Apple :: FYI Macbook Vs ASUS UL Series
Jan 12, 2010
I am a long time PC user. I have always built my own desktops and used them for gaming and school work. My latest gaming rig has an i7 920 oc'd @4ghz, 6gb ram, raid 0 setup, radeon 5870 and does everything in the world I could imagine, also has the new windows 7.
Well I had finally ventured into feeling like I would love an Apple for a laptop at school........before I read this thread on these forums ASUS UL Series vs. Macbook (Pro)? that was about the UL series Asus vs the Apple MBP 13" which is the one I was considering buying and after reading so many guys tell about how much the UL has the upper hand over the MBP and was quite a bit cheaper (the 13" MBP built how I wanted was around 1500) than the Mac so I pulled the trigger and purchased the UL80VT-A1. I thought I was getting a sweet alternative, something with the new win7 I love, and it is also something I would not need to learn new things about.
Now note, my roommate has the larger MBP with all the bells and whistles (paid 3k+ for) so I have seen one and messed with one in person. This Asus arrives and I am very excited to open it up! It seems to look okay.............until I open it. There is absolutely no comparison in build quality, looks or attention to detail on this thing.
I'm not sure what all the dips on that forum who said that the ASUS was a superior product were thinking, or how they could EVER say that it was even close to a competitor. Maybe the price? The whole "battery lasts for 11 hours" conversation is retarded, you have to turn off the good video card and then the entire screen and all of your desktop look like a giant turd. It will get 4-5 hours max out of the non-integrated vid card. The keyboard is a pos, no back light.......it also is flimsy as hell. The mouse pad feel like crap, and it has a black piano finish inside and chrome that shows fingerprints EVERYWHERE!!! I used it for 2 hours today at school and it looked like it was touched by every kid on campus, when it was only me putting it in and out of my backpack 3 times....................
View 10 Replies
ADVERTISEMENT
Jun 3, 2009
I am trying to decide what I should get between two laptops that I will get as a graduation present. To be honest, I am pretty much a total noob when it comes to laptops, so any advice would be welcome. My choices are between the Asus G50Vt-X5 or one of the HP Pavilion dv7t series laptops. My budget is around $1000.
I was at Best Buy the other day when I was shown the Asus for the first time and I really like how it looked and felt, much more than the overly glossiness of the HP laptops. However, I know HP has a pretty good reputation, as the rest of my family has HP's and they seem to run just fine.
Here are the specs for both:
[url]
[url]
Note: I used Cnet for the Asus laptop because Asus's own website kinda sucks for providing specs.
Truth be told, I like to game a little and would really like to be able to run Star Craft 2 (if that has any signifigance to you guys) when it finally comes out.......
View 10 Replies
View Related
Nov 7, 2013
When I connect my external monitor (ASUS PA248) to my W520, the audio disappears. When I disconnect it, the audio returns. This seems a bizarre link between audio and video, but there it is. Note that the PA248 does NOT have built-in speakers.
View 3 Replies
View Related
Feb 5, 2009
To start I should remind everyone that i'm not a mac user. I have never owned a mac or used OSX properly before today. As such, my opinions should be taken as coming from someone who has much knowledge and experience as far as PC's are concerned, but who is a total mac n00b.
First Impressions
When I first walked over to the Macbooks I was quite taken aback. The build quality is out of this world. In fact, I immediately walked over to the latest PC laptops to compare and immediately thought "manufacturing FAIL". Really, the Macbooks are italian sports cars, and PC's are 30 year old farm tractors to use the typical "car analogy".
The Macbook
I really only had any interest in the Macbook when I first went to the Apple stand, but came away with the intention of buying a MacBook Pro. Let me explain:
The MacBook's build quality is awesome. It's solid, no creaking plastic or flexable build, completely and utterly solid. Awesome.............
View 10 Replies
View Related
Jan 28, 2009
which better:
this model from ASUS
[url]
or
latest vaio SR?
the important thing is the screen? U6 VS Sr
and other thing like built quality and spec.
View 10 Replies
View Related
Mar 7, 2009
I have been speculating over this prospect giving the direction that Apple took with the starting price of the 24" iMac (upgrade everything else and downgrade the VRAM).
I mean, this is something I would like to see, but I wonder if it is a smart move on Apple's part given how much they make off the current MBP's with the so called Apple Tax.
And, if they made this move, one has to wonder if it still would be considered a Pro.
View 4 Replies
View Related
Jan 2, 2009
This is going to be my very first Mac. I'm really excited about it, but I don't know which one I should go for... I narrowed it down to these two models. Which one should I go for and why?
