Best Buy VPR Matrix 200A5 (Pentium 4-M, 2GHz)

[Yuniverse]

yes, it is 2.5 inch HDD... the one's that desktops use are 3.5 inch.
i think sunshine is right in saying that it's the size of the discs.

ALSO, i made a big mistake. I posted info for 180B5 instead of 200A5. i believe they have different graphic chips (although upgradeability remains the same) and other specs, so some of the drivers i've copied from the other board will not match.

But i'll leave it with a notation because some people with 180B5 may find it helpful.

Sorry about the confusion, madcool

[Yuniverse]

Originally posted by madcool1
I have an 185A5 vpr laptop.

the memory upgrade at crucial was $139. 512 ddr pc2100.

where can I find a hard drive for this computer? can I buy it, and if so, how much might it be? Should I just get an external?

Another info from infoarena:
Canuck posted:
Found an interesting little link that shows various different PCMark hard drive scores on a Dell Inspiron 8200 (click on hard drive in the FAQ categories):

http://www.geocities.com/thebithead/I8200FAQ.htm

Looks like the fastest hard drive right now is the 5400rpm IBM 40GNX w/8MB buffer (score is 622).

now as to where to buy them... you might try pricewatch.com

[liquify]

Hi folks...

I just picked up a 200A5 last week and I really like it. My 2 main issues were the "warped" body and the lower-left EXTREME heat issue.

Well, based on someone else's post I saw, the little black rubber port cover has REALLY come in handy. Flip that little sucker over and my 2 main complaints go away, plus the keyboard is at a better angle for typing. The warped effect is no more, plus, there is adequate airflow underneath so it doesn't get even 1/4 as hot as it did.

Hope this helps someone else.

Oh, I also had messed w/ the lastest Nvidia drivers and tried to tailor them to our card, but w/o much luck. The resolution section has changed in the 42.x drivers, so I am not quite sure of the syntax, but I'll keep working at it.

Take care,
Dave

[Triton]

just saw an add from gateway with the following specs:

Processor
Mobile Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 2.2GHz-M

Memory
512MB DDR SDRAM (2-256MB Modules)

Storage
40GB Ultra ATA Hard Drive

Media Drives
Modular 3.5" Diskette Drive
Modular 24x/10x/24x CDRW and 8x DVD combo

Graphics & Monitor
15.7" SXGA TFT Active Matrix
ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 w/ 64MB DDR video memory

what do you guys think?

[geekrock99]

1) not designed by F.A. Porsche
2) not a widescreen
3) gateway blows


geekrock99

[Ioman]

Originally posted by Triton
just saw an add from gateway with the following specs:

Processor
Mobile Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 2.2GHz-M

Memory
512MB DDR SDRAM (2-256MB Modules)

Storage
40GB Ultra ATA Hard Drive

Media Drives
Modular 3.5" Diskette Drive
Modular 24x/10x/24x CDRW and 8x DVD combo

Graphics & Monitor
15.7" SXGA TFT Active Matrix
ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 w/ 64MB DDR video memory

what do you guys think?

Go into a Gateway Country Store and try out their laptops. All of the P4 laptops are HUGE, heavy and bulky. They do not have slot loading DVD players, or a Widescreen monitor. They are missing the awsome sound card too...I tried them out and just didn't think they compared.

[Angus]

I'm assuming the Gateway you speak of is the 600 series so I'll base my comments on that computer. In addition to Geekrock's comments there's also the following...

Weight: The gateway is almost 9 pounds fully loaded, the VPR is low 6s.

Screen: Like Geek said, it's not a widescreen. I wasn't super sold on the widescreen before using it, but having done so now I can say that it's the exact same width as my 17" CRT and width is more important than length, er, height.

WiFi: None on the Gateway

USB2: None on the Gateway, only USB 1.1

Video Out: RCA composite jack on Gateway, S-Video (better) on VPR

Audio Out: VPR has that $250 cable with tons of great pro-quality connectors (SPDIF, XLR, RCA)

Floppy: Gateway has it, VPR doesn't.

PS2 Keyboard: Gateway has it, VPR doesn't

Firewire: Both have it, but VPR has 2.

Battery: I don't know the exact rating, but I understand the 3.5hr VPR battery is at the top of the heap.

EDIT: Yeah and let's not forget the ultra-cool slot-loading DVD/CDRW. None of those stupid trays to break.

[ox5o]

so did anyone get a reply with a solution to the buzzing lcd.....and also for those who think their fan is a bit loud.....any solutions to fix it? I went to BB today to exchange my 200a5 cuz during the weekend i popped my shift key similarly to angus so they exchanged it for me...luckily i got the last sealed 200a5 so i hope i won't have any more trouble w/ mine....my new one seems to have a lil more fan noise then my previous one and the buzzing lcd is still there......is it just me or do you guys have similar problems with the lcd? seems that if you have it on full bright the sound goes away but turn the lcd down a bit and there's a buzzing sound....anyone else have similar problem?

[cnc137]

I had the same LCD buzzing problem until I exchange my 200A5 for a new one since the DVD/CD-RW drive didn't work out of the box. Now, I can have the screen at minimum or full brightness without the buzzing. The fan makes a little more noise on the new one than the old one but doesn't bother me since I think it is just because it is pushing that much air in a small space.

I found some more information on the chipset on the motherboard, hard drive, and sound chip without vpr Matrix's help. (They have not replied to my email yet.) :(

The motherboard has the following chipset on it:

ALi - ALADDiN-P4M - M1671 (http://www.ali.com.tw/eng/product/corelogic/m1671.htm)

I downloaded the Integrated Driver (ftp://ftp.aliusa.com/driver/Integrated1.091.exe) from ALi's site and installed the "AGP Driver" and "Ultra DMA IDE Controller Driver" but did NOT install the "Sound driver" since the 200A5 does not have a ALi sound chip on it.

To read more about the Integrated Driver view the following text file: Integrated1.091.txt (ftp://ftp.aliusa.com/driver/Integrated1.091.txt)

!!!!!!!!!!!!! WARNING !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Installing the "Ultra DMA IDE Controller Driver" will disable the ability to put your 200A5 notebook into "Standby" or "Hibernation" modes. It actually greys out the "Standby" button on the menu when you go to shutdown Windows XP. This is documented in the Integrated Driver text file above along with why you will see 2 SCSI devices once you install the driver instead of IDE devices.

The Ultra DMA IDE Driver is from November 2002 so it is newer but I didn't see that much of an improvement when running PCMark2002 (http://www.futuremark.com) but it does seem like hard drive access might be faster now but maybe I am just crazy. :D

The 200A5 also has a the following hard drive and specs.:

IGM Travelstar 40GN Model #: IC25N040ATCS04

- 4200RPM
- 2MB Data Buffer
- Interface standard - ATA-5
- Average seek time - 12.0 ms

For the full specifications view the following Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file:

IBM Travelstar 60GH and 40GN - 2.5-inch hard disk drives (http://ssddom01.hgst.com/tech/techlib.nsf/techdocs/C5973B311E40B36D87256B290055562D/$file/T60gh40gn_ds.PDF)

Also visit this web page for more details:

Hitachi/IBM Travelstar 40GN (http://www.hgst.com/hdd/travel/tr40gn.htm)

The sound chip in the lpr Matrix 200A5 is made by SoundMAX and you can find out more about there products here:

SoundMAX.com (http://www.soundmax.com/)

I could only find information there since it doesn't look like they offer there own drivers.

I was a little disappointed to find out that the motherboard had a ALi chipset instead of a Intel chipset and I wish vpr Matrix would've stated this on the box. I probably would've still bought the notebook but I would've liked to have know that going in.

Also, in the January 2003 issue of Maximum PC (this is where I found some of the info above) they reviewed the vpr Matrix 200A5 and said that it was a good laptop but that the ALi chipset really slowed it down since it has bad memory bandwidth utilization. They gave the 200A5 an 8 out of 10 but said it would've been even better with an Intel chipset to go along with the Intel Pentium 4-M processor.

Lastly, I tried to run http://www.futuremark.com 's latest benchmarking program, "3DMark03", on the 200A5 and it caused the machine to blue screen (memory dump) and reboot. I was able to run 3DMark2001SE and PCMark2002 but 3DMark03 will not run. I am going to blame this on the old video driver but until we find a solution to the resolution problem I guess we won't be able to run 3DMark03. I hope this isn't a sign that we won't be able to run some future games without newer nVidia drivers??? :(

Well, I will let you know if I find any more information on the computers specifications and hopefully vpr Matrix will reply to me at some point.

cnc137. :thumb

[Unregistered]

Well when I upgraded my hard drive it was a pain. I replied earlier about this. I bought a IBM travelstar 60GB 5400RPM and upgraded my hard drive. It was a pain. I wish I took pictures for you guys. But I am glad I did as the laptop seems to operate faster especially with games. The worst thing was there are no instructions on how to upgrade the laptop. I see a flaw the way the laptop was assembled or put together because you have to basically take apart the laptop to upgrade the hard drive. Hope this helps.

[ox5o]

kinda OT but does anyone know what does postmark date mean on rebates? They usually have a date in which the rebate is valid and then they have a postmark , what does that mean? Does that mean that i can send it in before the postmark date and still expect the rebate? IMO rebates suck!!! I hate dealing w/ it cuz i usually forget to send them out.....i just hate waiting 3-4 sometimes 8 weeks to get the rebate money....a BIG HASSLE

[cnc137]

Postmark means that the post office has to stamp the envelope before the mentioned date. The post office will usually postmark something the same day you send it so as long as you get it in the mail on or before the postmark date on the rebate form you should be okay.

