ASUS U43JC-X1 14-Inch Bamboo Laptop (10 Hours of Battery Life)

by Asus

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 13.7 x 9.6 x 1.2 inches ; 4.7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B003V4AK4I
• Item model number: U43JC-X1
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (101 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,795 in Computers & Accessories (See Top 100 in Computers & Accessories)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 6, 2010

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Inspired by Nature. Designed for Style.

Drawing on the symbolism of bamboo as a durable renewable resource, the sophisticated U43Jc bamboo notebook with a 14-inch HD LED-backlit display combines distinguished aesthetics with premium technology. The stylish U43Jc-X1 bamboo shell reduces the use of plastic material by up to 15%, and enhances a brushed-aluminum interior. Sleek and user-friendly, this mobile phenom blends powerful yet energy-efficient technology to deliver an astounding 10 hours of battery life between charges.¹

Its power-saving ability is due to the system-optimizing ASUS Super Hybrid Engine, and to NVIDIA Optimus Technology that switches between powerful discrete graphics and efficient embedded graphics, providing sufficient power for the task at hand. The U43Jc-X1 complements its power with convenience by incorporating SuperSpeed USB 3.0, for up to 10 times faster transfer speeds compared to USB 2.0.²

The U43Jc-X1 features the Intel Core i5 processor, 14-inch Slim-Type LED-backlit HD display, high-speed Wireless N connectivity, 4GB DDR3 system memory, 500GB hard drive, 2.0MP webcam with lens cover for added security, multi-touch trackpad, and Windows 7 Home Premium.

Key Features

• Distinguished bamboo texture cover for a unique style and touch that uses 15% less plastic (Learn more)
• Up to 10 hours of battery¹ life for all-day unplugged freedom (Learn more)
• 14-inch Slim-Type LED-backlit HD display with 1366 x 768 resolution for high-quality visuals
• Intel Core i5 processor with Intel Turbo boost Technology for smart multitasking performance (Learn more)
• NVIDIA GeForce 310M graphics 1GB DDR3 VRAM for excellent HD-quality visuals for games, media, and more (Learn more)
• NVIDIA Optimus Technology for automatic and seamless switching between powerful NVIDIA GeForce graphics and battery-saving integrated graphics engine (Learn more)
• ASUS Super Hybrid Engine innovatively saves battery life and boosts performance (Learn more)
• SuperSpeed USB 3.0 charges compatible devices faster and delivers up to 10 times faster transfer rates than previous generation USB 2.0² (Learn more)
• Intel WiDi HD Wireless Display³ technology makes it easy to wirelessly stream HD content to your TV or external monitor (Learn more)

Learn More

Distinguished Bamboo Aesthetic, Comfortable Style

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Bamboo Series notebooks juxtapose their natural bamboo exteriors with sleek, brushed aluminum for a striking combination of elemental beauty. The bamboo material was chosen after research identified it as a quickly-replenishing resource whose utilization has almost no impact on the environment as a whole. Mature Moso bamboo is harvested at roughly two years of age to align with its natural lifespan, and the manufacturing process uses less energy than traditional metal alloys that are refined from petrol. The streamlined bamboo design reduces the use of plastic material by up to 15%. Even the notebooks’ product packaging is made of 100% natural, recyclable bamboo pulp and non-woven packing cloth. The U43Jc-X1 provides a more personal experience for users, as the bamboo material used in the palm rest and the touch pad has a natural touch and feel. ASUS also provides a free take-back service that helps you recycle their products.4 And the U43Jc-X1 has user-enhancing comfort to ease you through day-to-day tasks. Scroll, click, and type with ease on a chiclet keyboard with concave keys that increase precision and decrease fatigue. With a multi-touch trackpad, the U43Jc-X1 is easy to navigate, so you can scroll and zoom effortlessly.

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Optimize Your Visual Experience

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Experience the next generation of mobile media with Optimus Technology from NVIDIA that lengthens battery life, reduces fan noise, and helps manage power-hungry multimedia and graphic-intensive operations. Optimus Technology enables amazing visuals and seamlessly optimizes your notebook computing experience, operating behind the scenes without interference. The 14-inch Slim-Type LED-backlit HD display with 1366 x 768 resolution that delivers impressive visuals plus HDMI connectivity combine to make the U43Jc-X1 a multimedia dream. HDMI visuals are smoother and sharper, with a distinct reduction in video noise. Audio is crisp and taut, without any distortion. HDMI also works well with fixed-pixel displays including LCD, plasma, or DLP screens and projectors. With HDMI connectivity, you can turn this versatile notebook into your personal media center by streaming High Definition 1080p video and audio to any TV or monitor.

