Xoticpc.com v. Powernotebooks.com

With the use of these forums, I finally decided on a Sager 2096 - mostly due to the 512 dedicated video card.

I can't decide, however, who to purchase it from.

I read over the Clevo reseller thread and was impressed with the BBB rating of both Xoticpc.com and Powernotebooks.com I've seen representatives of both post here and be exceedingly helpful. The only thing I can see that tips my business towards powernotebooks.com is the fact they have nearly 1,300 more reviews on Reseller Ratings than Xoticpc.com

Does anyone have anything negative to say about either company? Both look fabulous and I think I'd be fine working with either, but I just don't know how to decide!

 

eenie, meenie, minee, mo

Actually, all I can really add is that I've gotten excellent service from XoticPC so far. But most of PN's customers seem equally satisfied, so maybe toss up a coin or something. You could also price it out (even though either would match any small difference there may be) and use whoever comes in lowest to begin with.

 

Both are equally superb and will match prices. You can't get a better deal anywhere else. I've already looked and done my research over the years. If you find a better price elsewhere within the U.S., be suspicious of some shenanigans (i.e. Hybridgear).

 

I dunno; print out a copy of the avatar for Paladin44 and Justin@Xoticpc, stick em on a dart-board, and throw a dart - 'course, you'd still need to decide if the first one to get hit got the order, or got disqualified.

 

I find that xotic is a couple of bucks cheaper, but then Donald will match Justin's price, so what's the point. XoticPC will do the custom painting/skins if you're into that sort of things.

 

I'm a 2 time Powernotebooks customer in the last 3 years. They always have delivered the best products to me with excellent service and have no complaints. I have never been a customer of XOTIC PC but given Justins professional courtesy I've viewed in these forums as well as the reviews I've read about them, I would consider doing business with them too.

 

Ok. Both of them are going to "hate" me for making this suggestion, but why not call each company up and ask to speak to them about the configuration you're going to get. Make the conversation detailed enough and ask enough questions so that you have enough of a conversation to get a sense of which person you're more likely to be comfortable working with should any after-sale support issues come up.

 

Xotic has price matching system which PowerNotebook dont so you may get some $$ off.

 

Although not exactly on topic for what you are asking, I noticed that you are interested in the 2096. I'm sure if donald or justin saw this that they would also think to suggest you look at the FORCE 3551 on Xotic and the Powerpro P 15:3. They are basically the same laptop as the 2096, except that the video card in it is GDDR3, and it has much better RAM etc. If you just compare them you will see that for a tiny bit more money you get a decent gain in performance.

 

Interesting about the GDDR3, so it might be safe to assume that Xotic has a typo on the video card for the Force 3310. I was curious why it was more expensive and the only difference I saw was the warranty. Not to continue the derail, but isn't the performance difference between GDDR2 and GDDR3 about 30%?

 

You cannot go wrong with either choice.

I fully trust both vendors in all aspects for purchasing notebooks and service/support.

And you have to realize that both will price match... even though they both already have the same prices for most their units.

 

@Falundir: Heres donalds explaination of the difference. Also, you are looking at the FORCE 3310, I am talking about the 3551 It is based of of an MSI lappy rather than a Compal.

And i would assume that the higher clock speeds would also mean modest performance gains.

 

Very good information, thank you!

 

xoticpc has an better looking site so go with them. i still like both of them equally in an uncosmetic way

 

did you order a 3551 or a 2096?
coz im thinking of ordering a 2096 until i read your post.
2096 = 1,538.00 .... 3551 = 1,694.00

advantage of 3551 = gddr3, slightly better ram i think(Corsair, Kingston), 3 Year Complete Care Full Parts / Labor Warranty - Next Business Day Shipping - Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Tech Support

advantage of 2096 = fingerprint scanner, 9cell battery, Sager 3 Year Parts & Labor Warranty, Lifetime Sager Toll Free Support

same specs(except that 1 is gddr2 and the other is gddr3) .. is it worth the $156 diff. ???
application = online gaming, maybe red alert/diablo3 if i can find an installer

