had CPU-clocks locked to lowest power state on the CPU (fsb at 400MHz instead of 800, CPU clocks at 800 MHz), GPU clocked below what the drivers do on batterypower, 50% screen brightness and minimum amount of processes and services running, vista set to powersaver. The 17" was a gateway P-6831 FX, which anandtech tested. They ran LCD at max brightness and vista on balanced profle.

 

In fact M1530 has

9-cell 85WHr Li-Ion Battery 6-cell 56WHr Li-Ion Battery

in compare with 53WHr F8 has.

Dell has bigger real estate to place a bigger battery. That it is. And I want to believe that battery runtime DELL provides for larger 9 cell battery.

F8 and M1530 are not comparable in terms of battery life

 

Those 3 Whr won't make that much of a difference, seeing as the power draw from the 15,4" screen is a fair bit more than from the 14" screen. And the XPS m1530 has a longer battery time with that 6-cell whilst playing DVD's than when i surf. So they shouldn't be comparable, the F8 should be better, not worse.

 

Yeah there are many speculations as to why ASUS battery life is so bad, some (like me) say it's bad power management with the components, others say that it's bad cooling system... the truth is it's not really clear to us. Probably it's clear to the ASUS engineers. But probably the management tells them to push for performance/cost ratio rather than battery life... so that's what they do.

As to the weights, I'm not sure I caught the point but on the ASUS website (with modelmenu=2 in the model page URL) you will get an explicit statement regarding the weight, something like:

2.8 (with 6 cell battery)
or
2.8 (without battery and with traveler's drawer)

If you don't see that, the only thing safe to assume is that the weight is w/o the battery, and if the ODD is removable, without that as well.

Also the height may not include the feet.

 

Can't help agreeing with you more - performance vs battery life
What really bothers me is 6 cells - 4800 batteries on M50 series with 15.4 screen. No options available. I'm doing to check what do they offer for 17"

BTW thank you for advise - my F8Sn in on the way

 

Yeah, I'm one of those as well

 

When they want to, they can do it, though 6.5hrs on a 9-cell. It's an ULV and integrated GPU, indeed, but still... 6.5 hours.

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4314

(sorry for pulling this more offtopic)

 

That's one of few Asus's in their present lineup that's actually good.

But yeah, let's try to take it back on topic.

 

Hey does anyone know whether the Asus F8SN-B1 has lightscribe? I never saw it as a spec anywhere before I bought but it comes with the program so I would like to know whether to install it. I could not find this info on the Asus website.

Thanks

 

I suspect LightScribe would be advertised on the optical drive door (just like everything else is, Dual Layer etc.)? I can't be sure though.

Or you could just install the software and try making an engraved disk with LightScribe

 

hows the screen quality of F8Sn? Have a feelling that the U3/U6/W7 have better screen sharpness, brightness , contrast. Are you guys comfortable with the F8SN screens..any other drawbacks with F8Sn. Keyboard feel..??

 

screen quality is good. keyboard is comfortable and quality built. the only problem I've noticed is that cpu fan is making a lot of noise.

 

I don't like shiny polished black lid - it doesn't look tidy for me.
I've found overall build quality very good, screen is OK and keyboard feel and touch is just for me. My notebook has VERY QUIET fan. It sounds like a TV when on mute. May be it is just for me?

The only drawback is myself. I can't get to the Vista and can't find familiar things in places they suppose to be.
Can someone tell me this Vista on F8Sn comes with SP1? When I made my first boot yesterday, I've got lots of updates but no SP!.
Where can I find SYSTEM INFO?

 

Screen can be good or can be bad depending on the panel manufacturer and luck (some from the same manufacturer are grainy, some are not etc), but they all have horrible vertical viewing angles.

I don't really like the keyboard. The keys themselves feel a bit spongy and they have to travel too far.

 

I pretty much agree except for fan noise. I've heard others say the same but my F8Sn is pretty quiet except for when the DVD writer is doing its thing. But loud DVD/CD machines are loud anyway.

I just found out from other posts that the F8's cannot use a larger battery. This should be a major consideration if one needs a notebook that's away from mains power supply. The F8Sn's are lucky to get two hours using battery during common usage.

I use the battery very little but I think I'll do some testing & see what kind of time/usage I get.

 

Need your opinion...

I'm ready to place my order for the F8. Not too sure which one to get though. I have narrowed it down to F8P - C1W ($1,175) or a F8SN-A1 ($1,029). The specs are roughly the same except for the VGA card. The F8P comes with an ATI 2400, whereas the F8SN comes with the GEFORCE 9500MGS. I have read here that there are many problems with the ATI 2400. I kinda have my heart on the F8P, but kinda hesitating going with it because of this issue. The other option is to go with the F8Sn. I'm using this laptop mostly for surfing, school work (I use excel a lot) and watching movies. No gaming whatsoever. For my usage, would I anticipate a lot of problems if I go with the F8P?

Thanks for the help.

 

The only one of the two mentioned I can comment on is the F8Sn model as I own one & I have had zero problems with it.

It's been out for around two to three months & I have not as yet heard any negatives for the model. The 9500M seems to be stable.

 

jacelen101: what are your reasons for going with the F8P?

 

Is the F8P is as white as it looks here:

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4283

??

That's a horrible color if it is. Plus the 3D score is a third of the 9500. I know he said "no games" but man...that's s-l-o-w for recent notebook releases. Make's it a no brainer between it & a F8Sn.

