How is there a market for something like this?

cokewithvanilla

http://www.buy.com/videoclip/asus-nx90jq-18-4-notebook/80871.html

Holy crap, it always amazes me when I see these giant notebooks. Personally, I think the smaller, the better. I guess I can see a market for a desktop replacement, but this thing is gigantic... 18.4 inches + those ridiculous speakers. You'd have to pack the thing in a suitcase to take it with you.

At a certain point, I just think this is crazy. Why even buy a laptop if you plan on it sitting at home 100% of the time? You sacrifice a lot to have a laptop, usually this is made up for in portability... not really the case here. I can't imagine someone wanting to buy something like this.

They are also using sound quality to try to sell a laptop?! They talk about normally having to use external speakers, but not anymore! Asus has solved your problem by gluing the external speakers directly to your laptop!

this isn't the first laptop to offer some sort of special sound to attract buyers. Some of HP's notebooks advertise "Beats audio" as if using 90's slang makes up for the fact that you're listening to music on a laptop.

Anyways, I guess the product just isn't my thing, but I would love to know whos thing this is... cause it makes little sense to me... you could probably make a smaller desktop than that (look at all the acres of wasted space on the palm rest.. you can fit that hardware in a 15 inch model).

VR3

I have a 17.5 laptop and do not currently own a desk top although my laptop stays at home most of the time - but I like knowing I can get up and go at any time.

On3s&Z3r0s

No subwoofer output?!? Fail.

Sherardp

If I could get away with just carrying my Ipad I would. I hate large notebooks, even though I use one out in the field (15" Dell XPS) and my corporate issue which is a HP 15" notebook. Fortunately I only travel with the HP, the Dell is used exclusively for our John Deere diagnositics software when connected to our Loaders/Dozers.

Of course I have some of software on the Dell, ISF calibration software for the TV/projectors, etc.

quadzilla

It's not that hard to understand. There's a class of people that want the power and screen size of a desktop in a portable format. I know a lot of our sales guys have these because they're gamers, but they also spend a lot of time on the road. If I was in that position, I'd have one too. But I don't travel that much, so I have a medium sized laptop and a desktop at home for games and whatever.

bobman1235

They also tend to draw far less power than their desktop equivalents, so there's that angle as well...

janmike

I spend time on the road and having to read/prepare presentations, proposals, spreadsheets... bigger is better. Besides, I'm getting old. Last thing I need to do is read a spreadsheet on my iPod.

Joe08867

The Market for this is all about the look of the machine. If you want decent sound without bulky external speakers and don't like the look of a desktop than this is the machine for you.

I wouldn't spend the extra money on it myself but I am sure that is the market they are talking about.

cokewithvanilla

I guess, but I'm still baffled. This thing is in a totally different league than 17'' class laptops.... it measures 21 (actually 20.9) inches wide. For comparison, apples Imac 21.5 model is 20.8 inches wide. :eek:

nadams

There's no wasted space in a palm rest... It's not like that area is just hollow under there. Plus, if you put the speakers there, it would be incredibly uncomfortable to type on, and would still sound like crap, anyway.

drselect

cokewithvanilla wrote: »

Anyways, I guess the product just isn't my thing, but I would love to know whos thing this is... cause it makes little sense to me... you could probably make a smaller desktop than that .

Snowbirds?
Don't want to take up the room in there motorcoaches or travel trailers with wires and boxes but want a large screen because it is easier to see than a small netbook.

ryanjoachim

cokewithvanilla wrote: »

I guess, but I'm still baffled. This thing is in a totally different league than 17'' class laptops.... it measures 21 (actually 20.9) inches wide. For comparison, apples Imac 21.5 model is 20.8 inches wide. :eek:

I don't get why you're so baffled...

It's designed to be a desktop replacement. That means that it's designed to be useable for gaming, word processing, CAD, drawing, etc. The screen has to be big enough to make tasks such as those as comfortable as possible.

cokewithvanilla

ryanjoachim wrote: »

I don't get why you're so baffled...

It's designed to be a desktop replacement. That means that it's designed to be useable for gaming, word processing, CAD, drawing, etc. The screen has to be big enough to make tasks such as those as comfortable as possible.

I guess. Maybe I don't understand the concept of desktop replacement. who knows. Laptop = worse hardware ... always.. there is less space. What's the point of replacing a desktop with a laptop that has less hardware? Why not a desktop AIO, it would actually take up less room on a table and have more/better hardware...

maybe i'm dumb.

ryanjoachim

A laptop such as that would be comparable in hardware to an actual desktop. Laptops that big aren't designed around being "ultra-portable" or as power-efficient as regular laptops. They are designed with the assumption that you will be near an outlet often enough to keep the battery charged.

These laptops have just as much power in most cases as many desktops.

Also, I'm not going to go so far as call you "dumb" as some people around here might, but...the entire point of a laptop (any laptop) is portability (i.e. being portable). Why do you keep saying focusing on how much space it may or may not take up on a desk vs a desktop computer?

