[olug] vpr Matrix Notebook (slightly OT)

[William E. Kempf]

Eric Penne said:
> It looks like a good laptop.  The price is 950 after rebates according
> to the bestbuy website though.  Unless you have some other rebates.
> Firewire and all.

I don't believe that's correct.  The checkout price is 949.99.  Granted,
this looks like the regular price minus the rebates... but the rebates are
mail in.  They shouldn't be seen in the checkout price.  That's why the
rebates are called "mail in" ;).  This opinion is bolstered by
http://www.techbargains.com/rebates.cfm, which lists the final price at
$799.

> Great machine if it is truly linux friendly.

I get the impression that it's Linux friendly from here:
http://www.thedesignexperience.org/misc/laptop.

As for "great machine"... well, the specs are nice (I'd prefer a 15"
screen and will shell out the money for wireless in the end, but I can
live with what it comes with at this price). Which would be more than
enough if it were a desktop machine.  But in a laptop I need to be more
concerned with things you don't get from adds like this.  How's the
keyboard layout (I can play with one at BestBuy for this)?  How's the box
hold up to "normal" abuse (which is much higher than you have with desktop
systems)?  How about "abnormal" abuse (which is always a high possibility,
even if you're the careful type, since this *is* a mobile unit)?  How do
the ergonomics hold up with heavy use?  A lot of these are questions that
you can't get answered from either adds or even "in store" inspection...
it requires some actual experience with the unit.  That's why I'd prefer a
good review... but there doesn't seem to be any, at least for this model
of the vpr Matrix.  The mid and high level models have gotten some fairly
good reviews, but with $500 difference between each of these levels,
that's no indication that the low level model will be any good.

-- 
William E. Kempf