Last week I reviewed a new CULV (consumer ultra-low voltage) notebook from ASUS called the UL30 (more precisely, the UL30A). The UL series laptops come in various sizes, including 12-inch, but I reviewed the 13-inch model. It’s 4 pounds, a smidge less than an inch thick, and lasts for about 10 hours on a charge. You can read my review here.
This machine is actually a perfect one for writers. It’s powerful enough to handle many programs open at once, unlike netbooks that get kinda slow after 4 or 5. The keyboard is full-size and easy to type on. It doesn’t have the spring I like best, but it doesn’t hinder typing in any way. The big screen is great for writing and editing. And it’s skinny and light enough to carry around all the time.
Well, I think it might be. So I’m putting that last part to the test. I’m leaving my Samsung NC10 at home for a week and carrying around the UL30, instead. This weekend I’m going to write with it. (More than blog posts, hopefully.) During the week I’ll write with it on the train, like I usually do.
Today I’m taking the UL30 to my favorite café in my neighborhood and then to Central Park to hunt for free Wi-Fi and a drum circle.
I’ve been to the café – it’s just around the corner from my apartment, so not too long a walk. The UL30 didn’t take up a lot of space on the tiny table and easily found a bunch of wi-fi hotspots. I love that café because there are always a lot of people sitting around talking about the gadgets they use. Something about cafés draws a tech-enhanced crowd.
After that I ran a few errands and came down to Central Park. I’m not wearing my normal messenger bag because, by itself, it’s a little heavy. My NC10 doesn’t weigh me down, even in that, but the UL30 is 1.2 pounds more. You wouldn’t think that extra pound would make a big difference, but it does. My shoulder hurts a bit more than usual, but I don’t feel really weighed down the way I used to with my large screen laptop. Still, I can tell. Carrying this isn’t quite effortless.
The bag I’m using now is a bit smaller and lighter by itself. It also converts into a backpack, which is what you need when tech is straining your shoulder a bit. IN backpack mode I barely feel the weight.
Now I’m sitting by the bandstand enjoying the late summer evening and a group of excellent drummers. Earlier in the day the UL30 didn’t do that great with direct sunlight. The glossy screen is too reflective.
If you’re the type of person to sit and type in the dark, then you might not be down with the lack of backlit keys. I don’t usually type in the dark, so it’s less of a consideration for me. The light from the screen is plenty to see by.
Now I’m going to settle in for a little writing since that’s why I came out here in the first place. The UL30 is at 92% currently.
As many of you know, I freelanced in the city for a long time. I was on a neverending quest to find a great café with wireless and plenty of outlets. There were several great places in the city that have Wi-Fi but no outlets, or very few outlets, thus you’d have to do a little musical plugs with the others around you. What a difference a few months make. I found a new (to me) coffee bar and took a seat without even looking for an outlet. Turns out they don’t have any at this particular seat, but hey, I just don’t care!
Today’s adventures are almost over. Once they kick me out of this place I’ll head home. Having carried the UL30 around all day, I can conceive doing so on a regular basis. I definitely felt it, but not yet so much that I’d rather leave it at home than take it with me just in case I can get some writing done. We’ll see how I feel at the end of next week.
Last time on As The Netbook Turns I was patiently waiting for the 