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Powered to Last

Travel and explore for up to 10 hours between charges1 with the long-lasting U43Jc-X1 bamboo notebook. With that kind of portability, you can watch two full-length movies without recharging, enjoy creating and editing videos, and power through all your everyday tasks without interruption. Perfect for the home and office, the U43Jc-X1 comes with an Intel Core i5-450 processor with Intel Turbo Boost Technology that automatically boosts the processor for multitasking prowess. The ASUS Super Hybrid Engine works in tandem with the processor to intelligently improve battery life and boost performance through preset power profiles.

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Enhanced Connectivity

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The U43Jc-X1 sets a new standard for notebook PC connectivity, with many ways to sync, connect, and enjoy content. USB 3.0 charges compatible USB 3.0-peripherals with up to 10 times faster transfer rates compared to USB 2.0.2 Enjoy a faster Internet experience with wireless N (802.11 b/g/n @2.4GHz) for up to six times faster speeds than previous 802.11 b/g. Plus the 2.0 megapixel camera provides great clarity when video chatting or taking pictures with your PC, and includes a lens cover for added security. With Intel WiDi HD Wireless Display3 technology you’ll have a blast streaming HD content to your TV or external monitor, and watching HD movies with enhanced visuals and stunning sound quality in the comfort of your own living room. No need to huddle around a laptop screen! Intel Wireless Display lets you view and share content from your hard disk, home network, or anywhere a browser will take you, on the biggest screen in your home. Just connect an adapter to your TV, follow a few simple steps, and you’re off and running. Set it up once, and sharing your screen is as easy as pushing a button.

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The Most Reliable Windows OS

Experience the most reliable Windows operating system to date, with Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit) that makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. And thanks to the enhanced power management of Windows 7, you can enjoy unplugged entertainment longer. Recently rated #1 in consumer reliability among Windows-based PCs by SquareTrade and PCMag.com, ASUS gives you the peace of mind you deserve every time you start your U43Jc-X1 notebook.5 Plus, user-centric features like ASUS FastBoot Technology – developed extensively with Microsoft – reduces startup and shutdown times by up to 40%. Click here to learn more about time-saving ASUS FastBoot Technology.

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ASUS 360 – The Most Comprehensive Care Package

Offers a level of coverage that would add hundreds of dollars to the price of competing laptops: 1 Year Global Warranty 30-Day Flawless Display Guarantee: If you discover one defective bright dot within 30 days of purchase, ASUS will replace the panel at no cost 2-way free standard shipping 24/7 tech support

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ASUS Accidental Damage Warranty (ADW)

You have extra protection when accidents happen to your ASUS notebook purchased in the US or Canada. ASUS will fix or replace your notebook for you at no charge during the first year after purchase in the event of damage from accidental spills, drops, electrical surges, or fire.6 Warranty covering accidental drops, spills, power surges, and fire damage Target 3 business day turnaround time for repair / replacement (not including receiving and shipping time) 1-way shipping from ASUS to the user at no additional cost 24 hour toll-free phone support

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F9 Key for Quick Recovery

Can’t find those pesky recovery CDs? Built into the U43Jc-X1 is a quick, simple recovery process. Just press the F9 key during start-up to see an easy step-by-step process that restores the U43Jc-X1 notebook to its original factory settings – making it like new again.

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What's in the Box

The entire U43Jc-X1 package contains a warranty card, U43Jc-X1 Bamboo Notebook, and AC Adapter

U43Jc-X1 Bamboo Notebook

AC Adapter

Warranty Card

Specifications

Operating System: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit)

Display: 14-inch Slim-Type LED-backlit HD display (1366 x 768)

CPU: Intel Core i5-450M processor 2.4GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.53GHz

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 310M 1GB DDR3 VRAM + Intel HD graphics

Memory: 4GB DDR3 1066MHz (up to 4GB)

Wireless Data Network: 802.11 b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz), Intel WiDi HD Wireless Display technology

LAN: 10/100/1000 RJ-45

Storage: 500GB 5400RPM hard drive

Optical drive: Super Multi

Camera: 2.0Mp

Input/ Output:
1 x HDMI port
2 x Audio jack
1 x RJ-45
1 x VGA port
2 x USB 2.0 port
1 x USB 3.0 port

Battery: 8-cell 5600mAh (up to 10 hours¹)

Dimensions: 13.54 x 9.4 x 1.2–inches (W x D x H)

Weight: 5.15 lbs (with 8 cell battery)

Color: Brown

All specifications and terms are subject to change without notice. Please check with your supplier for exact offers on selected models. Products may not be available in all markets. Product may not be exactly as shown in images. Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identification or explanation and to the owners’ benefit, without intent to infringe.