Hope this helps!

cnc137.

[Ishman]

I have been scouring the Internet for nvidia drivers for the geforce4 go that support 1280 X 854. I found these drivers that work on the Higrade laptop which also has the 15.2 screen 1280X854 resolution and geforce4 420 go.

ftp://ftp.higrade.com/pub/notebook/8640/VGA/40.72.zip

ftp://ftp.higrade.com/pub/notebook/8640/VGA/41.04.zip


ftp://ftp.higrade.com/pub/notebook/8640/VGA/41.09.zip

It is even got a text file as to what resolutions it supports and low and behold it says the 1280X854.

I have been able to use them but can only get a max of 1024X768.
I hope others might be able to get these to work. Please keep me informed.

For all practical purpose these drivers should work. Don't quite understand what the problem is.

Ishman

[geekrock99]

i spent a day on this video driver situation and came to nothing. i tweaked inf files, hacked registars and even copied inf from our vpr cd and use it in the new 40.0.9 directory.... nothing worked

the closest thing i've got is that i got 1280x854 resolution to shown on the display control, but when i tried that resolution the LCD just blanks out... though i could output it to an external CRT. please report your findings

geekrock99

[Ishman]

geekrock99

I have also tried to get other drivers to work. I don't understaand why the higrade drivers don't work. The Joybook 8000 drivers also work for the VPR but they are only 31.60, not much better than what came with the laptop. I hope there is someone out here who has more insite on this issue.

Why, do we need new drivers?

Because, they are out there and its is what computer geeks like to do. Use the latest stuff.;)


Ishman

(My wife asks me why I keep messing with the video:P )

[ox5o]

sup guys i just saw this hd for sale....can any of you tell me if it'll fit into the 200a5?

Hard Drive, 40 GB, 5400 RPM, Average Seek Time 12 ms, 100 MBps, ATA-5 Interface, 16 MB Cache
Depth: 3.94"
Features: Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) Motor
Height: 0.37"
Weight: 3.56 Oz
Width: 2.75"
Average Latency: 5.55 ms
Average Seek Time: 12 ms
Bytes per Sector: 512
Cache / Buffer Size: 16,384 KB
Data Transfer Rate: 100 MBps
Device Type: Hard Drive
Dimensions (WxDxH) / Weight: 2.75" x 3.94" x 0.37" / 3.56 Oz
Environmental Parameters: Temperature: 41 °F - 131 °F
External / Internal Data Transfer Rate: 100 MBps / 333.2 Mbps
Formatted Capacity: 40.0078 GB
Interface Type: ATA-5
Max Operating Temperature: 131 °F
Min Operating Temperature: 41 °F
Non-Recoverable Errors: 1 in 1013 bits
Power: 5 V ±5%
Seek Errors: 1 in 106 seeks
Seek Time ( Max ): 24 ms
Spindle Speed: 5400 rpm
Track-to-Track Seek Time: 3 ms
Type: Internal Hard Drive
Voltage Required: 5 V ±5%
Cylinders: 16,383
Heads: 4
Sectors per Track: 63
Shock Tolerance Operating / Non-Operatin: 200 Gs, 2 ms half sine wave / 800 Gs, 1 ms half sine wave
Power Consumption: 2.9 Watts (Seek); 2.5 Watts (Read/Write)
Seek Time: 3 ms (Track-to-Track); 12 ms (Average)
Shock Tolerance: 200 Gs, 2 ms half sine wave
Vibration Tolerance: 1.0 G, 5 - 500 Hz

[Yuniverse]

Originally posted by ox5o
sup guys i just saw this hd for sale....can any of you tell me if it'll fit into the 200a5?

Hard Drive, 40 GB, 5400 RPM, Average Seek Time 12 ms, 100 MBps, ATA-5 Interface, 16 MB Cache
Depth: 3.94"
Features: Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) Motor
Height: 0.37"
Weight: 3.56 Oz
Width: 2.75"
Average Latency: 5.55 ms
Average Seek Time: 12 ms
Bytes per Sector: 512
Cache / Buffer Size: 16,384 KB
Data Transfer Rate: 100 MBps
Device Type: Hard Drive
Dimensions (WxDxH) / Weight: 2.75" x 3.94" x 0.37" / 3.56 Oz
Environmental Parameters: Temperature: 41 °F - 131 °F
External / Internal Data Transfer Rate: 100 MBps / 333.2 Mbps
Formatted Capacity: 40.0078 GB
Interface Type: ATA-5
Max Operating Temperature: 131 °F
Min Operating Temperature: 41 °F
Non-Recoverable Errors: 1 in 1013 bits
Power: 5 V ?%
Seek Errors: 1 in 106 seeks
Seek Time ( Max ): 24 ms
Spindle Speed: 5400 rpm
Track-to-Track Seek Time: 3 ms
Type: Internal Hard Drive
Voltage Required: 5 V ?%
Cylinders: 16,383
Heads: 4
Sectors per Track: 63
Shock Tolerance Operating / Non-Operatin: 200 Gs, 2 ms half sine wave / 800 Gs, 1 ms half sine wave
Power Consumption: 2.9 Watts (Seek); 2.5 Watts (Read/Write)
Seek Time: 3 ms (Track-to-Track); 12 ms (Average)
Shock Tolerance: 200 Gs, 2 ms half sine wave
Vibration Tolerance: 1.0 G, 5 - 500 Hz

If this is from dell, i'm sure it'll fit.
For others who are interested, dell home s&p site is selling 40GB 5400rpm, with 16MB Cache 2.5inch drive for $128.34 with free shipping before any applicable coupons.

Yuniverse

[Unregistered]

Re: Oh and the guy who needs NTBACKUP

I have just about every OS Microsoft makes, including the 2000-Pro 64-Bit Itanium version.

I was just $&%)(!!! off because the NTBACKUP program is part of the XP Home software. It makes you wonder what else was left out of the VPR Matrix XP Home OEM software - can you say for sure all of the normal XP Home tools are there ???

I have strong negative feelings for the software engineer's ability who packaged the OEM XP Home version for the VPR Matrix notebook. Voices are telling me to tell him to better check his software products - lol.

I do agree that XP Pro is a betty way to go for many of us, but not everybody needs or wants XP Pro. Besides, my VPR Matrix wide screen notebook is for my wife.

I am very pleased with the hardware. I am considering getting a second one - if Best Buy did not drop product! (If you go to their web site, it states no longer taking orders for this product).

The range of the 802.11b wireless network is about half the distance of any other wireless network card I have. I had to move my wireless base unit about 18 feet closer to my VPR Matrix notebook computer just to get a good signal.

I have not peaked inside the unit yet but can anybody tell me if the built in wireless network card is actually a PCMCIA card stuck in the upper half of the PCMCIA slot?

So my ending summary:
VPR Matrix hardware quality is a 9 out of a 10
VPR Matrix OEM version of XP Home is a 0 out of 10

[Nikhil]

Well, the removal of the backup program by VPR is not exclusive to that company. I just picked up the VPR (and I have never loved any of my technology this much..definately the best laptop I've ever owned). My (thank god) now-gone Toshiba Satellite 5005-S504 (worst laptop I've owned; I was attracted by appearances and seemingly good features for the price...it was just a crappy system) lacked the backup program, as does one of my HP desktops. So it's basically up to the manufacturer; there are better solutions out there for backing up anyway.

As for WiFi, the range is rather poor, but I'm using my Orinoco card...that thing has amazing range. I can go down two blocks and have a 3 bar signal from my Microsoft WAP. The built-in WiFi is my biggest qualm with the unit (that and the sometimes excessive heat from the front...not a huge problem because it's bearable). But I can add that card easily, so no problem!

[rickster1317]

I am also looking to buy a laptop. The VPR caught my eye. Although it seems i can't buy it online. I have also been looking at Dells, Toshibas, and Compaqs. It seems Dell has too many flaws. It infact has the speed step problem you guys are talking about. Read about it here (http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_power&message.id=14331) (the thread is 45++ pages long, skim it.) If i buy a VPR i probably won't really need it on full settings when its not charging.

Toshibas are the real deal, but they are kinda pricey. The latest one has a sub woofer. I don't know too much about Compaqs, but i still have my laptop and it has given me minimal problems over the past 3 years.

That website with the knock off alienware looks really tempting, but i wonder what happens if they send me a lemon? How is their costumer support?


This forum community seems nice and friendly, I think i am going to like it here.

[Ioman]

Originally posted by rickster1317
I am also looking to buy a laptop. The VPR caught my eye. Although it seems i can't buy it online. I have also been looking at Dells, Toshibas, and Compaqs. It seems Dell has too many flaws. It infact has the speed step problem you guys are talking about. Read about it here (http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_power&message.id=14331) (the thread is 45++ pages long, skim it.) If i buy a VPR i probably won't really need it on full settings when its not charging.

Toshibas are the real deal, but they are kinda pricey. The latest one has a sub woofer. I don't know too much about Compaqs, but i still have my laptop and it has given me minimal problems over the past 3 years.

That website with the knock off alienware looks really tempting, but i wonder what happens if they send me a lemon? How is their costumer support?


This forum community seems nice and friendly, I think i am going to like it here.

Welcome to the forums Rickster, you have a nice Avatar! Feel free to speak freely in the forums with anyone, every one here is very friendly. I look forward to chatting with you some more.

