Question:
hgl30...a8jm?
Hi there, this'll probably be my last thread of this nature, as I need to order a notebook soon to recieve it before school starts...so here goes. I've done research after posting my own college laptop thread, and now, it comes down to these two choices. I couldnt find much in the terms of the asus vs the compal, so, this may also help people deciding between these 14'' machines.
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
abt 1400-1500 USD
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
pretty much set on a 14'' screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
college work, i.e. word, research, etc, some photoshopping/indesigning, some gaming
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
I would like to take it to different places around campus and maybe even to class.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Warcraft, Wow, guild wars, other games i may pick up to distract myself from schoolwork
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
not really
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
it seems as if the hgl 30 gets around 3-4? so around there?
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
no
9) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in?
USA
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
no preference
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Standard
a. XGA -1024x768 - Large and easy to read text + graphics icons, but you fit less stuff on the screen.
b. SXGA - 1400x1050 - Compromise resolution between XGA and UXGA.
c. UXGA - 1600x1200 - Very small text and graphics icons, you can fit lots of stuff on the screen.
Widescreen
d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
f. WUXGA - 1920x1200; Wider viewing version of UXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
again, not much of a prefence
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
lol, dont mind, but both of the notebooks I'm looking at are glossy screens
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
no
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
soon...tomorrow/later this week, would like it to last at least all 4 years of college, although I've been told that that is an unrealistic expectation
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
at least 60 gb
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
a dvd-cd/rw would be adequate, but again, both the A8jm and hgl30 have dvdrw's, I believe
The Asus A8JM and HGL30 I've been looking at have somewhat similar specs. However, for the similarly spec'd notebooks, the HGL 30 is slightly cheaper w/o the OS. so...which one should I get?
Thanks for all your help!
Answer:
Re: hgl30...a8jm?
Hmm I had to make a similar decision between the HGL30, A8JM, and the W3J, but I was on a tight budget so I ruled out the W3J...
The A8JM performs better than the HGL30 in benchmark scores due to the underlocking of Compal, it also has 2 more usb 2.0 ports and a dvi out
The HGL-30 has bluetooth, 9-cell battery, fingerprint scanner, and runs a little bit cooler than the a8jm
I myself favored the Compal due to its price, service from powernotebooks.com, and the loads of features it has. I just ordered mine and I can't wait till it arrives :D
Answer:
Re: hgl30...a8jm?
also with a 15'4 inch screen is the asus s96j
Answer:
Re: hgl30...a8jm?
That is a tough choice. Tactickz covers the main differences.
I'll also point out the exhaust vent on the A8Jm is on the "mouse hand" side, so some people don't like that.
I personally love the fingerprint scanner and don't even notice the 3/4" of battery in the back (although I don't carry my laptop around much either).
I don't think you can go wrong either way.
Answer:
Re: hgl30...a8jm?
Hmm I had to make a similar decision between the HGL30, A8JM, and the W3J, but I was on a tight budget so I ruled out the W3J...
The A8JM performs better than the HGL30 in benchmark scores due to the underlocking of Compal, it also has 2 more usb 2.0 ports and a dvi out
The HGL-30 has bluetooth, 9-cell battery, fingerprint scanner, and runs a little bit cooler than the a8jm
I myself favored the Compal due to its price, service from powernotebooks.com, and the loads of features it has. I just ordered mine and I can't wait till it arrives :D
yup don't forget the hgl30 has 256mb vs the 512mb dedicated ram for the 7600
Answer:
Re: hgl30...a8jm?
thanks for all the replies guys!
and tactickz for enumerating the specific differences between the notebooks. i like that the hgl30 is getting a bigger fan/user base
i think that 3 usb ports would be enough..
true about the graphics memory, but would that really improve performance, considering that not many games would utilize the full 512?
hmm
i think i will go for the hgl30...
Answer:
Re: hgl30...a8jm?
I chose the HGL30, accually just ordered over the phone today from Powernotebooks.com. YOU WILL NOT FIND A MORE PLEASENT ORDERING EXPERIENCE. ( I was even discouraged from upgrading some items due to them not being worth the Xtra money) The main reason I went with the Compal HGL30 (powerbook 8:14) is the extra custimization available over the A8jm and the standard 3 year waranty with Powerbook.