Asus U33Jc: Much Ado About Bamboo

ASUS U33Jc - LCD Analysis

And now we get to the first, and only, real sticking point. It feels like we harp on all the displays that come through our labs, partially because we do (with a few exceptions), and partially because they all deserve it for being universally mediocre.

The U33Jc is no different from the U30 and every other mainstream notebook on the planet in that it has a fairly mediocre LCD panel. It’s a bit brighter than our U30 test unit, and thusly has a higher contrast ratio, but they’re close enough that it’s more likely just a function of the panel lottery that we got a slightly better panel. However, colour accuracy is a bit worse comparatively, and the color gamut is nothing special. Viewing angles are about average. There really isn’t anything to say about it - it’s yet another lousy laptop display. Glossy, middling contrast ratio, mediocre colours - basically poor overall panel quality. It’s almost become the defining characteristic of all mainstream consumer notebooks.

I understand that certain cuts need to be made to cheaply manufacture a high performing computer for $900, but still, it’d be nice to have a decent display for once. Maybe somebody should try putting a little bit more money into their display and maybe challenge Apple for the best display at a reasonable price. The MacBook Pro 13” manages to integrate a high contrast, high brightness display for under $1200, why can’t any of the notebook PC makers figure it out?