Questions on Asus W5F

I'm about to buy asus w5f. As far as I know, they are available only with slow (4200rpm?) hard disk (here in Finland). Is it possible to upgrade it to a faster one? What drives are supported? How does it affect battery life?

I haven't found good reviews on the product. How about the noise? Is the laptop loud, silent or what? Can you sleep next to it?

 

Have a look here. I am going to purchase my W1J within a couple of months from them.

They are allowed by ASUS to adjust the notebook's configurations, don't know whether it applies for all (e)-stores.

http://www.laptops4u.nl/categorie/w5-25.html

The second (Stel zelf samen), which is Dutch for 'configure it yourself'
Click on it and you see the specs.

Harde schijf means harddrive.

 

I have a W5F - previously had a W3v much pleased with W5F - light weight, easily carried, very fast, excellent screen, quiet even when fan is on - now has temp monitor software (ASUS NB probe) which shows temp is always less than 52oC - I have 1.5GB RAM and it's good. Easily operated web cam and audio but never use these much but you never know future proofed OK. Keyboard is firm and good subjective feel to it. No lock ups - I removed Norton software and use AVG Free edition which seems much faster DVD is DL enabled and both RW on CD and DVD are fast and silent. Well pleased with it - battery giving 3.5 to 4 hrs with BT turned off and on wireless internet.

Enjoy..........

 

You can usually easily install a new HD, though I'm not sure about the W5, if its hard to get to the HD.

And having stores customize ENSEMBLE will void your global warranty(In your case, 2 years of global warranty). It's best if you buy a HD yourself, and install it after you get the laptop, because you can switch the HD's back if you ever need to send the laptop back.

 

Asus uses Fujistu 100GB HD. Of course, you can upgrade it with a faster one, but you have to keep it for a backup. If you need it for service, you must put it back to your laptop. Just wonder that it should come with a 5400rpm HD in Canada, might be different country, Asus set a different specification.

 

Asus only really used the Fujitsu 100gb drive in the W2....... they're back to Hitachi 100gb/5400rpm's in the W5f and V6j.......

 

are we completely SOL if we are interested in a W5F but want a PCMCIA slot?

 

Since the North American W5F comes with a 5400 RPM hard drive stock from ASUS, I'm sure you could at least upgrade from 4200 to 5400 without any issues.

I looked into how easy it would be to upgrade the hard drive on the W5 series a while ago since most of them were coming with the 4200 RPM drives...I found a guide/user manual somewhere...I don't remember where now, but It looked like the hard drive is located under a panel on the bottom of the notebook, just like the additional RAM slot is, which means it should be quite easy to access under It's exterior cover, with little to nothing blocking it at all.

If you go onto the global ASUS site, you should be able to download a W5 series user manual...It will provide you with a precise diagram of the hard drives location. Hope that helps, good luck

 

The hard drive is easy to upgrade...... two screws and about 3 minutes of work if you do it with your eyes closed for the first time.......

Yeah... all the new Napa Platform Ensembles are coming with Universal Express Card slots....

 

Sorry to barge into this post, but rather than starting a new thread, I was wondering if could ask some further questions on the W5F:

1) Is it just not possible to buy it in black in the US?
2) If I were to buy one from Canada, would the warranty still be valid. And what recourse would I have if I had any problems since I live in Florida?
3) Are there any reviews online or on this website of the new W5F yet?
4) What kind of case/protection would you recommend for this laptop? The aluminium case is nice but rather bulky, so something like a sleeve is preferable.
5) Will it run one of the versions of Windows Vista when it eventually comes out?

I know these are a lot of questions and may be tedious to some, so I really appreciate any response from forum members.
Thanks again!

 

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From usa.asus.com

Stylish Design for Modern Sophistication
As technology gradually integrates with daily life, we look for things beyond functionality in our devices. With black and white being the most enduring classics of fashion, make a statement with the W5F stylish design available in both colors.
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Looks like we should definitely get in in black!

Still haven't found a retailer though!

 

bummer so I assume the s6 will be the same. I hope Verizon releases some Express Card slot EVDO cards soon.