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Aopen 1557 or Asus M6000N?

post #1 of 14
2/4/04 at 12:45am
Thread Starter 

Hi, I'm new to the forum but I've been reading it lately since my Sony Vaio has been dead for over a month and I haven't been able to fix it or find anyone that can, so I have been researching on which new lapop I should get...

I want the PM cpu for mobility and batt life, the ATI9600 64mb because it's has the best graphics for games (and there's not many 128mb PM's available), and 60gb hdd...

I've found out there best, ligthest, and most elegant laptops with these specs are the ABS zForce f2, and the newly available ASUS M6000N from escstore... And then there's the G556 which is coming out sometime soon but I don't know when or how much it will be(anyone know)?
I found some laptops on cyberpower and internetishop, but i guess I should stay away from those due to bad reps (unless you guys would recommend any of them.
- I think i can also get a M6000N at stipc.com with widescreen but it seems to be more expensive...

For some reason, I cannot get a 60gb hdd at escstore and the 80gb is 4200 rpm only. Is there any way to get a 60gb 5400rpm? I'm not too sure of this but it looks like the memory of the zforce is 266mhz while the others have 333, if this is true does it make a difference? Also, is there much difference b/w the 1.6 and 1.7 MHz PM processor and is it worth the upgrade?

Which laptop should I go with? I'd rather have one that's lighter and more elegant and sturdy with the most features.. I'm trying to keep the budget at < $1800!

Thanks for any help, tips, and recommendations.

-Simi

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post #2 of 14
2/4/04 at 2:34am
My desktop system is from Ibuypower. I never really had any problems with them except that it took a little longer than expected to get my system. For what it's worth, they have better resellerratings than many of the "big names". I don't think I'd have a problem buying from them again except that their prices for the 1557 are a little higher than others. ABS and Cyberpower seem to have the best price for the 1557. Though I'm starting to hear about this "mystery fee" being tacked on to the ABS systems. I'm also checking out the Gateway M505 series that meets the P-M ATI 9600 specs. It also has both 4 and 6 pin firewire, subwoofer built in, slot load CD/DVD and solid build quality. With your budget you could get the 505xl which adds DVDRW 60 gig (supposed to be 5400 rpm) drive, Win XP Pro, and 1.5 ghz pentium M.
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post #3 of 14
2/4/04 at 5:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DeusExMachina
Though I'm starting to hear about this "mystery fee" being tacked on to the ABS systems
Yes, this has happened, but it seems that ABS will stop doing this...

See this thread
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post #4 of 14
2/4/04 at 6:45pm
Thread Starter 
So I guess the most important question comes down to: Should I get a ABS zForce F2 notebook or not? - the price will be about $1870...

The gateways 505x look like really nice computers, but why don't they have a customize feature? Then maybe I would get one!

The problem with ibuypower and cyberpower is that they only offer 1 yr warranty. Otherwise cyberpower's deal on my specs is awesome - $1480 with the 1.6GHz cpu and $1620 with the 1.7 (+$30 shipping)! Internetishop, i don't know abouts its warranties, but all their cheaper Pentium Ms have XGA screens.. I would like SXGA or more... - cyberpower comes w/ SXGA widescreen, not just SXGA, is there any difference from the other Aopen notebooks?
Will all of these notebooks, if i buy them from ABS or these internet resellers, have the same design and look pretty much the same? - they're all the same Aopen case, right?

The M6N notebook at escstore seems pretty nice, except no 60G hdd, at a little higher price (but i can get widescreen)... But does anyone know which of these notebooks are better?
Or are there any other notebooks comparable to this zForce that are better? or better deals?

I've been looking for a while and I need to come upon a final decision pretty soon. Sorry for the many fast questions! But I'm trying to get some expert opinion so I'm assured that I do the right thing...