A monitor, keyboard and mouse actually end up taking more desk space than a laptop does, simply because of how it is most comfortable to use them.

cokewithvanilla

ryanjoachim wrote: »

A laptop such as that would be comparable in hardware to an actual desktop. Laptops that big aren't designed around being "ultra-portable" or as power-efficient as regular laptops. They are designed with the assumption that you will be near an outlet often enough to keep the battery charged.

These laptops have just as much power in most cases as many desktops.

Also, I'm not going to go so far as call you "dumb" as some people around here might, but...the entire point of a laptop (any laptop) is portability (i.e. being portable). Why do you keep saying focusing on how much space it may or may not take up on a desk vs a desktop computer?

A monitor, keyboard and mouse actually end up taking more desk space than a laptop does, simply because of how it is most comfortable to use them.

Because, this is gigantic... this is not something you will be taking with you everywhere... 21 inches wide? You will MAYBE take this on long trips.

Hardware will not be comparable to a desktop that is the same price... that processor, the i7-820qm is nearly three times worse than a 266 dollar desktop processor.... same goes for graphics card.. not to mention lack of expansion

So, I do suppose if you want something that you can take with you if absolutely necessary... but as far as hardware goes, you can get those specs in a 15.6'' model.... so all you gain is a few inches on the screen... and GIANT speakers... you don't even gain screen resolution... sorry.. I just don't see it

sucks2beme

I really prefer smaller laptops with DOCKING.
I've got two laptops running here with two widescreen monitors
and a KVM for the keyboard/mouse. Either one of them can go
portable when I go out to the field. That thing is TOOO big.
But to each their own. I still don't get the tablet thing,
but WTH to I know. Some people like reality tv, too.

cokewithvanilla

sucks2beme wrote: »

I really prefer smaller laptops with DOCKING.
I've got two laptops running here with two widescreen monitors
and a KVM for the keyboard/mouse. Either one of them can go
portable when I go out to the field. That thing is TOOO big.
But to each their own. I still don't get the tablet thing,
but WTH to I know. Some people like reality tv, too.

Exactly. Most people won't be doing graphic design on a glossy, crappy laptop display. Buy a 14.1 with nearly the same specs, or a 15.6 with the same specs w/ a docking station. Portable, better screen, and maybe cheaper....

edit: in the little interview, it looks like they were marketing it to people who want to watch movies and such on their laptop... so, if there is a crowd of people like that... I don't get it, just like reality tv.

VSchneider

I can definitely see this in somebody's living room (not in mine though ) to impress and entertain friends and girlfriends. Specs are not too bad actually for a desktop-like performance. The best part... it is still portable and will follow the owner around the house if needed to the patio or bedroom for some late night entertainment.

"You guys partnered with the chief designer of Bang & Olufsen, who's like the LA-ARGEST audio company in the world... " - priceless :biggrin:

dkg999

17" Dell laptop with high-def screen. I love it! It's heavy and bulky, but runs cool and has beautiful graphics. If I need to travel light I take my Dell netbook.

sucks2beme

there's a market for these as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11bQw88IG-8

TECHNOKID

Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote: »

I have a 17.5 laptop and do not currently own a desk top although my laptop stays at home most of the time - but I like knowing I can get up and go at any time.

Same here, never cared for a desk top computer and only use my laptop at home. I also like the fact that it is portable for the odd occasions I need it on the road.

janmike wrote: »

I spend time on the road and having to read/prepare presentations, proposals, spreadsheets... bigger is better. Besides, I'm getting old. Last thing I need to do is read a spreadsheet on my iPod.

Ouch, can I relate to this! I need big charactors, bigger screen as possible but small foot print.

ryanjoachim wrote: »

I don't get why you're so baffled...

It's designed to be a desktop replacement. That means that it's designed to be useable for gaming, word processing, CAD, drawing, etc. The screen has to be big enough to make tasks such as those as comfortable as possible.

Yep, comfort is the big thing for me. LAP top, that where it sits most of the time.

VSchneider wrote: »

I can definitely see this in somebody's living room (not in mine though ) to impress and entertain friends and girlfriends. Specs are not too bad actually for a desktop-like performance. The best part... it is still portable and will follow the owner around the house if needed to the patio or bedroom for some late night entertainment.

"You guys partnered with the chief designer of Bang & Olufsen, who's like the LA-ARGEST audio company in the world... " - priceless :biggrin:

I do not care about the impressing part but as far as portability it floats from living room and mostly bedroom either my chair or my electric bed while watching TV at the same time. I could not live without my laptop!

At a certain point, I just think this is crazy. Why even buy a laptop if you plan on it sitting at home 100% of the time? You sacrifice a lot to have a laptop, usually this is made up for in portability... not really the case here. I can't imagine someone wanting to buy something like this.

