Cool Tech Reviews

With all the models of LCD and plasma televisions to choose from, one tends to forget that there are still very good deals to be had on rear projection TVs as demonstrated in Robert Heron’s review of the HP Pavilion MD5880n at PC Magazine:

Rear-projection TVs (RPTVs) offer big screen enjoyment for a fraction of the price of the largest flat-panel displays, and the 58-inch HP Pavilion md5880n ($3,499.99 list) is one of the most impressive RPTVs I’ve seen to date. Its robust A/V input selection is uniquely located for easy access, and a slick menu system provides useful customization and visualization features for those connected devices. With its stylishly modern design and a detailed picture that is capable of producing accurate and well-saturated colors, the md5880n earns my pick as an Editors’ Choice.

Hit the link for all these details on this 1080p native system as well as the few things he did find not to like, but my concern has always been the weight of projection TVs. That has certainly improved over the years, but the md5880n weighs 118 pounds and although it has built-in handholds, you will still need a friend to help you move the beast.

UltimateAV’s Thomas J. Norton provides a very detailed review as well and recommends that you get the HP custom stand which weighs as much as the MD5880 itself. His overall net:

But in the here and now I am immensely impressed with this model from HP. This is a great debut for a company previously known mainly for its computer products; HP hit the target from almost every direction. I could live happily with this set - if not ever after, at least until the next big jump in video display devices, whatever and whenever that may be.

Finally, Philip Ryan reviewed the HP MD6580n 65-inch big brother to the MD5880n at CNET and found a lot to like too and it’s still a “svelte” 138 pounds.

Tom Krazit at CNET:

Dell has agreed to purchase gaming PC maker Alienware, in a rare acquisition designed to improve Alienware’s supply chain and boost Dell’s standing among PC enthusiasts.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Alienware will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of the world’s largest PC maker, said Nelson Gonzalez, chief executive officer of Alienware. Gonzalez will now report to Jim Schneider, Dell’s chief financial officer, but the company will operate separately from Dell, he said.

A Dell representative confirmed the deal, but said the company was deferring comment until later on Wednesday.

There are more details in the article, but it appears the calim is that Alienware will operate semi-autonomously. While not as bad a match as the HP acquisition of Compaq, there still was some adverse comment about overlap:

“I still think it’s a bad idea, and a bad fit,” said Stephen Baker, an analyst with NPD Techworld. Alienware’s customers buy from that company in part because of its image as a technology-driven company that understands the needs of gamers, while Dell is viewed by those customers as a stodgy corporate supplier.
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The deal also could mean that Dell has to rethink its consumer PC strategy, said Roger Kay, principal analyst with Endpoint Technologies Associates. The company has sunk a lot of effort into building its XPS lineup of high-end desktops and notebooks for gamers and multimedia enthusiasts. Now, it looks like those systems compete with Alienware in certain areas, he said.

Alienware sells very powerful and very expensive PCs to the top tier of the gaming market. Dell, on the other hand, has a stronger identity with casual gamers who want a good PC but don’t want to pay Alienware prices. Both companies have recently tried to appeal to gamers that fall in between those two groups, with Alienware reaching down and Dell reaching up, Kay said. It’s unclear how those strategies will continue.

Not unexpectedly, some Alienware fans are already expressing their displeasure. Ed Bott says, “So long, Alienware, it was nice to know you”:

Pretty soon Dell customers will be able to spend $10,000 for a PC.

It will be interesting to see how those first buyers react when they have a problem with that Dell PC and get shunted into the world’s worst technical support system.
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In the six months or so since I last wrote about Dell, their service has become worse. I’ve now been waiting 24 days for Dell to repair a defective motherboard on a notebook computer that’s still under warranty. The sheer incompetence of their support organization is breathtaking.

If you’re thinking of buying a Dell – or an Alienware – think again. There are plenty of well-run companies you can give your business to.

Finally, John Pain from the AP has a nice background story on the people who built Alienware.

Laptop Logic has a nice roundup of laptop deals for Black Friday bargain shoppers. The amazing thing is how well you can do for under $400: the HP Pavilion ze2108wm ($378 at Wal-Mart) and the Toshiba Satellite L25-S1192 ($379 at Best Buy). Aside from only 256 MB of memory and the Toshiba’s weak battery, these are capable systems. However, as with more and more “big name” systems, the Toshiba only has a 90 day warranty which leads to this observation:

Despite being a great value at $379 (compared to normal prices), rest assured that Best Buy employees WILL assault you over the extended warranty. While this writer feels that Best Buy’s warranty is better than most retail extended warranties, doesn’t adding $150-$300 to the price tag of a sub-$400 laptop kind of defeat the purpose?

If the other shoppers don’t get you on Black Friday, the salesmen will. More details and bargains by following the link.