FORCE 3551 (Built on MSI-1651) PRE ORDER
- 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050) `
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- -Intel® P8600 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.40GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
- 512MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 9600M GT DDR3 DX10
- - 4,096MB (Corsair, Kingston, Major Brand) DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMs) Dual Channel Memory
- 2GB Intel® Robson Turbo Memory II
- Standard Matte Bllack with Silver Trim
NO DELAY for Custom Color Options
- - Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software
- - 320GB 3GB/S SATA II 5400RPM Hard Drive
- Internal 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO)
- Internal Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- - Smart Li-ion Battery (6-Cell)
- -Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- 3 Year Complete Care Full Parts / Labor Warranty - Next Business Day Shipping - Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Tech Support

 

I havent ordered either. I currently have a pre-order in for the NP8860, although I am considering making a change just to save some cash. Also, if it is delayed i will switch to one of them. In the event of switching, I will definitely be getting the FORCE 3551. I think it looks better and offers better performance with the RAM and GPU. Although it doesnt have a fingerprint reader (Though i dont like the placement on the 2096).

 

..:laugh:..

 

Well i think either one will be able to play both of those games. Especially since even though diablo 3 will be a brand new game, it will not use Direct X 10 or anything. Its based on the Havoc engine. I sort of have a bias to the Force though, especially since you will get 3 years of Xotic's CS rather than sager. Thats a prety good bonus. Also i think the force is much more appealing aesthetically.

 

xotic offers a 3 year parts and labor + accidental lcd damage protection and pnb doesnt, at least this was the case for my np8660

 

Differences between PowerPro P 15:3 (MSI 1651) and PowerPro P 12:5 (Compal JHL90):

PowerPro P 15:3 has that PowerPro P 12:15 doesn’t:
eSATA port
10 Key Numeric Keypad
IEEE 1394 Port (Firewire)
GDDR3 instead of GDDR2
Custom Colors and Graphics available
Built in Bluetooth V2.0+EDR Standard
Synaptics TouchPad with a lock-out HotKey
6 cell battery that fits flush – spare 9 cell available
4 Multi-Purpose Audio ports support 7.1 Surround Sound
Memory Card Reader supports xD memory (along with MS and SD)

PowerPro P 12:15 has that PowerPro P 15:3 doesn’t:
Biometric Fingerprint Reader
9 Cell battery – spare 6 cell available

PowerPro P 12:5 is $100 less without Bluetooth, $60 less with Bluetooth

The main difference between the Sager NP2096 and the PowerPro P 12:5 is the warranty. The PowerPro models come Standard with the 3 Year Parts and Labor Warranty w/Next Business Day Shipping paid both ways, plus Lifetime DOMESTIC 24/7 Toll Free Telephone Tech Support (same thing with the Xoticpc Force brand) while with the Sager brand all Tech support for the NP2096 goes directly through Sager. Free Sager Lifetime Technical Support is available between 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM Pacific Time Monday through Friday, and their warranty is 1 Year Parts and Labor w/3 Day Shipping paid both ways (can be upgraded to 3 years for an additional $139)

PowerNotebooks.com will price match any published price for the identical model and configuration, with an identical warranty and support.

The best place to get Accidental Damage Protection that includes THEFT protection is www.safeware.com. It is affordable, can be purchased annually, covers theft, and is underwritten by an AM Best "A" rated insurance company.

 

yeah, imo it does look betterÜ

another thing, whats the difference of this two?

3 Year Complete Care Full Parts / Labor Warranty - Next Business Day Shipping - Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Tech Support = 3551

Sager 3 Year Parts & Labor Warranty, Lifetime Sager Toll Free Support = 2096

 

honestly donald as powernotebooks is amazing. he went out of his way to help me for my np2090 order and is just a great confident sales rep to work with.(even though i ended up returning it due to a mediocre screen and lossing money on shipping, i definitely recommend him)

however, i ordered my m8660tu from xotic. although i wish donald was still my sales rep, powernotebook seems to only offer cash discounts for wire transfer, while xoticpc you can get cash disounts with cashiers check, which is cheaper to do than a wire transfer. only a couple dollar difference but eh. i was just curious too try out xotic too haha.
but next time when alil difference in cash discount doesn't make a big deal, ill defiantly want to order from Donald at powernotebooks again

 

Both are a great choice, i wouldnt go to anyone else, trust me, ive seen every site in the US that sales Sager, and it came down to these 2.

