I’ve been busily slaving away weighing the pros and cons of System76 and Dell when I stumbled onto ZaReason and they are offering a laptop that seems to good to be true.
- Display–17″ WXGA LCD display @ 1440×900 pixels
- Graphics–Intel GMA 950
- Processor–Core 2 Duo T7200
- Memory–2 GB (DDR2-667)
- Hard Drive–100 GB (7200 RPM SATA)
- Optical Drive–CD-RW / DVD-RW (included)
- Expansion
- MMC.SD.MS/Pro slot
- E-SATA port
- 4 USB ports total (2 USB ports on each side)
- Networking–WiFi + Ethernet (both included)
- OS–Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn (Gnome)
- AC Adapters–2
- Warranty–1 year (included)
Subtotal–$1465.00
UPS Ground–$18.16
CA Sales Tax–$128.19 (no charge if ordering outside CA!)
Total–$1611.35 $1483.16
A quick note with a wicked fast and friendly response assured me that no sales tax would be applied so this laptop really smacks of value to me. For one, a 17″ screen which will make it much more comfortable to work longer hours and the 100GB 7200 RPM SATA will make life easier sorting and storing my growing library of Gabi pictures. Now, the graphics is a bit of a downer but seeing as I don’t play games they will likely be more than adequate especially with 2GB of RAM.
Yet again, I find another reason to continue dithering, though I’m really leaning towards this unit.
If you are looking for better graphics and display,
check http://www.linuxcertified.com . They have other models too.
Don’t be put off by the Intel GPU. My Dell laptop has a 915 and it handles 3D(WoW @ 1280×800) just fine. Now, it (top o’ the line XPS) also creaks and groans like an old set of stairs whenever I pick it up, which is why I wouldn’t recommend the manufacturer.
They sound good… Found this online about/from them: http://allaboutubuntu.wordpress.com/2007/06/14/will-dell-help-or-hurt-rival-linux-pc-suppliers/
(They will support “3. the Maker Faire crowd, ie people who want to mess with their hardware and still be covered under warranty.””)
@Kirrus–Yeah, I love the opening statement to the warranty: “As a caveat, we also allow a first-of-its-kind Open Hardware Warranty. We actually encourage you to lift the lid and see what makes your system hum inside. It’s your system after all and we want knowledgeable users, not dependent users.” Nice.
@Carol–I’ve been drooling over their offering for the past couple of years but it has always come down to cash flow; they have great systems but the cost for the entry level is near the top of my budget and until the baby starts filling her diapers with dollars…
@Tyler–Well if it can handle WoW then Tux Racer should be no problem!
BTW my Toshiba’s lid hinge is doing the same thing and flops like a broken shutter in a storm.
Huh… $1465.00 = About £800. I want one!
*Kirrus resists mad urge to purchase yet more technology*
Total bargain and I do think they will ship international, I do believe I’ve read them making the offer on Ubuntu Forums. So, yeah, totally give in to your urge!
Yes, we do ship internationally; we are opening up one country at a time. The US Dept of Commerce, Export division is very helpful (encouraging even) whenever I call them and ask, “What about Canada? What about Italy? What about Norway?” As a funny sidenote, we have three BigLaps potentially going to Hong Kong. (It strikes me as highly ironic that we would ship to any part of Asia.) We are taking it as it comes. The site does not represent all the places we can ship to so email us if you think there is a country we should look into. Global support is possibly the most FOSS-ish thing we could do right now.
James, you noted that the price sounds too good to be true. That’s actually one of the battles we face — people equate cost with quality. From what we have seen, those in the Open Source mindset know that cost does not equal quality in software. It also can be true on some levels in hardware.
The prices are closer to the real cost of parts because we do not have the overhead most companies do. ZaReason is built on the FOSS blend of non-profit plus business. It tips the balance.
Wow… ok… err..
1) do you ship with country nationalised PSU’s? (e.g. a britsh 3 pin plug with your laptops?)
2) do you ship to the uk?
Kirrus: Yes, we ship to the UK, but we are still using power adapters for the plug. Two of our guys is looking into stocking the three-prong now. They both have fond memories of their last trip to London so they are racing to see who can find it first.
Are there any other concerns about shipping to the UK? Shipping costs should be relatively reasonable and prices are good compared to many countries, Australia & New Zealand in particular. We took a brief glance at what was available in the UK. We are not aimed at dominating foreign markets, only providing support where it is needed.
Well, Cathy, you’ve sold me! As soon as the wife gets back from her girls night in NYC–provided I’m not bankrupt and facing foreclosure but awash in designer clothing and shoes–I’ll be placing an order for a BigLap. The dither is done!