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ASUS U30JC-A1 Review

ASUS U30JC-A1
  • Intel Core i3 350M (2.26 GHz)

  • NVIDIA GeForce 310M

  • 4 GB RAM Size

  • 320 GB HDD Capacity

2

Our summary of all reviews

  • Performance

    21 /100

    At this average level of performance, all office work is well managed. No problems will be encountered with multitasking or multimedia applications. Older games as well as casual gaming e.g. “The Sims III” are supported. People looking for a primary laptop and who do not require high performance gaming will be satisfied.

    • 3DMark 06 1024 x 768

      3518.83 #

    • 3DMark Vantage

      1177 #

    • PCMark 05

      5241.67 #

    • PCMark Vantage

      4884.6 #

    • Cinebench xCPU 64Bit

      7427 #

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  • Design

    3.8/5

    The reviewers’ opinions tended predominantly towards moderate satisfaction concerning the laptop design. The notebook’s appearance was decently received and should prove to be at the taste of many users.

  • Build Quality

    4.0/5

    The build quality provides for high standards to people requiring good protection for the laptop’s inner fragile parts. People on the move will find this laptop suited to handle both everyday life circumstances (putting it in and out of your bag/carrying it around) and significant challenges(falling from the desk to the hard floor, using it in a bus travelling on a bumpy road) very well.

    • Base Unit Flex

       : 

      4.5/5

      Active people with lifestyles requiring traveling, and who place a high value on perfection will be very satisfied with this laptop.

    • Hinge Stability

       : 

      4.0/5

      The screen hinge, connecting the monitor and the laptop body, is characterized by good tightness and flexibility. The display might slightly wiggle after opening the laptop or when moving around, but it does not cause any real annoyances.

    • Display Panel

       : 

      3.0/5

      Some minor colour distortions might occur under significant pressure on the back of the display, or when moving the screen back and fourth. Hardly any gaps between the different parts of the frame can be found.

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  • Display

    2.5/5

    Generally the reviewers evaluated this laptop to be below average. At this level, office work could be manageable. For more demanding tasks like multimedia use, high definition gaming and professional editing you will need a higher quality display. To get a more comprehensive review of this display, users should check the ratings of the different attributes of this screen.

    • Display Resolution

      1366 x 768

      This resolution is also called HD-ready. Viewing more than one website on the monitor is almost impossible, as one window takes up almost the whole space. Graphic designers might not be completely satisfied with this resolution, as this latter might be too small. High resolution picture and video editing is plainly impossible. This resolution is a good option for gamers as many graphic cards will be powerful enough to support the native resolution of this display. Watching most movies will be possible without any black bars at the top and bottom of the display.

    • Color Reproduction

       : 

      2.8/5

      Though it would be manageable to watch movies with this color reproduction, the experience might not be enjoyable for visually acute users. The coverage of color spectrum is below average, making colors look far from authentic and incomparable to real life experience. High resolution gaming and HD movies viewing will not be pleasant.

    • Contrast

       : 

      2.0/5

      The contrast between the darkest color -black- and the brightest color -white- is below average in this computer. This results in having the darkest areas being washed out resembling a dark shade of gray, while the brightest areas appear to be of a light grayish color. Movies can be enjoyed provided that the room is completely darkened. Most office workers will find the readability to be sufficient, while some might be annoyed by the close shades of gray characterizing both the dark text and the bright background. The needs of professional designers will surely not be met with this notebook.

    • Contrast Value

      166 :1

    • Brightness

       : 

      3.3/5

      The maximum brightness of this computer is adequate for viewing the screen comfortably, even under bright ambient light. However, the users must be cautious to only push the brightness to its maximum in bright conditions, eg. outdoors. Setting the brightness to a high level will drastically decrease the battery life. In addition, using the notebook at maximum brightness in a dark room will be tiring for the eyes.

    • Average Brightness

      227 cd/m²

    • Reflections

       : 

      2.3/5

      In situations of medium indoor ambient light, the display can sufficiently fulfill its function. This laptop is thus acceptable for office work, and can serve as well as a family/home computer. Outdoor use is however not recommended, as it will be close to impossible to decipher the displayed information.