BTW, is a subwoofer in a laptop really a smart idea lol.

[Angus]

That website with the knock off alienware looks really tempting, but i wonder what happens if they send me a lemon? How is their costumer support?

Well, so far it seems like everyone has a customer service story to tell. Which on the surface might seem lousey but I think more of an issue with VPR is quality assurance, because when you look at most people's experiences once they've had a problem, most of them have gone reasonably well. So really the fault doesn't lie too much with BB so much as it does with whoever makes VPR notebooks.

One other thing to keep in mind is that VPR is relatively new, and like buying a car the first year the model or company is out, there will be some bumps along the way. Having read every single one of the messages in this thread and others, it seems like the bumps are thankfully, all very minor. Like mine, a broken keyboard. Customer service for that was ok because with BB I think the best bet is to always deal with a manager. By doing this I ended up saving myself 3 weeks (or more) and ended up with a brand new computer. So if you don't mind the possibility of something minor breaking then don't sweat it cause the computer is great and the customer service isn't so bad actually.

Quite honestly, little stuff breaks on all of these damn notebooks it seems. Whether you pay $3000 for a Dell or $900 for a compaq cheapy.

[XIRTAM]

I have my 200A5 for 2month now and very happy with it
I have heard a few problems that also I have but nothing to change my decision for this laptop
only one problem the parallel port stop working after I install a new printer it work for a few days but not any more I can still print tru USB but will like to have this port available any sugestion

Thanks

[Ioman]

Originally posted by XIRTAM
I have my 200A5 for 2month now and very happy with it
I have heard a few problems that also I have but nothing to change my decision for this laptop
only one problem the parallel port stop working after I install a new printer it work for a few days but not any more I can still print tru USB but will like to have this port available any sugestion

Thanks

That sounds very odd, have you tried it with any other printers? Did you buy the extended warranty? I would take it in to look at if you are sure the port is bad.

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by rickster1317
That website with the knock off alienware looks really tempting, but i wonder what happens if they send me a lemon? How is their costumer support?


Oh you will find every single VPR customer has at least one problem or more with BB, especially with their Customer service or the notorious BB Rep.

Good Luck, You'll need that

[Unregistered]

Hi,
Just came across this forum, very informative...

Bought a 185 on Tuesday, immediately put XP pro on it with sp1 and all windows updates, loaded up all the drivers from vprmatrix.com, but, the thing starts freezing occassionally: freeze 10 secs -> move 5 secs -> freeze 10 secs -> move 5 secs -> etc. It keeps doing this until I either reboot or.... and this is the funny thing.... disable the 10/100 Lan connection. Once the Lan connection is disabled, I can renable it and continue without the freezing for a while. I called support this morning and didn't get any worthwhile help.

I got it for a deal and now am faced with the delimma of exchanging for another one or getting a different laptop. I love everything about this machine and it doesn't have any other problems besides this one... but this is a big one.

Anyone else had a similar experience?

Thanks.

[Unregistered]

Welcome to VPR matrix customer.

I'll bet when u ask those kids who works in BB they will say "ITS YOUR FAULT!!"

Good luck

[Ioman]

Originally posted by Unregistered
Welcome to VPR matrix customer.

I'll bet when u ask those kids who works in BB they will say "ITS YOUR FAULT!!"

Good luck

I would appreciate it if you posted constructive posts, either positive or negative. Randomly blurting out unthoughtful things will get you nowhere. Please REGISTER for the forums if you are going to continue to post here.

Thank you.

[anooshg]

i'd give this a big two thumps up. i work with ibm laptops all the time (i sell them, too), and this is as close as one that come to an ibm laptop. since i'm a home user, i did a lot of research to see which system gave me a better value. this laptop is obviously sold by best buy, so they provide you with a lot of incentives to buy from them (rebates, gift cards, onsite warranty if you purchase it from them). i think ibm has the best value (even though people think it's too high priced and its not), if you consider the laptop alone (lots of features and utility software that you cann't find with any other), but the vpr comes more close to those features as the rest. my 2 cents is to go for it.

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by Ioman


I would appreciate it if you posted constructive posts, either positive or negative. Randomly blurting out unthoughtful things will get you nowhere. Please REGISTER for the forums if you are going to continue to post here.

Thank you.

You've been working in BestBuy too long my friend. You've been brainwashed.

Wake up!
Bestbuy indeed has a rather poor reputation when it comes to customer support.

[Ioman]

Originally posted by Unregistered


You've been working in BestBuy too long my friend. You've been brainwashed.

Wake up!
Bestbuy indeed has a rather poor reputation when it comes to customer support.

Hmmm more constructive criticism. I do not work for Best Buy. And while I am not happy that I have to wait 3 weeks for them to fix it, I did do the damage myself and it is not costing me anything to get it fixed. So with that being said, I can wait until it is ready. Please register on the forums, posting such rude comments as unregistered is pretty weak....

[sonoronos]

Hi folks. I'm the one that originally posted about the VPR Matrix 185A5 and its ability to irritate me to violence with its screen buzzing.

Well, if you have a pocketknife and a sharp philips screwdriver, you can fix the problem yourself!

Here's how to do it:

1) Using a thin pocketknife, carefully pry off the grey circle stickers located on the bottom of the laptop's screen. Store these sticky side up.

2) Using the think pocketknife, carefully pry off the two grey soft bumpers from the top of the screen. Store these sticky side up for later.

3) Using the philips screwdriver, carefully remove all six screws from around the perimeter of the screen.

4) Gently lift up the screen bezel from the lower corners until it "pops" out. Do not use excessive force and only lift it up a cm for now.

5) Gently lift up the screen bezel from the upper corners until it "pops" out up there. Do not use excessive force, and only lift it up a cm for now.

6) now carefully alternate between pulling out the top and bottom CORNERS of the bezel until the entire LOWER PART of the bezel pops off the rear screen cover. Note that the bezel WILL stay attached where the latches are. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE ENTIRE BEZEL. You will bend your bezel and then things will really suck for you.

7) Below the actual LCD, you will see a bunch of screws. There are two pairs of stainless steel screws, screwed into stainless steel metal blocks. Take your screwdriver and tighten these fairly tightly (they will most likely be loose if your screen was buzzing badly).

8) Next, look at the ribbon cable piece located in the center, below the screen. There are two screws holding this piece in, one on the left and one on the right. Take the screwdriver and gently loosen each of these screws a LITTLE BIT until the buzzing stops!!

9) Now that the buzzing has stopped, check the tightness of the other screws. Make sure that they are snug.

10) Snap the bezel back into the rear casing.

11) Replace all screws.

12) Replace all bumpers/stickers

13) Enjoy your laptop without the sudden urges to throw it out a window.

[d4phtpunk]

wow... good find... who knew that vibrating screws in the screen would cause this... i'm glad i don't have a buzzing problem...

i did a google search on custom resolutions and found this website. it seems pretty informative.. and has all the instructions laid out pretty well....

i've done some research into the technique and everything i find seems to suggest it may work... although i have not tried it myself....

if someone does do this... it will take some work.. because i think you'll have to enter the line w/ the resolution and everything into every mode for every model!! and then reinstall from there..

if that works.. perhaps that person can then share that file as long as the exact driver version is used.....

someone please take a look... see what you can find... i might try this later on myself.... if i do.. i'll absolutely post my results...

http://www.scala.com/discussions/custom-resolution-1601.html

ok.. peace

-dp

[Ishman]

If I am not mistaken, this method of screen resolution from your link is for the older drivers below 40.**. Since these drivers they use a compressed resolution format which is different. If this was the case you could easily swap the resolution listed in the original driver and place it in the newer drivers to allow for 1280x854. I have tried to modify the newer drivers but have not had much luck. I sure hope someone can help.

I big gripe I got is why VPR doesn't put dates or version numbers by their drivers. One has to download the thing to find out.


Ishman

[anooshg]

Originally posted by Unregistered


You've been working in BestBuy too long my friend. You've been brainwashed.

Wake up!
Bestbuy indeed has a rather poor reputation when it comes to customer support.

my friend, if you read my post again i said i sell ibm's. since best buy doesn't sell ibm's, i could not be working for them. i also did not vouch for best buys's customer service. i just said that as far as features, the vpr matrix comes close to ibm, whom i think makes the best laptops in the market. i also said that with all the gift cards a and rebates that bb offered, it made my buy an attractive one.

[sonoronos]

wow... good find... who knew that vibrating screws in the screen would cause this... i'm glad i don't have a buzzing problem...

Ironically enough, the loose screws are because of vibration from moving the screen up and down.

The actual buzzing is caused because the backlight PCB is actually on too tight to the LCD casing, and the screws holding it in have to be LOOSENED slightly! Even a quarter turn or so will completely eliminate the buzzing.

By the way, you know how there are supposed to be FOUR screws holding the hinges together on my VPR matrix? When I opened my 185A5, I found that it was missing a screw!

Maybe one of our friendly "yellow headed" BB members can give a shout out to VPR Matrix and help us out :)

[d4phtpunk]

hrm.. i grabbed this from nvidia's web site... it applies to their current 40+ drivers.....

argh.. and apparently i can't attach the file zipped either because it's too large.......

On the same page where you choose what site to download the drivers from...at the bottom is a small pdf user guide w/ instructions on how to edit the inf file... because the new drivers do support compressed modes....

i'm going to do this later tonight. will post results.

