Some of us want a highly portable computer that can can drive a big screen at home or work. For us, a 13" or 14" laptop with (say) a Go7700+DL-DVI is actually way more useful than a 17" laptop with DL-DVI. Gaming isn't a priority for us and the 17" is too big for good portability and just gets in the way when used with a big screen on a desk.
Why did you not include the Asus G1 laptop in the comparison, since you dislike the gpu on the G2 laptop? I would have loved to see a comparison between the A8js and the G1, since the only difference between the two ought to be the screen (both feature a Geforce Go 7700). Especially since you say that the screen on the G2 is so much better than that on the A8Js. If nothing else, I would much appreciate any comments regarding the G1 since i am looking a replacement for my current laptop, and the G1 seems to fit me perfectly.
Unfortunately, ASUS sent me the G2P - as I've frequently commented, we basically review what we get. I don't know why, as the G1 seems better overall. G1 is a 15.4" though, so the display may not be as good - without seeing it in person, I can't say, although I can put in a request to ASUS to get a G1 for review if you'd like. G1 also comes with either a 1280x800 (YUCK!) LCD or a 1680x1050 (HOORAY!) LCD - but if they're both more like the A8J LCD than the G2P then it's still sort of a wash as to which is best.
Thanks for the reply, but no, you do not have to request the G1, because I already found a review of it on another site, and they claim that it is the same screen as on the G2.
And yes, the 1680x1050 screen would be perfect!
It can't be the same display, as the G1 is a 15.4" LCD and the G2 is a 17" LCD. Now, if it's the same quality overall, that would be good, and hopefully that's what you meant. :)
there is some mislabeling of the pictures (between the Asus G2P and the A8JS). It clear that this page is talking about the G2P but the article should still be fixed!
This is the second image-related complaint, and again I'm a bit confused. Page 5 is definitely showing the G2P images, at least for me. I have no idea what you're seeing that convinces you otherwise, but please check it again and if you really aren't seeing the right images take a screenshot so I can figure out what you *are* seeing. Also, information on what browser and OS you're using could be helpful.
I agree. Very happy seeing this review done. I've been looking at getting a laptop for awhile now and waited on the C2D's. Was gonna pick one up, but for the money vs performance, I was far too disapointed with the current GPU results. It seems there are reviews for all the desktop GPU's and graphed ect... but its impossible to get a clear understanding on the laptop side. X1600 was looking good. Perhaps a mass peformance testing of most of the current GPU's?
Yeah, so basicly i am just really confused on how all these chips compare. Thanks for the review!
more than likely they were just thrown speechless by such extreme bias in this "review"...
newsflash - it can have a sorry gma 900 in it that can barely play rollercoaster tycoon and call it a "gaming laptop" if they want...
ugh. i tried skipping around to get something valuable out of this "article", but there aren't any pictures of the models even...
going to reread mr anand's review of his laptop to cheer myself up -- now that's a thorough review!
"but there aren't any pictures of the models even"
Umm... what? There are 36 images (with enlarged shots) in the article, plus another 30 or so graphs/charts. If you're not seeing them, either your browser is incorrectly configured and is blocking the images, or else the servers are having issues. And if someone called a GMA900 a "gaming notebook" they would be lying; calling an X1700 laptop a gaming laptop is more of an exaggeration, but it's clearly not the fastest mobile GPU.
I honestly have no idea what you mean by bias, so I'd be happy if you would point out areas that are "biased" rather than just giving a blanket label to the article.
Overall a nice review, those ASU are getting some serious popularity here in Europe while the reviews are nowhere to find..
However, ranting for half a page about 14inch not having numeric keypad? I would have thought it was under you level of knowledge...
While the KB is NOT perfect in any sense - small enter, small keys.. - the absence of numeric keypad is natural.
Maybe you should spend a few weeks on road with some 17inch baby of yours to see how "important" numeric keypad really is...
