Asus thinks that we like dongles like apple sheeps. Go wigle your dongles elsewhere asus, nice job on the frame and the specs, but turn your dongle elsewhere
What are you prattling on about? It has three ports, which is a pretty decent number, and USB-C is the future. Whether or not you like that fact doesn't change it. Give it a few years and we won't need anything else. The only time the dongles get ridiculous is when there's only one port.
Do you not realize that TB3 + USB-C use the exact same plugs? And that USB devices will operate when connected into a TB3 port? No need for dongles. You should read about the technology!!
USB-C port is a port capable of supporting many standards, Thunderbolt, USB, DP, and others (in a special mode).
A USB-C port CAN be: ONLY Thunderbolt-3 ONLY USB 3.1/3.0 ONLY DisplayPort ONLY none of the above
OR it can be any combination of the above. So you can have a USB-C port that supports TB3 and DP, but not USB 3/3.1. Or USB and DP but not TB3.
So unless the specification SPECIFICALLY state that the USB-C ports that support TB3 ALSO support USB, then there is no guarantee, nor expectation, that they also support USB.
Type-A has been the standard in desktops and laptops for something like 20 years. There are an awful lot of USB-A devices around, I'd suspect most people have many times more USB-A devices in current use than USB-C. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't go USB-C, but it needs to be phased in. I mean, it's only been mainstream for a year, if that. Therefore for at least the next 2 years, I think it would only be sensible to include both USB-C and A-type ports on anything except the tiniest devices (e.g. tablets, phones).
A 14" laptop at this point in the USB-C adoption cycle could have 2 Type-C and 2 type-A ports. The A ports don't even have to be 3.1 gen2, they could be 3.0. In a years time, make it 3 C and 1 A, and a year or 2 after that remove the remaining type-A, preferably replacing it with a type C. I think 3 USB ports (especially if at least 1 of them is going to be doing double-duty as a display-out) is too limiting for a 14" range laptop.
TB3 by definition supports USB 3.1 - Gen 2. It's in the specification. That is your "guarantee" that the TB3 ports support USB. Please stop spreading lies.
He wasn't spreading lies, he clearly states that TB3 CAN support USB. It's not automatic and a TB3 port is not identical to a USB-C, so maybe you should stop spreading lies.
I have USB-C pendrive, GbE card, card reader, C-microB cable for mobile devices, and even C-B (both 2.0 and 3.0) so I can directly hook up a printer or anything else, really... You can actually do everything with C you can with A, and more. They were like 50% more expensive than normal USB-A cables, but they are all of much higher quality. This is actually very important for me, since finding good quality USB cables is really problematic, in the face of flood of cheap crap from China.
Also I can still charge the laptop while using all these standard devices... unlike Apple sheeps :)
Difference being, Asus offers a number of other current laptops that do have USB type A, traditional HDMI, etc. This is just one offering, if this one doesn't serve your needs, take a look their whole lineup. Unlike Apple, where everything they offer is now USB-C and you really don't have a choice if you want the latest.
I'm guessing the tray price is the issue. All non-Apple vendors struggle to sell an expensive laptop with no GPU. Most non-Apple laptops (not all, but most) that are in the "premium" category are "gamer" laptops. You can't sell a "gamer" laptop with an iGpu, is the thinking. With the race to the bottom none will take the risk of increasing the BOM by $200+ to get the Iris Pro when they can just slap a cheap dGpu in there and still market to all the 7EET gamerz.
It's not that. Iris is not worth it, pure and simple. It's not worth the TDP expense. All Iris chipsets burn through the battery when in use without offering that much performance. It's a false "middle". Too expensive for nothing. In fact I would say it's a flaw. Either dgpu or base iGPU.
I feel better about having said "It's not just an Apple thing," earlier when commenting about a lack of expansion ports on laptops in the name of decreasing thickness.
Anyhow, this is sort of eye catching. I'd like to poke at the keyboard and listen to the 4-speaker audio. It seems just about right as a nice little platform for playing a little music while writing. Unlike others, the lack of an eDRAM iGPU isn't a major drawback for me. Sure it'd be nice, but the 620 is probably enough for a few casual or older games and if I want dedicated entertainment, that's why I have a DSi.
Agreed - I'd definitely want an Iris Pro version, yet it wouldn't make much of a difference to my mobile usage. The regular GPU is enough for casual games and everything else, whereas the Iris Pro is about a factor of 2 faster and hecne still not enough for most non-casual games.
I do like the boost to CPU performance which Crystal Well brings. But again that doesn't really matter in a mobile environment. The performance boost matters a lot more if one is pushing performance to its boundaries, be it in a highly clocked quad or 10-core chip.
I'm with you, I love the look of this thing. I'm not in the target market as I'm not about to drop $2k on a laptop but if I was going to buy a laptop with no dGpu this would certainly be tempting. Dongles be damned.
The blue one looks sensational. I like the minimal curvature in the design, making it look more business-like. Specs look very good. Battery life will make it or break it, I think.
It has a battery roughly 20% larger than the iPad Pro, but I am guessing this device would consume the juice significantly faster. I would guess maybe 7-8 hours of non-taxing use.