-dp

[Angus]

When I hopped over to the Nvidia site and went to "Download Drivers" I get that page with the 3 little windows. First you pick Graphics Drivers, then you pick Geforce and TNT. After that it displays a bit of text on the bottom that disappears once you click something in the third window. SO DON'T PICK ANYTHING IN THE THIRD WINDOW.

Ok, now that you've picked something in the second window, look at the note down at the bottom of the page....

NOTE: GeForce2 Go and GeForce4 Go mobile processors are not supported in this driver. Please contact the notebook's manufacturer for graphics drivers for your notebook PC.

Uh, I think we're screwed folks. Something tells me in my gut that no amount of INF tweaking is going to make the 40.x drivers work with our notebooks. :(

I'm still interested to see how the INF tweaking comes out though!

[d4phtpunk]

ARRGGHHH!!!!!

:brick :bash

i'm not sure if i want to go forward now.. i am bashing my head on all this SHV and delta architectures...

blah blah...

-dp

:curse

[Ishman]

Actually all geforce video adaptors can be supported by these drivers. Dell and others just tweak the inf file and turn a few registry switches to allow or disallow certain items. All the hacked drivers on the internet for Geforce Go cards are only inf tweaks. The only issue is the resolution. I can get them to work on the VPR but only at 1024X768. 3dMark goes up by 150-170 points. Someone needs to find the correct entry in the inf file to allow for the 1280X854 resolution.

[strife]

I'm new here, but this site was a really nice find. I searched a long time for a vpr site and I finally found a good one. Anyway, I bought a 180B5 online about 2 weeks ago for 999 - 100 rebate. Well I got the laptop and it was really nice, but then it crashed. Out of no where. I didn't really think much of it... But 5 minutes later, it crashes again. Well I looked at the error messages and it turns out it was a problem with the video card. I went to ATI to download the latest driver, and of course you all know they redirected to vpr. Well I downloaded the vpr driver and it wouldn't even install correctly. So I tried running the restore disk and formatting. It was still crashing. At this point, (2nd day I had the laptop) I called technical support only to find out the driver on vpr's site was the same exact one that was shipped with laptop. That really didn't make me happy. So I took it to BB to have a tech look at it and that didn't do any good, considering I knew more than the tech(i'm only 15, too, lol). I wasn't going to send a brand new laptop out to be serviced for 3 weeks. So I could either exchange it, or get my money back. Well considering they aren't making it anymore, all I could do was get my money back :(. After this, I am not mad at vpr, though, I still really like there laptops, which brings me to my next point.

Should get I a 185A5, or wait for new models? I like the 185A5, but after hearing about all the quality issues, I'm not sure I am ready to buy another flawed laptop.

Few comments -
1. The 200A5 at BB actually has the shift key broken off just like a few of you described. I found this pretty funny.
2. I DID NOT purchase the extended plan the first time and after reading about all the problems I will NEVER make that mistake again. (keep in mind this is my first time buying a laptop)

[geekrock99]

sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience with your vpr laptop. i was once 15 and a thousand dollar purchase must have been a pretty big deal. i'd suggest you get your money back and perhaps order it again (whether it would be a new or the same model) when another good "rebate deal" comes along.

vpr seems to keep a tight lid on upcoming designs, so it's fairly difficult to make any predictions on when a new model will come out at this time.

considering that the next big holiday is not imminent (possible big rebate time), depending on your need, i'd say the timing of your next purchase is entirely up to you.

geekrock99

[x5kid]

ok so how do i get the most out of sonopur technology w/out spending more money? What does it really do when i switch from 96k to 192k.....i really can't tell a difference if there is any difference at all. i've tried listening to mp3's closesly but can't notice any difference in sound quality. I kno that the speakers on these laptops are not the greatest so i've used sony mdr-v700 dj headphones and i can say that i don't hear a big difference at all.

I have another question, i like to use my laptop in bed and i notice that it gets really hot if the fan on the bottom is covered up.....ie...resting on my blanket or bed. what i'm trying to ask is, is it bad if the fan can't get air through? I notice that it gets hotter on the bottom and near the hd and fan area. Any input?

third of all.....i read a few posts about ppl having bad firewire ports.....is there a way to check that my ports are working well besides going out and purchasing a firewire cable and hooking it up to another machine that has firewire?

i jus wanna say that this msg board is very helpful!!!! Was a bit worried when purchasing this laptop originally but after finding this board i feel more comfortable because a lof of the questions and doubts i had were answered here or are still being answered.


Any progress on updated drivers? Should i go to VPR and download their drivers or are they the same that shipped w/ my laptop? Input would be greatly appreciated thnx.

[d4phtpunk]

i found a really slick media player (mp3/wma/cd) to match our slick lappys...

www.beoplayer.com

it's bang and olufsen's *free* software that works with their beosound 2 mp3 player... anybody know how much it is?? i'm afraid to call a store and end up laughing my ass off at some rediculous price... but it's slick!!

ok.. that's all

-dp

[Angus]

Wow, that player is really nifty, I definitely like it a lot. It's a little weird to use but after you get the hang of things it's quite neat. Plus it looks really bad-ass to have a huge list of mp3s in the folders area, a playlist in the middle, and the info of the track playing on the right. And hey, it matches the notebook perfectly!

I did notice however that it eats up a TON of memory on my system. Right now it's running about 30MB worth of memory. I guess because I have a jumbo sized (100 folder, 3000mp3 files) catalog of files. I guess that's just another reason to get my ass in gear and upgrade to 1GB of memory.

Great tasteful looking program though, thanks for the link!

EDIT: Oh man, and it works with the forward and back buttons on the front of the computer. This just became my default player for sure. I can't figure out how it's ordering my mp3 files in folder view though. Anyways, GREAT APP!!

[Angus]

Whoa... I just realized something...

http://images.bestbuy.com/images/esku/back/11178359baA.jpg

If you look at that picture that I just happened to be looking at on the Best Buy website, it would appear that the 200A5 has a flip-down port cover with the labels for which port does what on the panel. I also noticed in the top-down view pic the words "design by f.a. porsche" are on the front right corner of the unit, not near the VPR button as it is on my 200A5. Early preproduction model? Anyone have one of these units? Where they some sort of revision A units or just something that happened to be the model at the time of the pictures being taken, and not what made it to production?

I thought this was a little interesting....why the hell am I still up at 3:45am. Oof.

[Ioman]

ahaha good find! I wonder if this was an engineering sample they used for marketing pics, a newer revision or the next version to come out?

[Angus]

Hah, it's probably a pre-production sample that was used for the pics, because I believe it was that way when I originally looked at the computer a couple months ago on their site. They probably realized they could save a damn quarter by making it out of super-lint-collecting-rubber instead of actually using a hinged door!

Check out the silver back panel too where all the jacks are outlets are located. Mine is painted black while that is shiiiiiny. Heh, goofy ass pre-production images.

That's my theory anyways.

[d4phtpunk]

i was playing around the vpr web site... hoping that there might be some updates.. anything!!

well. anyway,, was checking out the sweepstakes page and notices they had pics of the porsche laptop bag... and what kind of laptop would you find in that bag?

a mac powerbook

and in the second pic... it kind of looks like ibook....

check it out:

http://www.vprmatrix.com/customer_sweepstakes.asp

-dp

[angelshare]

Hey there. Been scanning this place for a few days now. Some interesting info. Seriously salvating over the 200A5. Anyway, so today went today to the BB here in manhattan and got the goods:

1. Both widescreen models are now discontinued.
2. New models will be available in early March.

Some guy got there before me and got the last floor model for 200A5 for $1300. I didn't sweat it tho as I'm curious as to what the new models hold in store. Also, will be touring akihabara (akiba) in tokyo on the 7th. If anyone's interested, can post picks of the latest laptops from Japan.

cheers
ken

[Ioman]

Originally posted by angelshare
Hey there. Been scanning this place for a few days now. Some interesting info. Seriously salvating over the 200A5. Anyway, so today went today to the BB here in manhattan and got the goods:

1. Both widescreen models are now discontinued.
2. New models will be available in early March.

Some guy got there before me and got the last floor model for 200A5 for $1300. I didn't sweat it tho as I'm curious as to what the new models hold in store. Also, will be touring akihabara (akiba) in tokyo on the 7th. If anyone's interested, can post picks of the latest laptops from Japan.

cheers
ken

Ken, first of all welcome to the forums, we are glad to have ya!

Secondly, thanks for the update on the 200A5 Laptop. I will hold off writing my review of it for Designtechnica since the new model is coming out.

Thirdly, we would LOVE to see some pictures of the laptops in Japan!

[x5kid]

so are any of the 185's and 200's cheaper now? I remember i bought mine for 1699 w/ rebates and the 185 were going for 1399 w/ rebates.......did they tell you why they're discontinuing them? i think widescreen was the biggest thing that made me buy this laptop.

definately post pix of the new laptops in japan.....hey if you see a skyline gt-r snap a pic of that tooo..:D

[angelshare]

Regarding prices, at the manhattan store, the 200A5 was 1599 after a $100 rebate, and I think the 185A5 (or whatever it's called) was 1299 after $100 rebate. But the store had none in stock and due to the discontinued status, they don't expect to get any more.

Regarding the skyline, check this out!

http://ww4.tiki.ne.jp/~mmurakami/setoy/map.html

cheers
ken

[Ioman]

Originally posted by angelshare
Regarding prices, at the manhattan store, the 200A5 was 1599 after a $100 rebate, and I think the 185A5 (or whatever it's called) was 1299 after $100 rebate. But the store had none in stock and due to the discontinued status, they don't expect to get any more.

