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The Timeline: Archive

Back to Current: My Latest Stuff

02-07-97: The Quest Begins...
02-10-97: TCP vs. PGA -- Price vs. Performance*
02-14-97: The Big Screen!!!
02-21-97: Round-up -- Prices and Stuff
02-28-97: To MMX or Not To MMX?
03-13-97: MMX or Bust!
03-24-97: TX and Tillamook? Not again!!!
04-01-97: MMX continued...
04-07-97: 200 mobile MMX: Fact or Fiction?
04-16-97: 200 mobile MMX continued...

* If it has an asterisk next to it, that means I've made an error or corrected something that was in it. These changes can be found in:
Errors and Corrections

02-07-97: The Quest Begins...

The system that my "quest" is designed for has the following specs or higher:
The following is a list of my own personal "good-to-haves":

The vendors who have the most bang for the buck (and I mean BUCK) are:

The first 3 have nice websites with full prices and specs, even an online configuration customizer that recalculates price. You'll have to call WinBook for their prices. As for customer response, I've called the first 3 and Gateway and Micron people were more helpful. I've sent e-mail to Dell, Gateway and Micron, and Gateway was the only one that responded. As for WinBook, I've been told they are very helpful, and will go the extra step to make sure the customers are satisfied (which is more than what I've heard for the other 3). WinBook also seems to have the lowest prices.

One company I am very interested in has a user-upgradeable product. The company is called Kiwi and they sell the OpenNote 680. It is a notebook that you can upgrade the CPU and memory fairly easily. In fact the memory is basic 72-pin SIMMs, not the proprietary DIMMs that most notebooks use, that means more memory for a lower price. For more info check out the following:


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02-10-97: TCP vs. PGA -- Price vs. Performance*

There seems to be a confusion about the Pentium CPU's that are in current notebooks. This confusion also leads to a perceived value in the products of several notebook vendors. From what I've heard and seen, there are 2 types of CPUs: There is also a third type that I've been told of:
PGA - Low Voltage: Why the third type? I think Intel was trying to develop a compromise between the TCP and PGA-desktop.

What some people don't know is that the less expensive vendors are using the PGA desktop chip. From what I've heard, the PGA-desktops have low performance in a notebook environment. I'm not sure why, but it could be the heat, the construction of the motherboard or the interaction of the components. They also have a problem with being on for long periods of time and usually need a CPU-dedicated fan (which is too noisy for some).

The TCP chips seem to be the best performers but not as good as their speed counterparts that are on a desktop (i.e. 133 mobile vs 133 desktop--in a desktop machine).

That third chip seems to be the hybrid of the 2, high performance, low voltage (and heat) and reasonable price. WinBook (or so I've been told) uses this chip and I suspect Gateway does also. Since the WinBook LM uses it, and the LM is the same as the Dell LM, then maybe the Dell uses it also, but then again, the Dell may not because the price is higher*.

Brands like Sager, ProStar and EPS Technologies use the desktop chips and people have not reported high performance ratings for those notebooks. It so happens that these notebooks are also price $300 to $1000 lower than the biggies.

Well...if you are confused, join the club. If a notebook has a low price and high speed, you are most likely getting a PGA-desktop chip and may end up getting "burned" (I couldn't resist). You could spend more and have peace of mind, but then you are limited to 133 (or you can shell out some more to get the 166MMX).

If you know more about this (which I am sure some of you do), please let me know and drop me some e-mail, I would like to get this straight.
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02-14-97: The Big Screen!!!

Well, I have seen the 13.3" TFT screen and it is great. The best thing about it is that it can display 1024x768 at 65K colors. The two companies that actually sell it (and have it in stock) are:
I like the AMS because it has really nice features (like 512KB L2 cache instead of just 256KB), uses the Mobile TCP chip and has an 166MMX available. I think the Keydata notebooks use the PGA chips but I'm not sure. They are both pretty expensive, in the $3500 to $5000 range.

EPS Technologies has one too, but like Keydata, I believe they use the PGA chips. Their website hasn't been updated in months but if you want to take a look go to www.epstech.com.
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02-21-97: Round-up -- Prices and Stuff

