W230ST - The 13" We've been waiting for!?

I think stopping/not providing OEM sales of Win 7 without "fixing" Win 8would be a decision by Microsoft that is even worse than releasing Win 8 in its current "touch" mode.

 

They'll probably discontinue selling Win7 once Win8.1 (Blue) is out. A few peeps at work have said that MS wants to get into release cycle similar to Apple. Sell $30.00 OS updates rather than a $99-199.00 major OS change and then Service Pack until the next major update.

 

what kind of price range do you think thus laptop is going to be???

 

i really liked it if it came with a displayport

 

I'd estimate $900-$1200 for the average configuration, depending on whether you want a dual/quad core, upgraded NIC, SSD, etc. The base configuration shouldn't be that much higher than the W110ER, which was around $800 iirc.

 

I was going to jump on getting a np6110 this semester but they have to go and tempt me with this . I'm really just waiting to see pricing and get benchmarks before I very likely buy one

 

Is your 9150 too heavy?

 

Not at all, I just use it as a desktop replacement and would like something more portable maybe... Or I may just build a desktop and only use this for portable duties. Depends on how taking my laptop to work daily goes.

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well ive been taking mine to work on a daily basis and its been working great got myself a small 120w psu that i leave at my desk there so i just have to carry the laptop and a mouse. by disabling the cpu turbo boost (just base clock) and keeping my gpu forced to idle clocks i get more than sufficient performance for daily work tasks without the risk of blowing up the psu
btw, im using a bicycle to get to work

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I was also considering getting a spare psu and leaving out at work... I guess I will just see. Really wish they had refreshed the m11x or np6110 this year

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The 13 inch will be more practical for work anyway.

 

it is, inevitably

 

I can't wait for this. Would have been the perfect machine only if it had touch

But I think I'm pretty much sold with this.

 

This machine is exciting because it's blend of size/portability, power, and display is unprecedented in the notebook world. Hardware technology is advancing to the point that 13-14 inch notebooks can offer buyers power that was really never available or possible before. It is exciting to see that in the near future we may not have to make a compromise between power and size/portability. Or at least less. We all know that software doesn't stand still either and it will inevitably also advance incrementally with hardware capabilities.

Speaking of software I am a bit unsure if Sager or Clevo will offer the drivers for Windows 7 with this machine. I really hope they don't try to force Windows 8 on us. Touch is great on tablets, smartphones, and basically anything you can hold in one hand. IMO when you have a trackpad, mouse, and keyboard in front of you it is pointless and can even be counter productive. Maybe it is handy on machines like the Lenovo Yoga that allows you to fold your keyboard behind the screen. But it is awkward on traditional notebooks that have their screens placed vertically in front of you and can quickly become be uncomfortable (and even hazardous) to use for long periods of time. Although I often don't agree with the way Steve Jobs designs his products, I agree with him on touchscreens.

Honestly, touchscreens are only a marketing tool to create an illusion of the "next big thing" to the buyer despite the fact that they don't really need it and probably won't use it as much as they anticipate. It does make for a nice demo in store, and it will get people's attention. I played with some touch laptops in Best Buy last year and at first was intrigued. But after a few mins I asked myself "when will I need this, and how ofter will I use it?" You need touch on small devices that lack keyboards and a mouse, but you don't need it for devices that already have them. You can type 10 times faster on the keyboard in front of you, and you can navigate just as fast (if not faster) with a trackpad or mouse. Not to mention you will be getting your fingerprints all over your nice Full HD screen daily. So in reality you are not going to miss out on the next big thing if this doesn't offer touch. Besides you can always buy an external monitor that is touch capable.

 

Should this laptop be sturdy? I will bring it with me on deployment...

 

I don't know. Affordable and powerful 13"-14" notebooks are hard to come by. Most are just thin and light or have a weak dedicated GPU. The Alienware M14x isn't even really a 14" is nearly a 15" with its size and weight. Clevo is making something that people want though and for whatever reason nobody cared to make.

You can bet there will be Windows 7 drivers. Clevo usually uses common components and can use drivers from the manufacturers of the components. Intel chipset drivers, Intel VGA, nVidia VGA, Wireless, LAN, Touchpad, etc. I bet Clevo supports Windows 7 with this machine.

Touchscreens have been around for 25+ years. I don't know why they all of a sudden are popular. Probably all the touchscreen phones, etc. But just because touchscreen is good for one device doesn't make it good for everything, and MS seems to be putting all PC's in the same pot. Far from it. I don't want to touch my laptop monitor. I hate it when it gets dust on it. I can only imagine all the finger smudges...

Depends on your definition of sturdy. Will it be a Toughbook? No. If it is anything like the W110ER it is pretty robust, but a drop to a hard floor from a desk or countertop will likely damage or break it, especially the LCD.

 

Basically Im asking if it can take some bumps and if it can take the occasional abusive conditions associated with being in the military.

 

Damn I just ordered a y400 14" from lenovo. If this gets a solid release date before my return period I might return the y. I want it mainly for gaming at work and this would be better in my backpack

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No one can answer this.. it hasnt been released yet. We can assume it'll have comparable build quality to other Clevos, but that's just an assumption. Get a SSD though! No moving parts to be damaged by bumps..