View 10 Replies
View Related
Feb 10, 2009
I bought a black macbook this summer and every night when I'm in bed trying to do work I can barely see which keys is which. Obviously this wouldn't be a cheap fix but is there a way or is it possible to install the new light up keys of the new macbooks onto a pre-remodel macbook?
View 10 Replies
View Related
Aug 14, 2009
I got a great deal on an Asus K40IN-X1 notebook:
C2D T6400 2.0 Ghz (can replace with the T8300 from my m1330)
4 GB RAM
free upgrade to Windows 7
320GB hard drive (will swap with 500GB from m1330)
Nvidia G102M discrete graphics, 512MB
wifi
no bluetooth, but can add via usb
no fingerprint reader
LED (!) backlit 14.1" 1366 X 768 LCD
after coupons, $740.00 Canadian + taxes
I'm going to try it out and see if it meets my needs.
If so, I'll sell my m1330 with the original T5450 and a 320GB HDD.
I really love my m1330, but I am worried about the GPU, although I do have full warranty until March 2010, and the extended GPU warranty until March 2011.
View 4 Replies
View Related
May 9, 2009
I downloaded this updated for my unibody Macbook Pro, and I think it's pretty vital. However, it gave me this error when I tried to install it: "You cannot install Macbook, Macbook Pro software update on this volume. This update requires Mac OS X 10.5.5 or newer." Now don't tell me that I have selected the wrong partition to install the update, or that I need to update my OS to 10.5.5 because I already have 10.5.6 and I chose the Macintosh HD partition to install the update.
View 6 Replies
View Related
Sep 12, 2009
So I'm definitely getting a 13" Macbook or Macbook Pro. Apple has some great prices on refurbs so that's probably the route I'll be going however I'm having trouble discerning the difference between the 13" Aluminum Unibody standard macbook and the 13" Unibody Macbook Pro. From what I've read they both have the upgraded screen, they're obviously both unibody, both have the large button-less trackpad, and both have the 9400m. They even have the same dimensions and the only difference I can see between the images is a slightly different case bevel (also the firewire and sd card ports, both are useless to me).
Unfortunately, none of the Apple stores or BestBuys in the area have a non-pro unibody 13" Macbook for me to actually handle and compare. So, basically, what makes the pro version with the slower cpu and smaller hard drive at the same price point worth it?
View 10 Replies
View Related
Jul 6, 2009
If I make an image of my hdd from my white macbook with disk utility onto a hard drive I take out of a unibody macbook pro will it work and boot properly?
I will do this by taking the 250gb hdd out of the unibody macbook pro and putting it into a sata external usb hdd enclosure, then making an image of my current 120gb white macbook and writing the image onto the 250gb. After, I plan to put the 250gb hdd back into the macbook pro and boot it up normally as if everything from my white macbook was just copied onto the macbook pro.
View 9 Replies
View Related
Aug 26, 2007
I haven't been keeping up with laptops recently and I've always been an amd guy so I thought I'd ask for some help now that I'm looking for a new laptop.
Here are my main criteria:
1) I will run mostly linux (hence no ATI, I currently have a ferrari 4005)
2) Dual core & 64bit are a must (computational chemistry stuff)
3) I use a 2405fpw most of the time, but when I use the laptop I like to have a decent amount of real estate (this is the main hold back for me with the dell)
4) I play games every now and again, so if it will run UT3 when it comes out I'll be happy, but I'm by no means a gamer
5) I don't want anything too large, 15.4" or smaller
I'm going to post the configs. Please let me know what you think of the various choices and if there are other factors I should consider...
View 9 Replies
View Related
Sep 23, 2009
I owned an Asus N10J-A1 for about a year and ended up selling it. It was a great little machine, but I didn't really think I needed a netbook any more. Plus I grew tired of issues with the stupid 1024x600 resolution and anemic Atom N270. It was a fun toy to tweak, but in reality, it wasn't practical. Nice to have a strong GPU like the 9300m GS but the other components really didn't push it to its full potential. Plus watching flash based video like Hulu and YouTube was less than ideal, manageable, but not ideal.
My biggest issues with netbooks have been the keyboard size, screen resolution, and enough CPU power for flash video (i.e. Hulu, YouTube, etc). This notebook seems to correct that. The keyboard looks close to having regular size keys, and the screen resolution is at least somewhat normal (16:9 and with compatability with 1024x768). The CPU is much more powerful than the Atom can ever want to be, and battery life isn't compromised really. I think it's better on this Acer than the N10J anyhow.
