Asus UL30A/UL30VT series

immortalix
Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:17:43 +0000

Hello. I’m a high senior and I’m looking for a new laptop, which I will likely carry onto college. I have my eyes set on the following:
[Asus UL30A-X5](http://www.amazon.com/UL30A-X5-Light-13-3-Inch-Black-Laptop/dp/B002P3KMVC/ref=pd_cp_pc_2) 13.3 in, Intel GMA only, no DVD drive, 3.5 lb
[Asus UL30Vt-X1](http://www.amazon.com/UL30Vt-X1-13-3-Inch-Laptop-Windows-Premium/dp/B002XZLURC/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1258840587&sr=8-12) 13.3 in, switchable graphics (Nvidia GM210 & Intel GMA), no DVD drive, 3.5 lb
[Asus UL80Vt-A1](http://www.amazon.com/UL80Vt-A1-14-Inch-Light-Black-Laptop/dp/B002Q8HK7K/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1258840587&sr=8-3) 14 in, switchable graphics, yes DVD drive, 4.5 lb

I want light weight and good graphics in case I feel like playing games. The thing I’m wondering about is how often do students use the optical drive while in college? I haven’t had much use for optical drives except for the occasional DVD movie, but I can buy an external DVD drive for that. I plan on majoring in either comp sci, biology, economics, or engineering in college. My top choice is the 2nd option, but it would kind of suck if I needed an optical drive while in class.

The only other thing I really like is a MacBook, but the extra $200 or $500 doesn’t is a premium that I don’t want to pay, especially when their specs aren’t necessarily better than the Asus with 12 hours.