CLEVO D900K w/Dual Core AMD

As most have heard/read, Eurocom is advertising the new D900K with AMD Dual Core and the new 7200RPM 100GB Hard Drives for shipment on 01 August. I like the offerings of Eurocom, but the pricing is above comparable units from Hypersonic and Boxx. Sales Tax (or lack of) may help out here.

Hypersonic told me today that they are currently testing the new 100GB hard drives and may be ready to offer in 2-3 weeks. However, they were very much tight lipped when questioned about the dual core.

PCTorque (Sager) is beginning to let out some info, and won't deny Eurocom's claim except they shouldn't have said anything because of the NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement). I take that comment almost as a confirmation of Eurocom's Future Products Release.

 

The purpose of the NDA is to keep news of POTENTIAL new models under wraps until the ODM (Clevo) is sure that the model will be released. Many times there are technical issues that do not get resolved in time for a projected release date, and companies like Eurocom that are famous for releasing information prematurely get caught when the release dates cannot be met.

However in this case it was Clevo that let the cat out of the bag by showing a proto-type of this machine at a show in Asia, BEFORE they were actually able to get it to work.

I don't think I have violated any NDA with my comments above. Just read between the lines, and don't hold your breath if you are expecting the release of a dual core AMD from Clevo/Sager anywhere close to August 1st of this year.

 

So what would be your 'BEST GUESS' on shipment dates for the dual core?

If later this year, I would just hold out until the first CLEVO D900T offering with the new 100GB 7200RPM hard drive(s).
Hypersonic is saying 2-3 weeks...maybe. I can't wait much later than sometime in September.

 

I am sorry but I have been in this business too long to try to "Best Guess" how long it will take to get the bugs out of new technology.

All I can say is that Hypersonic is very overoptimistic when stating that it is only 2-3 weeks away. That is not going to happen.

It is possible that they will be released by September, but we are all going to have to use our best patience and wait and see. One thing I can tell you is that Sager will be shipping them before Hypersonic does.

If you want to send me an e-mail I can put you on my calendar and let you know as soon as we know when they will actually start shipping.

 

Thanks for the invitation and I just sent the e-mail request to you.

Do you believe, given some knowledge of CLEVO, that the unit, when shipped, will be somewhat reliable? We all know how this can sometimes work with companies rushing their product out the door prematurely. I would hate to spend upwards of $6,500 for a workstation notebook and then become their 'guinea pig' at my expense.

BTW, it is Eurocom and M-Tech giving August shipping dates. Eurocom has recently changed from "01 August 2005" to "August 2005". Hypersonic won't acknowledge, or deny the AMD rumors, but did say they hoped to have the 100GB 7200RPM hard drives available in 2-3 weeks.

 

I have learned to never try to guess how long it will take to solve technical issues. Sometimes it is quick, and other times one issue leads to another. This unit is having technical issues right now or it would already be out.

Until a new model has some field time, we just never know exactly what to expect.

The ODM factory tests them, then the OEM factory tests them, and tests them, and tests them.

But the REAL torture tests occur once they are in the user's hands.

We always hope for the best, and then rely on the warranty.

The Seagate Momentus 100GB 7,200 RPM drives have been delayed yet again. The current ETA is 7-31-05, but until we see them, history tells us to be cautious with our expectations.

 

Would you expect the Seagate HD to be better than the Hitachi HD, which is currently out and being used in the DELL notebooks?

 

The biggest advantage of the Seagate Momentus hard drives is their 5 year warranty, which extends beyond you laptop manufacturer's warranty. The Hitachi warranty is only 3 years.

Other than that, some people say that the Seagate Momentus runs cooler, and quieter.

 

Not that I recommend spending an extra 2000 for the same pc notebook - but I thought I would mention that www.Voodoopc.com is offering their AMD X2 dual core and the 100gb 7200rpm drive for purchase now... available in August.