I was waiting for the ION platform, but it seems that will be a while and still contains the Atom CPU. It will have its caveats as well to work out. Since I realize it would be nice to have a smaller, lighter notebook with a longer lasting battery, I decided on the Acer AS1410. I have ordered it but haven't received it yet. The specs to me are perfect, and dimension-wise it's not much bigger than the N10J (only 0.4" longer and wider).
Here's the specs:
Acer AS1410
CPU: Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 @ 1.4GHz
Chipset: Intel GS45
Screen: 11.6" 1366x768
Memory: 2GB expandable to 4GB (comes with 2 slots, and only one populated with a 2GB module - nice!)
Hard Drive: 250GB 5400RPM
GPU: Intel GMA 4500MHD
Network: Gigabit LAN, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n
Ports: 3xUSB, 1xVGA, 1xHDMI, 1xMic, 1xheadphone, 1xwebcam, 1xcard reader
Battery: 6-cell
No Optical Drive
OS: Windows Vista Home Premium.............................
View 10 Replies
View Related
Aug 5, 2009
The specs on the ASUS:
Core 2 Duo T6400 2 GHz
4 GB DDR2 SDRAM
nVidia GEForce 102M (512 mb DDR2 VRAM)
The specs on the DELL:
Core 2 Duo T6500 2.1 GHz
3 GB DDR3 SDRAM
nVidia GeForce 9400M (256 mb DDR3 VRAM)
View 7 Replies
View Related
Jul 18, 2009
I am looking for some opinions on the above two machines.
I am line ball between them, screen size not an issue, fairly close in specs.
View 8 Replies
View Related
Sep 22, 2009
Was curious what is the difference between the short-lived aluminum macbooks and macbook pros. Only thing i could spot is the illuminated keyboard.
View 8 Replies
View Related
Aug 12, 2009
She has a white macbook with leopard I think, and has a separate partition in which she has boot camp, she uses specialized software that can only run in windows (doesnt run in vm). She got a new macbook air but wants to keep everything intact.
Do programs like duper clone drives with all files intact, including partitions? Keep in mind that the windows side is more important, installation of this software can only be done remotely from Russia, so it's a bit of a hassle if we screw up, we have to contact IT at a specific time and get them to do it.
Would I have to take the drive of the macbook air out? Or can i just clone to an external hard drive and then move that to the mba hard drive, in target disc mode or something.
View 7 Replies
View Related
May 3, 2009
I really love the black color of MB404, but is it good? does it crack easily?(is it plastic?)
Hows screen quality?
What do you think? which one should i buy?
I really wanted to buy Alu one before i hear about slanted keys and loose battery covers(i know %99 of them don't have that, but it's hard to risk when there's no way to fix it in here), because there's no Mac center in my country and i'm SO picky.
View 3 Replies
View Related
Apr 18, 2010
i cant seem to get fullscreen on the monitor using 1920x1080p but if i lower the resolution to 1680x1050 it works full screen on the monitor but not full screen on my XPS.
I think the problem is in the laptop setting as I used a friends samsung monitor and that didnt go fullscreen either. My old Hp dv9500 did not have any problems with the fullscreen.
View 5 Replies
View Related
Apr 16, 2010
I've been looking at basicly two models, both got almost the exact same price tag here in Norway, so I'm not sure which one to go for.
The first ones is a MacBook Pro 15" with High-resolution 1650x1080 glossy screen, featuring the top of the line Intel Core i7-620M CPU the other is a MacBook Pro 17" with even higher resolution (1920x1200) glossy screen, featuring the slightly slower Intel Core i5-540M.
I don't list the other specifications as I don't really care about them, I already got a pair of 4GB 1600MHz CL7 (2x2GB) DIM's and a Intel X25-M 80GB SSD that I'll be using anyway.
There will be lots of movies and series played on my MacBook Pro, that's why I don't really considering paying a premium for the anti-glare screen, even though I love anti-glare and tend to struggle with glossy screens I don't see the point in actually paying more for it. And when watching movies and series, in often very dark rooms the glossy screen actually have some advantages.
The hard thing to decide here is slicker and lighter, with smaller screen and lower resolution, but better CPU versus the bigger, more heavy but featuring bigger screen and Full-HD+ resolution but slower CPU.....................
View 10 Replies
View Related
Dec 1, 2009
equipping 2 machines:
1-a 13" MacBook Pro, primary use will be Internet and e-mail and manipulating music files. Will my husband really notice a difference/benefit between the basic 2.26 and the 2.53GHZ (and is it worth about $250 more)? If he uses it for video downloading will that make a difference?
