Compal HGL30 w/nVIDIA 7600 w/256MB is available for pre-order

The new Crown P 14:2 (Compal HGL30) is now up on our website and available for pre-order.

We will begin shipping the week of July 17th (that always means by the end of the week if everything goes as planned )

 

Thanks very much for the notice. I must check it would after I am done on this site.

 

Any ideas of how much it would cost compared to the HEL80?

 

Have you gone to our website to compare the Crown P 15:2 (HEL80) to the Crown 14:2 (HGL30)?

 

Yeah, I did after I posted my last post.

Seems a bit more expensive. Maybe we will know more after the pre-order.

 

It is about $30 more than the HEL80. The pricing won't change once we start shipping.

We asked why it would be more as well, and the REAL answer is the HEL80 will sell at a much higher volume than the HGL30, so it is simply a matter of volume gets better pricing.

 

so is it shipping with the teal lid as i have seen two different versions, one with the teal and the other grey

 

Yes, it is shipping with the teal LCD cover.

The grey one is on the HGL31 that has integrated video, and will probably not come into the US market.

 

Cash Discounted Price: $1846.64

Somewhat affordable. Is it possible to get a backup Windows XP shipped as well? It seems like a very nice laptop; I'm currently weighing it against the z62j / s62j and T60 and a backup CD would be a very nice addition.

 

If you order the Windows XP OS we install it for you, and you will get the CD for it as well as the drivers CD, DVD software, and NERO burning software...but no bloatware.

 

I would get the OS with the notebook - $95 is about what you would pay in a store, plus it is already installed along with the necessary drivers.

 

Im guessing the 6 cell wont stick out the back like that?

 

That is correct, the 6 cell does not stick out the back.

However the 9 cell sticks out the back exactly 3/4", and will give you 1 to 1.5 more hours battery life. So far most users prefer the battery life and don't care about it sticking out.

 

what about the heat issue have you played around with it at all and noticed any hotspots or lap burning? thanks

 

ditto on the heat. It seems that the HEL80 is quite cool. so I'm wonderng if this applies to the HGL30.. its rivals (the A8jm) does get warm.

 

paladin44 any idea on the heat assuming you got your hands on one?

 

The HGL30 handles heat just like the HEL80...

They are both the coolest running laptops we have seen in a long time.

 

This is a very nice selling point, it's amazing what you will find on other preloaded OS systems. *cough cough Dell, cough HP

 

Hm - if it really runs as cool as you say, it's very tempting (the m1210 I bought is running a bit warm - probably keeping it, but keeping my options open) - how are the speakers?

To tell you the truth I'm a bit turned off by the "one-time LCD replacement only" clause in the Accidental Damage warranty - when I buy a warranty like that, it's for the peace of mind that comes from the assurance of unconditional (or close) repair - plus I also wish there were a 2 year option, rather than just 1 and 3. Depending on if the special summer savings (what were they called again?) bring it down to a more attractive price (for me), the HGL30 could be a definite contender, even aside from the accidental damage warranty issue...

What is the powernotebooks return policy? I know I'd be pretty upset if I bought the notebook based on your assessment of its temperature, found it ran too hot for my tastes, and then found I was forced to pay a restocking fee to return it! That's why I think a good return policy is so important when it comes to online shops, especially in cases where you can't check out the merchandise in person (you don't have a demo unit you just send around to different people to test out for a couple days, by any chance, do you?)

 

Rellik, I have two comments:

1. I don't think you will find any ADP coverage that will replace your LCD screen more than once during the warranty period. To break your LCD screen 2 or more times within one to three years is pretty extreme, and to afford unlimited replacements would make the ADP coverage unaffordable.

