Question:
Apple Macbook Pro vs. Asus W3J - college laptop
I just returned my Dell Inspiron E1705. It was way too big for use in college. I need something sturdy and well built, which the Dell was obviously not. After having spent countless hours on this and many other notebook sites, the choices have come down between the Apple Macbook Pro and the Asus W3J. I need this laptop to be able to play current games, such as HL2, BF2, and CS:S flawlessly. I need this laptop to run Windows Vista flawlessly. I need this laptop to run Windows primarily. If it comes down to the Macbook Pro, I will be using Windows primarily, but will try to learn OSX along the way. I would like to know which is the better laptop between these two ONLY. Please do not recommend other laptops other than these. Now, here is the FAQ.
1) What is your budget?
Anything. The funny thing is, even with all the money in the world, finding the perfect laptop is still close to impossible.
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
I want a 14 or 15 inch WIDESCREEN. It is imperative that this laptop be under 6lbs.
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
College work - MS Word, Excel, PPT; Light gaming; Downloading music, movies; internet; probably some other things.
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Taking it with me most of the time. May stay on desk sometimes. This will be my ONLY computer, so it is important that it is EXCELLENT.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Yes; CS 1.6, HL2, CS:S, BF2, maybe Oblivion and Guild Wars: Faction.
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
Well, like I said above, it is between the Apple and Asus.
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
The more the better. Atleast 3.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
Do not mind.
9) What country are you buying this in?
USA
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
widescreen
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
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.
Any.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Glossy
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Yes.
14) How long do you want this laptop to last?
5 years.
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
atleast 100GB 7200RPM.
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
DVD-RW
Please keep in mind, this will be used for a college student. Thanks in advance.
Answer:
Re: Apple Macbook Pro vs. Asus W3J - college laptop
W3J wins, except at the design area. It has faster clocked ATI X1600 compared to the MBP, and oso cheaper.
Answer:
Re: Apple Macbook Pro vs. Asus W3J - college laptop
I would say go for the Asus, the macbook pro isn't meant for runnign windows as a primary operating system and there are still bugs. The asus w3j i think comes with a 4200rpm or 5400rpm drive so you may want to upgrade it your self.
I just want to add 5 years is a long time to have a laptop
Answer:
Re: Apple Macbook Pro vs. Asus W3J - college laptop
I vote for the Macbook Pro.
Pricewise, for $1750 on Amazon.com, which is clearly cheaper than $1799 for the W3J, you get basically the same components with the only difference being the memory (512mb on MBP, 1gb on W3J). IMO, having one memory slot open for a 1gb stick is a good thing because Vista is going to be a memory hog and 1gb might not cut it in the long run.
In regards to the underclocked video card, you are going to be a studious college student who does only light gaming, so the slight difference in the video cards shouldn't be enough to sway your opinion on these laptops.
Boot Camp is obviously not ready for Windows prime-time because it is still in beta, but almost of all the kinks have been worked out. The only major issue is the lack of a second mouse button, which can be remedied by a usb mouse, and will likely be solved by the time the final version of Boot Camp comes out at the end of this year. There aren't as many bugs as you think. Reports of Boot Camp by PC Magazine, ArsTechnica, and even people on this forum praise it for its stability.
The MBP is constructed of alumium, which leads to a stronger build than the plastic does on the W3J. Despite the fact that many laptops by Asus sport carbon-fiber, the W3J actually isn't one of them. The MBP also has a slot-fed drive which is a lot more convenient and :D cooler than the drive on the W3J which could be damaged somehwere along the line. The MBP also comes with an integrated camera and keyboard lighting, features that the W3J don't have. Finally, the resolution on the higher on the MBP (1400x900) than the W3J (1280x768). Personally, I find 1280x768 kind of small, especially when I'm surfing the net, working with multiple documents, or even just manipulating Windows.
To its credit, the W3J does have a modular bay and expresscard slot, neither of which are present on the MBP. You'll just have to weigh the unique features on the MBP versus the ones on the W3J.
Another important thing to note is that I've read quite a few reviews about various Asus laptops, and some complain about the bad quality of Asus customer support, especially when it comes to flaws on their products.
I've typed such a long post about this subject because a few days ago I was faced with making the same decision. I decided (obviously) to get the Macbook Pro at the end of this summer for the above reasons.
Answer:
Re: Apple Macbook Pro vs. Asus W3J - college laptop
The MBP is constructed of alumium, which leads to a stronger build than the plastic does on the W3J. Despite the fact that many laptops by Asus sport carbon-fiber, the W3J actually isn't one of them. The MBP also has a slot-fed drive which is a lot more convenient and :D cooler than the drive on the W3J which could be damaged somehwere along the line. The MBP also comes with an integrated camera and keyboard lighting, features that the W3J don't have. Finally, the resolution on the higher on the MBP (1400x900) than the W3J (1280x768). Personally, I find 1280x768 kind of small, especially when I'm surfing the net, working with multiple documents, or even just manipulating Windows.
not sure where you got the impression that the Asus is all plastic because the bottom is carbon fiber while the lid is brushed aluminum. The palm rest is plastic, which is a benefit in itself as it doesnt amplfy the heat being produced under the palmrest by the HD. (same issue with the V6 which uses aluminum palm rests)
Answer:
Re: Apple Macbook Pro vs. Asus W3J - college laptop
Only the palm rest area is made out of plastic, the other areas are mostly metal. Anyway, Oblivion is NOT light gaming at all, some says that it even hogs down a 7900GTX at high details.
Well, if u wan, u could try the macbook pro, but i suggest u that u hav ur refund policy ready, just in case u dun like the MBP problems.
Answer:
Re: Apple Macbook Pro vs. Asus W3J - college laptop
Pricewise, for $1750 on Amazon.com, which is clearly cheaper than $1799 for the W3J
Why would you buy from Amazon? Geared2play has the W3j for $1700. Another thing to add is the X1600 in the MBP is a 128MB card and is underclocked to 350/350mhz. The W3j's X1600 is 256MB's and is at 450/450mz. Because in the MBP the GPU is so underl****ed you end up getting about the performance as the X700. The X1600 128 in the MBP still wins by a bit. I'd go with the W3j. And then you will not have to worry about all the bugs and problems with Bootcamp. The W3j is also lighter and will be easier to carry around the college campus. And any game will run quite a bit better ont the W3j.
Answer:
Re: Apple Macbook Pro vs. Asus W3J - college laptop
May I ask why it must be Windows? Are there Windows specific apps? Or are you hesitant to learn a new OS? Just out of curiosity. Also, what will you be studying in college? Remember too that you will qualify for an educational discount. And since you say money is no object, the 2.16 model would be 2300 while the 2.0 would be 1800.
Answer:
Re: Apple Macbook Pro vs. Asus W3J - college laptop
The MBP is constructed of alumium, which leads to a stronger build than the plastic does on the W3J.
It is definitely not plastic as posted.
I vote W3J, it is very sturdy and well built. It runs Windows better than the mac and has better support. The X1600 in the mac sounds impressive but is not. It is underclocked signifigantly and will perform fairly poorly in comparison with the W3J.
Also, the W3J is much more portable, given that it's a 14". Go Asus.
Answer:
Re: Apple Macbook Pro vs. Asus W3J - college laptop
Also, if you can wait, early July will bring the W3j from 1.83 to 2.0 and 512x2 to 1024x1 without a price increase!