2- a 15" MacBook Pro- here I'm debating between the 2.66 and 2.8. My daughter uses it for Office apps, PhotoShop, music, Internet and e-mail. Again, would video downloading make a difference?
View 10 Replies
View Related
May 7, 2009
I am currently returning a dell studio xps 16" as its so sooo much hassle to deal with dell and the fact that i got 3 messsed up replacements in a row. i am looking to get a macbook or macbook pro. i would prefer a macbook pro (lowest model) although the cheapest method i can find is £1163 from the higher education store. is there any other way or place that sells it for less? apple seem to charge crazy prices for a low spec. een £100 would be expensive but maybe afordable. only discounts i found for the macbook/macbook pro are 14% higher education (the one i am looking to use) and 6% EPP and school discount. iv looked at the macbook but im going to use the laptop for movies, work and internet. movies on a 13.3" arnt exactly enjoyable to watch so thats why im looking for a macbook pro.
View 10 Replies
View Related
Apr 27, 2009
I finally decided that i am going to take my desktop HTPC from home to grad school for movies/TV and playing demanding games.
So now I cannot decide upon which notebook to get -
the base Macbook Pro 2.4 or the base Macbook Air 1.6
I am going to be mainly doing work: taking notes, photo editing, and also some light gaming (2d games and old 3d games (red orchestra, combat mission) when away from apartment) on the notebook.
So I was wondering which is a better choice for me.
The macbook pro has a faster core 2 duo cpu, but the FSB and RAM are all the same speed. Obviously the 9600mGT is 2.5x faster than the 9400M, but I am not going to need it for intensive gaming.
Also the macbook pro has a larger screen.
But the Air is so much lighter and thinner, and would be a good thing to take to libraries. And it is 200 cheaper....................
View 10 Replies
View Related
Mar 9, 2010
A friend of mine is debating which model. I noticed some small differences, but for 200 bucks it almost seems worth getting the pro model. It seems as if it's a higher quality build, firewire, backlit keyboard, is the screen the same? What do you guys think? Can the Macbooks without the dedicated video card run a game like Sims 3?
View 7 Replies
View Related
Apr 8, 2009
I want to buy the Macbook Pro 15 inc Unibody, there are 2 models
Model 1 Model 2
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHZ
2GB Memory
250GB hard drive1
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M+
9600M GT with 256MB
Model 2
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.66GHZ
4GB Memory
320GB hard drive
GeForce 9400M +
9600M GT with 512MB
A difference of £343. My reason for Macbook Pro over any Windows laptop is simpy becuase OSX and that the laptop fits my needs, its not too big like the 17 inch and not too small like the 13 inch, also it has an express card slot 34 which I can then add a memory card reader. I will be editing/converting a lot of photos and videos and looking forward to buying Final Cut Studio 2.0................
View 10 Replies
View Related
Feb 20, 2010
I'm buying one or the other. My next computer will run OSX, that is the only thing I have set in stone.
13" MBP over 13" MB:
SD Card reader
(This would be nice, but I can do without. I only use the reader on my current laptop like once every 2 months)
FireWire 800
(Absolutely no need for this)
Backlit Keyboard
(Absolutely no need for this, people look at their keyboard while typing?)
Screen Color Gamut
(60% more than that of MB I heard ... I know this applies to the older MB but not sure about the late 2009 MB. Can anyone comment on the difference?)...................
View 10 Replies
View Related
May 31, 2009
I have finally switched and should get my first ever mac the new macbook white in next couple of days
I have two questions, I had ordered SODIM DDR2, 800Mhz 4GB RAM and a 500GB, 7200RPM SATA Drive with a thought of upgrading my latitude E6400.
Can I use them (RAM and HDD) and upgrade apple macbook? and will that impact apple warantee?
View 9 Replies
View Related
May 14, 2010
I think I decided on getting a mac; however, I am not sure whether to get the pro or normal. I am positive that I won't notice a difference in speed/performance for what I'll be using it for (browsing, word, pdf, email, research) so specs don't matter to me too much. I was mostly concerned about the frame. While the MacBook is made of polycarbonate, the MBP is aluminum. Are there significant differences in durability or structure that might make me want to buy the MBP?
View 10 Replies
View Related
Jan 8, 2010
what model of SSD 128 Gb they install in MacBookPro (the manufacture, read/write speed, TRIM support). By chance is there a TRIM support in OS Leopard? I am realy hesitating between MacBookPro and new Latitude Z600. I'm not very familiar with Mac but hope it is fast and reliable enough with SSD. It's mostly for office use and travelling. I think about 15in with 2.53 CPU and 128 SSD.
View 6 Replies
View Related