¹ Operation lifetime subject to product model, normal usage conditions and configurations. The estimated maximum battery life in Windows XP Home is measured with MobileMark 2007.
² All figures theoretical values compared to USB 2.0 benchmarks for reference purposes. Actual speed depends on device and system status.
³ Intel Wireless Display requires a compatible laptop, TV adapter, and a TV with HDMI or composite A/V input.
⁴ Your portable ASUS products contain hazardous materials. While they pose no risk to you during normal use, they should never be disposed with other wastes. ASUS provides a free take-back service for recycling your ASUS products. Our electronics recycler will provide competitive bids for recycling non-ASUS products as well. If you have products for recycling, visit http://www.metechrecycling.com/asus-business.htm for more information on this program.
⁵ Rated number 1 Windows-based PC maker in PCMag.com’s Service & Reliability Report 2009. Rate number 1 PC brand according to SquareTrade, the leading direct-to-consumer warranty company (for more information visit http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/laptop-reliability-1109 ).
⁶ For notebooks purchased on or after Sept. 10, 2007. The ASUS 360 Notebook Service Program and Accidental Damage Warranty covers “ASUS” brand notebooks only, and does NOT extend to: “Built on ASUS,” “ASMobile,” “Powered by ASUS,” the Eee PC, or some other models. These retailers are currently among the companies that do NOT participate in the ASUS 360 Notebook Service Program and Accidental Damage Warranty: Best Buy, MicroCenter, and The Source by Circuit City in Canada. Limit of one claim per notebook for Accidental Damage Warranty. ASUS reserves the right to discontinue this program and to modify the terms and conditions thereof at any time. ASUS Accidental Damage Warranty Program starts from the date of your ASUS notebook purchase, when all the requirements are met. One incident covered per notebook.

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Product Description

14-inch HD LED (1366 x768) / i5-450M (2.4 GHz) / 4 G DDR3 / NV 310M 1 G DDR3 + Intel GMA HD / 500 G 5400 / Super Multi / W7HP (64bit) / 802.11BGN / 8-cell / WiDi / 1 USB 3.0 port

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

147 of 150 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Affordable Style, Performance, and Convenience, October 2, 2010

By 

Michael O. Parker "oxwax" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: ASUS U43JC-X1 14-Inch Bamboo Laptop (10 Hours of Battery Life) (Personal Computers)

I bought this as a replacement for a Dell 1720. As I study computer and electrical engineering, I'm very familiar with the internal components of electronics. This is a very well made notebook. Most of my friends and colleagues find the notebook very attractive and distinctively ideal. But, aesthetic taste differ from person-to-person and can only be merely objective. So, what is really important, are the numbers in between that motivated this to be my final choice. And, I'm glad I did 100%.

Processor Core i5 450M
This is currently the SECOND HIGHEST SCORING DUAL CORE MOBILE PROCESSOR, according to PassMark's website. The first being the Core i7 620M, which cost roughly twice as much and only provides a 10% improvement. Very smart on ASUS's behalf, because the majority of programs only utilize two cores. This means that most people buying a quad core will only use half of the potential of their CPU. Whereas, this processor doubles the amount of pathways for the dual cores to use. In short, the processor optimizes both cores by having twice as many streams and acts like a quad core ALL OF THE TIME. And, this doesn't even include the 12-way associative 3MB of L3 cache. GREAT NOTEBOOK PROCESSOR. PERIOD

RAM
Most people don't really understand RAM or How it woks. So, I'll keep this simple. Your CPU has a core speed. You RAM has a core speed rating. When both of these are the same speed, your computer is termed "synced." A very very important thing. If your computer is not synced, some of the data is lost in the transmission and has to be sent again. Making it slower than originally intended. This computer is synced perfect, so DO NOT GO OUT AND BUY FASTER RAM. It will be a waste of your money. The latency is 7-7-7-20 and as good as you can buy for 1333.