    • Viewing Angle

       : 

      1.7/5

      When you position yourself directly in front of the screen, everything is clearly visible. However, moving your head a little to the side will cause the colors to distort. It is almost impossible for two people to watch a movie unless they seek absolute intimacy. This laptop is recommended for people who demand privacy in public spaces.

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  • Sound

    2.5/5

    The internal speakers of this laptop provided for a below average sound quality. Low sounds are still recognizable. Music can still listened to although the users should account for the necessity of external speakers when planning to watch a movie with a group. Musicians should not even stop to consider this laptop for their work, and gamers will be disappointed as the sound will be convincing. Even maximum volume will not make the sound experience enjoyable.

    • Maximum Volume

       : 

      3.0/5

      The peak volume of this laptop is acceptably loud. If relying only on the maximum sound output of the internal speakers of this laptop, watching movies with a group of friends should be manageable. It will be as well quite challenging to clearly distinguish sounds at peak volume if you are at the other end of the room.

    • Sound Clarity

       : 

      2.5/5

      This sound clarity is below average. Movies and games might not be as enjoyable because the sound will be muffed or suffer from interferences. Your expectations will be betrayed when watching an HD movie.

    • Lows

       : 

      1.5/5

      With the internal speakers of this laptop, there is practically no bass, making music or movies feel flat. The sound is thus either scratchy, too low or flat.

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  • Keyboard

    2.8/5

    This keyboard will be just enough for causal use, as it will be quite hard to make it fulfil the comfort and endurance required for long typing hours. It will for example be perfect for your 15-minute morning news session, or for checking and answering short emails. It will be very challenging to use this keyboard for extensive gaming or for any tasks requiring considerable typing speed.

    • Layout

       : 

      3.3/5

      The layout of this keyboard might not feel comfortable for everyone. Inconveniences such as unintuitive positioning of different keys and different key sizes compared to the standard layout will be encountered. This most likely will lead to typing errors until the user readjusts to the keyboard.

    • Keyboard Size

       : 

      3.3/5

      Although the size of this keyboard is still decent, typos might be a bit more frequent as the keys might not be large enough, depending on the size of your hands. The palm resting area could be too small for some users, although it is generally suitable and comfortable. All in all, the keyboard is proportionate enough and should still fulfill the needs of most users, especially after some getting used to.

    • Key Responsiveness

       : 

      2.0/5

      Although some reviewers did not find this keyboard convincing when it comes to responsiveness, most users will still judge it as generally acceptable for typing. This keyboard could suffer from either too stiff or too soft individual keys, which generally causes a decrease in typing speed. Another problem that might be encountered with this keyboard is the level of feedback provided when typing. The individual keys would either take too long to jump back up or are impossible to push far down enough to get appropriate feedback. Users might find it too energy consuming or too annoying especially with long typing hours, yet this keyboard is still manageable from an overall perspective.

    • Keyboard Flex

       : 

      2.3/5

      This keyboard may be for some users manageable, although for most it will be rated below average. The plastic below the keyboard sometimes flexes and the uncontrollable movement of the individual keys will throw you off your typing flow. Smooth typing is far from being an attainable reality, and will make users take some deep breaths to lower their levels of frustration and anger.

    • Keys Clicking Sound

       : 

      3.0/5

      The sound produced when clicking on individual keys could be considered by some at the verge of being disturbing. Most users however will not be bothered by it.

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  • Touchpad

    4.0/5

    This touchpad will be considered by most users to be very much suited for some quite complex tasks. Be it for office work, browsing online, or for designing, reviewers thought this trackpad to be convincing. For gaming however, an external mouse is needed. The touchpad button comes nothing short of what the rest of the trackpad provides for: The feedback is accurate, the feel is smooth, and the size is well suited for medium to large displays. This trackpad helps you in quickly adjusting to your new computer

    • Touchpad Surface

       : 

      4.0/5

      The feeling of the touchpad will work at your satisfaction with its relatively smooth surface allowing quick scrolling up and down your pages. If you require rougher textures, the trackpad of this computer can be pleasing, as it combines both smoothness and good surface resistance.

    • Sensitivity

       : 

      4.3/5

      The accuracy of this touchpad fulfills high standards of satisfaction. You should not face any issues, as the reaction time is quite fast, and the responsiveness is quite precise and your mouse pointer will always go where you want it to. This touchpad should answer the needs of most users no matter their demands.