 

mainly for gaming at work? nice workplace u got there

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indeed last time someone was caught gaming on the job, had to do 1000 push ups in 5min, he didnt do it (only 150), so he was fired due to incompetence

 

150 pushups in 5 minutes... still impressive. He must have really wanted that job! lol.

And yeah "buying a laptop for gaming at work" is a very interesting comment indeed. Although I have taken my laptop and played games at lunch on occasion but I almost never get much free time even during lunch any more.

 

Such a shame that I night have to game to test configs out

 

Must be tough but I guess someone has to do it
Wonder where the 765M stands in terms of performance with today's GPU's?

 

If it's truly 128-bit, then at 1080p probably on par with the 670mx. probably faster than it at lower resolutions.

 

Yeah that's what I think since the ram is running faster but the rops and width are lower.

 

techpowerup is claiming the 765m is a 192 bit
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M | techPowerUp GPU Database

they are saying the 760m is a 128bit
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M | techPowerUp GPU Database

 

Wikipedia says 192bit for both, the short answer is we don't know but 128 would be cheaper to produce. If you want to look to the last generation where the 680M and 675MX had 256, the 670MX had 192, everything else was 128bit, the 765M would be right in between the 128 and 192 bit GPUs in the lineup so even that doesn't help us work it out. Let's just wait and see, truth is fast GDDR5 on a 128bit bus should be absolutely fine for native resolution.

 

im just glad its at least a 760m. it gives me great pleasure like when i know that its even better than that and its 192 bus. I think my strongest card i ve had is 260m gtx. im sure better than 6630m and 540m. i have had possession of 5870m and 460m gtx but they was for resale so they dont count as i never inted to use them laptops. all im hoping is that the aethestics are really good. the mouse pad is good with soft click buttons. i just be distraught if it was hard and clunky with how much i need click away with left click for football manager. (i prob play something else with this kind of power but still gotta love my sim games)
id also be happier if it had a pointy stick keyboard but of course they are just business class laptops o and sound ommision. 40dbs max
off topic does any one know how to mod mouse buttons ot make the click softer? not having this laptop is not an option. LOL

 

Use tap to click.

 

128bit is by far the most likely as this is meant to be integrated into motherboards and a 192bit GDDR5 interface would add extra PCB layers and real estate driving the cost by a lot.

 

eugh! im so used to dedicated click plus nowadays they make integrated keys in the touch pad which puts me off that. and anyway that only solves left click and using the zones to allow as a right click is a pain. the way i use ,my laptop right now is more convenient than anyone happy with how they use the trackpad because i use pointy stick withe left and right click unerneath spacebr and moving my hands is literally non existant using that mouse. i barely have to move at all. just my thumb moves a bit and thrn i have middle click button so i caneasily open new tabs without keyboard shortcuts and moving my hand. withe the pad. you keep moving your hand to get across page. yes you can set the mouse sensitivity to reduce that but it doesnt half take its toll on the wrist...at least for me. but ill use it if i have to but i no i will with the w230st so i just hope thr buttons are nice n soft to use. (i guess im quite fussy but my 1st laptop only had a pointy stick so of course thats my preference :/)

 

Although a 128 bit GPU in this model isn't the end of the world, I, along with many people anticipating this notebook's release, would prefer 192 bit. If it is a bit more powerful than my GTX 660M then I will be happy. On my W350ETQ the 660M runs insanely cool and efficient. It is able to play most games at 1080p effectively and I get stable max frame (72 Hz monitor) rate in several titles. Turbo Boost 20 should allow for some interesting benchmarks, although it's overall potential will depend on the notebook's layout and thermal capabilities. I just read in this article that they are reporting that the GTX 760M will have 768 shader units.

Also if Haswells iGPU is capable of what they say it is, it is a welcome addition. I don't see it as competition for Nvidia/AMD as much as I see it as a benefit for us owners. If it allows us to use the GPU less frequently without much drop off in performance then that is great. At the very least it should increase overall battery life while giving a bit more performance to Windows and some programs (like Photoshop maybe).

 

I expect the 765M is specified the same as the 760M but with a higher TDP and clock target.

 

Also a 760/765M vs a 660M has basically doubled up the core, so assuming there's enough memory bandwidth to keep up should be a major boost

 

That would be great, I'd even be fine with lower res screen in a 13" laptop as long as its a good quality panel.
A 1440x900 screen for me would be a sweet spot...for me anyway.

 

Shaders yes, but not the rops so it's balanced very differently.

 

Anyone got any news of the release date??! My loins ache for this laptop

 

This comes a bit after the P1xxSM...like late June/early July

 

Lets hope we get valid info before then!

 

Now If their 15 inch laptops don't look like that 17 inch I'll be super pissed off

 

they do, at least the p157sm does whereas the other two have the classic look.

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Me too! If not the NP6110/W110ER, this might be my next laptop!

By the way, does anyone know where we could go see Sagers/Clevos in SoCal (Southern California--LA area)? Is there a brick and mortar store that sells Sager products? Thanks!

 

Yew everyone is catered too with the new designs being optional.

 

I think Sager notebooks are actually located in SoCal (City of Industry). Maybe give them a call and see if you can swing by their shop even and get a tour!

 

Not a shop as such, but they can deal with you directly.

 

Call Pro-Star

 

Cool, thanks for the replies, guys! MIght actually try to visit their office/store once school's out, haha

 

I'm interested...

 

hi, those pics are nice. where did you get them?