FSC Amilo Si 1520 / Pro V3205

I'm just about to buy the V3205, but I can't find a review anywhere on the internet. I've been googling like crazy. Any urls or own reflections would be appreciated...

I have also noticed that the manual is exactly the same as for Si 1520. The two machines seems to be exactly the same too, except from configuration of CPU, memory and hard drive. "Pro" sounds nice, and I like the looks of that one better, but it only comes with one year warranty (Si1520 doubles that). On the other hand, it's possible to apply 3 year service to the V3205 and you will still save a few bucks because the Si 1520 is much more expensive.

I live in Sweden (noticed on my english?) and the prices (incl VAT) are:
V3205 (CD 1.6 GHz, 60 GB, 512 MB, XPpro) - 10619 SEK ( Google it)
Si 1520 (CD 1.83 GHz, 80 GB, 1 GB, XPhome) - 12695 SEK ( Google it)

My plan is, for the V3205, to buy another 512 MB to get that nice 1 GB. Price is about 468 SEK ( Google it). Oh, the 3 year service ("send it in") is 1072 SEK ( Google it).


Come on, hit me.

 

Hey man,

I am also going to buy v3205 laptom, actually I am going to pick it up tomorrow I know only about one review, but it is written in Czech ( http://www.zoned.cz/review/fsc_amilopro_v3205.html) so I dont think you will understand...but If you want I can translate something for you (I am also Czech) or If you want to know anything particular, you can let me know and I will try to answer you...

Concerning the difference between v3205/Si1520, it is as you said and also here in Czech Republic its much more expensive than v3205.

The price in Sweden of v3205 is higher than in Czech Rep., I am going to buy it for 27500 CZK incl. 19 % VAT, which is around 1249 USD/982 EUR and 512 MB memory for 1307 CZK = 59 USD/46 EUR.

 

The Si1520 seems to be the machine for me of these two, but I'm currently waiting for a nice price on the LG T1 from some guys at the office. I went to the hardware store today and checked out the Si1520. It really is a small and cool machine, but I still prefer the T1.

Think I'll update this thread on wednesday, by then I should know which one I'm going for.

Only 19 % VAT? Geez, we got 25...



/Edit wednesday: I'm having the LG T1 instead.

 

Hi mojma,
the pricing of the v3205 is really interesting. What is your experience after one week of usage? In another forum one guy mentioned that the hard disk is heatening the case.

Please let us know. Also it would be very nice, if you could translate the article you mentioned above - thanks a lot!

 

I'm also looking for a 12 inch laptop, and the V3205 is on my list.
In Germany it is already available for 800 euro.

http://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/list_message/26543981#26543981

Here some screenshots:
http://www.misco.co.uk/productinformation/~Q73906~/product.htm?affiliate=2042

 

Amilo Si 1520 photo below.
The case design looks the same as the V3205, but with a metal color.
http://www.fujitsu-siemens.fr/Resources/5/844903589.jpg

 

the lid of the v3205 is magnesium. I have no idea what differences there are from this one to that of the si 1520.

Strangely, Misco are selling the v3205 core solos for about £280 cheaper than everyone else, at £658 incl VAT, surely a mistake?

 

The datasheets:

v3205:
http://vilpublic.fujitsu-siemens.co...tter/mobile/en/ds_amilo_pro_v3205_sep_oct.pdf

Si 1520:
http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/Resources/173/1127099518.pdf

The real differences are also unclear to me. Fujitsu-Siemens has listed the V3205 in the "Business" section, and the Si 1520 in the "Consumer & Office" section, but the notebooks are basically the same except some minor differences.

The datasheet shows that the Si 1520 can have different configurations. The v3205 datasheet has listed only one configurations, but multiple configurations exists when looking in webshops. For example, there are V3205's with an Intel Core Duo T2050, and some with an Intel Core Solo T1300 CPU.
So look carefully when buying.

Also note that the july-august specs http://vilpublic.fujitsu-siemens.co...ter/mobile/en/ds_amilo_pro_v3205_july_aug.pdf differ from the Sept/Oct specs http://vilpublic.fujitsu-siemens.co...tter/mobile/en/ds_amilo_pro_v3205_sep_oct.pdf. The first has a 3:30 hour battery, where the latter has a 4:00 hour battery.

This might be a different battery, of maybe just a different battery test method.

Also note that a battery exchange program exists for some Amilo models http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/support/batteryexchange/index.html. They recommend customers to immediately stop using some batteries.

Maybe this is a simular battery problem which some other laptop manufacturers are facing.

 

some other photo's of the V3205 from Misco.co.uk:






Not sure if these two V3205's below are the same color:

 

I guess the lid accounts for the difference in weigth then, with the 3205 at 1.8kg versus 1.7kg for the 1520. Strange though that two otherwise identical notebooks would have different chassis..

