Friday, January 24, 2014
Wednesday, January 08, 2014
New Laptop: Sager NP8235
Here is a detailed chronological experience I had with xoticpc while shopping for a new laptop. This review will probably be most helpful for those of you waiting to purchase something during black friday and want to know of possible turn times.
In summary - customer service and the speed of the transaction seems to drop during the holidays. Expectedly so - as they are probably overwhelmed by shoppers wanting a good deal (like myself). The influx in orders, and the fact that it's the holidays and nobody really wants to be working seems to go hand in hand.
My order was *NOT* overseen by one person. It went through about 4 different people. Replies to e-mails and trying to reach the correct person for help was very difficult and getting any return mail took longer than 24 hours.
I will also be counting the total days and total business days that it took to complete the transaction.
11/24/2013: Ordered the laptop via xoticpc.com
11/25/2013: Megan replies back to me after I inform her I would like to change payment type to credit card. We go through a few loops as we have to order via dummy order to input my cc information. I follow the instruction and place a new dummy order.
11/27/2013: Order is changed to processing
11/28/2013: I get a call from a xoticpc sales rep saying my card was declined. This was my fault as I should have called my cc company prior to placing the order. I call my cc and approve the transaction. I e-mail Megan telling her that I have approved the charge and that they should re-process my order. No replies.
12/02/2013: I e-mail xoticpc while cc'ing Megan to figure out what's going on and why my order is still processing. No replies.
12/04/2013: I finally get a reply from Derek S who informs me they are very busy and Donna will be the new person helping me. This was a frustrating part.. when it takes 5 business days to actually finish ordering a product.
12/04/2013: Phase 1 - order goes to Sager.
12/09/2013: Computer being built.
12/11/2013: Computer sent from Sager to Xoticpc for custom modifications.
12/16/2013: Computer arrives at Xoticpc. Received an e-mail from Seth who will be the ones doing the modificactions.
12/28/2013: I send an e-mail to sales ATTN: Seth asking for a quick update on the progress. No replies.
01/02/2014: I get 3 e-mails at the same time telling me my computer went from Phase 4, 5, 6, and 7 all in 1 day.
01/02/2014: I receive UPS Ship notification.
01/08/2014: Received laptop
Total days: 46 days
Total Business days (excluding Xmas and New years): 29 days
I really hope they didn't rush my build trying to meet all their deadlines. We will see once it gets here.
Packaging
The outer box had some cuts and bruises. But the interior box was fine.
The custom wrap has 2 small bubbles, but it's rather minor and i decide to overlook them.
There was a special promotion for the Sager system for a free Batman game, but I did not find any CD's for it. :( The system came with the laptop, power, manuals, and some driver cd's.
First Impression / Build Quality
99% of what i expected. Good built quality, wrap is good other than the bubble. Feels solid and a little on the heavier side compared to my Dell 1501. The plastic material is strong and there was no flex whatsoever. The keyboard works fine, and the trackpad is a little different from what i'm used to as its made of the same material of the shell. The display is good with no dead pixels. DVD works and Windows is now installing.
System Performance
Overall I haven't had extensive time to test out all the softwares I use or games - but the system is stable and very fast. Well.. considering i'm coming form a laptop that's 6 years old go figure.
My system specs:
Sager NP8235 (Clevo P151SM1)
Processor Sager - 4th Generation Intel® Haswell Core™ i7-4700MQ (2.4GHz - 3.4GHz, 6MB Intel® Smart Cache)
Graphics Video Card NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 770M (3.0GB) GDDR5 PCI-Express DX11
2x4GB SODIMMS (16GB 1600MHz Ram)
mSATA SSD Drive ( Slot 1 ) 120GB Crucial M5 mSATA SSD
1TB 5400RPM [SATA II - 3GB/s]
Optical Drive Bay 8X Super Multi DVDRW/CDRW Combo Drive
Exterior Finish - Graphic & Textured Wraps
Wireless Network Sager - Intel® Dual Band AC 7260 802.11 A/AC/B/G/N 2.4/5.0GHz + Bluetooth™ 4.0
If you are ordering a Sager and it's going to be shipping directly from Sager's CA office - actual turn time is fast. If Sager needs to ship it to Xoticpc first for custom modifications or to avoid CA tax, this will take a good 5-10 business days. Xotic clearly states this in their order page and they aren't kidding. If you want custom mods that xoticpc needs to perform. Expect delays. Just expect about 15 business days of additional build time.
Overall, I am satisfied with the system, even with all the bumps on the way. There were only minor issues (Delay in order processing / No free game as promised / bubble in the custom wrap). I would order from xoticpc again - but will have better expectations in turn around times.
In summary - customer service and the speed of the transaction seems to drop during the holidays. Expectedly so - as they are probably overwhelmed by shoppers wanting a good deal (like myself). The influx in orders, and the fact that it's the holidays and nobody really wants to be working seems to go hand in hand.
My order was *NOT* overseen by one person. It went through about 4 different people. Replies to e-mails and trying to reach the correct person for help was very difficult and getting any return mail took longer than 24 hours.
