Medion Titanium MD2900

Sounds like a really nice lappy for the price. Also sounds like my kind of grocery store!

Well I went out and got that $999 laptop yesterday. I figured that I could check it out and if I don't like it, return it in a few days for a full refund. The manager said that he sold 7 of them in the first day. I bought number 8 which means there is 9 left. I have done considerable amount of research on this brand and have spoken with many people that have the desktop and/or laptop systems. Pretty much everyone one said they make incredible machines for the price. NO COMPLAINTS!! Several people knock Aldi's for cheap products however this is not the case. Aldi's is a German Company and has European name-branded products in the USA stores. Yes, just like anything you buy in another store can have problems or be defective. However, Aldi's has probably the BEST return policy around. Just hang on to your receipt and you can return the product, no time limit on the return. Try that with Best Buy or Circuit City! They will laugh in your face.

I started to give this laptop the workout yesterday to see what it could handle. So far I am very impressed with the results. Sure a Dell Inspiron according to a review I saw will slightly be better than this brand but you also pay at least $600 to $1000 or more just for the name.

This laptop is loaded!!! The display is awesome and the color is perfect. I think the resolution runs at 1280x854. When the battery is fully charged it says on the screen that is will last 4 hours. I am not sure how accurate this reading is compared to real time. My wife watched one 60 minute DVD and typed a 3 page letter then the battery died. So I would say maybe b/t 2 to 3 hrs with the P4-M processor. The DVD can use the ENTIRE 15.2" display and NOT lose any quality or resolution. There is a little AV panel to the left of the keyboard that can function when the laptop is off. It basically is a mini CD player with full controls. The sound from the laptop is very high quality and not muffled at all. The keyboard is very nicely laid out and easy to type on. It does not feel cheap and flimsy like the Dell laptop keyboards. This had been a major complaint of Dell that I have read about many times. I tried all 3 USB 2.0 ports with my flash drive and it is recognized in everyone. The interesting thing is in the device manager for USB the hub is listed as USB root hub and not USB 2.0 root hub or USB 2.0 Enhnaced. I guess in XP if you plug a USB 2.0 device you will get a warning message saying your device may work slower b/c of USB 1.1 port, but I did not see any messages saying that. I don't have any fire wire devices to test those ports. I don't have a wireless LAN set up yet to see if that work either. The LAN port works great as well. On the right, next to the keyboard there are some hotkeys that are completely programmable. The touch pad mouse is very easy to use and nice and sensitive. So far this seems to be an AWESOME laptop that is a STEAL for the money, despite it being an off name brand.

I agree with others that the best features are the wide screen 15.2" TFT, 64MB nVidia graphics chip, 2x DVD-R & DVD-RW writer and 16x CD-RW writer, and incredible sound system.

I will continue to update this area as new things are discovered.

I have the same model (Medion Titanium MD2900); I also bought it at an ALDI grocery store, and it is my third personal purchase of Medion PCs (more if you count business related, i.e., the times I bought Medion PCs for a company with which I was employed).

I have pushed the unit hard, and have high praise for it. However, I now have two complaints.

1) On the AV buttons on the left side of the kybrd, for controlling volume and CD playback, both during PC activities, and CD-only playback when the unit it off -- the volume buttons keep bugging out; they stop working. I am not really "into" playing CD audio, and I have not tried to use the CD playback controls, but I used the volume controls some, and they kept bugging out. I was able to get them working a time or two by reinstalling the driver, but after a while that got old.

2) Medion's policy on sales of parts is atrocious. From dozens and dozens of other name brands of laptop makers, you can order spare parts and install them. Not with Medion.

Even if all you need to do is replace your keyboard, you must pay to ship your unit to them, pay them for a diagnostic (even if you already know what is wrong), pay for the part, pay them to install the part (even if you already know how to install it), pay for return shipping, and ... do without your laptop in the interim.

For example:

My unit is no longer under warranty. I spilled some water on my keyboard, and it didn't survive it. No surprise. I talk with my hands, and I should have seen the cup on the table. I whacked the cup good, sent it sailing, and water arced through the air and onto the kybrd. After drying out, exactly 6 keys (if I remember right), were non functional. They never returned.

I just plugged in a cheap, full-sized external keyboard (USB), laid it on top of the built in kybrd, and went back to working on the laptop.

Well, at first they were saying: ship, pay for the diag, and pay for the part, pay for the install, ship. They quoted a price on the diag ($95), but not on the part or the install, but they hinted it would be around $300 total. I refused.

Later, I contact them again, and now they are talking $95 for the diag, and $85 for the part, and implying that is all I would pay. Medion wants to force me to pay out near $200 (after shipping & insurance, and probably taxes) I'm sure it will be over $200. That is "robbery."

Dearest Medion:
My unit is not under warranty, so I cannot "void" anything by just installing a kybrd. Just let me order the part, and install it!

BTW: Does anybody out there have a non-functional MD2900, that you are just going to throw out, from which I might convince you to salvage the kybrd (if good), and send it to me? I would pay you for the part and the shipping and handling.

It would help out a small-town pastor who is having to carry a full-sized keyboard around with him, because he is opposed on principle to the company's policy, and who would rather not waste all that money.

Thanks, Bowkiller, for helping me out. Also thanks to kjjust (Ken) for sending the same kind of helpful info by email. I just found and bought a keyboard to replace mine, for over $200 less than Medion would have taken me for.