USB 3.0
I bought this with every intention of getting the most out of USB 3.0. I felt really disappointed in the performance for a few reasons. Some are my fault, and I'll explain. Intel has said they will not support USB 3.0 on their boards. They are waiting for LightPeak to replace all current standards. While this is a smart business move for Intel, the rest of us are left with the consequences. The only way USB 3.0 can be used with an Intel processor is through the use of third party controllers. These are not nearly up to the speeds of the AMD boards. I own a Super Talent Supercrypt 32GB that I planned on using for clean installs, but you need to install the drivers after installing the OS for USB 3.0 to work, $#!}. So, USB 3.0 can only be used for AMD board clean installs. And, to make matters worse, the drivers are slow. I can hit about 96MB/sec on the U43Jc, but on an AMD board I get about 230MB/sec. I should have researched a little more, but hopefully, I can save some of you time. DON'T LET THIS BE THE DECIDING FACTOR FOR BUYING THIS COMPUTER. All Intel based notebooks will suffer from the same problem, and AMD processors aren't nearly this good. If it's a problem, wait for LightPeak.

Switchable nvidia 310M
By knowing how to use this, you can increase you battery life. Just hit the button in the upper-left corner, and you will switch to the onboard graphics card, simple. This card is not made for extreme video games, but CASUAL games can be played with ease.

Display 1366x768
This is one of the brightest and clearest screens I've seen. Some people might complain about the resolution, not being high enough, but do you really need more resolution on a 14" screen?? NO

Bluetooth
Absent in this model. Have never used it before, so it wasn't a factor for my decision.

Keyboard
A chicklet style keyboard that is almost identical to a MacBook Pro. I like it.

DVD Drive
I guess people still use these things. Anyways, it contains one of the best made for notebooks, a Matshita UJ89A2S.

Bloatware
Almost all PC computers come with this nowadays. Just download Revo uninstaller and remove what you don't think you'll use. Search Google for Asus Bloatware guide for information.

Camera
I believe all computers come with, pretty much, the same camera. Until someone starts putting Carl Zeiss lenses on these things, there all the same to me.

Audio
Audio is on the low end, but most loud notebooks go loud and sound distorted. If audio is really important to you, you probably think all notebooks sound horrible. Cure: Buy a pair of Klipsch Image S4. Simple the best affordable headphones available.

Coupon
I'm mentioning this now, because this severely affected the final part of my review,but since it was part of the original price, I included this in the review. I purchased this for $999, and received a $150 Amazon gift card. This made all the difference in the world. I know computer speed "bottlenecks" in certain areas. The biggest area is the hard drive. While the U43Jc-X1 comes with a Seagate Momentus 5400rpm, the Crystal Disk Mark I scored was around 90MB/sec. Faster than most, but I wanted this notebook to fly. So, I used the coupon to order a 64GB Crucial RealSSD C300. Best upgrade for any computer in the world.

Battery Life
Most people are getting close to 6 hours, and I concur. After changing the hard drive, I was getting closer to 8 1/2. Huge improvement. Everything else increased immensely too. My cold boot time is around 13 sec. Microsoft Office Word 2010 opens in 1 sec. No exaggeration. Shutdown is between 3-5 sec. Everything else opens immediately, and I have a longer battery life.

Heat
The most important fact for determining notebook reliability, longevity, and build construction. This product is so well made that I RARELY HEAR THE FAN EVEN TURN ON. This means the computer doesn't get hot enough for it, although I am speaking after the SSD install. This is a sure sign of a solid build construction.

Overall
This is a quality computer with some of the best components on the market. Asus gives a 1 year accident warranty. Meaning you can drop it in the pool and get a new one. Hard to beat. You'll be hard pressed to find something of this caliber at this price, not to mention you'll stand out in the crowd. Just remember, sometimes, "It's what's on the inside that counts." ~proverb

78 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible., August 21, 2010

By 

Kyle - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: ASUS U43JC-X1 14-Inch Bamboo Laptop (10 Hours of Battery Life) (Personal Computers)

Pros:
Long battery life. I have never seen "10 hours" as Asus claims, but 5-6 hours of use on a battery-saving mode is quite realistic.

Performance. The i5 in this laptop is incredible for browsing and general tasks. Even on a power saving mode (mine throttles the CPU down to 40%) there is no discernible processing lag for everyday tasks. The Intel graphics are capable of running light, casual games like Audiosurf and Beat Hazard, allowing you to save the Geforce 310M for more heavy tasks. With the Geforce graphics, I was able to obtain a steady 30fps in Left 4 Dead on high settings with no AA and 16x AF.

Good Display. Granted, I have never seen one of the $1800 Thinkpads with S-IPS panels up close, but this is the best screen I've seen on a notebook in person. I'm sure there's better on more expensive laptops, though.

Ergonomics. The laptop is light enough that it can easily be carried around with any accessories you might have. The keyboard is also very comfortable to type on.

