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This covers my return from Hawaii, the start of my Mining Company site, my
experience with the Gateway Solo 9100 and information on the Micron XKE and
the Transmonde 166 MMX.
05-19-97: I'm still catching up!
05-26-97: My New Site!
06-02-97: My revised 'BUY' list
06-04-97: The Solo 9100 is coming!
06-15-97: 9100 delayed!
06-17-97: YES, it's here...
06-19-97: Micron joins the TX fray.
06-25-97: Gateway or Micron?
06-26-97: More Micron and Transmonde news...
06-30-97: Visit to Transmonde
04-18-97 to 05-12-97: See how the Dell LM 166 and
the Micron XPE 166 compared against each other!
Sorry, I haven't been able to do much lately because I'm still trying to
recoup from Hawaii and I'm trying to find out more about the new TX. I am
surprised by the TX being out so early. I was given the impression that it was
to be used for the Tillamook (200/233MMX mobile Pentium) due to a different
fabrication process but obviously I was wrong. Actually, I should correct
myself -- the TX is the newest chipset for Pentium-based computers, it is used
for both mobile and desktop machines, what I am referring to is the Mobile
Module, a card that houses both the CPU and L2 cache memory. The idea behind
the Mobile Module is that since the major CPU functions can be isolated onto
the card, the upgrade path for notebooks is now much faster. For example, it
would be possible to upgrade a TX notebook that has the Pentium 166 MMX (like
the new Gateway Solo 9100) to a Pentium II 266 MMX sometime in the future by
just replacing the Mobile Module card, or at least that's what the theory is.
This provides vendors with a much faster market turnaround and will eventually
drive cost down (again, theoretically). Intel is basically trying to leave
the old CPU-socket technology behind, but I think there is another reason why
other than just 'upgradeability'. Can you say A-M-D? Howabout K-6?
AMD is promising to have a mobile K6 out by 3rd quarter. If so, then Pentium
Pro class notebooks with MMX extensions will be out long before Intel can
release their Deschutes (Pentium II mobile). This is some major competition
in a market that I believe will grow at a faster rate than the desktop market.
I have used a K6 and believe me, it is very competitive. It basically makes
the Pentium MMXs extinct. Which reminds me, if any of you do have desktop
machines and are planning to upgrade, before getting that 166MMX or 200MMX,
you should really look into the AMD K6. For the same price, you get a lot more
for your money.
Now, does that mean you should wait for the Mobile K6? No... like I've said,
no matter how long you wait... well you know the rest. Just make your decision
when, buy it and be happy with it. Just try to get the most you can for your
money so it will at least keep you satisfied for 2 years. The Mobile
Module is supposed to solve this problem, so that in 2 years you can just
switch out the card, but I wouldn't be to sure about that. Intel touted the
Socket-5, then Socket-7 and then the Pentium Pro Socket to provide such
"upgradeability", and now look... Single Edge Contact (SEC) is the new thing.
In 2 years, even the Mobile Module may be replaced by something better. So buy
what you can and expect it to be a paperweight by the Year 2000, but hey, a
working computer is always useful, I can still use my old 286/8-mhz/512K/40MB
AT to edit these web pages if I had to!
[Top of Page]
Well... I am now a Guide for the Mining Co. The Mining Co. is an Internet
content site that uses people from all over the world to develop a "one-stop"
information source for Web surfers. The Mining Co. contains sites on various
topics from Travel to Parenting to yes... notebook computers. The "Guides"
will provide you the most up-to-date info on the subjects you are interested
in. It's sort of like Yahoo, but all the searching has been done for you.
And... since I was already doing that, they looked at my site, reviewed my
work and we both decided it was a good partnership. They get a site about
notebooks/laptops and I get to keep doing what I'm doing. What does that mean
for this site? Not much, I will still update it, but because of the new site,
most of my research will go there... which is good because it will "force" me
to stay current with notebook/laptop-related material. Anything that should
be looked at in either site will be cross-posted, linked or mirrored in both
sites. I would recommend going to the Mining Co. site first as it will be my
"primary site".
Oh... I guess I should tell you where it is, the URL address is
laptops.miningco.com.
And there is an added bonus... you get to actually see how ugly I am. Some
time in the future, I will also host a live chat session at the Mining Co. so
you can really see if I know anything useful (I would hope I do).
Other than the new site, not much more has been discovered:
- Micron has dropped their price by about $200, so it is best buy if you can
get the Toshiba screen.
- I'm trying to get my hands on the Gateway 2000 Solo 9100, but it might be
a while.
- Intel has announced a mobile 133 MMX chip so that will be good for the
lower end notebooks (actually 133 mhz is still high-end to me). That means you
can probably get a true-mobile MMX notebook for less than $2500 (or even
lower). I think Transmonde is one of
the first to have one.
- I've added USB, Universal Serial Bus, to my must-have list. It's basically
like serial Plug and Play SCSI, try the
USB FAQ or
Intel's USB page.
See you at the Mining Co.
!!