One thing I hate about A8J is that transreflective (CrystalSomething) screen. It is pretty much unusable the moment the sun shines, and it does shine a bit too much in the summer.
I wasn't really complaining about the lack of a numpad on the 14" A8Js, merely pointing out that it's not there and you really can't fit one into such a chassis. My "rant" for half a paragraph was dedicated to the Fn key - and mostly I was just talking about the uses and making a minor complaint about it not being switched with the Ctrl key location. Unless you're looking somewhere else?
I tried to discuss my feelings about the keyboards on each laptop, as that's pretty important with long-term use. Given what I do for a living (writing), I would actually avoid purchasing the G2P (as tested) and the Mayhem Z5 purely on the basis of the keyboard alone. The US G2P might actually be fine, as the primary issue I had was with the mixed up locations (relative to most keyboards) of the \ and " keys.
As for the G2P, that's where I complained about the missing numpad, and it's a 17" model notebook. I complained about this same issue on the Dell XPS M1710 and E1705, as I use numpads on a regular basis and find them to be important. Ironically, the ABS includes a numpad, which I liked, but the other missing keys (Home - PgDn) were at least as irritating to me as the lack of a numpad. Obviously, my taste in keyboards isn't the same as every other person's, which I why I started the article talking about the importance of trying out laptops in person where possible - or try a similar laptop if that's all you can do.
Ideally, I'd like a 17" notebook to have a numpad and a layout very much like the ABS, only shrink the width of the Backspace, \, Enter, and Shift keys and put in a column with Home, End, PgUp, and PgDn similar to how the two ASUS laptops do it. There's plenty of room there for those keys... or just extend the keyboard area down a bit and put the keys right above the cursors like on a regular keyboard.
As for the two ASUS laptop LCDs, I didn't find the LCD on the G2P to have problems in bright light (sunlight is a stretch but possible). Hopefully all newer ASUS laptops have LCDs more like the G2P. The A8J on the other hand is definitely the worst LCD of the bunch and really suitable for indoor use only (or on overcast days). When I first used it I didn't think too much about the LCD quality, as most laptop LCDs can't compete with desktop LCDs in terms of brightness and color quality. After playing with the other notebooks, however, I became quite unhappy with the A8J LCD. Sure, it helps battery life, but all you need to do is have more brightness levels to allow for lowered battery use on LCDs like the G2P.
Maybe I should read a bit more thoroughy, and sllep more too :). Point taken.
As for the display, the are two things. I am yet to see an glossy surface LCD to be usable on sunlight. They are nice and sharp for movies and indoors. But my observation is that the moment sun shines (also through an unprotected window) the display changes to a mirror - well, it called an "mirror effect" dispaly sometimes :). At the same conditionas even a poor-quality anti-glare one retains usability.
That said I will have to pass the A8J, otherwise it is pretty solid bundle(I like the BT+DVI+14"WXGA+ combo).
Should the time come when the notebook are regularly of built-to-order variety such is it with cars now. That way most of these "issues" with manufacturer isung bad display, VGA, CPU and so on would be a thing of the past.
It would not even increase the price too much provided good automation is employed. Actually this would greatly simplify the abundance of notebook based of the same chassis with a bit different internals only.
Hell, just ASUS has 5+ series with the same 15.4inch chassis...
