[SyncMaster753]

Hey OCN,

I'm racking my brains on which laptop to get. I've narrowed it down to these very similar-but-different models. here's the rundown on the differences:

UL30VT<------------------------------------->UL80VT

LCD
13.3" 1366x768 LCD<--------------------->14" 1366x768
Dimensions/Weight
32.2W x 23.3D x 1.48~2.46H cm<------> 33.8W x 24.0D x 1.40~2.68H cm
3.74LB<-------------------------------------->4.8LB
Storage
500GB<-------------------------------------->320GB
Optical Drive
No Optical Drive<--------------------------->DVD burner
Key Size
30.2mm<------------------------------------>34.8mm
Price
$799.99<------------------------------------>$819.95

Other than these things, i think they are identical.

Ive never owned a laptop so i don't know how the shrunken keys will affect typing. Also, i know that the res is the same so i will have the same screen real-estate but will it reduce my eyestrain on 14"? and to the mobile crowd, is 4.8lb heavy to carry around a lot?

PS: the price difference means nothing to me and i eventually plan on throwing in an SSD

Which do you guys think would make the better laptop?

Thanks

 

[nate911]

I'm in an identical situation, actually.

I can't decide between the two...

I've heard of minor build quality problems with the UL80VT though--supposedly the UL30VT has less flex due to the more compact chassis.
Keep in mind that the UL30VT comes with a slighter smaller battery (same number of cells but lower capacity) so it lasts around 10 hours. Also, the A series (i.e. UL80VT-A1) have 2 years of warranty versus 1 year with the X series (i.e. UL30VT-X1).

 

[SyncMaster753]

Yeah i hear about the 4400MAH vs 5700MAH thing but it makes sense with the size reduction.

The reduced warranty probably has something to do with the OC feature, lol.

Which makes me wonder if someone will develop a tool that will allow >33% OC's or if the overclock is simply applied by selecting a different clock generator pin...

also, are optical drives going the way of the Floppy? i can see them coming in handy though if i ever want to burn a cd/movie and am away from my Main rig

 

[nate911]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SyncMaster753 Yeah i hear about the 4400MAH vs 5700MAH thing but it makes sense with the size reduction. The reduced warranty probably has something to do with the OC feature, lol. Which makes me wonder if someone will develop a tool that will allow >33% OC's or if the overclock is simply applied by selecting a different clock generator pin... also, are optical drives going the way of the Floppy? i can see them coming in handy though if i ever want to burn a cd/movie and am away from my Main rig

Both laptops have the 33% Turbo OC feature...so it's just a different series with different specs/warranty.

With all of the thin and light laptops coming out, optical drives just are too big to put in there...I wouldn't have a problem with it; ISOs will come in handy--if for some reason I ever need it (which would be rarely), external drives are not that expensive.

Also, with the weight, going to my local BestBuy and just picking up laptops that weigh similarly to what I'm looking at helps a lot.

 

[SyncMaster753]

cant......

decide......

but first i need to find out how i'm gonna get one of these north of the boarder, Amazon.ca is VERY gimped

EDIT: they actually have the ul80 in canada, but 950+13% tax = $1072.35.... A little harder to swallow

 

[nate911]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SyncMaster753 cant...... decide...... but first i need to find out how i'm gonna get one of these north of the boarder, Amazon.ca is VERY gimped EDIT: they actually have the ul80 in canada, but 950+13% tax = $1072.35.... A little harder to swallow

I can't decide either

If you haven't found it yet, this is a great forum for laptops. I'd post there--you can fill out the form if you want (it's a sticky).

Here's a link to my (rather long) thread...I take a long time to make decisions

 

[kremtok]

My vote is for the UL30Vt. I ordered one from Amazon when they first offered it for pre-order, and it was delivered to my house a few days ago. Too bad I wasn't there to received it; my family has forwarded it to me and it should be here this week.

