4 questions before G1 purchase

First of all thanks to everyone on the forum as it has been a massive help narrowing down my decision on what to buy. I'm now 99% sure I'm going for a G1 (instead of an Alienware m5550 originally). I have a few quick questions. I have been reading through this section of the forum so apologies if these are answered already. (FYI I live in the UK)

1) The two year warranty - is that serviced via the manufacturer (i think so) or with the reseller?

2) From the FAQ I understand that the G1 is an Ensemble unit. Reading back a few months it seems that the size of the hard drive has grown from 120 to 160 (according to ASUS uk webiste). Do ASUS slowly upgrade some components over time, or is the spec set in stone for life? All my previous computers have been Dell and therefore customisable, so I'm not sure how the preconfigured market works.

3) Related to this I've read in forums that the hard disk is the most likely choke point these days - and that 7200rpm makes much more sense than 5400. Any views on this?

4) Dead pixels - The FAQ details a 30day exchange policy for even a single 'bright' pixel (I assume this applies to uk as well?). I've read LOADS of stuff and complaints about dead pixels and warranties etc (not ASUS - lots of brands). I've had various laptops over tha past 6 years, plus LCD monitors, at home and a work, and I've never seen a dead or bright pixel ever. How much of a problem is this in reality? Whats everyone's guess at the proportion of laptops shipped with a pixel problem? 10%?? 20%?? Is this blown out of proportion because of the horror and shock factor of finding one on a spanking new laptop? (I imagine its like buying a new sports car and finding a 6 inch scratch on the bonnet.)

Many thanks in advance for your thoughts and help

 

1) Asus warranties your laptop for 2 years, if you have a problem, call them, get your RMA number, then call the nearest service center and arrange all th shipping details.

2) With regards to Ensembles, generally most laptop do not get upgrades in components in the same platform/technology cycle, but there are exceptions.
So like Dell, you start with pretty much a barebone and some low end specs, then you start to change them by paying upgrade costs.
With the Asus Ensemble laptops, they are prebuilt and pre-specced from the factory and that's what you get, and most people are happy, especially the G1 owners.

3) I advise you to wait 1-2 years before even jumping on a 7200rpm HD. Unless you really want it now...yes there is a difference, in boot time, load times, but if you want the ultimate, look here.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/09/riteks-16gb-and-32gb-ssds-starting-at-a-low-low-169/1#comments

4) It is very rare to find or to get dead pixels, but since Asus does provide ZBD, by all means use it, and yes you can use it in the UK too.

 

ZDB does cover dead pixels? I know there is a difference between dead and bright pixels.

 

thanks for reply - wow I love that SSD!!!

 

ZBD is for dead and stuck pixels....... it's called "zero bad dot" because although some warranties cover dead pixels, this covers all dead and stuck (which would be stuck at white, red, green, or blue)... while black are "dead".