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Ajax9000 - Sunday, January 7, 2007 - link
Some of us want a highly portable computer that can can drive a big screen at home or work. For us, a 13" or 14" laptop with (say) a Go7700+DL-DVI is actually way more useful than a 17" laptop with DL-DVI. Gaming isn't a priority for us and the 17" is too big for good portability and just gets in the way when used with a big screen on a desk.tinus - Thursday, January 4, 2007 - link
Why did you not include the Asus G1 laptop in the comparison, since you dislike the gpu on the G2 laptop? I would have loved to see a comparison between the A8js and the G1, since the only difference between the two ought to be the screen (both feature a Geforce Go 7700). Especially since you say that the screen on the G2 is so much better than that on the A8Js. If nothing else, I would much appreciate any comments regarding the G1 since i am looking a replacement for my current laptop, and the G1 seems to fit me perfectly.JarredWalton - Thursday, January 4, 2007 - link
Unfortunately, ASUS sent me the G2P - as I've frequently commented, we basically review what we get. I don't know why, as the G1 seems better overall. G1 is a 15.4" though, so the display may not be as good - without seeing it in person, I can't say, although I can put in a request to ASUS to get a G1 for review if you'd like. G1 also comes with either a 1280x800 (YUCK!) LCD or a 1680x1050 (HOORAY!) LCD - but if they're both more like the A8J LCD than the G2P then it's still sort of a wash as to which is best.tinus - Friday, January 5, 2007 - link
Thanks for the reply, but no, you do not have to request the G1, because I already found a review of it on another site, and they claim that it is the same screen as on the G2.And yes, the 1680x1050 screen would be perfect!
JarredWalton - Friday, January 5, 2007 - link
It can't be the same display, as the G1 is a 15.4" LCD and the G2 is a 17" LCD. Now, if it's the same quality overall, that would be good, and hopefully that's what you meant. :)tinus - Sunday, January 7, 2007 - link
Yea well.. you understand what I wanted to say ;)customcoms - Saturday, December 30, 2006 - link
on this page: http://anandtech.com/mobile/showdoc.aspx?i=2899&am...">http://anandtech.com/mobile/showdoc.aspx?i=2899&am...there is some mislabeling of the pictures (between the Asus G2P and the A8JS). It clear that this page is talking about the G2P but the article should still be fixed!
JarredWalton - Saturday, December 30, 2006 - link
This is the second image-related complaint, and again I'm a bit confused. Page 5 is definitely showing the G2P images, at least for me. I have no idea what you're seeing that convinces you otherwise, but please check it again and if you really aren't seeing the right images take a screenshot so I can figure out what you *are* seeing. Also, information on what browser and OS you're using could be helpful.yacoub - Saturday, December 30, 2006 - link
I found this review article very worthwhile. That Asus "gaming" laptop, however, is a joke with that GPU. =(Tommyguns - Monday, January 1, 2007 - link
I agree. Very happy seeing this review done. I've been looking at getting a laptop for awhile now and waited on the C2D's. Was gonna pick one up, but for the money vs performance, I was far too disapointed with the current GPU results. It seems there are reviews for all the desktop GPU's and graphed ect... but its impossible to get a clear understanding on the laptop side. X1600 was looking good. Perhaps a mass peformance testing of most of the current GPU's?Yeah, so basicly i am just really confused on how all these chips compare. Thanks for the review!
unclebud - Saturday, December 30, 2006 - link
"Seems all the usual suspects are on a holiday"more than likely they were just thrown speechless by such extreme bias in this "review"...
newsflash - it can have a sorry gma 900 in it that can barely play rollercoaster tycoon and call it a "gaming laptop" if they want...
ugh. i tried skipping around to get something valuable out of this "article", but there aren't any pictures of the models even...
going to reread mr anand's review of his laptop to cheer myself up -- now that's a thorough review!
JarredWalton - Saturday, December 30, 2006 - link
"but there aren't any pictures of the models even"Umm... what? There are 36 images (with enlarged shots) in the article, plus another 30 or so graphs/charts. If you're not seeing them, either your browser is incorrectly configured and is blocking the images, or else the servers are having issues. And if someone called a GMA900 a "gaming notebook" they would be lying; calling an X1700 laptop a gaming laptop is more of an exaggeration, but it's clearly not the fastest mobile GPU.
I honestly have no idea what you mean by bias, so I'd be happy if you would point out areas that are "biased" rather than just giving a blanket label to the article.
mino - Friday, December 29, 2006 - link
Overall a nice review, those ASU are getting some serious popularity here in Europe while the reviews are nowhere to find..However, ranting for half a page about 14inch not having numeric keypad? I would have thought it was under you level of knowledge...
