New Dell to give asus a run for its money for a small notebook

Found this on Macrumors for a new dell subnotebook.

Here's the new specs for a 13in notebook:
- 13.3-inch screen, configurable with LED backlight
- Core 2 Duo processor (up to 2.4GHz)
- Santa Rosa chipset (965PM/GM)
- Slot-loading dual-layer DVD±RW drive!
- Optional NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS / 128MB
- Ethernet, 802.11a, a/g, or n options, Bluetooth option
- Dimensions with LED 12.5 x 9.4 x 0.87 - 1.33-inches (318 x 238 x 22.1 - 33.8mm)
- Weight starts at 4 pounds


Only thing I think is junk is the possible low resolution that dell uses for a screen and only 128mb for the GT card.

 

Its a GS, not a GT

 

Ah I missed that. The GS is like alot slower,huh?

 

Uh, its called the XPS M1330, and theres an ongoing discussion about it in the News/Reviews forum.

The GS is slower than the GT because it uses 64bit memory as opposed to 128bit on the GT, but the 128bit memory would likely have caused heat problems in a laptop as small as this, so GS it is. Plus, the GS will give better battery life.

 

Its possible asus is the manufacturer for this notebook.

 

Most amazingly, it doesn't seem like it'll look horrible either.

Why is it only the small laptops that get backlit LEDs, slot-loading drives and NVIDIA preface?

 

Because the cost of LED backlights is still extremely expensive. I bet that new Dell will top $3k

Thats why people will have an option to go with a normal LCD screen with 2 CCFL backlights

 

What does Asus manufacture when it comes to Dell and other PC providers?

What are some of the other companies?

 

apple mac book
sony c

sony fe

A version of the sony AR

 

Didn't they have something to do with the Sony SZ as well?

 

Yes that notebook is sharp!!! I love how it looks and the stats are amazing for how small it is. I dont thing graphics are a big concern as its not aimed at gaming, but its nice to have somthing there incase you want to do some very light gaming while waiting on your business meeting to start (also just to run the areo interface of vista)

Shame that there is sutch a high premium for ultra portables. Just semi nice ones cost the same as high performance 15/17" so a high performance model like that is sure to put a hurting on a wallet.

 

Sony does a real switcheroo on its models. But the sz is made by quanta or the parent company makes the premium sz.

I think 1 model ago asus made the sz so like 1 1/2 years ago they did.

 

Ok, thats what I thought. I would have bought one a year ago if they hadn't been so bloody expensive at the time (they still are, but less so).

 

Ya well in the past sony made more of its own notebooks.
The asus is maybe a middle range model although they make cheap ones too. It is cheaper than the ones made in japan like the tx but more expensive than the bottom one which might be compal or inventec i dont have an example of that model in mind though.

Quanta makes most of them though. The expensive top end and any one with magnesium pretty much. Quanta makes most if not all magnesium chassis for all makes.

 

Not the Asus ones
Although Asus doesn't do Magnesium that much, mainly Carbon Fibre now.

 

Ya youre right i think the v1j is magnesium

Even the w3j and v6j are aluminum though, a material that has no real advantage.

And here comes the reason I bring this up, is the new xps is aluminum. not a quanta.
Oh panasonic is magnesium as well but notice the price difference. quanta is the only cheap metal chassis like a toshiba tecra dell inspiron fujitsu etc....

Asus cant compete when the selling point is the chassis. These big companies are like really hasbro type companies, they can make a billion things in the same shape for cheap.
But when the selling point is like, the motherboard and cooling, the gpu the other companies are at a disadvantage because asus is the worlds largest motherboard maker.

 

It makes sense that this is made by Asus, but I think there has to be another notebook for Dell made by them...It just doesn't make sense otherwise.

 

Due to the incredibly poor build quality of the dell laptops I will never purchase another one. It is for this reason i highly prefer ASUS.