F8P:
160GB HDD ?
2GB Ram ?
Problematic video card ? (not to mention slooow)

Yep...that's a no brainer

 

I disagree. People have their own reasons, and without hearing those reasons you cannot label them as invalid. That's why I asked for the reasons.

For instance, I think the F8P is less shiny (or not at all?), which is in contrast to the F8Sn. So for people that hate a shiny notebook, like me, the F8P would be preferred. I think it's also available in black BTW. And some people like white, why not?

I can imagine of many other reasons...

 

Not me man not me.

A WHITE notebook ?

No way jose.

Btw , there's a difference between "invalid" & common sense. While someone may like white well to each his own. But the price/specs makes it a no brainer.

 

red616 - please note - I don't know too much about computer. That's why I'm asking you guys for your help.

e.b.e. - I don't really like the shiny lid of the F8Sn. That's why it's a second choice for me.

As for the specs of the two models - they are exactly the same except for the video card:

250GB
3GB DDR2

 

You answered your own question re the video card then. There have , apparently , been negative reports re the F8P video card. And I said earlier there have been , apparently , no negative reports re the F8Sn's video card.Certainly not by me as I like the 9500M.

If indeed "they are exactly the same except for the video card" then buying the F8Sn is a no brainer.

What comes into play then are the *looks* of the notebook. If you do not like "shiny" & do not mind the negative video card of the F8P then go with it.

If specs & reliability are a big deal then go for the F8Sn.

Also you may want to try what I did. Do a search of this forum (Asus) for , in your case , "F8P" & then do the same for "F8Sn". You can find some good info that way.

 

Well, one big plus on the F8P looks is the leather, which looks sweet.

 

It's up to you, then, to consider whether the difference in GPU power is worth living with a shiny notebook. Personally for me, it wouldn't -- but that's just me

Do you plan to game on the computer? If so, then GPU may matter more.

As you can see, my guess was right about the F8S being shiny Do you think that's not common sense? I think that's very common sense. What's not common sense (to me) is the invasion of shiny notebooks in the market, notebooks that in half an hour will look like all the 7 dwarves & snow white wrestled for them with greasy fingers.

 

Urgh, My lid never gets clean. It's pretty when I've gotten rid of most of the fingerprints (the traces from polishing cloth is still there in certain angles), but anytime I open or close it (or move it) it gets all smudgy.

Shiny can be awesome, if executed properly. The F8 - whilst pretty closed- does not fall into that category.

 

What your "guess" or the "shiny" part ? All you have to do is look at a pic & you can tell if it's "shiny". But good guess...I guess.

I have a F8Sn & I've never even considered "shiny" being a part of the equation.

It's what's inside that matters to me. Plus for someone so worried about shiny getting dirty can you "guess" how hard a WHITE notebook would be to keep clean ??

 

What I meant was that my guess about the reason for which jacelen101 wanted the F8P over the F8S, was right: it was because the F8S is too shiny.

Of course, I have nothing against shiny-ness not mattering for you. Different people will have different expectations from notebooks, as from any other tools as complex as these.

The point I want to get across is this: don't dismiss other people's requirements before hearing them, just because for you the choice is a "no-brainer".

It is very difficult to make a shiny notebook that does not pick up fingerprints. Myself, I've never seen one. But I guess it could be done. In the meantime, my opinion is that companies that can't do it properly, should better not do it at all.

But yeah, shiny looks well in the showcase at the store. So it sells. So companies make shiny notebooks. Can't do anything about it except not buy them -- which I clearly won't.

 

My "no-brainer" was & is...if you are considering two notebooks , as he/she was , that are essentially the same , F8P/F8Sn , in price & one has better specs , the F8Sn , then the F8Sn should/would be the choice.

If a person posts that he/she is "considering" two models then "common sense" tells me they have at least looked at both.

But that's me.

Another common sense , for me anyway ,...I'm still wondering how/why a person worried about keeping a notebook clean could consider a white one ?

 

See there's the thing. The difference between F8P and F8Sn is not just specs. The F8P looks different as well. If you're not gonna game, go for the one you think looks best.

IMO, the black F8P looks better than the F8Sn (I like it being all leathery and whatnot), but the White F8P is ugly.

 

Yeah wouldn't it be great if they made a F8Sn in a F8P case...as long as it was black !

 

Yup (on the other roughly equivalent versions as well). Though I still would change some stuff (like putting the band of leather on the lid at the bottom, near the hinges).

A brown or a brown leather/black plastic version would be cool as well.

 

Yep, like I said earlier the F8P has a black version too. So it's not all white & dirty

 

I was about to order easta express card 34mm wide based on notebook specs and at the last moment decided to look at the slot. Front opening IS 54mm (2") so it is better to order 54mm card with 2 connectors located side by side (34mm cards have connectors one above another).
54mm express card will not shift inside the slot and connectors layout is better when connecting 2 external HD's

 

I have a F8SN and I really dislike the piano shiny gloss. I wish the F8SN had a flat black or even white. White is sexy

 

Why did not you buy leather? It even goes in white!

 

Just some benchmark scores for those of you who are curious







I'd like to use XP but I don't want to play cat and mouse looking for the drivers.

-groovin

 

sonicgroove: I merged your thread into the F8S owner's lounge. It fits better here.

You will also find a link to a guide for installing XP on the F8S in the Info Booth.