I will also be counting the total days and total business days that it took to complete the transaction.
11/24/2013: Ordered the laptop via xoticpc.com
11/25/2013: Megan replies back to me after I inform her I would like to change payment type to credit card. We go through a few loops as we have to order via dummy order to input my cc information. I follow the instruction and place a new dummy order.
11/27/2013: Order is changed to processing
11/28/2013: I get a call from a xoticpc sales rep saying my card was declined. This was my fault as I should have called my cc company prior to placing the order. I call my cc and approve the transaction. I e-mail Megan telling her that I have approved the charge and that they should re-process my order. No replies.
12/02/2013: I e-mail xoticpc while cc'ing Megan to figure out what's going on and why my order is still processing. No replies.
12/04/2013: I finally get a reply from Derek S who informs me they are very busy and Donna will be the new person helping me. This was a frustrating part.. when it takes 5 business days to actually finish ordering a product.
12/04/2013: Phase 1 - order goes to Sager.
12/09/2013: Computer being built.
12/11/2013: Computer sent from Sager to Xoticpc for custom modifications.
12/16/2013: Computer arrives at Xoticpc. Received an e-mail from Seth who will be the ones doing the modificactions.
12/28/2013: I send an e-mail to sales ATTN: Seth asking for a quick update on the progress. No replies.
01/02/2014: I get 3 e-mails at the same time telling me my computer went from Phase 4, 5, 6, and 7 all in 1 day.
01/02/2014: I receive UPS Ship notification.
01/08/2014: Received laptop
Total days: 46 days
Total Business days (excluding Xmas and New years): 29 days
I really hope they didn't rush my build trying to meet all their deadlines. We will see once it gets here.
Packaging
The outer box had some cuts and bruises. But the interior box was fine.
The custom wrap has 2 small bubbles, but it's rather minor and i decide to overlook them.
There was a special promotion for the Sager system for a free Batman game, but I did not find any CD's for it. :( The system came with the laptop, power, manuals, and some driver cd's.
First Impression / Build Quality
99% of what i expected. Good built quality, wrap is good other than the bubble. Feels solid and a little on the heavier side compared to my Dell 1501. The plastic material is strong and there was no flex whatsoever. The keyboard works fine, and the trackpad is a little different from what i'm used to as its made of the same material of the shell. The display is good with no dead pixels. DVD works and Windows is now installing.
System Performance
Overall I haven't had extensive time to test out all the softwares I use or games - but the system is stable and very fast. Well.. considering i'm coming form a laptop that's 6 years old go figure.
My system specs:
Sager NP8235 (Clevo P151SM1)
Processor Sager - 4th Generation Intel® Haswell Core™ i7-4700MQ (2.4GHz - 3.4GHz, 6MB Intel® Smart Cache)
Graphics Video Card NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 770M (3.0GB) GDDR5 PCI-Express DX11
2x4GB SODIMMS (16GB 1600MHz Ram)
mSATA SSD Drive ( Slot 1 ) 120GB Crucial M5 mSATA SSD
1TB 5400RPM [SATA II - 3GB/s]
Optical Drive Bay 8X Super Multi DVDRW/CDRW Combo Drive
Exterior Finish - Graphic & Textured Wraps
Wireless Network Sager - Intel® Dual Band AC 7260 802.11 A/AC/B/G/N 2.4/5.0GHz + Bluetooth™ 4.0
If you are ordering a Sager and it's going to be shipping directly from Sager's CA office - actual turn time is fast. If Sager needs to ship it to Xoticpc first for custom modifications or to avoid CA tax, this will take a good 5-10 business days. Xotic clearly states this in their order page and they aren't kidding. If you want custom mods that xoticpc needs to perform. Expect delays. Just expect about 15 business days of additional build time.
Overall, I am satisfied with the system, even with all the bumps on the way. There were only minor issues (Delay in order processing / No free game as promised / bubble in the custom wrap). I would order from xoticpc again - but will have better expectations in turn around times.
Sunday, January 05, 2014
Song of the Day: Moon Myung Jin - You wouldn't know
I honestly don't know who this guy is. Surprisingly he sings very well and with heartfelt emotion. Besides all that, I personally love this song. It was originally sang by Hey Eun Lee in 1975. The lyrics have a personal touch. You may recognize the lyrics because it was redone by Finkl in one of their remake albums.
Thursday, January 02, 2014
Drama Review: You who came from the stars
Wooo Jun Ji Hyun is back to the small screen. She completely kills it (in a good way) the lead character. Good drama - I'm on episode 6 and can't wait for next week!
Synopsis: An alien comes to earth 400 years ago and gets stranded on earth. After 400 years he meets a reincarnated version of his first love and the story unfolds.
Rating: 9/10.
On a side note i've also been watching The Prime Minister and I with Yoona from SNSD. Show sucks.. bad acting and cheesy script. Been contemplating on why i keep watching it and realize that shit.. it's Yoona.. LOL. Now if Taeyeon started acting i would probably watch just about anything regardless of how bad it was. Not sure why she hasn't started yet.