I have less than 2 year old ASUS laptop that is useless because of a defective hinge design that they refuse to fix after warranty that affected many. I will never buy another ASUS product. $1200 wasted.
All looks very fancy but only one big problem with any Intel chip , the Graphics are rubbish . Sooner we see Zen laptops the better, it will be worth the wait .
They were losing revenue at breakneck pace, they had to do something to stop the bleeding. They haven't advanced computing in so long that the only reasons (sans the device breaking) to upgrade are for newer form factors or connectivity. The only major things Kaby Lake provides over Sandy Bridge is enhanced connectivity and some decode functionality. So if you are hitting the wall on advancing your chips, what else can you do but find new ways to extract revenue? Enter "thin computing".
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Yorgos - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
Asus thinks that we like dongles like apple sheeps.Go wigle your dongles elsewhere asus, nice job on the frame and the specs, but turn your dongle elsewhere
TheTurboFool - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
What are you prattling on about? It has three ports, which is a pretty decent number, and USB-C is the future. Whether or not you like that fact doesn't change it. Give it a few years and we won't need anything else. The only time the dongles get ridiculous is when there's only one port.Raniz - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
1 USB-C and 2 ThunderBolt 3. I'd rather see 2 USB-C and 1 TB3 or even just 3 USB-C and no TB3.PCTC2 - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
You do realize that Thunderbolt ports are compatible with USB-C, right? So you can use them as 3 USB-C, or any combination of the two.edwpang - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
About to post the same, but I forgot my password, so...fanofanand - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
Yes but nobody has any TB3 peripherals so you end up having to buy a dongle, which was the OP's complaint.grant3 - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
Do you not realize that TB3 + USB-C use the exact same plugs?And that USB devices will operate when connected into a TB3 port?
No need for dongles.
You should read about the technology!!
eldakka - Thursday, January 19, 2017 - link
Not necessarily.USB-C port is a port capable of supporting many standards, Thunderbolt, USB, DP, and others (in a special mode).
A USB-C port CAN be:
ONLY Thunderbolt-3
ONLY USB 3.1/3.0
ONLY DisplayPort
ONLY none of the above
OR it can be any combination of the above. So you can have a USB-C port that supports TB3 and DP, but not USB 3/3.1. Or USB and DP but not TB3.
So unless the specification SPECIFICALLY state that the USB-C ports that support TB3 ALSO support USB, then there is no guarantee, nor expectation, that they also support USB.
Type-A has been the standard in desktops and laptops for something like 20 years. There are an awful lot of USB-A devices around, I'd suspect most people have many times more USB-A devices in current use than USB-C. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't go USB-C, but it needs to be phased in. I mean, it's only been mainstream for a year, if that. Therefore for at least the next 2 years, I think it would only be sensible to include both USB-C and A-type ports on anything except the tiniest devices (e.g. tablets, phones).
A 14" laptop at this point in the USB-C adoption cycle could have 2 Type-C and 2 type-A ports. The A ports don't even have to be 3.1 gen2, they could be 3.0. In a years time, make it 3 C and 1 A, and a year or 2 after that remove the remaining type-A, preferably replacing it with a type C. I think 3 USB ports (especially if at least 1 of them is going to be doing double-duty as a display-out) is too limiting for a 14" range laptop.
grant3 - Saturday, January 21, 2017 - link
TB3 by definition supports USB 3.1 - Gen 2.It's in the specification.
That is your "guarantee" that the TB3 ports support USB.
Please stop spreading lies.
fanofanand - Wednesday, January 25, 2017 - link
He wasn't spreading lies, he clearly states that TB3 CAN support USB. It's not automatic and a TB3 port is not identical to a USB-C, so maybe you should stop spreading lies.grant3 - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
Why?? TB3 can operate like a regular USB-C port.damianrobertjones - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
" Give it a few years "... and they will have created ANOTHER new standard port in order to keep the $$$$ flowing.star-affinity - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
You don't thin irritating non-rotateable USB-A connector has been around long enough? Only since the nineties... :-/TheinsanegamerN - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
until something replaces USB C.Also, those super common USB C flash drives and mice sure are crimping my style. Id better get a laptop that doesnt have normal type A ports /s.
Type C isnt common enough to abandon type A
Xajel - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
Hey dude, TB3 ports can be TB3, DP or USB 3.1g2.. so no problem here at allMurloc - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
it has 3 USB/displayport/TB ports, what are you complaining about.You can attach a monitor, a combo wireless set and an external hard disk at the same time.
