ECS G556 Centrino / ATI 9600 Pro laptop

[BargainSeeker]

ECS has posted the specifications on their new G556 laptop on their global website. The G556 is a 5.5 lb (2.5 kg) laptop with a Pentium M or Dothan processor and ATI 9600 Pro graphics with up to 128MB of VRAM.

According to this DigiTimes article:

"The G556 Centrino notebook features a 15-inch TFT LCD display, a 1.7GHz Intel Pentium M processor, a 855PM chipset, a Radeon 9600 graphics chip from ATI Technologies, a 60GB hard disk and a DVD-RW drive. Positioned as a flagship notebook product, the G556 is priced at around NT$73,999 (about US$2,176)"

The G556 is the laptop shown by ECS at Comdex as shown in Tom's Hardware Guide (look at the bottom of the page).

Several computer vendors resell ECS laptops under their own brand names. Also, ECS laptops can be purchased in barebones form from a number of vendors (a rarity). I have contacted some of these ECS barebones vendors but they do not yet have an ETA on the G556.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

looks like a pretty sexay lappy

 

[GnomeCop]

voodoo makes this notebook even sexier in the form of the ENVY M:460

 

[BargainSeeker]

Originally posted by: GnomeCop
voodoo makes this notebook even sexier in the form of the ENVY M:460

I agree that the ECS G556 is offered by Voodoo PC as their Envy M:460. What I don't like about the Envy M:460 is the horrendous markup.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Originally posted by: GnomeCop
voodoo makes this notebook even sexier in the form of the ENVY M:460

as sexay as saving a few hundred? please...

 

[GnomeCop]

maybe not for you

 

[BargainSeeker]

In case anyone is interested, here's a company profile on ECS with links to more information about the company and its products from DigiTimes (an IT publication in Taiwan): Digitimes ECS backgrounder

Here is a review of the ECS G550 laptop, the first ECS laptop in the ECS G55x series:
ECS G550 review

Here is a review of the ECS G552 laptop, another one in the ECS G55x series:
Voodoo Envy M460 review

 

[Hoplon]

What are some of the stores that expect to carry these and what will a barebone cost?

 

[BargainSeeker]

Originally posted by: Hoplon
What are some of the stores that expect to carry these and what will a barebone cost?

There are a number of stores around the world that carry ECS barebone laptops. To see some of them try the following query at Google: G551 notebook OR laptop. G551 is the model number of an older Centrino laptop made by ECS.

As to price, I don't know yet. The email response I received from ECS says that the G556 will be "available next year, about in January". My guess is that the first G556 shipments are going to relatively large PC vendors like Voodoo. Only later will there be enough to also make them available to smaller PC and barebones vendors. Once the barebones vendors get them, then we can find out the going price.

 

[sumdumgai]

I wish Voodoo would have changed model numbers when they changed the Envy m:460 from a P4 configuration to a Pentium M.
All reviews will be for the older P4 model and not for the one based on the G556 chasis.

On a side note, i'm going crazy waiting for the G556 to be available in my area.

 

[Bbc84]

On their site it says processors avaliable for it would be

Intel® Pentium-M processor from 1.3GHz to 1.7GHz, 1M L2 cache
Intel® Dothan processor from 1.8GHz to 2.0GHz, 2M L2 cache


Isnt Dothan the replacement for the current Pentium-M?

I thought that wasnt suppose to be released until atleast early next year. Well Im glad I waited before buying a laptop cuz this one looks real nice. Now time for me to find a price tag on this thing.

 

[Bbc84]

 

[BargainSeeker]

Originally posted by: Bbc84
On their site it says processors avaliable for it would be

Intel® Pentium-M processor from 1.3GHz to 1.7GHz, 1M L2 cache
Intel® Dothan processor from 1.8GHz to 2.0GHz, 2M L2 cache


Isnt Dothan the replacement for the current Pentium-M?

I thought that wasnt suppose to be released until atleast early next year. Well Im glad I waited before buying a laptop cuz this one looks real nice. Now time for me to find a price tag on this thing.

ECS sells barebone laptop platforms to others who put in the CPUs. The specs on the G556 show that it will work with the processors listed.

The latest information available says that Dothan CPUs will be launched on February 16th, 2004.

 

[Bbc84]

Oh I was thinking that it seemed kinda strange with it comming with no memory no hard drive. (Not that I dont mind since i can get aftermarket right away)

Well I guess ill wait for this then. Seems nice, with the news of the Dothan processor im sure its going to be good.