Out of the blue I just realized I've been thinking about my top 10 celebrities in Korea.
1. Kim Tae Hee
2. Son Yeh Jin
3. Tae Yeon (SNSD)
4. Yoona (SNSD)
5. Park Hyomin (T-ara)
6. Song Ji Hyo
7. Hyeri (Girls Day)
You must be wondering.. why isn't Hyori on that list? WTF. She's married.. and did not age well. But yeah she's married. Those are all the ones I can think of. Why is so and so not on this list! This is my list. Go make your own.
Wednesday, January 01, 2014
New Year.. the bad the good..
Welcome to 2014.
The bad thing about going out on New Year's Eve is the fact that all the bad drivers come out in the same night. I was also surprised at the volume of people that were trying to get seats at restaurants. I figured most people would be at bars or chillin at house parties. Nope.. they were all trying to eat. Lucky me. 50 minute wait times. Ended up going to Shin Sen Gumi in J-town and it was so bomb in this cold weather. For some reason, all my friends had issues today. Some were sick, some went to church (God knows for what reason), some had family ties, some had gf's, and others simply fell asleep and flaked.
The other bad thing about today was the drivers on the road. 50% of people on the freeway were going 55mph and the other half were doing 80mph and zig zagging through the traffic. Mind you that the speed limit is 65mph. I figure the ones going 55 are the ones that are already drunk and are trying to drive slow - or too drunk to drive at a normal speed. Unknowings to them, it makes them look even more suspicious that way. The ones driving 80 could easily be just as drunk or in a hurry to get somewhere. One of the worst day to drive in California.
Now the good - 2013 is over. Having to type 2014 for all the dates will be troublesome. Overall 2013 was a pretty decent year. Nothing major happened until December when I finally got my TA appraiser license. I got a new laptop with mostly the 2nd highest tiered components. My Dell Inspiron lasted me a good 6 years, but it was time for an upgrade. It hasn't arrived yet, and I will do a full review once it's here. I've been living here in Granada Hills for a year now. That's about it I guess.. I'll be turning 33 soon. Wow.. 33. 33... 33.. When did this happen. I don't feel old yet - but that number sure seems high. Almost got me in panic mode.
Some new goals for the next 1.5 years:
1. Get certified as an Appraiser
2. Buy a house
3. Get ripped and get the 6 pack abs back
4. Stop stogging
5. Possibly buy a bike
Always good to have goals. Never stop achieving.
I have also been working on a lengthy article on how to lose weight. The plan was to reveal it for new years, but it's still a work in progress. It will probably be one of the most comprehensive and helpful guides on the internet. I've read plenty of other people's works - from blogs to actual high profile news articles, and they never actually tell you everything you need. It's mostly generalizations and things you already know. Hopefully I can break that barrier. Guess that's another goal.
The bad thing about going out on New Year's Eve is the fact that all the bad drivers come out in the same night. I was also surprised at the volume of people that were trying to get seats at restaurants. I figured most people would be at bars or chillin at house parties. Nope.. they were all trying to eat. Lucky me. 50 minute wait times. Ended up going to Shin Sen Gumi in J-town and it was so bomb in this cold weather. For some reason, all my friends had issues today. Some were sick, some went to church (God knows for what reason), some had family ties, some had gf's, and others simply fell asleep and flaked.
The other bad thing about today was the drivers on the road. 50% of people on the freeway were going 55mph and the other half were doing 80mph and zig zagging through the traffic. Mind you that the speed limit is 65mph. I figure the ones going 55 are the ones that are already drunk and are trying to drive slow - or too drunk to drive at a normal speed. Unknowings to them, it makes them look even more suspicious that way. The ones driving 80 could easily be just as drunk or in a hurry to get somewhere. One of the worst day to drive in California.
Now the good - 2013 is over. Having to type 2014 for all the dates will be troublesome. Overall 2013 was a pretty decent year. Nothing major happened until December when I finally got my TA appraiser license. I got a new laptop with mostly the 2nd highest tiered components. My Dell Inspiron lasted me a good 6 years, but it was time for an upgrade. It hasn't arrived yet, and I will do a full review once it's here. I've been living here in Granada Hills for a year now. That's about it I guess.. I'll be turning 33 soon. Wow.. 33. 33... 33.. When did this happen. I don't feel old yet - but that number sure seems high. Almost got me in panic mode.
Some new goals for the next 1.5 years:
1. Get certified as an Appraiser
2. Buy a house
3. Get ripped and get the 6 pack abs back
4. Stop stogging
5. Possibly buy a bike
Always good to have goals. Never stop achieving.
I have also been working on a lengthy article on how to lose weight. The plan was to reveal it for new years, but it's still a work in progress. It will probably be one of the most comprehensive and helpful guides on the internet. I've read plenty of other people's works - from blogs to actual high profile news articles, and they never actually tell you everything you need. It's mostly generalizations and things you already know. Hopefully I can break that barrier. Guess that's another goal.
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