Well so far, I've broken the notebooks into 4 different categories based on price and features (I've included examples and links for some of them):
  1. High-End Brand Names:
    These are the ones I cannot afford so I have not researched them very much. For the price they are charging, I would rather get a middle-name one with a lot more features. The notebooks that fall in this category are IBM, Toshiba, AST, Sharp, NEC, Compaq and all those others. The high-end notebooks that have my desiredspecs are over $4000.
  2. High-End Mail Order:
    These are at the upper end of my price range and can usually be bought direct from the company. Most of these range between $3000 and $4000. The 4 companies I put in this category are:
  3. Middle-End Mail Order:
    These are vendors who sell through mail-order or dealers, have good features and are moderately priced. The companies that I think belong in this level are: I'm not too sure about Nimantics and KeyData, but have heard some good comments on them. Check out their websites for prices and specs.
  4. Low-End (also known as "..and the rest"):
    These are the vendors who I had considered at one time but are now off my "BUY" list due to reputation, performance, etc. I would like to note that most of these vendors use desktop-PGA chips in their machines. Most of these guys have really great prices but their support and product have not generated much admiration among a lot of people. Not all of them have bad support, but most of these machines are by the same manufacturer with just different brand names on the outside, so if one performs poorly, then the other will too. They are Sager, BSI, ProStar, EPS Technologies, 5d, B.I.T., Royal, Maximus, ComTrade and any other who can advertise their notebooks below $2700 fully loaded. If you are one of these vendors or own a notebook by one of these vendors and would like to prove otherwise, please e-mail me so I can set the record straight.
The two vendors that are at the top of my "BUY" list are AMS and Kiwi. I've demo'd the AMS and it seems pretty good but I'm waiting for the 188CT. The Kiwi sounds like a great computer (epbrown) also but I would prefer a 12.1 TFT screen. So, I'm still waiting and hopefully this quest will come to a close.
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02-28-97: To MMX or Not To MMX?

Well... after a long debate I've decided to look for an MMX, the 166MMX to be exact. I've given up on the 13.3" screen due to the fact that in order to get it in 800x600 mode, it shrinks to about 10". Not only that, but right now it is price-prohibitive ($500 to $700 more) and I would rather spend the money on MMX than a bigger screen. Maybe someone will come out with a 13.3" that has a stretching utility? Anyways... next week I'll post the prices that I have found for 166MMX notebooks, it seems that they are in the $4000 range (which is beyond my budget), but I think I can find some below that.

If you haven't notice, I've added a Framed Version. Let me know how this is and if I should keep it.
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03-13-97: MMX or Bust!

The 166MMX is now my minimum recommendation to buy. That may be above most people's budget because instead of the $3000 range we are now talking the $4000 range. But, take heart... there are MMX systems out there at around $3500 and believe me... it's worth the extra $500. Why? Glad you asked:
  1. Pentium 133s are already dying in the desktop sector, so getting a 133 notebook is sure obsolescence.
  2. Pentium 150s are not worth it, for the extra $250, get the 166MMX and run at a 66mhz bus speed instead of the 150's 60mhz bus speed.
  3. The 166MMX has twice the internal cache than the regular processors (32K vs. 16K) and therefore will give a 10-20% boost in overall performance even on non-MMX apps.
  4. 166MMX's have been rated fast as or faster than 200mhz CPUs (but this was for desktop chips, since there are no 200mhz mobile chips, still, 166MMX is the fastest mobile chip).
  5. By buying leading edge, you can add at least one more year to the life expectancy of your laptop.
  6. No Overdrive chips for notebooks.
  7. Need I say... MMX?
I know other people will disagree with this, but if you have the extra $500 to $800, I think it's a good bet. MMX is the future, all the new chips are going to use it (Klamath, Deschutes, AMD's K6, Cyrix's M2) so at the very least, you won't be left out. A friend of mine bought a 486-66 notebook during the end of the desktop 486 cycle (circa 1995 or so), had he waited a month and spent an extra $500, he could have gotten a Pentium 75. His notebook is now comparatively slow and forget about Windows 95 (even though they say it can run on a 386). He can still use it, and it will be okay for what he does, but he can't enjoy any of the newer apps like Office 97. Now I'm not saying that a Pentium 75 is a screamer, but he would be better off with that than what he has got now. And, then again, this is just MY opinion.

For my latest pricing on MMX's please check out the MMX Price and Specs page. And if you find anything that should be on there, please let me know.
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03-24-97: TX and Tillamook? Not again!!!

I know, I know, no matter what I do, something new always comes out. What is it this time? Well, Intel has announced a new mobile chipset, TX (otherwise know as Mobile Triton II). It combines the CPU and the L2 cache memory on one card that plugs into the system. This is meant to increase system performance and give notebook vendors shorter production cycles to get new technology to the public. For an in-depth view, please check out Intel's 430TX page and Mobile Module page.

The Tillamook is the codename for the next Pentium processor from Intel. It is manufactured with a smaller process (0.25u, if that means anything to you) so that it can run at 1.8 volts internally (compared to the current mobile chips that run at 2.5 volts). This will allow MMX processors of 200mhz and 233mhz to be used in notebooks. I think that these chips will be the first to use the TX chipset. PC Magazine has an article concerning the TX and future notebook technologies.

