For a list of specs, see my signature below.
First off, I don't consider myself a "gamer" anymore so if you're looking for detailed specs on overclocking and whatnot, you won't find them here.
Intro:
My 3880-V was bought from PCTorque whom I would describe as a hassle-free retailer. Luke contacted me several times, keeping me abreast of any developments in my order. It was ordered on the 16th of May, shipped on the 23rd, and recieved on the 27th. I ordered the Targus 312 backpack which came packed along with the notebook, in a surrounding box.
Packing:
The packing was very sufficient. The notebook comes embraced in styofoam inside a sturdy cardboard carrier-case, inside another box, inside the large box filled with peanuts and the backpack. The outer box was cruched because of the large amount of space along with the backpack, but this did not affect the notebook's box at all. It is typical with UPS, in my experience.
Backpack:
The Targus 312 is very roomy. The notebook fits snuggly into the padded slot, battery and all. There is a mesh pocket for the AC adapter and cord in front of the slot - but all sides of the slot are padded, so there is little risk of scratching or anything. The pack fits snuggly onto my back, has an upper clasp strap across my chest, and another buckle around my waist. Even with no buckles clipped it is quite comfortable. The pack has a cell-phone pocket attached to one of the shoulder straps. My favorite thing about the pack is how it suspends the notebook up from the bottom about 3-4 inches so if you drop the backpack slightly, the notebook will be safe. In summary, I highly recomend getting one of these backpacks because the price is very reasonable, it is functional, and it protects the notebook well.
Cosmetic Design:
There has been a lot of talk on the forums about the protruding battery. To tell you the truth, I have forgotten all about it. I never see it, for one thing, since I am in front of the computer and not facing the rear of it when it's in use. I also like the fact that it sits an an angle, and I can imagine the increased wrist discomfort if it was flat like most other notebooks. Every time I open this notebook in front of others they all gawk and say how awesome it looks. The widescreen adds to it's "professional" look, as well as the mirror logo on the front. I seriously doubt anyone would be displeased with the cosmetic design.
Function Design:
There are two USB ports on the left side and one on the right side. The right side does not get much use because I usually have my mouse there. There is a 4-in-1 card reader on the left-front that has come in handy several times. In the center-front, there are three large buttons for controlling the Wireless, Mail, and Bluetooth functions, none of which I have pressed yet. The scroll pad is tight and responsive, and the vertical scroller button is handy, but I haven't quite got used to it. The built in camera is fun, but as of yet, I haven't had any real use for it. There is no flex in the case. The keyboard does feel a little 'springy' when I press down on the keys harder than the need to be pressed.
Performance:
As mentioned above, I'm not really a true gamer, so ultra-fast performance wasn't a big issue with me. At first, I was really interested in the 7620, but realized I wasn't in the market for a desktop-replacement. It will be sitting on my desk for long periods, but it will also be lugged around campus on pretty much a daily basis. So if anyone is looking for a multimedia machine, look elsewhere. Portablity and performance can be balanced, but you're not going to have the best of both worlds in one machine. With that said, I ran 1 benchmarking program for the fun of it and these are the results:
Aquamark 3
GFX 4,446
CPU 9,979
Total 36,369
I have no idea what this means. Take it for what it's worth. I also ran the Trees of Pangaea, Final Fantasy XI, and rthdribl demos. None of them gave me scores, but they looked pretty sweet except for the FF demo, which didn't really impress me greatly.
Heat:
I don't have any temps to give, but I can say that the left palm area gets the most hot, but even during high CPU stress it is negligible. While writing this review right now it is slightly uncomfortable if I hold my palm firm down on it, but that's not the natural position anyhow.
Noise:
This machine is very, very quite. I had expected a noisy computer given the readings done by PCTorque, but it is so quite I don't even hear it at all unless I am in a quiet library or if the fan RPM goes up during a game or something. The disk drive stays very quiet during DVD playback, as well.
Screen:
I love WSXGA! And I love widescreen. I love it so much I have not even set up my desktop since we've moved in our new apartment. Only 1 dead pixel! And it's in the extreme lower-left corner, and is not even visible unless there is some green or yellow color covering the whole area and even then I would never notice it anyway.
Portability:
I would definently encourage anyone who needs a portable notebook for school to get this model. I think it meets the portability/performance balance very well. When in the backpack, it doesn't feel any heavier than a big, heavy textbook.
Battery:
The battery is a little dissapointing considering that it is a 12-cell. While doing tasks like email, Word, etc., it lasts about 4.5-5 hours. While playing a DVD, it will get about 3.5 hours.
Summary:
I couldn't be happier with my vendor, purchase, and end product. I have no major complaints, no unexpected problems, no pet-peeves whatsoever. The negative aspects of my review are what I consider to be minor and do not alter my overall impression. I would highly recommend this model (3880) for a student or employee on-the-go who wants good performance, reasonable battery life, sleek looks and a great quality screen.