Thank You

- Simi
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post #5 of 14
2/4/04 at 7:18pm
I seem to have the same little problem in deciding, zF2 or m6N both have good construction and both come at similar price ABS has a wider range of options like the HDDs, but I am hoping that ESC will soon follow ... they already emailed me that WXGA m6Ns will be available in late February, so things are going in good direction.
Time will show.
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post #6 of 14
2/9/04 at 4:50pm
Thread Starter 

Help!

Why won't anyone give me advice? This will be my first laptop computer that I'm going to buy for myself to use... You guys seem pretty knowledgeable about notebooks and I'm just trying to learn more!
Anyways, I've been reading more posts and learning about this stuff because I want to order one in the next 2 days!

On some of the new threads people say that the M6N have a better frame contruction and keyboard than the AOpen. I also saw something about some display issues with the screen but i didn't see what they were... - can someone tell me? Also, does the AOpen not have a removable modular bay CD drive as the M6N?

On the AOpen 1557 Review thread I saw a post from (deltawalker) about ordering the 1557GL from www.basscomputers.com barebones, assembling it, and the final price is much cheaper... Would anyone recommend doing this over ordering from ABS? and does the warranty cover much and can it be extended?
- What i really need to know is how do I order from this site as it is meant for resellers only...

If the Asus is better, where is the best place to buy it?

Please give me some replies and assistance!! Because all I know know about laptops is what I think i have learned in the last month, and now I've been going without any computer at all for a while and I really want one soon, a good one!

Thank You if you reply!

- Simi
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post #7 of 14
2/9/04 at 7:16pm
I just got the 1557. You won't be dissapointed.
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post #8 of 14
2/9/04 at 8:47pm
And after much similar anguish, I just decided to opt for the M6N >;-) I am able to resell the Asus M6N (and the Wistron as well) if you're having difficulty finding it configured the way you want. See this thread for why I decided upon the Asus.
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post #9 of 14
2/9/04 at 8:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Simi
So I guess the most important question comes down to: Should I get a ABS zForce F2 notebook or not? - the price will be about $1870...

The gateways 505x look like really nice computers, but why don't they have a customize feature? Then maybe I would get one!

The problem with ibuypower and cyberpower is that they only offer 1 yr warranty. Otherwise cyberpower's deal on my specs is awesome - $1480 with the 1.6GHz cpu and $1620 with the 1.7 (+$30 shipping)! Internetishop, i don't know abouts its warranties, but all their cheaper Pentium Ms have XGA screens.. I would like SXGA or more... - cyberpower comes w/ SXGA widescreen, not just SXGA, is there any difference from the other Aopen notebooks?
Will all of these notebooks, if i buy them from ABS or these internet resellers, have the same design and look pretty much the same? - they're all the same Aopen case, right?

The M6N notebook at escstore seems pretty nice, except no 60G hdd, at a little higher price (but i can get widescreen)... But does anyone know which of these notebooks are better?
Or are there any other notebooks comparable to this zForce that are better? or better deals?

I've been looking for a while and I need to come upon a final decision pretty soon. Sorry for the many fast questions! But I'm trying to get some expert opinion so I'm assured that I do the right thing...

Thank You

- Simi
From what we've determined the Pentium M machine from Cyberpower is the Aopen 1557 with the SXGA 15" screen. The widescreen designation was a typo and has been corrected last I looked.

As far as what's better, I am learning that every notebook has its quirks. There is always something that takes the shine off the penny. That said, there are quite a number of 1557's in people's hands, with positive reviews, while very few have the Asus yet. Personally I'm not buying anything that I haven't at least seen personally or heard rave reviews about from impartial sources (one of the reasons I hang out here. If something sucks they'll let you know).

If they are all based on the 1557 then they should look the same. The differences between ABS, Cyberpower, Ibuypower and Internetishop are who they use as suppliers for the other parts and the level of care in assembly (that's if they put them together themselves). Hard drives, optical drives, RAM could be supplied by different manufacturers. Even the same OEM may change internal components mid-run depending on availability and cost.