I just bought my NP8660 a few minutes ago from Powernotebooks.com. I spoke with Justin W. at Xotic this morning, than I called PNB. Personally, I decided to go with PNB. I felt Donald to be more helpful and friendly every time I've called pnb. Everytime I've called Xotic, or chatted on their site with them always seemed like they were preoccupied. Thats not to say that Justin W. wasn't polite, but he didn;t seem interested in taking the time to be A+ customer service, and for me, thats important. It shows me what ill expect in the future if anything should go wrong.

Other than that, the prices for the most part are identical.

 

I have talked with people from both companies and I honestly cannot make a choice based on helpfulness. The only reason I am swaying towards xoticpc is because of their student discount. And that is the ONLY reason. Even then, it is only about a $30 difference.

 

You can't go wrong with either decision. I've used PNB, was not satisifed with my notebook and got a full refund no questions asked. When I go for my next notebook I will be purchasing from them just because of that no hassle experience.

 

Actually... PNB also has (for the first time) a student discount as well.

So the difference between the two vendors is just by name and location only.

Both are great for everything.

 

I'd say call both of the companies and see which guy is nice enough to get a discount. That is what I am going to do.

 

@steveninspokane

I do want to apologize if I came off as being pre-occupied. I certainly do not want it to appear that way as we appreciate and value every customer’s phone call, chat, or e-mail. We try to help every customer with any questions that they may have to the best of our knowledge.

We greatly appreciate your business with Xotic PC and value any feedback that you can provide

Thanks, Justin W

 

Oh, I know they have a student discount as well. I was just saying that the difference between the student discounts (in my particular case) came out to be better if I bought from xoticpc. That is only because I plan to bump up my shipping instead of leaving it as standard. Otherwise, the name of the company is the only difference.

 

... ah I see.

Well then.. you should be happy with either company.

 

You should check with your vendor directly for current, and correct, information about student and military discounts.

Most of what we are seeing here seems to be confusing and inaccurate.

 

@Justin W.

Please, in no way take any disrespect. You were polite and helpful, and I had no problems with you, or Xotic. Iy's just in the comparison that I have between the two company's, thats all i had to go by. Like I said, I looked at every company out there that sales sager, and you and PNB are at the Top.

We all need a deciding factor, and in this situation PNB just worked out better for me. Perhaps if I was dead set on skinning or painting, I would of went with you guys. Thanks for the reply, that shows me your a company that cares about their image, therefore cares about their customers. Perhaps if you guys got an item PNB doesnt have, im sure they wont mind sharing my patronage with you.

 

heh good suggestion shyster but i think he'll end up more confused? both should be just as good on customer service..

 

I chose PNB. Donald's an old coot and so am I, plus his shop is only a few hours drive from SF - delivery should be quick. Well, it should be. I ordered a new machine yesterday, but it STILL hasn't arrived! LOL

If PNB didn't exist, I'd have no problem ordering from Xoticpc. Everything I've read about both stores has been excellent.

 

Good Lord - I'm gone for a day or so and this is already full of so much helpful info.

Interesting looks at the PowerPro P 15:3 and the Force models, I just had looked expressly at Sager. Is it basically the same thing? Are PowerPros / Force models basically the same Clevo / Compal barebones kit with appropriate additions?

I also kind of liked the Sager look more.

So I have no idea who to pick. Powernotebook for me has an edge due to the nearly 1,300 more reviews on Reseller Ratings.