Some people have commented on waiting for the TX chipset to get maximum performance out of the MMX CPUs, but according to my sources, the TX will not be out until the end of the summer. As for me, I recommend buying what you can now, when the TX and the Tillamook first come out, it will be too expensive to justify it anyways (kind of how the MMX is right now). And by then, like clockwork, something new will be on the horizon anyway (Wanna hint? Try the Deschutes, a mobile Pentium Pro CPU!).
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04-01-97: MMX continued...

As my search for the perfect MMX continues, I have narrowed it down to 2 contenders:

Dell LM 166ST: $3748
166mmx, 1.4GB, 40MB, 12.1" TFT, Office 97 SBE, Zoomed Video and CardBus, 3 year parts and labor warranty

Micron Transport XPE 166 MMX: $4298
166mmx, 1.4GB, 32MB EDO, 12.1" TFT, Office 97 SBE, Zoomed Video and CardBus, 5 year CPU/memory, 3 year parts and 2 year labor warranty

Dell and Gateway have dropped their prices from $200 to $500 on MMX notebooks. I was considering the Gateway, but for the features, the Dell is a better buy. Why the Micron if it's more expensive? It has been reviewed as an excellent performing notebook in all the mags and I like the features it has like 2 IR ports, 2 PS/2 ports, a game port, NTSC and S-Video out and the dual-pointing devices. But that $550 difference is quite a bit, could get more memory, a bigger hard disk and/or a modem with that money.

AMS Tech is selling a 200mmx MOBILE chipped notebook (or so they claim). I am investigating this further since Intel has not announced a 200mmx mobile chip yet. People from AMS Tech and NECX (an authorized AMS distributor) have assure me of the fact but I am still waiting for Intel to say something. The Tech Guy (Al) from NECX benched the system today and the numbers are pretty good, but I am still suspicious. I'll let everyone know what I find when and if I find something. Maybe this is an April Fool's joke?
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04-07-97: 200 mobile MMX: Fact or Fiction?

Currently, AMS Tech is offering what they call the FIRST mobile 200 MMX notebook. There is some confusion surrounding this as Intel has yet to announce a mobile version of the MMX chip at this speed. So far, the only mobile MMX chips are the 150 and the 166.

What do I mean by mobile? Well, earlier in my timeline I discussed the difference between TCP and PGA chips. One of the main differences (but not the ONLY difference) is the internal voltage. Mobile chips run at a lower internal voltage to reduce heat output and power consumption. Intel may have complicated this with the MMX chips because like the mobile chips, they run at a lower internal voltage. This may lead people and/or vendors to believe that these can be used readily as mobile chips due to this "dual-voltage" fact. This is NOT true. The REAL mobile version of the MMX chips in fact at a LOWER voltage than their desktop counterparts. These chips are also equipped with power management functions to further increase performance and lower power consumption. The MMX desktop chips have an internal voltage of somewhere between 2.8 and 2.9 volts. The MMX mobile chips run at 2.45 volts internally, not a BIG difference but significant to a notebook system. The old non-MMX mobile chips have an internal voltage of 2.9 to 3.1 volts, so it is easy to see how we can believe that it is okay to have MMX desktop chips running in notebooks, but the non-MMX mobile chips were running at a maximum of 150mhz. A 200mhz chip, even running at 2.8 volts, is still too hot for a notebook system. That is why the fastest MMX mobile chip that Intel formally makes available is a 166. In fact, the 200 MMX is supposed to come out in a smaller packaging (0.25 micron), run at a lower voltage (1.8 volts) and use the new Mobile Module and TX chipset (this of course is the rumored Tillamook).

Just for the record, a tech support guy (Al) from NECX has given me the following info:

The above, to me, is still inconclusive on whether or not it is a TRUE mobile 200 MMX. I am still waiting for more info from him.

So... does the 200 MMX mobile exist? From what I've read and been told, I don't think so, and I will continue to doubt its existence until Intel officially announces one or someone else proves me otherwise. Until then, stick with the 166 MMX mobile, it give you more than enough power and I KNOW they really ARE mobile.
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04-16-97: 200 mobile MMX continued...

Well, it seems I have generated a little controversy with AMS Tech and Intel over whether or not a 200 MMX mobile chips exists. I have been contacted by both Intel and AMS Tech and will report all the results once all the dust has settled (but until then, I wouldn't buy the 2020CX just yet).

As for the MMX price wars, Gateway and Micron have both dropped their prices in the last 2 weeks, for more info on this go to the MMX price page for the latest news and pricing. I have a Dell LM 166 and Micron XPE 166 ordered and they both should arrive within the next week or so, so expect some major reviews here soon.

As for the site, I have added a Tips page and have re-organized it a little. I am currently working on setting up a "Notebook/Laptops" page for an Internet Content company, as soon as it is live I will let you guys know where it is. This will be good because it will force me to keep this site current and it will allow me to spend more time researching notebook stuff (as I am being compensated for my time). Oh, and I've noticed that in all of this, I never mention who I am anywhere on this site, to find out go to the Info page.

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