SOTEC - 1.2GHz Notebook - SN3120X-01. $850 before rebate. $200 worth of rebates (and I got all of my rebates back!). I did have a noisy fan problem (which was common among users), but the tech support handled it well, and turnaround for the repair was quick. Lots of tips from users are available at a user forum. Some people have been able to upgrade with 512MB of memory and there are even tips floating around about how to fix the noisy fan problem yourself, in case you're inclined to do it yourself rather than sending it in for repairs. I can't say enough good things about this laptop. It's so light compared to the Pentium 133 Toshiba Satellite clunker that I was carrying around before. Take a look at the specs, they're not too shabby. It doesn't have firewire ports, but a PCMCIA card should handle that capability for you if you wanted.
If you're looking for a little more power, I'd suggest looking at the newer model, which has the same exact specs, except it has a faster processor and larger hard drive -- the $200 in rebates are also available for that unit. Buy now if you really want it, because the large $150 rebate expires tomorrow! I've spoiled my wife with this laptop. She now refuses to use any other computer, complaining that even the desktop is too slow.
Posted by johnvu at July 4, 2003 12:30 PM