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Well, the following are notebooks that I'm interested in, have changed my
mind about or recommend (in no apparent order):
- Dell:
The Latitude LM 166 MMX is a very good computer for the money but does not
have Zoomed Video or CardBus support (but it may soon).
- Micron:
Transport XPE 166 still has the most features but only if the video is the
Toshiba would it be worth it.
- Gateway 2000:
The Solo 9100, better than the Solo 2200 and has TX, Mobile Module and USB,
this IS the machine to beat (but also the most expensive). I'm going to
order one so I can review it here.
- WinBook:
The FX 166MMX is their MMX offering, a solid notebook but lacking some
features like Zoomed Video and CardBus, also higher priced than the Dell or
Micron.
- Kiwi:
Well, this was on my buy list but no longer due to some problems that
epbrown has been having with
his. Still a decent machine but the company has to do a little bit more
work on quality control.
- AMS Tech:
I do NOT recommend their 19xx/20xx series. They use desktop chips and are
expensive as compared to other vendors who sell the same model. I do,
however, recommend their new 188CT/CS. It uses a TCP chip but like some of
the others, does not support Zoomed Video or CardBus.
- Transmonde:
This a fairly new company but they have notebooks that use the mobile
processor and support not only Zoomed Video and CardBus, but also USB. They
are a division of ASE which is a maker of IBM notebooks and WinBook. I
haven't got a chance to really look at them but since they are local, I
might stop by their headquarters.
And that's it... please check out my Mining Company site,
laptops.miningco.com, for a
discussion on Zoomed Video, CardBus and USB.
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Well... I did it, I ordered the Gateway 9100, it will be here sometime next
Friday (6-13) or Saturday (6-14). It put me back about $4899 ($5295.93 with
tax and shipping). I configured is as so as to be comparable with the Dell
and Micron:
- 166 MMX, 32MB, 1.3GB HD, 13.3" TFT
- Comes with Windows 95 and Office 97 SBE
- No modem
- $4799 plus $100 for the extended warranty
I'll test it out as soon as I get it and let you guys know what's going on.
As for new stuff... the mobile 200 and 233 MMX chips are coming out sooner
than I expected. A desktop 233 MMX is already out and the 2 mobile chips are
supposed to release within the next month or so.
If you haven't got the latest issue of Portable Computing Direct Shopper, they
have a great review of
the Toshiba Libretto. The Toshiba Libretto was previously only
available in Japan and you could only get it through
Japan Palmtop Direct in America.
Well, now Toshiba is selling an American version and I expect it to be a
hot-seller in the subnotebook market. In fact, it is between the palmtop and
subnotebook categories and Portable Computing describes it as a "minibook".
The main features are:
- Pentium 75, 32MB EDO RAM
- 810MB HDD (expandable to 2.1GB)
- 6.1 TFT with 24-bit color at 640x480
- SoundBlaster Pro-compatible sound system (mono speaker)
- Type II PC-Card slot, IrDA port
- For external ports, a mini-dock and super port replicator are available
- 8.3 x 4.5 x 1.3 inches, 1.9 lbs with battery
- Knob-type pointing device
You have to see this thing but it looks awesome and puts those Windows CE
machines to shame. Japan Palmtop Direct also sells other Windows 95
"minibooks" like the IBM Palmtop PC110 or the Fujitsu Biblo. Check out their
website to see them or get more
information on the Toshiba Libretto. You can also go to
Toshiba's site for more stuff.
I am in the middle of adding a notebook opinions page. Since I can't very
well order and test every notebook out there I will depend on you guys for
informative reviews of various other notebooks. The review has to be of a
fairly new model, MMX only, and I will even accept ones on the Dell LM and
the Micron XPE. If you would like to submit a review of one, please just
e-mail me.
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I should have updated this sooner but yes... Gateway 2000 has delayed shipping
the 9100 to me. They say 2 weeks because it is the minimum ship time FTC
allows them to re-estimate, so it may arrive before then. Someone who has
received his had e-mailed me and he says that it is an awesome machine. He had
problems with it but once he re-formatted and re-installed Win95, everything
is okay. That may be why GW2k is delaying shipment (that and probably a huge
demand in the last 2 weeks as it was advertised by word of mouth only, they
have yet to advertise it in the magazines). As soon as I get it you will be
the first to know.
As for my other website, I wrote an article called "Erick's Laws", it's a
list of rules that I use (and recommend) for notebook buying decisions. It can
be found at laptops.miningco.com
under the "Current" or "Previous Features", I am updating it tomorrow with a
new article so you might not catch it in the current section. I don't know
what my new article is since it was supposed to be the 9100 review. I'll
probably do something on screen sizes or memory. I still haven't received
any system reviews from any of you and maybe because you are all like me,
waiting to find the perfect system. The prices are still dropping if you
haven't checked my MMX
price list at my Mining Company site. Dell, Micron, Gateway 2000 and
WinBook are all about $100 away from each other with Dell still being the
lowest. I can't wait until some of the other guys come out with TX so that
the prices will drop. Gateway's machine is over $5000 with taxes and all.
Hopefully my next update will be the 9100 review.
