Now that I done got my edjmication, my folks are willing to pony up around a thousand bucks to buy me a notebook. I’ve taken something of a shine to the KDS Valiant 6480IPTD, since I’m essentially looking for a desktop replacement without spending a huge amount of cash.
Anybody have any experience with these things? The features/price ratio leaves me suspicious that they might end up being like portable eMachines, or made out of old newspapers and scotch tape. But, hell, it’s got a pretty good warranty (though they like to ream you on tech support), so maybe Korean Digital Systems is trying to be the Kia or Daewoo of the information economy. I hear their monitors are supposed to be good, anyway.
I been fooling around with notebooks and PCs in one form or another since 1986. Regarding second tier notebooks like the one you are describing I am of the firm opinion that you should get a major manuf. notebook unless you are only planning to keep it for a year or so. 1000 -1200 will get you a perfectly nice major manuf notebook and if you stretch to 1500 there a some real values available.
This is not to say the KDS is not a perfectly acceptable unit or that a name brand unit isn’t occasionally a dog. In my experience, however, notebooks typically tend to have a shorter lifetime than desktop units for the obvious reason that they are carted around and subject to more damage than desktop units. This often translates to a need for replacement parts. Spare parts for these second tier units are often not made or kept in any great quantity past the date of manufacture and if you need a unit specific widget 2 or 3 years down the road for your second tier notebook you may well be SOL.
DELL-IBM-Compaq-Toshiba - first choices- Long term players
Sony and HP are OK also and I’m sure there are others
astro: Yeah, I see what you mean; perhaps I should have been more clear in the OP. This thing will probably never leave my apartment, so I don’t need something that can withstand a 90 yard punt or anything.