Ultimate Laptop: US$∞

[TriniXaeno]

Follows is the configuration for a Laptop as recommended by TriniTechSquad members at the given budget, periodically scrutinized and updated.

Area-51® m17x

Video/Graphics Card: Dual 512MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 9800M GT – SLI Enabled
Display: 17" WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD (1200p) with Clearview Technology
Keyboard Options: AlienFX® Illuminated Keyboard – Exclusive Design
AlienFX®: Alienware® AlienFX® System Lighting - Blue
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme X9000 2.8GHz (6MB Cache 800MHz FSB)
Operating System: Windows Vista® Home Premium (64-bit Edition) with Service Pack 1
Memory: 8GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz – 2 x 4096MB
Requires Windows Vista 64-bit Edition
Notebook Tuners and Remotes: Internal Digital/Analog (ATSC) MiniCard TV Tuner
System Drive: Extreme Performance (RAID 0) - 256GB (128GB x 2) Solid State Drive
Smart Bay: 500GB 5,400RPM (8MB Cache) Smart Bay
Optical Drives : 8x Dual Layer Burner (DVD±RW, CD-RW)
Wireless: Internal Intel® Wireless 4965 a/b/g/Draft-N Mini-Card
Sound Card : Internal High-Definition Audio with surround sound
Warranty: 1-Year AlienCare Onsite Service and 24/7 Toll-Free Phone Support
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mesh Cap
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mobile Binder
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Personalized Nameplate
Alienware Extras: Owner Identification Card
Alienware Extras: Area-51® m17x Protective Cloth Sleeve
Alienware Extras: Area-51® m17x Keyboard Diagram Overlay


Total US$5099.00

[SPK]

I'll beat that back most likely, give me a minute to get specs, will modify when done.

Here we go: Falcon Northwest Fragbook DRX:

Custom painting - Flames.
Display: 17", 1920x1200
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650
RAM: 2x2GB DDR2-800
Video Card: 2x Nvidia 9800M GTX 1GB (SLI)
TV Tuner
802.11n WNIC
3x Intel X25-M 160GB SSDs
Blu-Ray RW drive
Intel Azalia Sound card w/ 4 internal speakers.
MS Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit OS
MS Office Professional 2007
Logitech MX Air mouse
4x 1TB External Drive storage system
12 Cell Li-Ion Battery + Extra Battery
3 year + Falcon Overnight Service

Price: $13,720.50 USD.

[TriniXaeno]

hmm, that external storage system, the 4x1tb raid, that shouldn't be included since it is external after all.

Recalculate without it and let's see where these two beasts stand, $$ wise.

[SPK]

Without the external storage unit, it comes up to:

$12,508.22 USD.

[TriniXaeno]

Looking at the specs, I'm stroking my beard here wondering what is causing the price to double on this falcon machine?? @US$12,000?

What's costing so much more? figured it was that external 4x1tb storage system.

What do you think is making the difference SPK?

[Arcmanov]

My guess would be the custom paint-job and the warranty.
Falcon Northwest's paint-jobs are notoriously expensive.

[TriniXaeno]

so US$6000 for a custom paint job? Got Damn!

[SPK]

The SSDs that are in there, are over $1K US APIECE!!! On their configuration anyway, retail those drives are about $800 US for one.

That's a huge driving factor to the price jump. It would have been about $2700 less if I had selected 320GB HDDs instead of the SSDs...

The video card option is also significantly higher than the Alienware solution, since the NW's solution is 2x1GB, and a slightly higher-end chipset (9800 GT - 9800 GTX)...

Other than that, it's just the other areas, add in a hundred bucks here, a 200 there...it all adds up.

[TriniXaeno]

I see.

The alienware laptop includes two SSD drives as well as a 500GB hdd in the above configuration.

but I agree, switching from that config to the three SSDs in the falcon could make for a solid price delta. Especially if they're using more costly SSDs.

Going from GT to GTX as well could definitely chew up some $$.

Good find.

[woodyear99]

Do these manufacturers offer any kind of warranty support in Trinidad? (Probably not ent lol)

[Arcmanov]

Remember Alienware is now owned by Dell, so who knows.  They just might honour the warranty.
The parts though are pretty specialized, so even if that were true, the company that they contract
to honour the warranty here will have to get the part from Alienware first.