While the KB is NOT perfect in any sense - small enter, small keys.. - the absence of numeric keypad is natural.
Maybe you should spend a few weeks on road with some 17inch baby of yours to see how "important" numeric keypad really is...
One thing I hate about A8J is that transreflective (CrystalSomething) screen. It is pretty much unusable the moment the sun shines, and it does shine a bit too much in the summer.
JarredWalton - Friday, December 29, 2006 - link
I wasn't really complaining about the lack of a numpad on the 14" A8Js, merely pointing out that it's not there and you really can't fit one into such a chassis. My "rant" for half a paragraph was dedicated to the Fn key - and mostly I was just talking about the uses and making a minor complaint about it not being switched with the Ctrl key location. Unless you're looking somewhere else?I tried to discuss my feelings about the keyboards on each laptop, as that's pretty important with long-term use. Given what I do for a living (writing), I would actually avoid purchasing the G2P (as tested) and the Mayhem Z5 purely on the basis of the keyboard alone. The US G2P might actually be fine, as the primary issue I had was with the mixed up locations (relative to most keyboards) of the \ and " keys.
As for the G2P, that's where I complained about the missing numpad, and it's a 17" model notebook. I complained about this same issue on the Dell XPS M1710 and E1705, as I use numpads on a regular basis and find them to be important. Ironically, the ABS includes a numpad, which I liked, but the other missing keys (Home - PgDn) were at least as irritating to me as the lack of a numpad. Obviously, my taste in keyboards isn't the same as every other person's, which I why I started the article talking about the importance of trying out laptops in person where possible - or try a similar laptop if that's all you can do.
Ideally, I'd like a 17" notebook to have a numpad and a layout very much like the ABS, only shrink the width of the Backspace, \, Enter, and Shift keys and put in a column with Home, End, PgUp, and PgDn similar to how the two ASUS laptops do it. There's plenty of room there for those keys... or just extend the keyboard area down a bit and put the keys right above the cursors like on a regular keyboard.
As for the two ASUS laptop LCDs, I didn't find the LCD on the G2P to have problems in bright light (sunlight is a stretch but possible). Hopefully all newer ASUS laptops have LCDs more like the G2P. The A8J on the other hand is definitely the worst LCD of the bunch and really suitable for indoor use only (or on overcast days). When I first used it I didn't think too much about the LCD quality, as most laptop LCDs can't compete with desktop LCDs in terms of brightness and color quality. After playing with the other notebooks, however, I became quite unhappy with the A8J LCD. Sure, it helps battery life, but all you need to do is have more brightness levels to allow for lowered battery use on LCDs like the G2P.
mino - Saturday, December 30, 2006 - link
Seems all the usuall suspect are on a holiday :)Maybe I should read a bit more thoroughy, and sllep more too :). Point taken.
As for the display, the are two things. I am yet to see an glossy surface LCD to be usable on sunlight. They are nice and sharp for movies and indoors. But my observation is that the moment sun shines (also through an unprotected window) the display changes to a mirror - well, it called an "mirror effect" dispaly sometimes :). At the same conditionas even a poor-quality anti-glare one retains usability.
That said I will have to pass the A8J, otherwise it is pretty solid bundle(I like the BT+DVI+14"WXGA+ combo).
Should the time come when the notebook are regularly of built-to-order variety such is it with cars now. That way most of these "issues" with manufacturer isung bad display, VGA, CPU and so on would be a thing of the past.
It would not even increase the price too much provided good automation is employed. Actually this would greatly simplify the abundance of notebook based of the same chassis with a bit different internals only.
Hell, just ASUS has 5+ series with the same 15.4inch chassis...
mino - Saturday, December 30, 2006 - link
spelling, here you come :(francisco54 - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
hola mepodeia mamdar los draivers de este ordenador