They differ in OS and warranty also. The 1520 offers one more year warranty (at least in Sweden), that's definitely something to consider..

 

hm just bought one of these beuties...strongly recommend it!

btw i live in sweden...(look at www.dustinhome.se)

 

What about the build quality of the 1520? I read somewhere that it's not too good. I will move around the city every day and my laptop would be in a backpack.

 

i'm sorry for bringing the topic back after so much time but i'm thinking about buying this laptop soon

could you write some pros and cons about the laptop?

 

Hi, I was also looking for a small laptop but they where all too expensive minimum 1600 usd, then i found the Fujitsu 3205, 1.66 Duo 80Gb HD, 512 Ram. believe it or not it is 910 USD here in Dubai. after reading all your comments and the cost i think i got a bargain. if anyone needs one i can buy it for you from Dubai

 

If you are going to buy it, please write a review. In English if possible, cause i haven't seen any good review in English yet. And I'm searching one for almost half a year.

Thx

 

I have found a review in english for the 1520 with the same specs of the 3205.
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/shopper/labs/90859/fujitsu-siemens-amilo-si-1520.html

 

actually i believe, from what i've been told at the retailers here in Poland, the Si1520 lacks the BT... poorly, as that was a point i decided to become a must-have for such a small tool.

plus, can anyone tell anything on the batteries - how strong they are, can they be replaced etc. In a few shops i found a note where it stated that that is 6-cel 2700mAh i believe, whereas in others also 6 cell but 4800mAh. the latter is more widely used in the 15" sector, so i'm quite... stuck? ah and here comes yet another question - how's the average battery life time? i've met info on the net stating it's sub 1 hour in both si and v, but also found some places stating it's 4h while using normally, not trying to watch the slideshow in fear or other "difficult to handle" stuff... can anybody correct the statement?

ps. i was wandering if you happen to came across and tested/seen the benq joybook s61 or lenovo v100? i've been told that they might be even better, but the price tag for both of them is quite high, placing them around or even higher than Si1520, more than 100 euros higher than v3205... is it worth paying the extra?

ah and surely - are there any changes within the notes except for adding that "brilliant" metal-like plastic addons in the Si1520 and removing the BT there? or maybe i was misinformed about the reduced functionality?

 

I have an Si1520 and it has BT, maybe you are talking about IR

 

Hi
I have V3205
If you have some questions this with pleasure I will help
Here is some pics and opinions in Polish

 

Some questions for the Si 1520 / Pro V3205 owners.

I am thinking of buying a second, smaller notebook, to supplement my 15.4" Samsung X60. At present the Si 1520 is on my shortlist. Could you please comment on (a) what is the battery capacity; (b) the battery life (the data sheet says 4 hours but other 12.1" notebooks can manage about 5 hours of light use with a 6 cell battery); (c) the fan activity and noise, both on mains and battery (does the quiet mode actually work - the equivalent on my Samsung just raises the fan trigger temperature); (d) can the touchpad be configured with touch zones; (e) the build quality - is any of the Si 1520 metal alloy?; (f) how do find the port layout with all those ports next to the mouse zone?; (g) the photo here shows a US keyboard layout. The standard European keyboard has one more key. Does anyone know where it goes? (Edit: I now see the answer, the keyboard in the phot has the \| key duplicated)

And for those who have had this computer for a few months: Any problems? Would you recommend it?

At the moment the other computer in my short list is the Toshiba U200. The least expensive version lacks bluetooth but does have a magnesium alloy chassis and screen back and, which is a big plus in my opinion, dedicated page up and page down keys (I guess I could reconfigure the right hand Windows keys on the Si 1520).

Thanks for any info.

John

 

Hi,

Got a si 1520-S7210 since yesterday.

a) 4800mAh (model MWL32b)
b) i think i got 3h30 under WinXP with wifi on but one shot experience...
c) the fan can be hear some time, even with cpu @ 1ghz. The fan button is not useable under Linux but it works with WP. It seems by pressing it, the cpu seems to stay at 1ghz under XP...
d) i dont think so with current drivers (no scrollbar on edge by exemple, or i dont find how to activate it).
e) quality is nice but plastic...
f) ?
g) ...

btw after 12h ;-) i can not give a real deep mind about it. I find it very well equiped for the size and good functionnalities (automatic screen light, bt and wifi, dvi-I output with vga adaptateur, svideo, 4 USB, memory stick and sd reader, ....). and 1.8Kg for T7200/2gb/120Gb/dvdrw/wifi abg/bt ...

FSC gives a Wifi manager which is not installed by default (Windows XP managed wlan). Nice and better than xp one. Same for BT (Toshiba stack).

Software :
- xp home (can be updated to vista basic ou premium for ~48€ and ~70€
- MS works
- MS Office 2003 -60days trial
- WinDVD7 (dvd + upnp reader)
- nero 6
...

