Where are you buying your Compal IFL90?

This laptop bit me last week as my choice.. Then faded, and I think it has finally sunk its teeth in.

I only know of powernotebooks.com and xoticpc.com .. and both seem very promising..


Not to bring up a fanboy or rebellion, but anybody have some advice or experience with either company they'd like to share?

 

I can't speak to exoticpc.com. They seem great, but I'm from Nebraska so when with powernotbooks.com to avoid tax.

I had a great experience with PowerNotebooks.com. I had a list of quesitons and spent about 40 minutes on the phone with Ron Baird. He was honest, gave me answers that someone just out to make a sale wouldn't have given me. I was planning to wait until next week, but I ended up ordering it with him this afternoon.

 

I ordered mine through powernotebooks.com as well, and worked with Ron also, via email. Everything to this point has gone just fine, and I cant say anything bad about them. Both companies seem to have a very solid reputation in this forum as well as with their reseller ratings, so I think both make a good choice.

 

talk to both companies and decide then :3

 

I would come up with a small bit of dialog, maybe some questions you are interested in having answered. Then call each vendor and run them down your list making note of how they answer (do they try and sell you, or just inform you). Rate each item with a +/- then total up the +'s. Go with the company that gets the most +'s.

Make sure that your list is comprehensive, and not just about your specific notebook (ask for pro's/con's on some of the hardware upgrades you are considering).. as in come up with a few questions about their warranty, phone support, policies for hardware replacement, etc..

As for my personal choice... I've had a great experience with Powernotebooks.com, I really like how they called me several times through the week or so of process and burn-in etc to give me updates and verify things. The one encounter I had with their tech support was in the middle of the night by a clear english speaking person who treated me like a knowledgeable human (I hate when tech's try to B.S. the tech stuff, I've got way to many years of experience and way to many certifications and degree's to push over). The very next morning they had a solution in place that they verified was to my satisfaction and the solution was implemented quickly, again calling me with status updates often. I also like how Donald (Paladin44) is an active and informative source that shares what he can with us on here..

That being said, I don't want to discredit XoticPC since Justin is also a positive member on this forum, and I've heard nothing but good from them as well.

 

I hear good things about both and it is a hard decision, having not spoken to either.

All I can see from the outside is that The same config at xotic pc is about 50$ cheaper because of the free arctic ice. Then again powernotebooks offers a special price over the phone?

Only other very minor difference is in their dead pixel policy.

Powernotebooks from what i gather require 6 or more dead to replace.
Xotic require 5 or more.

Correct me if im wrong.

Honestly I am still leaning towards powernotebooks though, just because of all the insane positive feedback I am recieving.

I have to convince my father to do an online buy, and the more available the better

Not to down either company, both seem outstanding.


And on another note, if I were to pre-order now, would they arrive mid-june like they say?

EDIT: I was only waiting so I would know the specs of the 512 8600m that comes with it.

 

The dead pixel policies may be the same if you double check the language carefully...although a call to both might help.

I believe both require more than 5 dead pixels to make it a warranty issue. However make SURE this is in writing in the warranty...don't just trust in what you are 'told'

 

Oh no, I'm not saying what I was told about the [dead pixel] policy.

The info I stated about that is what I gathered from skimming both warranties myself.

As you said though, it is probably careful wording of one of the companies, they are more than likely both the same.

Anything I find further on this won't be posted.. Don;t want to get into warranty wars.

I do VERY much appreciate everybodies feedback though.

Not sure though whether I should pre-order or wait until mid-june and then buy.

Would I be waiting into July if I pre-ordered or waited.

I need this laptop BY August 23.

But I would LIKE to have it asap.

Best course of action? [Chime in with wisdom? ]

 

Don't worry about warranty wars, that was not my intent either. Xoticpc and PowerNotebooks are both good companies. I was just suggesting a piece of wisdom that can actually be applied to almost anything...get it in writing as opposed to just trying to remember what someone said...you could even misunderstand what someone said...but if it is in writing you can go back and refer to it and you know exactly what it says.

As for getting one by August 23rd that should be no problem as long as you order it 2-3 weeks ahead of time (Summer gets real busy in this industry and sometimes there are shortages due to the demand of everyone going back to school), however the sooner you place your order the sooner you will have it.

 

Another IFL90 pre-ordered from PN last week. Now if only my obsessive refreshing of this forum would somehow speed up my order! ;-)

 

oh it will. You're just 1 more refresh away from getting there.

 

I would highly recommend both companies. I believe both to be exceptional in terms of service and support.

I can personally vouch for Donald and his gang at Powernotebooks, but I am also very impressed with what I see from and hear about Justin and the gang at XoticPC.

As mentioned, you might want to talk with both and go with the one you feel more comfortable with.

And if getting it ASAP is an issue...I highly recommend placing your order and getting in line. Summertime is notorious for supply issues when it comes to popular systems.