Regarding the skyline, check this out!

http://ww4.tiki.ne.jp/~mmurakami/setoy/map.html

cheers
ken

Ken, I think he was referring to the Nissan Skyline GT-R car, its a sweet car with all-wheel drive!

[Angus]

I'm going to kick myself in the ass (literally, I can do it) if VPR releases a 17" widescreen or something in all aluminum or magnesium. For that matter, I'm going to kick myself in the ass if it has a DVDR drive, integrated bluetooth, or WiFi-G.

Seems I might have a good ass kickin' in my future. :(

:D

[angelshare]

Based on this news.com.com.com article, Intel's new mobile CPU will be introduced next month. The new notebook will be introduced next month. hmm.....


http://news.com.com/2100-1005-986320.html

[Ioman]

Originally posted by angelshare
Based on this news.com.com.com article, Intel's new mobile CPU will be introduced next month. The new notebook will be introduced next month. hmm.....


http://news.com.com/2100-1005-986320.html
Check this out: http://forums.designtechnica.com/showthread.php?threadid=1410

Best Buy has a newer model already on their website. I do bet the next version of the 200A5 uses the Centrino chip.

[d4phtpunk]

I would doubt the successor to the 200a5 would have a centrino in it.... i believe that they put the 2ghz p4m with the widescreen, cause they're marketting towards power users,, people who want to watch dvd's.. rip music and have lots of fun.. . this is a powerful laptop...

the first centrino's to come out won't top 800mhz!! They are designed to be super low power, mobile processors...

you know all those tiny laptops you see sony and toshiba selling?? those all have p3's because they're smaller, and consume less power.. they also don't have all that much in working power like the p4's do.... it's these laptops that are going to be using the new centrino's....

besides.. vpr is still new to the market,, i'm betting they're going to let the big guys test the waters w/ centrino before they get into the market.....

we'll see another p4 in the next 200a5.... i'm sure of it!

-dp

[angelshare]

You can now (maybe you always could?) get the 185A5 for $1350 from the website. Was this always here? I kind of think this is a better value, as having another 200mhz, and 10gb of space doesn't really make much difference to me. However I think I'm going to chill out and see what's released next month.

http://www.bestbuy.com/Detail.asp?m=1581&cat=1588&scat=&e=11202473

Regarding Intel's new mobil chip, from what I've read, it's a break from the traditional x86 architecture. It's built in such a way that optimizes the number of instructions-per-cycle to conserve resources. I think Intel will be marketing it as a performance chip in contrast to the mobile pIII, but that's just a guess. Either way, since it does seem Quanta makes these things (like just about every laptop on the planet) I'm sure they've got something tasty in store...

cheers
ken

[Angus]

Yeah let's not let the fact that it runs at a slower ratespeed convince anyone that it's in fact a slower processor. I mean we're all at least pc enthusiasts here and if we're worth our weight in peanuts then we all know that chips like the Athlon do just fine with slower clockspeeds.

Oh and tomshardware did a review/preview of the new mobile chips. Pretty good read. Apparently they're faster than the P4 Ms and have mo-betta powa' consumption.

[gozilla]

Great Forum!

Aside from the quality issues, hearing that the wi-fi was very weak on the 200a5 really bugged me.

I was wondering if anyone has tried replacing the mini-PCI wi-fi module with another brand... guess I could add a wi-fi card, but it kind of defeats the purpose...

is it inherently the laptop that deadens the signal or is it just a matter of a subpar chip?

[angelshare]

Interesting question. Someone sourced the WiFi card on Ebay. I was under the impression that the weak reception was due to the antenna. Which brings up the question (for all those analog/hardware dooods), couldn't the antenna be grounded to the top surface of the notebook, or some other big piece of metal inside the notebook, to improve reception?

Side note: I hope the new version has DVI out. Dell has a 20" UXGA LCD for under $800 now. Crazy...

cheers
ken

[d4phtpunk]

I saw that article on tomshardware... pretty interesting...
i found it interesting that intel is going to try to bundle the processor with 2 other pieces,, the chipset and the wireless portion... without all three it's technically not called centrino... plus they charted out that consumer notebooks won't completely phase out the p4m until early 2004...

should be interesting to see how vpr picks up the technology.. especially cause, as we found out the 200a5 has an ali chipset and not the intel...

i'm also surprised to see that intel's doubled the expected mhz at ship date.....

angus does make a good point, though, about frequencies.. one of the best examples of when frequency doesn't necessarily mean speed are the motorola processors apple uses in their machines.... lower clock speeds, yes,, but still workhorses that can challenge the best of the pentium line processors....

about the wifi antenna.. i've thought of that too.. i'm planning an overhaul and graphix paint job of my lid..

1) EL glowing sticker,, maybe a ThunderCats lions head
2) Antenna Strip
3) Case Wrap with colors and graphix to complement the EL sticker..

i'll probably either use one of the usb ports,, or work on the pinouts of the parallel port for power of the EL sticker..

anyway.. just wanted to post...

oh.. and an update on beoplayer.. i don't think it works well with a very large library of music...i've got 3gb... i think it killed it.. when i play it.. it is constantly taxing the processor and eating 200mb of mem... then it would die after the 2nd song... oh well...

-dp

[Angus]

BeoPlayer has, the more and more I use it, annoying quirks that tarnish what could be a really nice piece of software. I've found that it takes a helluva long time to load songs over the network. And to make things more annoying it insists that I map the network drive first and not just use a nice UNC path when it does the search. 13GB of files took it about 15 minutes to catalog over my 100mbps network. Bizarre. I also noticed that in folder view it sorts files alphabetically by ID3 tag name THEN by file name. How lame is that. So of course my nicely organized mp3 folder structure of "Band Name - Album Name/00 - Track Name.mp3) is hosed forcing me to make playlists or use the Album view which then organizes the albums by Album title not Artist name AND album title. How obnoxious.

But I digress...

Apple had issues early on with the WiFi antennas in the first titanium powerbooks. I know a ton of apple people but they're such snobs, and/or dimwits about computers, that they can't tell me what changed between revisions to increase the quality of the internal powerbook antenna (that like the VPR goes around the bezel of the display).

And speaking of apple people, I still can't convince my friend to order me a powerbook DVDR drive for my 200A5. Guess I have to bribe him or something, who knows. Heh.

As for Apple processors... yeah they're clocked slower but I'll be damned if I can ever find a good apples to apples (no pun intended) benchmark between a G4 and anything wintel. Half the time they use Photoshop filters that are Altivec/Velocity Engine optimized which blows everything away. And then on the other hand you have my friends who STILL gripe about how unresponsive OSX feels, even with all that so-called processor. So who knows. But the general concept is sound...slower clockrate doesn't equate to lower performance necessarily.

[Angus]

Oh, and that EL sticker sounds kind of cool. I'd like to figure out how to rig up the keyboard to glow. Some sort of EL strip light or something would be neat since the keys on the widescreen models are translucent. Eh, I don't think I could bring myself to void the warranty like that though. I just wish the case had some sort of laquer over the magnesium lid and bottom to avoid scratches and scuffs.

[x5kid]

hey for your mp3 playing needs i downloaded QCD PLAYER from cnet recently i say it's a hella cool mp3 program...better then winamp or real jukebox. Try it out....some of the skins avaliable for this player are really cool. there's an extend button on skins that minimizes the playlist and other stuff to give it a clean look when playing. Check it out.....

[dnt]

Okay, I'm gonna try and put a 802.11G card in my Matrix VPR 185... I'll let you guys know how it goes on monday. So far I need to solder the connector on to the 802.11g board and I should be able to snap it in place. Keep your finger cross for me :-)

[x5kid]

if you can take pics of the process so others can do it if it works out right...

[budsaint]

Hey all I just bought the vpr 185A5 and was planning to set up a wireless network in my house. Not a big house, but is signal
strength still an issue? Can someone recommend a setup using the existing card that works.

Thanks

[MadCool]

I am using mine right now.... I have a 185, and a d-link router. It hasn't been a problem. Right now I am only having a buzzing screen, but I don't have the sack to go through all of the directions to fix it, like it was explained in earlier posts.

I have the service plan, and I am at a crux. I am bothered by Windows. Who isn't, right? I am sort of secretly hoping that Best Buy starts carrying Macs so that I can get a Powerbook. Technology for technology, that is how the no lemon plan works. And I want a widescreen laptop.

Although it isn't a laptop, has anyone seen the almost laptop at Best Buy. Sony w20. Pretty cool, I think. A lot of the same features as the 185, but it isn't portable.

[Ioman]

Originally posted by MadCool
I am using mine right now.... I have a 185, and a d-link router. It hasn't been a problem. Right now I am only having a buzzing screen, but I don't have the sack to go through all of the directions to fix it, like it was explained in earlier posts.

I have the service plan, and I am at a crux. I am bothered by Windows. Who isn't, right? I am sort of secretly hoping that Best Buy starts carrying Macs so that I can get a Powerbook. Technology for technology, that is how the no lemon plan works. And I want a widescreen laptop.

Although it isn't a laptop, has anyone seen the almost laptop at Best Buy. Sony w20. Pretty cool, I think. A lot of the same features as the 185, but it isn't portable.