Style. Aluminum-accented bamboo? Yes please. Nice and thin too. Also, the bamboo has a nice, dark finish to it and seems well-protected from scratches and scuffs.

Good Touchpad. Personally, I hate touchpads. I already tapped the giftcard to order a mouse, but this touchpad is quite sensitive, accurate, and has multi-touch. Asus also bundles the laptop with pre-installed multi-touch gesture software that works very well. I actually kept it installed as it is quite useful.

HDMI and USB 3.0.

Good wireless adapter. Supports B/G/N and works well even when set to "max power savings."

Cons:

It has a VGA out where they could have put something more useful.

61 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshingly Different - In a Sea of CopyCat Designs, August 21, 2010

By 

Life Aquatic "life aquatic" (Baltimore, MD USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: ASUS U43JC-X1 14-Inch Bamboo Laptop (10 Hours of Battery Life) (Personal Computers)

First of all, I would like to say that I just received this laptop yesterday - after a bit of a twist. I first ordered this laptop a few days prior partially because of the 150$ GC promotion, only to find out a day later that there is an additional free item that I can get with this laptop. The netgear Push2TV wireless adapter is free with the purchase of this asus model. However you would have to go to the netgear-adapter page to find this deal. It is annoying that amazon did not make a link on the asus page (a deliberate act on their part?). In any case, I had to order another asus since the first one was already shipped and they couldn't just ship the free adapter to you (asus+GC+netgear have to be simultaneously added to checkout in order for the deal to count), and I returned the first one back to amazon (just asked UPS to take it back at the time of delivery). So finally the second one arrived yesterday with the free adapter too. Now I am happy.

Now, onto the laptop itself.

This laptop exudes classical beauty. The bamboo is gorgeous and comfortable to touch, and forms a really interesting combination with the aluminum brush-metal keyboard in a vintage yet futuristic way. The chrome rims add an additional level of sophistication, and I love the lighting of the on-button and the 4 lights located in the front of the laptop (for battery, hdd etc). The overall color scheme is maroon/brown, which is an unusual color palette in a market where black and silver predominates. However it works really well and sets this laptop apart from the rest. After using it around my house for almost 10 hours, there is some fingerprinting on the touchpad, which is easily cleaned. Overall I find that this laptop looks the best when situated on a glass desk surface, with the lights reflecting off it.

I was kind of expecting this laptop to be heavy since it has an optical drive, but in fact it is very easy to carry around. The 14" screen is very generous and I love the widescreen HD display. I did a side-by-side comparison with the macbook 13, and the colors on the asus are more vivid, however the white can be too bright in my opinion (i.e. the white background on most webpages and documents can be a bit hard to read at first), so I played around for a while with the graphical adjustments of the asus in order to achieve a good balance. Most of the online videos play very well - I tested it with various apple trailers, youtube videos, shows on cbs, nbc etc, and all of them came out with more vivid colors than the mb-13 counterpart, even though sometimes video on the asus can look more "saturated" (ex: people's faces can look too rosy sometimes and dark can be too dark).

Windows 7 is really a step-up from VISTA, with more streamlined functionalities and less hassle. I selected the "Quiet Office" power profile and the machine runs very quietly for the most part. I am still testing other functionalities of this laptop (camera, burner, wireless tv connection etc) so I will update this review at a later time. But so far I am very happy with it.

Update: 8/24/10
I played with the Nvidia Graphical Panel some more to get the display to an "optimal" color balance, saturation, and brightness/contrast for video playback. In my opinion the default graphical settings are subpar - colors look kind of washed-out and brightness is too high. The Asus is capable of more with the proper adjustments. As I mentioned above most online videos look clear and crisp, however DVD playback was unimpressive - Avatar looked too dark and somewhat grainy, and the same DVD looked crisper on the macbook even though the color palette was more muted.

My playstation 3 made an effortless connection to the Asus via Windows Media Streaming, and I was able to stream HD movies on the laptop onto my TV with minimal lag. This is pretty impressive to me, as I might not even need to use the Netgear push2TV adapter.

Even though the trackpad works fairly well most of the time, the two-finger scrolling is not always accurate (I sometimes have to shift my finger positions on the trackpad in order to achieve better precision). Today I started to use the Microsoft wireless Mouse 6000, and it works like a dream. I hate having fingerprints on the beautiful bamboo trackpad anyway.

I did a video transcoding today (avi to m4v) and while the Asus was quiet throughout most of the process, the left side-vent got pretty hot during the process. I would recommend moving all power cables away from that position during CPU-taxing events or get a cooling pad.