    • Touchpad Size

       : 

      4.0/5

      The size of this touchpad allows for navigating large displays with no problem. The users will not need to worry at all about inconveniences such as with excessive scrolling or getting an extra mouse, as this touchpad answers all these needs quite convincingly. You will most probably not need to turn the sensitivity settings up, as you will not need to make your mouse move any faster. Keeping your sensitivity settings low will ensure that you will enjoy higher touchpad accuracy.

    • Buttons

       : 

      3.0/5

      The reviewers considered the button quality of this touchpad to be satisfactory. Most users can rely on the accuracy and the smoothness of this button to carry out regular tasks. Very demanding users might find that the buttons fail to strike the right balance between being easy to click and giving clear feedback, making them a little too soft or too stiff. The button’s clicking sound will be acceptable for most, although sensitive users might prefer an even less noticeable auditive feedback.

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  • Webcam Quality

    4.0/5

    The picture quality of the webcam is quite nice.

  • Battery Surfing

    7:23 h

    The battery life is outstanding. You will be able to use your laptop for the better part of a whole work day. This of course requires you to turn down the brightness of your screen, as the display uses a lot of energy. You should also only plan to do office work and light browsing. If you are going to play games, stream videos, or surf websites with a lot of flash advertisement, the expected battery life will be considerably shorter. The energy saving mode should be enabled at all times, if not this will of course cause the battery life to drop even shorter.

    • Battery DVD/Video

      4:09 h

      When performing energy consuming tasks, this battery will last from 4 to 5 hours. Be it for watching a couple of movies, preparing presentations, or streaming videos, this battery will not fail you for quite some time. Note: Gaming requires much more power thus you will only be able to enjoy it for a much more limited time.

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  • Weight

    4.85 lbs

    This computer is for most users still comfortable to carry around, although for those used to lighter computers, it might seem a bit heavy at the beginning. Mobile users will most probably need a somehow large bag to carry this laptop around, a backpack in this case would be ideal. Even when factoring the extra weight of the charger, walking with this computer will still be fine for most users.

  • Noise

    3.0/5

    Most users will find the laptop to be on the quiet side. There is some noise emitted from the fan, the CD drive and other laptop parts, yet most will not experience any inconveniences due to it. Noise sensitive people might opt for an even quieter computer.

    • Noise Idle

       : 

      4.0/5

      Normally you do not notice the noise of the laptop ventilation while idle.

    • Noise Normal Use

       : 

      4.0/5

      While doing office work or browsing the web, the noise emitted by this computer is barely noticeable. In a quite room, you can rest assured, the low noise of the fan will not hinder with your concentration.

    • Noise Full Load

       : 

      3.0/5

      When you are watching a movie, editing a video, or playing games, the noise emitted by this laptop will not be of much disturbance according to most reviewers. The degree to which you will be annoyed depends on your sensitivity and on how quiet your surroundings are.

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  • Temperature

    4.0/5

    The laptop stays cool most of the time. Most reviewers found, the heat from the notebook usually will not be uncomfortable for your fingers or legs. You can watch movies even on hot summer days without burning your legs.

    • Heat Top: Full Use

       : 

      4.5/5

      The laptop keeps quite cool at normal use. That’s very convenient.

    • Heat Top: Normal Use

       : 

      4.0/5

      The laptop only gets a little warm on top.

    • Heat Bottom: Normal Use

       : 

      3.0/5

      The bottom of the notebook warms up a little but is not getting too hot to place it on your lap.

    • Heat Bottom: Full Load

       : 

      3.0/5

      There can be some spot where the laptop gets warm.

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A

All external reviews  ASUS  U30JC-A1

Language Source URL Review Date Author

English

www.engadget.com 4/13/10 Joanna Stern

English

reviews.cnet.com 4/6/10 Dan Ackerman

English

hothardware.com 4/5/10 Ray Willington

English

www.pcmag.com 4/5/10 Cisco Cheng

English

computershopper.com 4/1/10 Daniel A. Begun

English

www.laptopmag.com 3/5/10 Michael A. Prospero

Deutsch

www.notebookcheck.com 6/1/10 Sebastian Jentsch

日本語

pc.watch.impress.co.jp 4/28/10 石川 ひさよし
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Total number of reviews: 8