But, hey, if either Donald or Justin wants to drop me a PM with what discounts they could offer (I'm not a student as of 5 months ago, I had to go and graduate) and I've never been in the military. Unless there is some hazard discount for working at the Mayo clinic, I'm coming up with nothing.

 

On the actual content of customer service, I agree. I was thinking more in terms of things like mindset, personality, heck, even tone and pitch of voice -e.g. NYC's mayor, Bloomberg, has a voice that just grates on my ears like a cheese grater, so much so that, if he was a customer service rep, and I had a problem I was trying to resolve, the sound of his voice alone would antagonize me, even if what he had to say was 110% true (technically, he is a customer service rep, being mayor and all; however, pols always seem to get too uppity, particularly in the soviet socialist republic of NYC).

 

As for the build they are the same Compal's that Sager uses. What you gain by going with a Force/PowerPro is

-3 Year Warranty with Next Business Day Shipping both ways
-More customizable selections when configuring
-Lifetime 24/7 Domestic Based Technical Support

 

The Sager NP2096, PowerPro P 12:15 and Force 3310 are all built on the Compal JHL90 barebones, so the only differences are as Justin stated above.

However the rest of the Sager models are all built on Clevo barebones. None of the Force or PowerPro models are built on Clevo barebones.

The PowerPro P 15:3 and Force 3551 are built on the MSI 1651 barebones. None of the Sager models use MSI barebones.

To see the differences between the Sager NP2096/PowerPro P 12:15/Force 3551 and the PowerPro P 15:3/Force 3551 please go to http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=3658664#post3658664

I am so sorry but for these new models there are no discounts other than for students and active duty or retired military.

However there is a special running on the Sager NP5796 and NP8660 right now. I have attached a picture describing it.

There is also a close out special going on the 15.4" PowerPro P 11:15

 

If I read that correct, Donald, the Power Pro 15:3, Sager 2096, and the Force 3310 are the same barebones foundation, just labeled to different brand names?

 

^^ That is correct megaman001

 

Am i the only one that think its bad to put two stores against each other, especially when members of both of them are present here in this forum

 

Apparently, both of them are pretty good sports

 

We at Xotic PC have much respect for Donald & the PowerNotebooks "crew" You can't lose either way.

Friendly competition is not uncommon.

 

I don't think the purpose of the OP's question was to pit the two dealers against each other. His question was legitimate, and was simply a request for help in determining from which he should buy. So far, the answers he's received have been pretty good, IMO.


Edit: Excellent post, Justin.

 

How do you apply the student discount to xoticPC? Is there any automatic way to do it without calling? I'm trying to figure out what I'd pay there with the student discount >.<

 

Good to hear that!

I'd just toss a coin if I had to choose between you two

 

dont know if this has been asked. are the shipping locations of the two different, and does it matter. I think i saw that pnb ships from so-cal, and that's a bit far from me.

 

XoticPC: Lincoln, Nebraska (68507)

PowerNotebooks: Genoa, Nevada (89411)

But honestly, after hitting F5 on this forum for a year waiting for the new lappys to be announced, and then waiting several extra months for Intel to get their act together, is one day of shipping really going to sway you one way or the other?

EDIT - see Paladin's post #50 below.

 

No, that is not correct.

The PowerPro P 12:15 - Force 3310 - Sager NP2096 are all the same Compal JHL90 barebones. The PowerPro P 12:15 and Force 3310 have better warranties, 24/7 support, and component choices than the Sager NP2096.

The PowerPro P 15:3 and Force 3551 are built on the same MSI 1651. Sager does not have a comparable model.

 

Both ship directly from either the Sager factory in Southern California or our factories located in different places in the US depending on the model.

PowerNotebooks.com ships all over the US, and Xoticpc.com ships all over the world.

For warranty returns the PowerPro and Force brands pay for Next Business Day shipping both ways, the Crown brand pays for 2nd Business Day shipping both ways, and the Sager brand pays for 3 Day shipping both ways.

Therefore the distance between whichever factory is being used and you really doesn't matter since you are not picking it up at a store.