UBB.Developers Forums General Discussion Chit Chat Computers For The Rich and Famous

Originally posted by AllenAyres:

arghh... I just ordered a Dell this morning

Originally posted by navaho:

so's Christmas.

quote:

Sager 8790-S

After using the Sager 8790-s over a week I must say that I'm still very impressed. Everything about it is nothing less than perfect.


I've done quite a bit of video editing with Adobe Video Collection Pro and even had some free time to squeeze in a little bit of gaming. The added performance of the 3.4GHZ Pentium 4 Northwood CPU with Hyper Treading and the 400DDR memory is easily noticed. I've had many laptops over the years and none of them ever came close to how a desktop performs. To tell the truth, at first I found it a little odd now having a notebook that out performs every other computer I use. But after the first couple days I found myself used to the speed and even stopped using my desktops in favor for the Sager.


In addition to its superb performance I can't begin to describe how much I like the 17" wide LCD screen. I must admit that I was a little hesitant to order the 8790 since it wasn't available in WUXGA. (WUXGA should be available this summer, but, I'm glad I didn't wait for it.) The smaller screen resolution hasn't been a hindrance at all and I find the crispness and clarity of the display to be a very welcome surprise. The display is also very well back-light, even in a brightly light room. In addition I've been unable to notice any artifacting or ghosting that is common with most LCDs.


Another welcome surprise was the feel of the keyboard and its touch pad. I've always been one that hated touch pads and preferred a pointing stick instead but I've found that this touch pad has perfect response and feel. The keyboard doesn't have that flexing problem that plaques most laptops and the key travel feels natural and comfortable. The only draw back with it is the wrist wrest can get a little warm and cause you to sweat a little. Some people might not like this but I don't feel its a serious problem or a reason to chose another notebook.


I have not received the removable sub woofer (as its on backorder) but I am still very pleased with the internal sound system. There are two speakers on either side of the keyboard and two on the front of the unit. While you can't expect these small speakers to fill a room with sound, they do produce very clear, quality sound. Additionally you can't compare the speakers with those typically found on a notebook as they're in a higher class, all by themselves!


I've only used the Internal TV Tuner briefly but I've found that it produces a very crisp and clear picture from cable TV, so much so, that it could easily be mistaken for a high definition picture! The included remote and software were easy to use and seemed well designed and very stable.


The notebook has an internal 7-in-1 card reader which is very convenient as you don't have to lug another item in your notebook case. It also reads and writes data to the cards faster than most USB card readers.


I only purchased the 8 cell battery since I typically never operate my notebooks away from A/C power. Nevertheless, I still tested the battery performance and found that I was able to watch a complete DVD movie while operating only on the battery and still had another 20 minutes of power left.


A few of my friends keep asking me if there is anything I would change on the Sager 8790 and I'm hard pressed to think of anything other than its weight. The notebook weighs in at around 9 pounds and because of its size it can be a challenge to pick up with one hand. Once you load it into your bag along with its power brick it can feel like you're carrying an ARMY sack. But this is the price you pay for a wide screen notebook with desktop power. When you compare the 8790 to other similar notebooks you'll find it is much lighter and thinner than most. I don't even want to imagine owning one of those other ones!