I finally feel like I am able to contribute something to this forum instead of taking from it.
As you may know, I ordered a SavRow Razor about a week ago and it just came. Here is my review of the computer itself as well as my experience with this relatively unproven, overseas company. SavRow informed me that I was the first US Razor customer; maybe my experience will yield them a few more buyers.
As an aside, the Arima M620-DC, on which the Razor is based, is going to be released by Giga-Byte as the N512. I don’t know if Giga-Byte will get the same benchmarks or if it will look totally identical, and my experience with SavRow’s customer service is wholly irrelevant; nevertheless, there is likely a bunch of info in here that potential N512 buyers will find useful.
Pre-ordering
I probably spent three hours in total in LiveChat with the SavRow guys, asking questions and making requests. The key here is the time change to Britain – you have to be on in the morning if you want to speak to them live. Otherwise, my emails worked fine also. SavRow personnel were always courteous and knowledgeable. By the end, the small size of SavRow was apparent, for they would see the “Matt Lucas” on the chat system and welcome me back – even remembering what we had discussed in previous conversations.
Ordering
Their site has a configurator that is fun to play with and easy to use. The problem comes when you try to order a laptop computer from Britain with an American credit card. Either call and pre-approve it with your bank, or give them a day to call and tell you your identity has been stolen (and then tell them off).
Credit card snafu aside, the process was fine. I had asked through LiveChat that a US keyboard be installed – an option that is not on the configurator. Originally, the salesmen told me that I could e-mail my system builder with this request after ordering. This proved unnecessary, for when I received my PDF invoice, it already had a note on it for a “US Keyboard.” The salesmen took care of it for me.
I didn’t order a painted computer, opting for the plain silver instead. Because of this, I didn’t get a “MySavrow” page – their answer to Alienware’s phases website. This isn’t a big deal though, because the build time for my Razor was barely a week. I don’t think there would have been much to see anyway.
A few days after ordering, SavRow emailed me a direct link to the RadioShack cord for the AC adaptor for the US (the Razor comes with a British plug – it has a universal voltage adaptor, mind you, but a UK plug). I had already taken care of this, but I thought it was particularly thoughtful of them.
This was my configuration:
2.0 gHz Pentium M 755
1024 MB PC3200 RAM (somewhat overkill to PC2700, but negligible price difference)
60 GB 7200RPM Hitachi
64 MB ATi 9700
15” SXGA+ LCD
DVD-ROM/CD-RW
802.11b/g Wi-fi
Windows XP Pro
With shipping, I paid $3022.
Waiting
My Razor was shipped via TNT, which is basically the EU’s FedEx. SavRow shipped it on the 26th and believed it would arrive on the 28th or 29th. For whatever reason, the package was held up in customs in New York for a little bit – very annoying to see on the tracking page. I got anxious during this waiting time; to ease my tension I used the feedback form at TNT’s website to say that I had a package that seemed to be delayed and I was wondering what happened to it.
Believe it or not, “Peggy” from TNT called me on my cell phone on the 30th to acknowledge my package and left me a real extension – a real extension – which I could call for updated information if necessary.
And believe it or not, SavRow called me about an hour later to tell me they were distraught that I had not received my computer yet. As the first US customer, they were very interested to know how my computer worked out and were (almost) as anxious as I was. The rep told me that he would check with TNT himself – as the originator of the package, SavRow has a little more access to information about its whereabouts. Ten minutes later, he called me back – these are all international calls, mind you – to tell me that TNT had indeed confirmed that the computer would leave New York on that day, the 30th, and probably be delivered during business hours. The package did leave New York that day, but it wasn’t delivered until Monday morning, when it arrived at about 11 AM. I was impressed by the attention that I had received. I guess I got what I paid for. And TNT, a company I had been totally unaware of, impressed me likewise.
To make a long story short (and many Alienware owners envious), the total time from order to arrival of my system, including whatever delay it ran into at Customs, was 14 days.
Now, on to the notebook itself – which is what you really care about anyway.
Performance
A review of performance is the most important quantitative assessment of any notebook. The numbers largely speak for themselves, so here they are:
3DMark03: 3185
3DMark01: 12190
PCMark2004: 3978
Appearance
A review of appearance is perhaps the most important qualitative assessment of any notebook. Some would say it is the least relevant aspect of a system, but to such a man of wealth and taste as myself, the appearance of my system is of the utmost importance. I view my notebook as one of the most visible extensions of myself. It should reflect me in both its power and its allure. It was this love of dichotomous perfection that led me to the Razor in the first place. I know that there are many of you who swear by your CL56s. I do not disregard your concerns nor even disagree with your motives. Realize, however, before chiding me for what I paid for my computer, how important the mix of interior and exterior was for me and consequently realize how much of a premium I was willing to give. Ferrari and PowerBook owners begin to understand what I am talking about.
My notebook is beautiful. It is about an inch thick with a slight grade towards the back. It is a largely silver exterior with a little bit of black on the back. The inside of the computer is a matte black finish. The Hexus.net review complained about the SavRow sticker in the lower-left corner. Apparently SavRow heard about this because my Razor has no such sticker.
I am largely a minimalist when it comes to design, and I find this to approach the level of the PowerBooks in its beautifully understated power.
Build
The top half of the notebook is a metal case; the bottom is plastic. The entire case is rock solid except for a little wiggle on the DVD tray, but since that is a moving part I do not think there is much room for improvement. The notebook is sturdy – surprisingly so, considering its weight. It doesn’t flex.
Fan/Quietness
The machine is very quiet. It has one fan sound that is very faint that virtually always runs. It is inaudible during normal use. During intense use, the fan will power up and be audible over typing, etc. but it is hardly intrusive. If you put your hand at the back left corner you will feel heat air being blown out and the corner gets a bit warm, but other than this area there is practically no heat problem.
The DVD drive does whoosh on spin-up, but doesn’t make intrusive continuous noise. It is just about like any notebook drive I’ve seen.
Trackpad
The trackpad has four buttons, two of which being arranged in a rocker switch that scrolls windows vertically. The included Synaptics software is useful, if not intensely configurable. The pad is like just about any other notebook I’ve seen.
Keyboard
Originally, the keyboard was the one reason I avoided the Razor because it traditionally ships with a UK layout. After speaking with SavRow online, they agreed to put in a US keyboard. This keyboard is very thin. It doesn’t have much key travel, but the keys do give a click when they are pressed, so there is enough tactile feedback to not be overly mushy. The keys are large and laid out relatively normally. The CTRL button is where it belongs.
Screen
The screen looks good. It doesn’t have the greatest vertical viewing angle, but then again it’s not the worst. It is certainly no XBrite. But its at least average compared with all the notebooks I’ve seen.
Included Software
SavRow gives you a Restore CD and an XP CD – something I find very important. They also throw in Nero 6 and an Intel Networking CD. The rest of the drivers are on the hard drive when you get it.
Sound
The internal sound is an integrated SoundMAX with speakers that are not exciting. They are very small and point down at the front of the case, so if its on a hard table you get a bit of resonance but if it is on your lap it is quite soft. They are not a selling point. Plugged into a 2.1 setup, however, the quality is fine and the system provides plenty of power. A nice touch is the external jog-dial volume control placed next to the headphone jack. This is far nicer than the Fn-key combinations necessary on other machines.
After I have used this for a few days I will post my reviews of battery life and Wi-Fi connectivity.
Warranty Information
The only option for Razors is a three-year collect-and-return warranty. SavRow checks for dead pixels and the like, so you are sure not to have to waste the money sending it overseas for something ridiculous like that, but I admit that the fact that you must pay for shipping is the Achilles’ heel of the product. It’s about $130 to ship a computer to Britain. But at least SavRow stands by their products and will take care of virtually anything and send it back to you. Considering the level of service I have already received from them, I would not worry about trouble getting an RMA or getting them to fix it fast or whatnot. If considered this way, the $150 shipping charge would be like an extended warranty purchase that you only need to buy if something does in fact go wrong – and that’s not a bad gig.
SavRow also has this thing called “futureproofing” where you can buy upgraded components at cost in the future. If anybody ever makes a 128MB or 256MB 9700 or 9800 that is as fast as this one and as practical in terms of battery life, maybe I’d consider this (looking towards Longhorn, etc.) but certainly for the time being I do not feel a need to plan on taking advantage of this warranty feature.
Conclusion
I have created a photo album of the Razor on Shutterfly . Three of the pictures there are from the review at Hexus.net; I took the rest of them myself. Don’t hesitate to distribute them.
If anybody has any questions about the Razor or about buying from SavRow, I think for at least the time being I’m the guy to ask. Don’t be shy – I’m so happy with how my system turned out, I want to be asked about it!
As you may know, I ordered a SavRow Razor about a week ago and it just came. Here is my review of the computer itself as well as my experience with this relatively unproven, overseas company. SavRow informed me that I was the first US Razor customer; maybe my experience will yield them a few more buyers.
As an aside, the Arima M620-DC, on which the Razor is based, is going to be released by Giga-Byte as the N512. I don’t know if Giga-Byte will get the same benchmarks or if it will look totally identical, and my experience with SavRow’s customer service is wholly irrelevant; nevertheless, there is likely a bunch of info in here that potential N512 buyers will find useful.
Pre-ordering
I probably spent three hours in total in LiveChat with the SavRow guys, asking questions and making requests. The key here is the time change to Britain – you have to be on in the morning if you want to speak to them live. Otherwise, my emails worked fine also. SavRow personnel were always courteous and knowledgeable. By the end, the small size of SavRow was apparent, for they would see the “Matt Lucas” on the chat system and welcome me back – even remembering what we had discussed in previous conversations.
Ordering
Their site has a configurator that is fun to play with and easy to use. The problem comes when you try to order a laptop computer from Britain with an American credit card. Either call and pre-approve it with your bank, or give them a day to call and tell you your identity has been stolen (and then tell them off).
Credit card snafu aside, the process was fine. I had asked through LiveChat that a US keyboard be installed – an option that is not on the configurator. Originally, the salesmen told me that I could e-mail my system builder with this request after ordering. This proved unnecessary, for when I received my PDF invoice, it already had a note on it for a “US Keyboard.” The salesmen took care of it for me.
I didn’t order a painted computer, opting for the plain silver instead. Because of this, I didn’t get a “MySavrow” page – their answer to Alienware’s phases website. This isn’t a big deal though, because the build time for my Razor was barely a week. I don’t think there would have been much to see anyway.
A few days after ordering, SavRow emailed me a direct link to the RadioShack cord for the AC adaptor for the US (the Razor comes with a British plug – it has a universal voltage adaptor, mind you, but a UK plug). I had already taken care of this, but I thought it was particularly thoughtful of them.
This was my configuration:
2.0 gHz Pentium M 755
1024 MB PC3200 RAM (somewhat overkill to PC2700, but negligible price difference)
60 GB 7200RPM Hitachi
64 MB ATi 9700
15” SXGA+ LCD
DVD-ROM/CD-RW
802.11b/g Wi-fi
Windows XP Pro
With shipping, I paid $3022.
Waiting
My Razor was shipped via TNT, which is basically the EU’s FedEx. SavRow shipped it on the 26th and believed it would arrive on the 28th or 29th. For whatever reason, the package was held up in customs in New York for a little bit – very annoying to see on the tracking page. I got anxious during this waiting time; to ease my tension I used the feedback form at TNT’s website to say that I had a package that seemed to be delayed and I was wondering what happened to it.
Believe it or not, “Peggy” from TNT called me on my cell phone on the 30th to acknowledge my package and left me a real extension – a real extension – which I could call for updated information if necessary.
And believe it or not, SavRow called me about an hour later to tell me they were distraught that I had not received my computer yet. As the first US customer, they were very interested to know how my computer worked out and were (almost) as anxious as I was. The rep told me that he would check with TNT himself – as the originator of the package, SavRow has a little more access to information about its whereabouts. Ten minutes later, he called me back – these are all international calls, mind you – to tell me that TNT had indeed confirmed that the computer would leave New York on that day, the 30th, and probably be delivered during business hours. The package did leave New York that day, but it wasn’t delivered until Monday morning, when it arrived at about 11 AM. I was impressed by the attention that I had received. I guess I got what I paid for. And TNT, a company I had been totally unaware of, impressed me likewise.
To make a long story short (and many Alienware owners envious), the total time from order to arrival of my system, including whatever delay it ran into at Customs, was 14 days.
Now, on to the notebook itself – which is what you really care about anyway.
Performance
A review of performance is the most important quantitative assessment of any notebook. The numbers largely speak for themselves, so here they are:
3DMark03: 3185
3DMark01: 12190
PCMark2004: 3978
Appearance
A review of appearance is perhaps the most important qualitative assessment of any notebook. Some would say it is the least relevant aspect of a system, but to such a man of wealth and taste as myself, the appearance of my system is of the utmost importance. I view my notebook as one of the most visible extensions of myself. It should reflect me in both its power and its allure. It was this love of dichotomous perfection that led me to the Razor in the first place. I know that there are many of you who swear by your CL56s. I do not disregard your concerns nor even disagree with your motives. Realize, however, before chiding me for what I paid for my computer, how important the mix of interior and exterior was for me and consequently realize how much of a premium I was willing to give. Ferrari and PowerBook owners begin to understand what I am talking about.
My notebook is beautiful. It is about an inch thick with a slight grade towards the back. It is a largely silver exterior with a little bit of black on the back. The inside of the computer is a matte black finish. The Hexus.net review complained about the SavRow sticker in the lower-left corner. Apparently SavRow heard about this because my Razor has no such sticker.
I am largely a minimalist when it comes to design, and I find this to approach the level of the PowerBooks in its beautifully understated power.
Build
The top half of the notebook is a metal case; the bottom is plastic. The entire case is rock solid except for a little wiggle on the DVD tray, but since that is a moving part I do not think there is much room for improvement. The notebook is sturdy – surprisingly so, considering its weight. It doesn’t flex.
Fan/Quietness
The machine is very quiet. It has one fan sound that is very faint that virtually always runs. It is inaudible during normal use. During intense use, the fan will power up and be audible over typing, etc. but it is hardly intrusive. If you put your hand at the back left corner you will feel heat air being blown out and the corner gets a bit warm, but other than this area there is practically no heat problem.
The DVD drive does whoosh on spin-up, but doesn’t make intrusive continuous noise. It is just about like any notebook drive I’ve seen.
Trackpad
The trackpad has four buttons, two of which being arranged in a rocker switch that scrolls windows vertically. The included Synaptics software is useful, if not intensely configurable. The pad is like just about any other notebook I’ve seen.
Keyboard
Originally, the keyboard was the one reason I avoided the Razor because it traditionally ships with a UK layout. After speaking with SavRow online, they agreed to put in a US keyboard. This keyboard is very thin. It doesn’t have much key travel, but the keys do give a click when they are pressed, so there is enough tactile feedback to not be overly mushy. The keys are large and laid out relatively normally. The CTRL button is where it belongs.
Screen
The screen looks good. It doesn’t have the greatest vertical viewing angle, but then again it’s not the worst. It is certainly no XBrite. But its at least average compared with all the notebooks I’ve seen.
Included Software
SavRow gives you a Restore CD and an XP CD – something I find very important. They also throw in Nero 6 and an Intel Networking CD. The rest of the drivers are on the hard drive when you get it.
Sound
The internal sound is an integrated SoundMAX with speakers that are not exciting. They are very small and point down at the front of the case, so if its on a hard table you get a bit of resonance but if it is on your lap it is quite soft. They are not a selling point. Plugged into a 2.1 setup, however, the quality is fine and the system provides plenty of power. A nice touch is the external jog-dial volume control placed next to the headphone jack. This is far nicer than the Fn-key combinations necessary on other machines.
After I have used this for a few days I will post my reviews of battery life and Wi-Fi connectivity.
Warranty Information
The only option for Razors is a three-year collect-and-return warranty. SavRow checks for dead pixels and the like, so you are sure not to have to waste the money sending it overseas for something ridiculous like that, but I admit that the fact that you must pay for shipping is the Achilles’ heel of the product. It’s about $130 to ship a computer to Britain. But at least SavRow stands by their products and will take care of virtually anything and send it back to you. Considering the level of service I have already received from them, I would not worry about trouble getting an RMA or getting them to fix it fast or whatnot. If considered this way, the $150 shipping charge would be like an extended warranty purchase that you only need to buy if something does in fact go wrong – and that’s not a bad gig.
SavRow also has this thing called “futureproofing” where you can buy upgraded components at cost in the future. If anybody ever makes a 128MB or 256MB 9700 or 9800 that is as fast as this one and as practical in terms of battery life, maybe I’d consider this (looking towards Longhorn, etc.) but certainly for the time being I do not feel a need to plan on taking advantage of this warranty feature.
Conclusion
I have created a photo album of the Razor on Shutterfly . Three of the pictures there are from the review at Hexus.net; I took the rest of them myself. Don’t hesitate to distribute them.
If anybody has any questions about the Razor or about buying from SavRow, I think for at least the time being I’m the guy to ask. Don’t be shy – I’m so happy with how my system turned out, I want to be asked about it!