Vatharian - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
I have USB-C pendrive, GbE card, card reader, C-microB cable for mobile devices, and even C-B (both 2.0 and 3.0) so I can directly hook up a printer or anything else, really... You can actually do everything with C you can with A, and more. They were like 50% more expensive than normal USB-A cables, but they are all of much higher quality. This is actually very important for me, since finding good quality USB cables is really problematic, in the face of flood of cheap crap from China.Also I can still charge the laptop while using all these standard devices... unlike Apple sheeps :)
jaydee - Thursday, January 19, 2017 - link
Difference being, Asus offers a number of other current laptops that do have USB type A, traditional HDMI, etc. This is just one offering, if this one doesn't serve your needs, take a look their whole lineup. Unlike Apple, where everything they offer is now USB-C and you really don't have a choice if you want the latest.Trixanity - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
I really would like to see more OEMs besides Apple using Iris graphics (both the 15W 7560U models and the 28W 7567U models).TheinsanegamerN - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
I've been saying that since the first iris pro came out. OEMs just are not interested in any niche market that doesnt want glowing lights apparently.fanofanand - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
I'm guessing the tray price is the issue. All non-Apple vendors struggle to sell an expensive laptop with no GPU. Most non-Apple laptops (not all, but most) that are in the "premium" category are "gamer" laptops. You can't sell a "gamer" laptop with an iGpu, is the thinking. With the race to the bottom none will take the risk of increasing the BOM by $200+ to get the Iris Pro when they can just slap a cheap dGpu in there and still market to all the 7EET gamerz.id4andrei - Thursday, January 19, 2017 - link
It's not that. Iris is not worth it, pure and simple. It's not worth the TDP expense. All Iris chipsets burn through the battery when in use without offering that much performance. It's a false "middle". Too expensive for nothing. In fact I would say it's a flaw. Either dgpu or base iGPU.fanofanand - Wednesday, January 25, 2017 - link
That doesn't explain why they aren't ever used in desktops either though. I think my analysis was spot on, but feel free to disagree. :)ToTTenTranz - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
The specs table mentions only 2 USB-C ports, but the pictures clearly show 1 port on the left and another 2 on the right.grant3 - Saturday, January 21, 2017 - link
1 of the ports might be nothing more than a charging port.TheinsanegamerN - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
The Donglebook for windows users.mooninite - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
No Iris? No sale! Ridiculous to not have Iris graphics on your high-end laptop, ASUS!julien420 - Thursday, January 19, 2017 - link
When will Intel ever get that their Graphics are pure and utter rubbish ?fanofanand - Wednesday, January 25, 2017 - link
Well if the speculation that Intel is going to license AMD iGPU's for their future processors, then they have already come to that conclusion. :)BrokenCrayons - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
I feel better about having said "It's not just an Apple thing," earlier when commenting about a lack of expansion ports on laptops in the name of decreasing thickness.Anyhow, this is sort of eye catching. I'd like to poke at the keyboard and listen to the 4-speaker audio. It seems just about right as a nice little platform for playing a little music while writing. Unlike others, the lack of an eDRAM iGPU isn't a major drawback for me. Sure it'd be nice, but the 620 is probably enough for a few casual or older games and if I want dedicated entertainment, that's why I have a DSi.
MrSpadge - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
Agreed - I'd definitely want an Iris Pro version, yet it wouldn't make much of a difference to my mobile usage. The regular GPU is enough for casual games and everything else, whereas the Iris Pro is about a factor of 2 faster and hecne still not enough for most non-casual games.I do like the boost to CPU performance which Crystal Well brings. But again that doesn't really matter in a mobile environment. The performance boost matters a lot more if one is pushing performance to its boundaries, be it in a highly clocked quad or 10-core chip.
fanofanand - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
I'm with you, I love the look of this thing. I'm not in the target market as I'm not about to drop $2k on a laptop but if I was going to buy a laptop with no dGpu this would certainly be tempting. Dongles be damned.lopri - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
The blue one looks sensational. I like the minimal curvature in the design, making it look more business-like. Specs look very good. Battery life will make it or break it, I think.fanofanand - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
It has a battery roughly 20% larger than the iPad Pro, but I am guessing this device would consume the juice significantly faster. I would guess maybe 7-8 hours of non-taxing use.mdw9604 - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
I have less than 2 year old ASUS laptop that is useless because of a defective hinge design that they refuse to fix after warranty that affected many. I will never buy another ASUS product. $1200 wasted.Shadowmaster625 - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
The only good thing about kaby lake is that you can now buy a decent SSD + 1080p skylake i5 notebook for $400.Michael Bay - Thursday, January 19, 2017 - link
All this, and only VGA frontfacer?julien420 - Thursday, January 19, 2017 - link
All looks very fancy but only one big problem with any Intel chip , the Graphics are rubbish . Sooner we see Zen laptops the better, it will be worth the wait .Michael Bay - Thursday, January 19, 2017 - link
Not since Iris Pro came out, but don`t let facts stand in the way of your worship.TheBigSmooth - Saturday, January 21, 2017 - link
As much and i love these smaller computers i cant help but think why these are so damn expensive for how little is in themfanofanand - Wednesday, January 25, 2017 - link
They were losing revenue at breakneck pace, they had to do something to stop the bleeding. They haven't advanced computing in so long that the only reasons (sans the device breaking) to upgrade are for newer form factors or connectivity. The only major things Kaby Lake provides over Sandy Bridge is enhanced connectivity and some decode functionality. So if you are hitting the wall on advancing your chips, what else can you do but find new ways to extract revenue? Enter "thin computing".conduit242 - Sunday, April 23, 2017 - link
Another piece of vaporware.