Asus U30JC -Order NOW W/ BEST Deals On ASUS U30JC Notebook

Gaming muscle meets long battery life in the ASUS U30Jc A1, a 13 -inch notebook that can automatically switch between discrete grpahics mode (great for playing games and high-def video) and integrated grpahics mode for when you need more juice. How much juice? This $899 system, powered by a Core i3 CPU, lasts over 7 hours on a charge. The slightly heavy chassis may not be for everyone, but overall the ASUS U30JcA1 Laptop is a good value for those who want graphics oomph without sacrificing endurance.

Both the lid and the deck of the U30Jc are covered in a brushed aluminum that resists fingerprints, and, under the right lighting, appears to have a lavender tint. The area around the keyboard is a metallic silver plastic, and the island-style keys are a matte black plastic. The bezel is a glossy black plastic, which picks up fingerprints, but not too much so.

For a 13-inch system, the U30Jc feels rather bulky, weighing in at 4.8 pounds. Measuring 13.1 x 9.5 x 1.2 inches, it’s a bit larger and heavier than the UL30A (12.7 x 9.2 x 1 inches, 4 pounds), most likely owing to the inclusion of an optical drive as well as a discrete graphics chip. The Sony VAIO Y, by comparison, has nearly the same dimensions (12.8 x 8.9 x 1.3) inches, but weighs a full pound less.

Even with its discrete graphics chip running, the U30Jc kept rather cool. After playing a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes, the middle of the underside and the touchpad only reached 89 degrees Fahrenheit, and the space between the G and H keys was a balmy 93. The area by the vent reached 100 degrees, which is warm, but we’ve seen much hotter temperatures from machines this size.

The island style keyboard on the U30Jc offered a decent typing experience. The keys were nicely spaced, but we felt that their pitch was a little too shallow. Neverless, they were responsive when typing, and didn’t make too much noise.

The touchpad, covered in the same purplish-brushed aluminum as the wrist rest, is slightly recessed, and bordered by a chrome trim—a nice touch—and was free of friction. The single mouse button below also has a chrome finish. While we prefer discrete buttons, the single bar on the U30Jc worked well.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at 1:49 pm and is filed under Laptop Insurance Info. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.