Link to W10 forums thread: http://forums.designtechnica.com/showthread.php?threadid=1152

Link to W20 forum thread: http://forums.designtechnica.com/showthread.php?threadid=1435

Link to W10 review on Designtechnica: http://www.designtechnica.com/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=52

I have been thinking about getting the W20 for home, I think it kicks arse!

[Yuniverse]

that W20 looks great. Although the shared video memory is unfortunate.

[YoYoCome]

a lot of useful information from this thread. I am looking into purchasing the 185a5, but someone mentioned that a new model will be released around early March? Should I wait for it or just purchase the 185a5?

[angelshare]

Yeah...that's a question I've been asking myself lately too... :) Unfortunately, it's really unanswerable until we know what the specs of the new model(s) will be.

For me, if the new models are simply component upgrades, such as a faster P4-M or a bigger hard drive, I'll be disappointed. After reading thru this forum, some "wish list" items become obvious:

1. Better keyboard
2. Better wireless reception
3. Quiet optical drive
4. Port cover on back
5. Better thermal management

I'm sure there are more, but my point with this is that all these items are simply DESIGN issues and not component issues. If the new model(s) address some of these issues, I'll be the first to slap down some plastic. However if it's the same system with some updated components, I'll probably just go w/ the 185A5 (and be irritated that BB tempted me w/ a new model).

cheers
ken

[angelshare]

Hey,

Does anyone use thier VPR in DualHead mode w/ and external monitor? Are there any issues or complaints? I envision myself using this type of setup with an external LCD monitor, but would like to know if there are any problems...

thanks!
ken

[MadCool]

Well, here is something....

I don't have a weblink, but I work at Best Buy, and I was told that the whole point, or at least one of VPR's niches, is that they have a huge turnover rate. Meaning, when they decided to make computers they planned on having new models every 7 months. I was aware of this from the beginning. So every 7 months they will discontinue the model that they have (170-200) and move on to something else. They want to always be in the front line for new technology. They have a new desktop called the 9110 that is pretty money, but they stopped selling it because they felt as if the HP Media Center was out-doing it. So they went back to the drawing board and are developing something to outdo it. They will do the same with the laptop. They will probably maintain the widescreen, but will make certain adjustments in regard to the specs.

I am trying with all of my might to get on the committee that discusses changes or improvements to the VPR line. I have told a lot of people, including an original designer of the 200a5, a lot of the changes that have been mentioned on this site. So thank you, and know that the things that are brought up here will get back directly to at least some of the people that are in charge of making these changes.

[Ioman]

Originally posted by YoYoCome
a lot of useful information from this thread. I am looking into purchasing the 185a5, but someone mentioned that a new model will be released around early March? Should I wait for it or just purchase the 185a5?

This is what I would do, but it's a gamble. Wait until the absolute last moment, so you can see the specs of the new system, then if you are not happy with them, try and buy the old system (it should be extremely cheap by then).

[angelshare]

Originally posted by MadCool
Well, here is something....

They will do the same with the laptop. They will probably maintain the widescreen, but will make certain adjustments in regard to the specs.



So do you mean that it is common to redesign the physical pieces, or just updated the internal components? The costs associated w/ reengineering and recasting (or whatever it's called) the case would be more expensive from and R&D perspective than just mounting updated chips onto the motherboard. This is very interesting...


I am trying with all of my might to get on the committee that discusses changes or improvements to the VPR line.


That would be a very intersting committee to be a part of, however you'd have to sign an NDA, which is bad for the rest of us... :(


I have told a lot of people, including an original designer of the 200a5, a lot of the changes that have been mentioned on this site.

Where do these people live I wonder... In the US? How do you get the job which is designing sick laptops... Sign me up! :)

haha
cheers
ken

[theEND]

first of all.. this is an amazing forum

i have a few questions though.. a few days ago the shift key popped off my keyboard (200A5) and although i can see eacltly how it attaches, the slots/projections are on the underside of the key and they're really tiny so i have no idea how to get it to stick back on. has anybody had any success with this?

also.. quick question regarding the CD-RW drive.. have any of you experienced difficulties reading CD's that have been burned on the laptop? i've made lots of music CDs but the computer is having a hard time playing most of them. normal music CDs it plays just fine.

lastly.. i cant seem to write data to CDs using the usual Windows XP procedure of writing to CDs. anyone else had this problem?

personally i'm hoping that my 200A5 is seriously messed up and that i can take it back and get it replaced. even better if they've run out of this model and have to give me one of whatever they're releasing next month.

here's hoping for something a bit smaller in every direction (perhaps the same dimensions as the 15 inch powerbook), and with a dvd writer and minus the ability to fry an egg on the bottom.

[d4phtpunk]

I have an external 17" crt.. i display it at ..... i think 1024x768.. maybe higher.. i don't remember...

but it worx great... my desktop and icons stay on my laptop screen.. but i can drag applications to the other monitor....

it worx really great..

-dp

[YoYoCome]

Went to BB today and checked out what they have. They still have the 200A5 as a display, and still have 2 185A5 models. I talked to one of the reps, he said new models will be coming out, but he doesn't know exactly when. The 200A5 is selling for 1699 and the 185A5 is selling for 1449. I guess I am gonna wait for the new models to come out.

[nickmartin]

Hi All!

I have been reading up the last few hours on all the amazing
information about the vpr Matrix notebook here in this thread
and I can tell you are all VERY clever guys who love laptops ...
that work ;)

I also noticed that today BB no longer list the 200A5 model on
their web site. My dilemma is I live in Denmark (hat's in Europe
for you guys who don't know) and would like to see what new
model they are rolling out.

The thing is, my brother is in USA visiting my sister there from
March 6 to March 25 and I REALLY want him to bring back a
notebook for me (I think I'll go for the 185B5).

I have read many of you have had trouble with your 200A5
models (shift key, buzzing screen, network cards, etc) and I
would hate getting a slightly defected model back to Denmark.

My brother is in USA and can test the laptop for me before he
returns to Denmark. I guess I just wanted to know from people
who got the 185B model about their experience with it.

There's gotta be someone here who got the 185B model and
has NO problems at all ...?

What about people who got the 200A5 model and have had NO
problems at all?

I know we are talking about computers here lol, but just need to
hear that it IS possible to buy a 100% working VPR Matrix!

Thanks all!

[d4phtpunk]

my 200a5 worx great! i even got it open box!!

never had a problem that i couldn't fix w/ software or patches...........


there's a little optimism for you..I hope it helps....

if you do get the laptop,,,, is there anyone that visits the US often at all?

i would still sugest getting the warranty.....

Why don't you get a laptop locally? Europeans usually have better designs,, or even easier access to the asian models.....

just wondering...

-dp

[Ioman]

Originally posted by nickmartin
Hi All!

I have been reading up the last few hours on all the amazing
information about the vpr Matrix notebook here in this thread
and I can tell you are all VERY clever guys who love laptops ...
that work ;)

I also noticed that today BB no longer list the 200A5 model on
their web site. My dilemma is I live in Denmark (hat's in Europe
for you guys who don't know) and would like to see what new
model they are rolling out.

The thing is, my brother is in USA visiting my sister there from
March 6 to March 25 and I REALLY want him to bring back a
notebook for me (I think I'll go for the 185B5).

I have read many of you have had trouble with your 200A5
models (shift key, buzzing screen, network cards, etc) and I
would hate getting a slightly defected model back to Denmark.

My brother is in USA and can test the laptop for me before he
returns to Denmark. I guess I just wanted to know from people
who got the 185B model about their experience with it.

There's gotta be someone here who got the 185B model and
has NO problems at all ...?

What about people who got the 200A5 model and have had NO
problems at all?

I know we are talking about computers here lol, but just need to
hear that it IS possible to buy a 100% working VPR Matrix!

Thanks all!

Welcom to the forums Nick, glad to be chatting with ya. I really do not believe most people have problems with their laptop, you have just stumbled across an extrordinary group of enthusiasts.

[dnt]

Okay my first attemp at installing a wireless 802.11g card was a flop. The One I wanted to put in was slightly taller than the old one so it didn't fit. I was using the one from linksys's PCI card. NOt sure of the model off hand. I'm gonna try with another model. Will keep you up to date

[MadCool]

The Extended Warranty from Best Buy is international, even though there are no Best Buy's in Europe yet. IN any case, getting the warranty will require you to mail it out or a BB representative will arrange other options for you.

Hope that helps...

[angelshare]

I was checking out akiba on line this evening and stumbled across this:

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/akiba/hotline/20030301/etc_mk5024gay.html

Turns out to be 7200 RPM laptop drive from hitachi! This little baby is definitly going in my vpr. 16 mb cache even. It's 44800 yen, which works out to be about 400 bucks, give or take. it's 9.5 mm high, is that small enough?

Of course, if the 200A5 has heat problems now... haha

cheers
ken

[Angus]

First of all, I'm 6'5" so it's like the saying goes, "the bigger they are the harder they fall." So to make a long story short, I live in the northeast and last night walking into a client's house to work on his PC to make some side money, I slipped on a 2" thick sheet of ice at the base of his stairs. I landed on my hip (huge bruise) and bashed my lower leg on a 6x6 post that made a planter box (for bushes). I had my 200A5 in my trusty Burton lappy bag.

Well when I got inside I was more concerned with whether or not I broke my damn leg so I didn't realize that the little rectangular corner piece on the right side of the notebook (the black plastic) had been jammed into the notebook itself. I looked at it today and nearly had a heart attack. You know the piece, it looks like a knock-out for something, and there's two of them (one on either side of the notebook). Well I took apart the thing today and realized that it had only broken a thin glue seal. PHEW!!