Here you go Coke, you found the dumbass that would buy such!
:redface:

comfortablycurt

I know a lot of people that would absolutely love to have a laptop like that. Myself included. Not everybody is of the "smaller the better" opinion. Many people don't have a desktop computer anymore because they want the portability of being able to use a laptop in different rooms of their house, but they rarely actually take it out of the house.

Also, I have a LOT of friends that do a lot of their music listening through their laptop's speakers. I'm sure they'd all love to have one of these. Sure, the sound quality from a laptop is going to bite no matter what compared to the system of basically any member of this message board, but believe it or not, some people just listen to the song and could care less about the sound quality. Do you know how many people these days do all of their music listening through laptop speakers, ipod radio thingies and even cell phone speakers? A lot...a REAL lot.

So, I would hazard a guess that there's actually a pretty significant market for a laptop like this.

Whenever I next replace my computer, I'll almost certainly be getting a laptop, and I'll most likely get rid of my desktop PC altogether. I basically never have any need to take my computer anywhere, so portability would be of essentially no concern to me at all. The only portability that would concern me is the ability to take it to different rooms in my house. I wouldn't want a tiny little 14" screen or something like that...it would drive me nuts. I'd want a screen of at least 18", making this ideal for me. I also do a pretty significant amount of my music listening through my crappy Boston Acoustics PC speakers...a little sat/sub combo with 2" mid/tweets and a 6.5" "subwoofer"...sounds pretty damn good for near field too. Does it compare to my 2 channel rig? Not in the remotest bit...but I still thoroughly enjoy listening to music on them. I'm sure the speakers on that laptop would be fairly comparable to my current PC speakers too. Sometimes it's just about the music. Some of you guys seem to forget about the fact that some people just enjoy listening to music for the sake of hearing a song, and really don't care about the sound quality.

So who's in the market for a product like this? MANY people, myself included. This would be absolutely ideal for me in basically every conceivable way...I want one!!!

TECHNOKID

I want one!!!

That is exactly what my sister said when I forwarded that link to her. She presently uses a Toshiba with a 17" monitor and her laptop rarely goes out of her home. Like you said alot of people would want such in her home rather than a full PC. No clutter, no filthy dust mess under the PC as the laptop is easily moved and packed away after ech and every use making it easy to clean the desk area. I had time to thing this thread over and just pictured a PC sitting on my desk permanently having to remove everything and clean the messy desk 2 - 3 times a year like I do at work. :mad: Thanks but NO thanks!

Gadabout

Perhaps, you should look at other Bang & Olufsen designs. There are other things that people value besides functionality. Take a look at the BeoCom2 phone.. Do you need an $1100 dollar phone? Is it more functional than a $100 phone? I think the answer is probably, no.

Yet Bang & Olufsen have been in business since 1925 because of their quality and style. Might it be a niche market? Yes, but it has been a very successfully one for them and their designs.

Let me give you another example. Do you have a love seat in your house? If your married you probably do. It's a pretty non functional piece of furniture. It's not comfortable for 2 people to sit on. You can't lay down on one and be comfortable. Usually the only one that might sit on the love seat is the wife you might want a bit more room to curl up as she reads or watches TV. Yet, almost every house that I go to, has a love seat in their furniture grouping like it is an essential piece of furniture.

This laptop is about more than functionality. It's about cool and style too. This is something that a lot of folks would walk up to and give it the once over because it different and perhaps stylish (depending on your taste). Not everything is about functionality, if it were Casio and Timex would rule the watch world.

Scott

nadams

What do you have against loveseats, man?

Mine is just two recliners stuck together, so it's actually quite functional

inspiredsports

I personally use a large laptop docked with a second monitor, mouse and keyboard as my primary desktop machine. We travel a lot renting houses at our destination and I take the large laptop with us. This unit in post #1 is quite appealing to me.

fatchowmein

I'm guessing there are a lot of work at home project managers who would love one.

emoxley

I don't own a laptop yet, but when I finally get one, it will be the largest one I can find. I can't stand those little netbooks, and I especially can't stand an iPod. Not for watching a video on anyway. Since I don't like mp3 either, an iPod isn't for me, for any purpose, I guess.

gelinas

I think this may be the laptop that they use on the current season of the real world.
It's the only all chrome back i've ever seen.

madmax

cokewithvanilla wrote: »

I guess. Maybe I don't understand the concept of desktop replacement.

Lets say desktops had originally taken this form and that is what you were used to. Later someone comes out with all these boxes, seperate keyboard and seperate monitor that had to be connected together with cables. Chances are you would be wondering why anyone would want to replace a nice clean setup with all that crap wired together all over your desk. This product makes perfect sense to me, however I would get a mac first.

BlueFox

I can't see it as a desktop replacement since I detest the attached keyboard. To awkward to use for me. After adding a USB keyboard and mouse I may as well buy a regular desktop. However, this portable does have its place. Just pretend you are ghetto, and walk around with it on your shoulder. Impresses all the girls. :rolleyes: