Review: Jonas317's - Uniwill 259Ia3 Mini Review - Page 2

i just ordered mine...can't wait. hope i will have no problem w/ the instantOn

ViciousPC 259IA3 status -- backordered:(

Well, I called today (mine was suppose to ship Feb 1 or 2), and low and behold, it is on back order. They will call me, or I can call them on Wednesday.

mine is expected to ship on the 11 of feb. currently, i keep on checking the order status!!!

I posted this in the General Forum, but thought some of you guys/gals would like a pre-show. hehe

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ViciousPC is SLOW but they are not bad. I would think they do sell out quick considering they offer the best price. Here are a few pics that might interest those who are considering the 259Ia3 (shogun) . Again, not very portable b/c of the size/weight and battery, but other than that it is A-OK in my book!



Note the Mini PCI slot in upper right hand corner (TV tuner baby! http://www.provideo.com.tw/PV970.htm when available ). Also notice the two antennas for wifi.



Back Cover off.



Note the plastic piece that is on top of the fan. I believe this is the piece someone had mentioned that if modded would help decrease heat and increase GPU performance.



There's a 4th USB slot on the bottom for bluetooth. Easy PnP.

It shipped!

Woohoo! UPS says it will be here Feb 14. (Only took 1 week extra.)

thnx for the great review. I am closer to ordering this now. Another round of questions, how is the tech support from vicious PC concerning RMA support and stuff like that? do they allow advanced replacement and stuff? How portable is this laptop? Could you just stick it in a bak pack and take it along. or is it heavy and makes you think twice about dragging it around with you? Is it possible to mod the color of the fans? could you tell me how big each of the fans are?

Crossposted from one of the ViciousPC forums ---

I got my Shogun!! Ok, I haven't seen any impressions of the shipping and packing from anyone, so I will post my own.

At first, I was a little concerned. The box I received at my house was a box for a standard MicroATX PC case. Hmm.. So I opened it up and I found.... peanuts!! No big supprise there;-)

Inside the PC case box was another box (fairly thick cardboard).

Inside this second box was the carrying case (yes, it comes with a nylon slightly padded carrying case. Pleasant suprise as I wasn't expecting one at all.) and ANOTHER box, which contained yet another box with the actual laptop (whew). The laptop is suspended in the normal packing foam (carved to the shape). Quite well packed in my opinion.

Inside the box with the laptop is another box (very box-happy) that has the software and AC adapter. Here is what I found in mine:

-- Intel Pro/Wireless install CD and instructions
-- InterVideo Instant-On CD
-- CyberLink PowerDVD 5 ( and license key)
-- Notebook driver CD (labeled Version 1.2)
-- Nero Express (no version on CD)
-- Notebook Quick Install Guide (Poster of where things are).
-- Intel Pentium M Processor booklet (install and warranty information)
-- and finally Windows XP Home (Real true CD with license, in case anyone was worried;-))

As I saw posted somewhere else, this thing boots up real fast. While installing antivirus software, though, the CPU fan came on. It can get loud, especially the way it reflects off of the desk. Just FYI.

Now to play:-)

update -- I posted a 10576 in 3dmark2001SE with default 1024x768 config and no video tuning:O Better than my AthlonXP 2600+ w/Radeon9600 Pro.... wow!

And my says model 259IA3 on the bottom. Some of the pics show 259IA1.

I too got my Instant On working. At first, I accidently partitioned 600MB of space. You actually only need around 350MB, but I reserved an extra 250MB for leverage just in case. After I booted up the CD and choosing the English option, it said that there was an error during the installation due to lack of space in the hard drive. I went back onto Partition Magic and deleted that 600MB partition, which turned it into unallocated space. I rebooted the CD and it installed fine. Hopefully that helps whoevers having trouble installing Instant On.

In regard to the battery life of different owners of this computer. It is my understanding that the uniwill 259Ia3 is sold with either the 855GM or 855PM chip sets or possibly the 855 GME. The GM and GME chipsets have more power saving features with integrated graphic and are designed for a longer battery life than the PM chipset which has 4x AGP and fewer battery saving features.

My laptop has the PM chipset in it which brought both the cost of the machine down as well as the battery life. The PM Chipset boasts 2-3 hours of battery life while the GM boasts 4-5 hours. I personally get about 2 hours on battery when running basic programs, the internet and dvd. I have not yet tested it with gaming but I figure I will only get about an hour with heavy processing. This is fine for me as my travel with my notebook is limited and I ususally plug it in where ever I go.

Intel Pentium M 855 chipset