I still don't know what this piece does but there seemed to be some sort of wire and connection hiding behind it. Whatever it was it doesn't appear damaged. Any clue what this connection is and why those little black knock-outs are there on the front part of the notebook (left and right side)?

Btw, I remembered to write the part number of the keyboard down for future reference. Though all searches on Google thusfar have resulted in finding absolutely nothing. Oof.

Part #: 99.N5282.001
Model #: NSK-Q4001
Quanta P/N: AEBM1BOU018

[sunshine]

Originally posted by Angus
First of all, I'm 6'5" so it's like the saying goes, "the bigger they are the harder they fall." So to make a long story short, I live in the northeast and last night walking into a client's house to work on his PC to make some side money, I slipped on a 2" thick sheet of ice at the base of his stairs. I landed on my hip (huge bruise) and bashed my lower leg on a 6x6 post that made a planter box (for bushes). I had my 200A5 in my trusty Burton lappy bag.

Well when I got inside I was more concerned with whether or not I broke my damn leg so I didn't realize that the little rectangular corner piece on the right side of the notebook (the black plastic) had been jammed into the notebook itself. I looked at it today and nearly had a heart attack. You know the piece, it looks like a knock-out for something, and there's two of them (one on either side of the notebook). Well I took apart the thing today and realized that it had only broken a thin glue seal. PHEW!!

I still don't know what this piece does but there seemed to be some sort of wire and connection hiding behind it. Whatever it was it doesn't appear damaged. Any clue what this connection is and why those little black knock-outs are there on the front part of the notebook (left and right side)?

Btw, I remembered to write the part number of the keyboard down for future reference. Though all searches on Google thusfar have resulted in finding absolutely nothing. Oof.

Part #: 99.N5282.001
Model #: NSK-Q4001
Quanta P/N: AEBM1BOU018

The wire is attached to small metal clips which I believe is for the wireless antenna.

[JimHub]

Originally posted by Ioman
Maybe you guys can help me with mine. When I click on "My Computer" it says its a 2.0GHz CPU but then it says 1.2GHz underneath it. Does that mean its running at the slower speed using SpeedStep technology? If so, how do I turn that off?
I assume that SpeedStep is only active when running on the battery. When your unit is plugged in, you should see 2.0 all of the time. You may be able to lock it in with the setup menu, but I have not since I appreciate the power management.

[nickmartin]

Originally posted by d4phtpunk
my 200a5 worx great! i even got it open box!!

never had a problem that i couldn't fix w/ software or patches...........


there's a little optimism for you..I hope it helps....

if you do get the laptop,,,, is there anyone that visits the US often at all?

i would still sugest getting the warranty.....

Why don't you get a laptop locally? Europeans usually have better designs,, or even easier access to the asian models.....

just wondering...

-dp

Hi dp,

Well I think the design of the 200A5 and little sister 185A5 is
fantastic! Really slick and cool! Also Í have fallen for the
widescreen laptops and believe it or not, they aren't available
here in Denmark yet (well if yuo are willing to pay $3000 or so).

I have already price checked the VPR Matrix with similar models
here, and it is MUCH cheaper for me to get it in the US
(especially since my brother is there and can bring it back for
me so I avoid the VAT which is %25 here).

Basically it all comes down to the price and the widescreen ;)

I know I'm running a risk of having to send the baby back to US
IF something happens .... but I'm a dare devil ;) I know some
will think this is plane stupid, but that's their headache not mine.

P.S. I've tried to get information out of Best Buy about the 200A5
but that's impossible (just get some sort of standard reply
back). I know it's not listed on their website anymore, but do you
guys in the states know if some shops might still have it?

Anyone from Houston here lol

[gozilla]

these notebooks (the included AC adapter) are dual voltage (100-240V) like most other laptops, right?:confused:

[nickmartin]

Originally posted by gozilla
these notebooks (the included AC adapter) are dual voltage (100-240V) like most other laptops, right?:confused:

Good question!

i would also like to know that answer :eek: so I can use it here
in Denmark where we have 220 V!

Nick

[d4phtpunk]

Originally posted by gozilla
these notebooks (the included AC adapter) are dual voltage (100-240V) like most other laptops, right?:confused:

YES!!

mine reads...
Input:100-240V ~ 50/60Hz
1.0-0.95A
Output: 19V -_-_- 4A

I hope that helps..

in other news:: Dell launched a widescreen notebook of their own to compete!! It has a 15.4" wide...16:10ratio and the resolution is: 1920x1200!!!

That's a pretty high resolution! It also uses the Nvidia GeForce Go 4200, which is the better of all the Go model chips i believe...

take a look-

http://news.com.com/2100-1044-991130.html?tag=fd_ots

-dp

[Ioman]

Originally posted by d4phtpunk


YES!!

mine reads...
Input:100-240V ~ 50/60Hz
1.0-0.95A
Output: 19V -_-_- 4A

I hope that helps..

in other news:: Dell launched a widescreen notebook of their own to compete!! It has a 15.4" wide...16:10ratio and the resolution is: 1920x1200!!!

That's a pretty high resolution! It also uses the Nvidia GeForce Go 4200, which is the better of all the Go model chips i believe...

take a look-

http://news.com.com/2100-1044-991130.html?tag=fd_ots

-dp

Geekrock posted a thread about the new Dell here: http://forums.designtechnica.com/showthread.php?threadid=1457

[tvmater]

Has anyone who uses these laptops used Avid expressDV software on them? I am thinking of changing from my Compaq to the 200A5, but of course, it costs you 15% to take a 200A5 home from Best Buy only to find out that there are conflicts with chipsets, video cards, etc. I heard a rumor that Avid and certain Nvidea cards don't like each other....any advice would be helpful..thanks...screwed up and posted this as a new thread when I really just wanted it as a reply in this forum.:confused:

[d4phtpunk]

can you tell us where to get it? maybe one of us,, or me.. can try it out and let you know?!

-dp

[Angus]

Hmm.... I tried Avid DVExpress last year on my desktop and didn't like it. I still have it though, and if I can dig up the disc I will load it onto my 200A5 and see what I can find.

Adobe Premiere forever!!

[seanpj]

Hi guys (especially the ones who work at BBY),
I would like to buy either a “175B4” or a “185A5”. Since I live in Europe and would like to pick it up during my next visit to the US (Seattle, WA). I need some help with the following issues:
1) Do they appear on the store shelves, or do I have to buy it as a mail order. The BBY web site for the “175B4” says: "Not available for store pickup".
2) Is there a price difference between the web site current quote and the store prices?
3) If I decide to go for the mail order, can I count on getting it within about 10 days I’ll be spending in the US?
Thanks for your help.
sean

[Chuckman]

Hi everyone,

I've been lurking around for a while and though I'd go ahead and stick my head out. I bought the 200a5 for my wife about 6 weeks ago and its been a great addition to the family. She uses it at home and as her work computer, and its worked wonderfully. Apparently we got a good one since none of the common problems have popped up (screen buzz, loose keys, etc).

Anyway, I was playing, er, WORKING with it this afternoon (a weekend luxury) and I noticed that the plastic frame that runs around the screen is a little loose at the top near the left latch, and I was curious if anyone else had noticed the same thing. If so, does anyone know if there's an easy fix that doesn't involve invoking the extended warranty (which I have if I need it).

In terms of problems t ranks pretty low. Mostly a cosmetic thing, really, but dang, it's such a pretty machine, I hate to see it with a blemish!

Chuckman

[D_Westcott]

Hi, I just found this site tonight. I have owned my 200A5 for about a month and a half. I am very pleased and got a great deal on it ($1400 after $300 in rebates). It was an open box also. The previous owner had it for a day or two and deceided to bring it back so it was in perfect condition. I guess if I am disappointed in anything it would be the VPR web site in the driver's section. I wish they would change it by listing the date or driver version so we would know if it was new or an update to what I have now. Just wanted to say hi.

D. Westcott

[Ioman]

Originally posted by D_Westcott
Hi, I just found this site tonight. I have owned my 200A5 for about a month and a half. I am very pleased and got a great deal on it ($1400 after $300 in rebates). It was an open box also. The previous owner had it for a day or two and deceided to bring it back so it was in perfect condition. I guess if I am disappointed in anything it would be the VPR web site in the driver's section. I wish they would change it by listing the date or driver version so we would know if it was new or an update to what I have now. Just wanted to say hi.

D. Westcott

Welcome to the Designtechnica forums. You should be able to find a lot of valuable information on and about your 200A5 laptop. We have a pretty large community and a lot of the people here has stripped their laptops down and can tell you just about anything you need to know about them. Again welcome, I look forward to conversing with you!

[D_Westcott]

Hey Seanpj,

Go to the store itself. The mail order/on-line will most likely not get you while you are here for 10 days. The Southcenter Store (Tukwila, WA) should still have the 200A5 in. Atleast they did last week. There are also several other BB stores within the greater Seattle area.

Good Luck

D. Westcott

[Chris Shaeffer]

I've installed and run Avid Xpress DV 3.5, but haven't done much other than make sure it works. It does, but I can't verify that all the features and such work. I don't see why they wouldn't, though. I just don't have any Avid projects in the works or on any of the drives.

Incidentally, that's why I bought this machine- video and audio work on the widescreen is a DREAM. Nothing like real estate to make work (and life in general) easier. I really enjoy not having to juggle my tool windows around all the time in Premiere.