I have been in the same boat as you for quite some time. So, I can't give any personal ownership experience. But, If service and warranty is a concern for you, I would go with whomever has a history of standing behind their products. Check out a site like resellerratings.com. There are some definite stand-outs and definite no-nos but remember, people like to complain. Don't be discouraged. You've come to the right place. Talknotebooks is one of the best places I've found for fair and honest opinions from owners.
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post #10 of 14
2/9/04 at 9:20pm
Asus has always been big in Germany and you'll be able to find a few german language reviews you can pump through Google's translating tools. Overall the reviews seem to be quite positive.

As far as I've been able to tell, the complaints with the 15.1" display seem to stem from earlier models, and Asus has reportedly corrected the defect in shipments scheduled to arrive in Holland the latter part of Feb.

I discussed the display issues with the distributor I went through and they have not been seeing the brightness gradient problem and informed me that out of 30 units they have yet to have any returned. Whether they were telling the truth or not remains to be seen, but I made it clear the unit will be on the fast track back if it does, so I don't think they've got much incentive to lie about it...

The Wistron's (Aopen 1557G, ZForce2, etc.) look like really nice units as well, are a bit more compact, and are a bit less expensive. I was a bit concerned about deo123's comments about the cheap plastic feel. He also echoed Devast's comments regarding the flimsy feel of the buttons on the track pad. Both these guys farily love these machines, however, so this is not to say they're bad. Just that for my use I prefer something a bit more robust.

(Wow, that last bit sure was a lot of bits... I need to learn how to write...)
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post #11 of 14
2/10/04 at 9:54pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the help...

The ASUS looks like it would be nicer laptop to have than the 1557... I like that it has the removable DVD/CD-R drive, and probably a better quality keyboard and mouse controls... The 1557 is a little more compact in dimensions, but the asus weighs 5.7lbs without a CD drive so they would probably weigh the same!
I don't know if there's a difference b/w their monitors (0.1") and display quality... Are they pretty much the same or is any one better?

I think I have decided that I want to assemble one of these machines myself starting with a barebone system... - I tried to see how much it would cost to build an asus M6N from escstore ($1000 base) and the total came out to be $1700.. So an AOpen barebones which i guess would cost $800 base, will come out to $1500! It's great this way because it's a good budget, but then I gotta decide if the $200 extra is worth the cost for having better build quality and a removable bay drive - it's pretty tempting.. But with the 1557 case, i could use the money for better components.

Webweaver you also said that it has a global 2 yr warranty which would be nice, but at escstore it says it has a ASUS 1 yr warranty... Which shop did you buy from?

Since i'm going to get a barebone system and assemble it - what are some good online stores to order the parts and the system case from? I'm not a reseller, but is there a way to buy from basscomputers.com?

BTW, are there any other barebone cases for the same specs but that are more compact?

I got a Laptop magazine and read that the best WLAN chips are the Atheros because they can support increased range and speeds if there's an atheros signal - so would it be possible to install this into the pc?

Thank You guys for the help and info!

ps: Does anyone have good pics of the ASUS system?
pss. I can't wait to get a notebook
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post #12 of 14
2/11/04 at 12:44am
I have a reseller's license, so I bought directly from distributor. Upon following up on the 2 yr. warranty, I was informed that the distributor only warrantied 1 yr becuase unit was bare bones base system. I guess the 2 yrs. advertised at Asus's website only applies if you buy systems built out by Asus. My sales rep said they'd make additional inquiries about it at next staff meeting though, so we shall see.

There are some pretty good pics up at one of those German sites. Look for red cloth over sofa background. Also can get a few more pics of different model variations from Asus site if you check out the German version. Mine is scheduled to arrive Thursday, so if you can wait until then, I'll try to post some pics if I am not too swamped with real work.
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post #13 of 14
3/16/04 at 5:36pm
The 2 year warranty is through ASUSTek Global on all of the Mobile units
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post #14 of 14
3/16/04 at 10:30pm
i agree , I would like to start a thread about building your own systems..

i think i'll start a thread on that.
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