P.S. PCTorque didn't have the Bluetooth module in at ordering time, so they are shipping it to me free of charge. (I presume)
First off, I don't consider myself a "gamer" anymore so if you're looking for detailed specs on overclocking and whatnot, you won't find them here.
Intro:
My 3880-V was bought from PCTorque whom I would describe as a hassle-free retailer. Luke contacted me several times, keeping me abreast of any developments in my order. It was ordered on the 16th of May, shipped on the 23rd, and recieved on the 27th. I ordered the Targus 312 backpack which came packed along with the notebook, in a surrounding box.
Packing:
The packing was very sufficient. The notebook comes embraced in styofoam inside a sturdy cardboard carrier-case, inside another box, inside the large box filled with peanuts and the backpack. The outer box was cruched because of the large amount of space along with the backpack, but this did not affect the notebook's box at all. It is typical with UPS, in my experience.
Backpack:
The Targus 312 is very roomy. The notebook fits snuggly into the padded slot, battery and all. There is a mesh pocket for the AC adapter and cord in front of the slot - but all sides of the slot are padded, so there is little risk of scratching or anything. The pack fits snuggly onto my back, has an upper clasp strap across my chest, and another buckle around my waist. Even with no buckles clipped it is quite comfortable. The pack has a cell-phone pocket attached to one of the shoulder straps. My favorite thing about the pack is how it suspends the notebook up from the bottom about 3-4 inches so if you drop the backpack slightly, the notebook will be safe. In summary, I highly recomend getting one of these backpacks because the price is very reasonable, it is functional, and it protects the notebook well.
Cosmetic Design:
There has been a lot of talk on the forums about the protruding battery. To tell you the truth, I have forgotten all about it. I never see it, for one thing, since I am in front of the computer and not facing the rear of it when it's in use. I also like the fact that it sits an an angle, and I can imagine the increased wrist discomfort if it was flat like most other notebooks. Every time I open this notebook in front of others they all gawk and say how awesome it looks. The widescreen adds to it's "professional" look, as well as the mirror logo on the front. I seriously doubt anyone would be displeased with the cosmetic design.
Function Design:
There are two USB ports on the left side and one on the right side. The right side does not get much use because I usually have my mouse there. There is a 4-in-1 card reader on the left-front that has come in handy several times. In the center-front, there are three large buttons for controlling the Wireless, Mail, and Bluetooth functions, none of which I have pressed yet. The scroll pad is tight and responsive, and the vertical scroller button is handy, but I haven't quite got used to it. The built in camera is fun, but as of yet, I haven't had any real use for it. There is no flex in the case. The keyboard does feel a little 'springy' when I press down on the keys harder than the need to be pressed.
Performance:
As mentioned above, I'm not really a true gamer, so ultra-fast performance wasn't a big issue with me. At first, I was really interested in the 7620, but realized I wasn't in the market for a desktop-replacement. It will be sitting on my desk for long periods, but it will also be lugged around campus on pretty much a daily basis. So if anyone is looking for a multimedia machine, look elsewhere. Portablity and performance can be balanced, but you're not going to have the best of both worlds in one machine. With that said, I ran 1 benchmarking program for the fun of it and these are the results:
Aquamark 3
GFX 4,446
CPU 9,979
Total 36,369
I have no idea what this means. Take it for what it's worth. I also ran the Trees of Pangaea, Final Fantasy XI, and rthdribl demos. None of them gave me scores, but they looked pretty sweet except for the FF demo, which didn't really impress me greatly.
Heat:
I don't have any temps to give, but I can say that the left palm area gets the most hot, but even during high CPU stress it is negligible. While writing this review right now it is slightly uncomfortable if I hold my palm firm down on it, but that's not the natural position anyhow.
Noise:
This machine is very, very quite. I had expected a noisy computer given the readings done by PCTorque, but it is so quite I don't even hear it at all unless I am in a quiet library or if the fan RPM goes up during a game or something. The disk drive stays very quiet during DVD playback, as well.
Screen:
I love WSXGA! And I love widescreen. I love it so much I have not even set up my desktop since we've moved in our new apartment. Only 1 dead pixel! And it's in the extreme lower-left corner, and is not even visible unless there is some green or yellow color covering the whole area and even then I would never notice it anyway.
Portability:
I would definently encourage anyone who needs a portable notebook for school to get this model. I think it meets the portability/performance balance very well. When in the backpack, it doesn't feel any heavier than a big, heavy textbook.
Battery:
The battery is a little dissapointing considering that it is a 12-cell. While doing tasks like email, Word, etc., it lasts about 4.5-5 hours. While playing a DVD, it will get about 3.5 hours.
Summary:
I couldn't be happier with my vendor, purchase, and end product. I have no major complaints, no unexpected problems, no pet-peeves whatsoever. The negative aspects of my review are what I consider to be minor and do not alter my overall impression. I would highly recommend this model (3880) for a student or employee on-the-go who wants good performance, reasonable battery life, sleek looks and a great quality screen.
P.S. PCTorque didn't have the Bluetooth module in at ordering time, so they are shipping it to me free of charge. (I presume)