The cons in mind :
- touchcal drivers too simple
- <- -> up down pgup pgdw home end touchs in 4 touchs -/+ Fn : need to practice ;-)

Hope it helps

 

hello everyone,
i purchased the amilo pro v3205 a month ago and here's what i think of it.
specification wise, it has a 1.83ghz core 2 duo processor.
came with 512mb or ram and installed another stick of ddr2 533mhz 512mb in order for them to run on dual channel.
the vga chip is an intel gma 950.
i purchased it without operating system since it didn't come with vista.
purchased vista home premium after checking that the vga chipset is supported and runs Aero 3.
hdd is 120 gb, and i guess u know the rest.
my opinions are.
case is somewhat robust even though they do say in few reviews that it is not.
the top of the lid (screen) is black and shiny and fingerprints would stick and show.
the screen is awesome.
the keyboard feels somewhat loose but is not noisy.
after running vista for a few weeks now with aero 3 the system is stable, fast and graphics are not slow.
if u are not aware of aero 3, its simply the new interface for vista which uses alot of graphics for the desktop to feel in 3d with shadows and many other features, in other words it requires a good vga.
luckily the intel gma 950 (built-in) can handle it.
the fan is noiseless and processor wise its cool.
however i am having heat problems with the vga.
after using vista for a few hours, the bottom of the laptop feels quite hot.
the fan can do nothing about it since its only made to cool the processor, and the vga chipset is not cooled by it.
so regarding running vista on that system it is ready as advertised.
generally speaking it's a good maching for its price.
i purchased it for 1050$ in lebanon, 150 dollars extra for vista premium, 60 dollars for the extra memory stick to account for 1 gig.
the screen is bright and beautiful and with vista its pretty much a sexy thing.
but beware of the heat generated by the vga when running aero on vista.
as a conclusion i'd say its the cheapest 12.1 inch laptop with great specifications to buy. other laptops on the market with these specifications would start at 1500$ or more and might not look as good as this one.
but that's regarding lebanon.
cheers.

 

The data sheet for the V3205 specifies that its DVI-port can only support external screen resolutions of up to 1600x1200, is the limit the same for the Si1520?

I am looking for a small laptop to use for image processing and I think these two look really nice since they have DVI ports and since I suspect that one can benefit from the digital transmission of screen signals to get proper color matching on calibrated screens, but I would really want the laptop to support 1920x1200 external resolutions...

 

I just got the Amilo Pro V3205 few days ago through my friend. When I re-install the Window XP pro then the fax seems work only when turning the power on then immediately stop. That's why my laptop to hot after half hour operation.

Has anyone faced the same problem? Could you please give any help?

 

Sorry the fan not the fax.

 

I have just ordered v3205, but have not recieved it yet.
think_pad the fact that the fan does not turn on is in my opinion a good thing for me because I like noiseless, ofcourse if it gets too hot It is not good.

how hot is your cpu, motherboard or and chassie?

 

I have my v3205 now for 2 months and i am satisfied. It is a quick small machine. But you have to watch for the temperature of the hard drive. My hard drive is normaly at 49°C. If i work a lot with the computer the hard drive could go up to 57°C. Thank god or Fujitsu Siemens they build in a WD with a max temperature of 60°C. I upgraded the memory to 2 Gig Memory. Before it was a little bit slow under Vista. As i upgraded the memory i saw that the inner frame from the notebook looked very strong!

 

How about the gpu temperature and noise is it a rumour that vista is more heat noisy compared to xp?

Do you run Aero?

thanks for your answers!

 

There's a special here in one of the local hypermarkets (Cactus) on the Si 1520 (with Core 2 Duo 1.6 GHz, 120 GB drive, 1 GB RAM) for 795 euros, tax included, with a free wireless mouse and laptop bag thrown in, as well as a 2-year warranty.

Is this a good deal? Are there reasons to go for this, or to avoid it? Are there better alternatives at European prices.

 

For an SI 1520 it is a good deal! i bought the v3205 for nearly the same price but without the bag and mouse. Do not forget to get 2GB of Ram. 1 GB with Vistat is not really funny ;-).

 

Well, I bought one!

It seems to have one problem: the touchpad doesn't work.

Is this a known problem with a simple solution?

 

I took it back to the shop and they gave me another one.

I'd spoken on the phone to a Fujitsu-Siemens helpdesk technician and he implied that this was a known hardware issue, where the touchpad came unplugged inside the laptop. His idea was that the after-sales desk at the shop would probably be able to open it up and plug the touchpad back in, but of course the shop said "we never open laptops, we just send them back". But as this was clearly a case of Dead On Arrival, and after watching 3 techs spend an hour installing new drivers (which I'd already done), they authorised the salesperson to give me another one, which we checked in the shop.

I don't know how common DOAs are, but judging by the reaction of the helpdesk technician they do happen.