BenQ Joybook 7000 - Page 2

Thanks for the info!

I went and ordered mine at Retravision today for $2400

Cant wait till it arrives hehe.

I actually prefer the shiny look with the protective cover lol. Looks nicer.

I got my Joybook a while ago so i got the old version. This version came stock with a 1.5GHz Dothan CPU, 1 stick of 256MB PC2700 Samsung RAM, 40GB 4,800rpm HDD and a DVD Burner. Otherwise, everything else is the same. Ended up adding another stick of 256MB PC2700 and getting a Hitachi 60GB 5,200rpm HDD.

Im very satisfied with this notebook since it can play all of the latest games without any problems and is fast enough for all other uses. The Wireless is handy, featuring both 802.11b and 802.11g but im not sure if that Intel wireless package is standard with all centrinos (i mean this model, i know centrion is PM + 855 chipset + wirless module). Ive been using it for DVDs alot and im very impressed and the remote is ultra handy.

Anyway, as for gaming performance, benchmarks are in my sig.

I think the intel 2200BG is pretty much standard for the wireless now. They used to have a B only wireless card as well but not much has that anymore. I know the Fuji Lifebook P5020 still has it but it is an end of life anyway.

Yes Australia is expensive for lappy

I heard that the touchpad on this BenQ doesn't have a scroll option for scrolling up and down webpages. Is this true?

Hey Novashine, what is battery life on the Joybook, both with and without wireless, and playing DVDs?

May be old news, but look what I just found...
http://www.cnet.com/4520-10602_1-5620526-1.html

AHHHHHH WTF is with that enter key.. nice lappy though, i agree with the USB being well placed and 4USB is always a must

Well, cant quite remember properly now, but i think it was just under 3hrs looping DVD without wireless and 2hrs and 33mins looping 3DMark01. Havent tried with wireless yet.

Mine has the more traditional keyboard design, as seen on this page here: http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles...37&cid=14&pg=5

I think that wacky design with the large enter is only in certain European cities.


Only problem I can see with my keyboard is that it has two \ keys. One to the lext of space and one in the regular position above the enter!

I find that keyboard in tom_f's pictures very scary indeed! Considering it is not a qwerty layout! VERY non standard (at least for what I am used to)

Has anyone tried to install linux on this laptop yet? I'm planning to when i recieve mine *still waiting >.<*. But i've read on some forums that they've run into trouble and Benq doesnt assist since it doesnt support Linux.

Hmm.. damn this thing is one interesting product. I was considering the Acer Ferrari 3200 but my friend was pretty much telling me to go look for something else. Anyone worried about the support with this thing?

One thing I do want to know is quality wise.. anyone ever got a lemon or worse when they got this laptop?? I've heard people running into problems with the Ferrari 3200. Obviously its not perfect. Plus damned expensive. One thing that Acer has going for it is that the people I called had no problems with my questions and answered them right out. No hesitation No waits. Entertained my nutty idiot stuff. Even said they're ok with swapping out the HD with the newer seagate momentus 100GB 5400rpm. With extra cost. Not to mention they got great repair facilities here and a company presence in my country. They even got a damned factory somewhere which can fix anything short of dumping it in the ocean.

The Joybook 7000 is good. And to hear it got a good review in CNet in terms of LCD quality is a nice thing to hear. This looks very good and the price I got from it is encouraging. Not to mention light as hell.... So can someone post issues in this one. Plus Im planning on installing other OS like Linux or even Unix on this thing. Wanna start learning other OSes...

I'm requesting Acer for a demo of their Ferrari 3200 -- dang thing looks too cool not to mention a probable thief-magnet. I'll try to see what many have complained about with its LCD.

Plus going to try to convince the other shop to let me test this damned Joybook 7000..... sheesh. One bad thing for the Benq. Better support is always a must.

Give me your ideas. I've been running around a year trying to check for nice laptops. General Usage plus a good graphics card that can play any game right now as well as those that will come out in 2 yrs. And the ability to install other OSes would be a great plus.

Most of our models seems to revolve around Acer, Asus, Neo, Twinhead, Toshiba, Fujitsu, MSI, Samsung, Compaq, Sony, HP, and IBMs.

Tons of models to choose from but limited in terms of what graphic card they carry. Want at least a Radeon 9700.

One more question would be how good is the Joybook 7000s battery life and how well its 64mb Radeon 9700 compares to a 128mb one?

from a fully charged battery the MS battery icon in the corner normally says around 4.5 hours. I have not formally tested it but it always seems very long for me!

If your wanting to play games in 2 years time you might want to hang out a month or 2 until you can get an x700. The 9700 mobile is comparable to a desktop 9600 and 64 meg is fairly low. I can play Half Life 2 multiplayer at the native res (1280x768) with all settings on low and get a solid 60 FPS. I could probably turn the settings up higher a bit.

This is no gaming machine. I do play a bit of HL on it but it in no way would replace my desktop with a 6800 in it.

I have not had any problems with mine so I can't help you out on that side!

Hmm... well I'm no gaming guy as well and yes I'm upgrading my desktop rig as well with some big specs so I don't see the reason for such focused laptop gaming.

No. I was mostly considering the simple gaming types like the GBA or even emulators. Likely to play RPGs on it and I never seen any RPG take such powerful needs. I usually focus on 1024X768 resolutions anyway.

But yes, I will most likely wait and see. Probably cuz I feel that the stores might drop the price a bit more.

Yes there is a whole new range of joybooks comming out.

One with a 13" screen (Sony competitor finally?) a 14" screen and a 15" screen.

I was kinda angry when I purchased mine, got home and found that the Sonoma had been announced - the releases happened while I was out buying my joybook!

Well it meets my needs anyway, it just would have been nice to get the latest and greatest!

There were several things that i was dissapointed about and that's BenQ's support. I talked with the BenQ Product manager in Hong Kong and he was the salesman that actually sold me the notebook. After we said that we have made the decision to buy after a month or two of deliberation, there was delay after delay of technical problems on their side, shipping delays and all that, as he promised me the 1.6GHz version which i think is the current v07 version of the notebook. I ended up waiting 3+ months AFTER i made the decision before getting the notebook and that was because i was about to leave HK within a week and a bit. I had to settle for one of their older versions, which is a 1.5GHz Dothan, 256MB RAM, DVD burner, 40GB 4,800rpm HDD, etc. Then i had a look at the production date on the box and i was pretty peeved. They gave me a notebook which was produced all the way back in August 2004. A 4 month old notebook. Then again, there were delays with the carrying bag and i didnt recieve the bag till 3 days before i left HK where i actually had to walk up to their office without ringing and demand the bag on the spot.
Then there was also the issue of Windows. The Product Manager also promised me a full copy of English Windows XP Home as all the Joybook 7000's in HK come with a Chinese Traditional OS. I used the Chinese OS for a few days and after repeat phone calls to BenQ, they told me they were having copyright problems with the English version of Windows XP and the date i would get my copy could not be announced. So in the end, i had to break out my own copy of Windows XP Home OEM from my desktop and install it with the BenQ Windows XP CD Key. Apparently, it wouldnt install the version with SP1 slipstreamed into it, so i had to install the original version and now, under CPUz, it displays as Windows XP Workstation instead of Home. Good thing the BenQ utilities were in a Multilingual package so i could install the english version of those as well.

Well, that's the stuff i never told anyone about my notebook experience with BenQ. But i can only speak for the Hong Kong branch of BenQ.

Any word when we will start seeing them in the US?

Installed Fedora core 3 in this laptop and its working great. Display and sound needed some fiddling around with. The only problem is I can only get one USB port working (the left one).