[Top of Page]
Well, turns out the delay was only 2 days. It arrived today in that cool cow
spotted box, it is smaller than either Dell's or Micron's (which is funny
since the 9100 is bigger than both of them). For my first impressions, please
check out my
Mining Co.
article.
I will update this again and put together a full review on my
other site.
[Top of Page]
Well, finally someone else has a TX notebook. Micron just introduced the
Transport XKE and it is on their
website.
Like the 9100, it features a 13.3" screen, TX and the Mobile Module. But it is
priced quite a bit higher than a comparably-equipped Gateway, it is about $740
more than the Solo 9100 and the only added feature is a 33.6 modem and 200
more meg of disk space (1.6 GB vs. 1.4 GB). It runs at about $5440 compared to
GW's $4699. Even with tax, the Solo is still cheaper. Unlike the 9100 it is
also available in a 12.1" screen version. This takes about $800 off the price.
I wonder when Dell will come out with theirs?
I wrote a little program that sets your screen to one color so you can detect
dead pixels. It's called the Dead Pixel Detector. Check
it out if you can and let me know how it works. I used it on the Gateway and
found that black is the best color to use.
[Top of Page]
Either I made a mistake or Micron has dropped their prices. I went back to
re-configure an XKE system similar to the Solo 9100 and came out with a lower
price than when I first did it. A 166MMX, 13.3", 32MB, 1.6 HD came out to
$4862, only a $173 more than the Gateway and the Micron comes with a 33.6
built-in modem. And, if Micron still does not charge tax to my state, then
there is an additional $390 to save. What is strange is that makes the system
only $263 more than the XKE with a 12.1" screen, but on the options page, the
upgrade to a 13.3" is supposed to cost $799. I think Micron is not very
careful with their pricing and may have bugs in their online configurator. I
have a call in to a sales rep and I will find out what is going on.
My full review for the Gateway Solo 9100 is done and is on
the Mining
Co. site.
I've added a Bulletin Board if you would like to use it, the URL for it is at
netleague.com/wwwboards/notebook, I encourage you to use it if you have
any questions regarding notebooks. I will check it regularly and tell some of
my other well-informed associates to look at it also.
[Top of Page]
I've got some more info on the Micron, these are not guaranteed to be true but
this is what a sales rep and sources at the NY PC Expo have told me:
- New keyboard layout: More ergonomic and yes... has Win'95 keys
- New case design: Speakers are now located at top of keyboard instead of in
wristrest
- Uses NeoMagic video chip: Hopefully it is the 4th generation NeoMagic128XD
that has 2MB so that it can handle 65K colors in XGA mode (1024x768). The
current NeoMagic128ZV (1.1MB) can only do 256 colors in that mode. For more
info on the XD go to their
website.
- Uses the TX chipset but a Mobile Module Operations card has not been
confirmed
- Choosing between pointing devices (stick or pad) can now be done without
having to re-boot.
As for the Transmonde, I will try to go their headquarters tomorrow or early
next week to demo a machine. Karen Steinwachs has been very helpful and I
look forward to this opportunity. I'll let you know what happens.
My Mining Co. Notebooks/Laptops site has been down most of the day today
(Thurdsay, 06-26-97), they hope to get it up by this afternoon. There are some
complaints about not being able to access the performance table for the Solo
9100 and I will address this as soon as the site is back up. Thanks for your
patience.
[Top of Page]
Well, I went to Transmonde today. Their headquarters is about 30-40 minutes
from where I am, so they said it would be okay if I stopped by, met with them
and actually borrow a notebook so that I could review it. I have to say that
they are very friendly people, in particular Karen Steinwachs, VP of Sales and
Marketing.
What is interesting about Transmonde is that they are actually the U.S.
division of ASE, a Taiwanese company that has been doing computer components
for quite a while. ASE used to make the IBM Thinkpads and some of the earlier
WinBook models, so unlike some of these other "start-ups", Transmonde is
in reality just as established as Dell, Micron, Gateway, WinBook or any of the
other big names.
Another point I have to mention, is that in deciding to go direct-retail, they
made the concious decision to only use TRUE MOBILE CPUs in their
products. Just on this basis alone, puts them above other 3rd tier vendors
such as Nimantics, EPS Technologies, Sager, ProStar etc., this of course is in
my opinion, but considering their generous support policy and ASE connections,
it does take them up a notch. They use PGA mobile chips, which are different
from PGA desktop chips. And yes... they do exist, the MMXs just recently came
out (as did the 133MMX) and they run at a lower voltage than the PGA desktop
CPUs. In fact, WinBook also uses PGA mobiles in their product line so it's not
something new. This means 2 things: 1) they don't run as hot as the desktop
chips, and 2) they can still be upgraded like the desktop PGA notebooks. So
for all those people who like the upgradeability of the PGA socket but would
like the benefits of mobile engineering, Transmonde is the answer. And
pricewise, they are very reasonable. As for performance, well their 133s got
great reviews but I don't want to spoil it until my full review next week, I
can give you a hint though... it's faster than a couple of the other
machines I've tested.
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