I chose to go with the 13.3" over the 14" because I valued the portability of the smaller, lighter system. Given that the specs are identical, the only consideration is the pixel size when you compare the two side by side - In my opinon, 13.3" is as large as a 1366x768 screen should be, and anything larger would not look very good.

As for the lack of a DVD drive, I got an external that I can share between my new computer and the wife's EeePC 1001HA. Like nate911 suggested, I plan to use .iso files for programs that require a disc, and the hard drive is large enough to keep everything that I would ever use onboard.

Differences in the battery are minimal to me, mostly because any system that gets 10 hours of use on a charge is already more than double the average for these systems, and indeed lasts longer than most netbooks on the market that have much less computing power. Plus, if it's that big of a deal to you, the larger battery will fit in the UL30Vt, though you would have to buy it separately.

Last thing to consider is the aluminum lid to the UL30Vt, which should hold up a bit better than the plastic of the UL80Vt.

Best of luck to you - Amazon just sold out of the UL30Vt at $799.99, and their alternative retailer lists it for $999.99. If you decide to go with the 13.3", wait until it's available at the lower price point again.

EDIT: Links to Asus website specs for both - UL30Vt UL80Vt - in case anyone wants further info.

 

[nate911]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kremtok My vote is for the UL30Vt. I ordered one from Amazon when they first offered it for pre-order, and it was delivered to my house a few days ago. Too bad I wasn't there to received it; my family has forwarded it to me and it should be here this week. I chose to go with the 13.3" over the 14" because I valued the portability of the smaller, lighter system. Given that the specs are identical, the only consideration is the pixel size when you compare the two side by side - In my opinon, 13.3" is as large as a 1366x768 screen should be, and anything larger would not look very good. As for the lack of a DVD drive, I got an external that I can share between my new computer and the wife's EeePC 1001HA. Like nate911 suggested, I plan to use .iso files for programs that require a disc, and the hard drive is large enough to keep everything that I would ever use onboard. Differences in the battery are minimal to me, mostly because any system that gets 10 hours of use on a charge is already more than double the average for these systems, and indeed lasts longer than most netbooks on the market that have much less computing power. Plus, if it's that big of a deal to you, the larger battery will fit in the UL30Vt, though you would have to buy it separately. Last thing to consider is the aluminum lid to the UL30Vt, which should hold up a bit better than the plastic of the UL80Vt. Best of luck to you - Amazon just sold out of the UL30Vt at $799.99, and their alternative retailer lists it for $999.99. If you decide to go with the 13.3", wait until it's available at the lower price point again. EDIT: Links to Asus website specs for both - UL30Vt UL80Vt - in case anyone wants further info.

Thanks for the reply...

Yeah, I'm concerned about portability also; the weight the main factor here.

The UL80VT has an aluminum top too, unless the pictures lie to me lol.

Do tell your impressions of the laptop when you receive it!

 

[kremtok]

Howdy! My UL30Vt arrived today, or rather I arrived at the pickup point to snatch it up. I've only spent about 4 to 6 hours with it so far, but inital impressions are absolutely stellar! If you're interested in a more detailed 'review,' give me about a week and hit me up. Here's what I think so far:

- I'm not going to miss the optical drive
- ASUS packaging and presentation is outstanding; there was no way this thing could be damaged in normal shipping
- Multitouch trackpad is brilliant! Why did it take 15 years of notebook computers for someone to come up with this?
- Expressgate is probably usless
- LOTS of bloatware, but nothing that can't be easily removed
- Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 pre-loaded??? Asked for a product key, but I hit cancel and it let me play around some; I loaded Office Standard anyway

Last thing is Windows 7 Arbirtrary Performance Index, range is 1.0 to 7.9
4.9 Overall
4.9 Processor
5.4 Memory
4.9 Graphics
5.9 Gaming Graphics
5.9 Primary Hard Disk

 

[D3FiN3 SiN]

The DVD Burner is the reason why I would get the UL80VT.