2. Our return policy is:
IF FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER YOU SHOULD FAIL TO BE SATISFIED WITH YOUR Crown PRODUCT, YOU MAY RETURN IT WITHIN 15 DAYS OF THE DATE OF SHIPPING FOR A 100% REFUND OF YOUR PURCHASE PRICE ALONE. To return products, you must, within 15 calendar days of your original ship date, call PowerNotebooks.com’s Sales Department toll-free at 1-877-711-1711 to receive a Return Merchandise Authorization Number, which must appear on all communications about the Returned Product, and on the outside of the shipping packaging. You must ship the products to PowerNotebooks.com in their original packaging, prepay shipping charges, and insure the shipment or accept the risk of loss or damage during shipment. You may return software for refund or credit only if the sealed package containing the diskettes is unopened. Also, if Windows XP or Microsoft Office has been activated, it will not be accepted back for refund or credit. Returned products must be in as-new condition, and all of the manuals, diskettes, power cables, and other items included with a product must be returned with it. PowerNotebooks.com will not refund shipping/handling and insurance costs. Customer must use whatever means is necessary to ensure that product is returned to and received by PowerNotebooks.com within 20 Calendar Days of the Date of SHIPPING (original ship date).

 

Good news and bad news.

The HGL30 shipment arrived earlier than expected...they are here

The first shipment is sold out but for one at this moment.

The next shipment will be in the week of the 24th.

 

Thanks, your answers satisfied me

It's looking more and more like a 12" is just not for me, so the HGL30 is definitely one of the top contenders - if I price out an HGL30 that comes out to $1700.00, would I wind up paying around $1500.00 with the summer discounts (around the right price to wipe out the thought of any competitor laptops from a sane buyer's mind ), or would it come to more than that?

Also, I know this isn't a big issue for most people, but good speakers are a major selling point for me - how low do they go into the bass range, and how much distortion is there at moderate volumes?

 

lol you better hurry and grab the last one before possibly me or one of my friends do

 

I was wondering that if i dont purchase the arctic sliver there is going to be thermal paste on the cpu correct just not the top end paste?

 

Yeah, there is always going to be something. Its likely to be a stock thermal pad if you don't get the arctic silver.

 

does the arctic silver help that much to justify the overpricing (50 instead of 6 on newegg)?

I can handle upgrades on my desktop like memory, harddrive, and optical drive but ive never owned a laptop before and have never messed with the cpu or anything like that. If i did buy the arctic silver from newegg for expample would a noobie be able to put it on without screwing up the computer?

 

I think most people who have used it/had it would say so. I personally can't say how well it does with notebooks, but everything i've heard and read has suggested it makes a significant difference. It has always done great things for the desktops ive built. Keep in mind that the cost is pure labor, I think donald has mentioned that a few times in this forum.

 

**** nice laptop for this size. I've been looking around for a customizable 14" to compete with the Asus units.

Someone has probably asked you this before, but any idea when the PowerPro version will be released?

 

Donald, I am still getting conflicting answers regarding IEEE1394 on this notebook. Can you please confirm whether or not it supports firewire?

 

there isnt any, he's said it before.. unfortunately.

 

Correct...there is no IEEE 1394 support on the HGL30

 

i'm somewhat discomforted about the fact that there seems to be a total of zero information about compal formfactors out there. Even the compal website does not have HEL80 or HGL30/31 as model numbers. Am I looking at something totaly wrong, or does the compal website number their models differently, or is it actually the case that no information about them exists?

 

Compal and most other ODMs do not maintain their websites for the public to use. ODMs prefer to stay in the background, and the recent "outing" of them has made them a bit uneasy. Take a minute to read "Let's talk about the concept of 'Name Brand' as it applies to laptop computers." to better understand why this is the case.

If you then have additional questions...please post them here and we will all try to answer them to your satisfaction.

 

Will the HGL30 have the same performance marks as the HEL80 or will it differ for the good or bad. I'm looking to do some light gaming on this machine.

 

If anything the marks will be better because the video card is clocked higher on the HGL30

 

Very interesting. Can you estimate how much better?

 

These things cannot be estimated...they have to be tested.

However since you can overclock both of them, the default clock speed is really of little importance. Fact is, they both use the same card on virtually identical machines, so they should both perform almost identically.