[woodyear99]

That would be pretty cool, imagine spending all that $$$ only to have a part fail and yuh screwed

[TriniXaeno]

Well usually it's a problem when the item is relatively cheap.

say you buy a BFG US$100 video card from newegg in the states. Bring it to Trinidad. Works for three months then dies. Now you've got no local warranty but you still have "manufacturers" warranty from BFG.

You can contact BFG and ship that card back using fedex or so. They'll repair/replace and resend. Now that entire process could cost you TT$200-500 depending on the shipping options you choose, whether customs charges you on the return of the item, etc...

It's also a bit of hassle and can take anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple months.

In the meanwhile, you'll be without the use of the component.

Maybe not worth it for a US$100.00 video card, but definitely something you'd do if your $5000.00+ alienware laptop should fail!

[woodyear99]

Hmm so in the case of these high end laptops basically you just ship it back to the states for repair? Dell TT really should extend their local warranties to the Alienware line that would be cool.

The best I seeing on the Dell TT site with local warranty is the Studio XPS 16

http://www1.la.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop-studio-xps-16?c=tt&cs=ttdhs1&l=en&s=dhs

[TriniXaeno]

I like the Studio XPS design. Alienware has used the same for some of their models.

Unfortuntely, I've also seen quite a few of them die. Videocard/Display issue where the screen goes greyish white. Prohibitively costly to repair apparently. Nothing's perfect but that has me a bit wary of the studio line.

What's the most powerful customization you can make with that machine on the dell site?

[woodyear99]

I like the Studio XPS design. Alienware has used the same for some of their models.

Unfortuntely, I've also seen quite a few of them die. Videocard/Display issue where the screen goes greyish white. Prohibitively costly to repair apparently. Nothing's perfect but that has me a bit wary of the studio line.

What's the most powerful customization you can make with that machine on the dell site?

Yeah but the fact that you have 3 - 4 years complete care coverage on it is good. They will send a technician to your house and all to check it. As was said in another post some local company handles yuh warranty...

Starting Price      $3,448 + Shipping
Configured this.....

REVIEW YOUR SUMMARY
Congratulations! Your system is ready to be built.
Components
SYSTEM COLOR   Obsidian Black with Leather Accent   edit
OPERATING SYSTEM   Genuine Windows Vista® Ultimate Edition 64-bit   edit
PROCESSORS   Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T9800 (6MB cache/2.93GHz/1066Mhz FSB)   edit
LCD   Edge-to-Edge FullHD Widescreen 16.0 inch RGBLED LCD (1920x1080) W/2.0 MP   edit
MEMORY   8GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1067MHz (2 Dimms)   edit
HARD DRIVE   500GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive   edit
SUPPORT SERVICES   4 Year Limited Warranty plus 4 Year NBD On-Site Service plus CompleteCare   edit
OPTICAL DRIVE   BluRay Disc Combo (DVD/CD read/write + BD read) Slot Load Drive   edit
WIRELESS NETWORKING CARD   Intel® 5300 WLAN Wireless-N (3x3) Mini Card   edit
BATTERY OPTIONS   6-cell Battery   edit
SOUND CARD   High Definition Audio 2.0   edit
VIDEO CARD   ATI Mobility RADEON® HD 3670 - 512MB   edit
Accessories
PRODUCTIVITY   Microsoft Works   edit
ANTI-VIRUS & SECURITY   McAfee SecurityCenter with anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, 24-months   edit
ADOBE SOFTWARE   Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 9, Multiple Languages   edit
Service
INSTALLATION SERVICE   ONSITE INSTL DECLINED, LA/BZ   edit
DELL DATA SAFE ONLINE BACKUP   Dell Online Backup 2GB for 1 year   edit
Also included with your system
BLUETOOTH OPTIONS   Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module (2.1+EDR)   
Extended Service   INTERNATIONAL PROCESSING

[TriniXaeno]

Not bad at all. Good specs for the money there.

Totally agreed on the local warranty bit. That is the best warranty by far. Manufacturers warranty is only something you use as a last resort.

[woodyear99]

Too bad they don't allow you to put in a better graphics card.

[TriniXaeno]

yeah, a 9800M GT would totally complete that package.