Take care,
Chris

[Angus]

Now that I've had this 200A5 for a while I can say that I really appreciate all the features and quality. I was discouraged by the early broken keyboard but my replacement seems to be great *knock on wood* and I'm really loving the whole thing. Definitely worth the money I spent on it.

Oh and I've now had 3 different people come up to me and profess their love of the computer. Each of them were notebook owners themselves, 2 with Dells and 1 with a Compaq. Everyone wants to know what it is, where I got it, how much, and on and on. Yeesh!! At least they knew it wasn't a powerbook though, unlike the first 2 people who came up and wnated to know about the computer. Heh!

[nomadfre]

I've researched the laptop market to death, and have narrowed down my search to a choice between the VPR and the Toshiba 5205-S503, which has a ton of great features, but the price (now $1150 for the 185A5 after rebates) and the wide screen on the VPR Matrix keep bringing me back.

1st, can annyone tell me the any real differences between the 185A5 and the 200A5, besides Ghz and HD size?

2nd, does anyone have any thoughts that could help me make a final decision? Since I'm pretty reliant on my machine for business, I'm worried about the customer service issues.

[geekrock99]

you'd better off with a dell, their lappies are reliable, and their customer service is excellent.

geekrock99

[Ioman]

Originally posted by geekrock99
you'd better off with a dell, their lappies are reliable, and their customer service is excellent.

geekrock99

LOL Then why did you buy a VPR Matrix laptop ?

BTW, mine is still at Best Buy being worked on lol.

[Yuniverse]

Originally posted by geekrock99
you'd better off with a dell, their lappies are reliable, and their customer service is excellent.

geekrock99

no offense, but dell laptops are quite ugly...and thick. They do have ultra thin laptops, but they're sub-notebooks(PIII).
Although dell's warranty is excellent, i've heard many problems with laptop itself.
Although besides the widescreen, i'd prefer now defunct 180 or 170 over 185 or 200 for their top quality craftmanship(?).
Just my opinion, though.

[Yuniverse]

Originally posted by Ioman


LOL Then why did you buy a VPR Matrix laptop ?

BTW, mine is still at Best Buy being worked on lol.

that is awful. you should raise *ell and demand compensation!

[strife]

Just to let everyone know, VPR Matrix seems to have updated their website a little. They now list the 175B4 under notebooks section. Still lists 185A5 and 200A5 under notebooks, though.

[animachina]

Nice forum guys, I'll be checking this site out quite often me thinks!

Bought a 200A5 in Dec. for $2,159.99 (Open box, even though they tried to insist it wasn't.... be persistent! ) $550 in rebates, returned it a few days later after noticing a bright pixel, opened a new one, more bad pixels, tried another.....bingo, perfect screen! Did the exchange and and got an additional $200 rebate! (They reissued the original $400 rebate and a completely different rebate for $200) I thought it was too good to be true, but sent them all in any way. Last week I got my three checks totaling $750!! Sweet, a 200A5 for $1410!!! Not too shabby. Have since popped in 1GB ram (for graphics etc.) and a bunch of USB goodies. Wife is happy with it too (she never wanted a laptop... thinks they're too flimsy.)

Anyway, pretty happy with it overall. It does get VERY hot and the screen hinge is starting to get floppy. DVD/CDROM drive is very noisy and the keyboard a little small and mushy. I use a cordless optical mouse with it so the touchpad and buttons don't bother me. I wish the firewire ports were full size (six pin?) - had to buy a $50 dollar PCIA card to use my FW drive with it ......blah blah blah...... For $1410, I'd do it again!

[Angus]

I used to sweat the issue of not having a 6 pin port for powering the crop of ultra-slim external harddrives, but now I don't care so much. Why? Well because there's this...

http://www.firewiredirect.com/firewire/products/SparkEP.shtml

Everything else I connect to the firewire port is either A) a videocamera that can't be bus powered anyway, B) an external 48x LaCie CDR burner that can't be powered, C) a stack of desktop harddrives for video editting that can't be powered. So really I guess it's not that big of a deal since you can get that portable drive that comes with a built in lithium ion battery and snazzy silver and black matching colors. Even has blue LEDs, I kid you not.

[tvmater]

hey all you lucky Matrix owners (I am having trouble finding a unit in stock)...what kind of battery life do you get on these models (in hours and minutes), when say, watching a full screen DVD movie. Can you get more than 2 hours, and if so, how many minutes more on average.
Thanks

[nickmartin]

Hi all,

I've been turning and twisting sleepless at night wondering if I
should get the extended serviceplan for my vpr matrix for $250.

Please can you all let me know why it's so important?

What would happen if my vpr matrix should brake within the first
year and I don't have the extended serviceplan?

What good can it do if my vpr matrix brakes say after 2 years?

I hope to get some great feedback with pro's and cons - thanks!

The thing is I live in Denmark and my brother is in US and will
bring a 185A5 back to me. He has the chance to test it first to
see it works before he brings it back.

[Ioman]

Originally posted by nickmartin
Hi all,

I've been turning and twisting sleepless at night wondering if I
should get the extended serviceplan for my vpr matrix for $250.

Please can you all let me know why it's so important?

What would happen if my vpr matrix should brake within the first
year and I don't have the extended serviceplan?

What good can it do if my vpr matrix brakes say after 2 years?

I hope to get some great feedback with pro's and cons - thanks!

The thing is I live in Denmark and my brother is in US and will
bring a 185A5 back to me. He has the chance to test it first to
see it works before he brings it back.

I have mixed emotions on this Nick. I bought the service plan which I thought was a good investment but now that Best Buy has had my laptop for over 4 weeks I am having second doubts. The service plan will fix your computer....eventually whereareas the manufacturers warranty might not after a year. Just remember this: The Service plan will NOT speed up any repair times although it will cover the laptop for the period you purchase. I guess I expected them to either replace my unit or to give it priority when being worked on. I was wrong on both accounts.

[Angus]

BATTERY LIFE...

Battery life is very good. I get about 3 hours worth of juice watching DVDs and about 3.5 just poking around on the computer doing daily stuff with lightweight programs. However, I believe on XP your battery life should be better than that because when I installed Windows 2000 Pro standby mode stopped working. So now my computer doesn't go into that power-saving mode. I do however, have it hibernate after 15 mins which is probably better since the computer is completely off. Either way, I can say that the VPR has a very nice long battery for such a full featured system.

SERVICE PLAN...

Paying the additional $250 for the service plan means that after a year you will still be entitled to free (well not really free since you DID pay $250 up front) service on the notebook if it's a defect in manufacturing or something silly breaks or dies. I don't know how much something like an LCD backlight or LCD screen costs, but I can imagine if you have just a couple repairs done over the course of the 3 years, it will pay for itself. Like any extended waranty it's just insurance. Nothing may break and you might curse the extra $250 you spent. But it's good to have cause chances are something will go wrong.

And yeah, Ioman has had a bad time with Customer Service's speed. This is a real shame. However, if you look at the nature of his problem (a broken network jack) you can see that there's really no other course of action than to replace the motherboard since soldering on a new one isn't going to happen even at Service. Though don't get me wrong, 4 weeks is too long to wait for this sort of thing. Ioman should ask how much it would cost him to have that repair done after the 1 year warranty is up. I bet it's cheaper to have the service plan.

And for those of you who think Dell has so much better service... I can only attest to what I've heard and know I know from experience, and that's that Dell BUSINESS service, the kind that costs you $600 per computer, is fantastic next-day type stuff. While everyone I know with a Dell home service plan is more around the couple weeks type of timeframe. So Best Buy might be behind the curve a bit, but not that far I imagine.

[tvmater]

thanks so far for the battery replies....secondly....has anyone got dual-monitors (spanned, not mirrored) working with either of the 185 or 200? I tried to activate them in the store but the wonderfully helpful sales staff at BB wouldn't accomodate me in hooking up a second monitor. Thus, the software wouldn't leave the (one monitor only) mode. I need to be able to span with an external monitor, and can't confirm whether this works or not....

[beardly]

So all in all, is this a good computer? Locally I can get this for 1350 minus a 150 mail in rebate. It stopped me in my tracks when I was passing through the laptops. Star Wars II was played, and seeing Yoda strut his stuff was awesome. Main question is, after a few months or so how has this laptop has held up. I just ran across this forum by searching google and it appears to be a good place. Thanks for your time.

Daniel

[Chris Shaeffer]

tvmater-

Yup- dual monitor (spanned) works well with the supplied drivers on windows XP. Works fine for separate programs...

...but single programs with multiple child windows (Such as Pro Tools or Avid Xpress DV...) are a different matter. It works, but you'll have to reposition your windows each time you reload a project.

There's a guy at the Digidesign forums that wote a little utility that resizes and replaces the child windows with a single click. I've asked him to email me a copy and I'll see how it works.

In defense of NVIDIA's multiple monitor support, though, I was really impressed with their stuff. Leave it to pro audio and video to make it come up short, though.

Take care,
Chris

[Angus]

Main question is, after a few months or so how has this laptop has held up. I just ran across this forum by searching google and it appears to be a good place. Thanks for your time.

So far so good. I've noticed that, like a few people have said, that the magnesium lid and bottom are capable of being scratched if you're not capable. This isn't so much a flaw with VPR in particular, as it is with the choice in materials. I've had the top of the line $250 Sony super-slim portable CD player for about 2 years now, it's made of the exact same diecast magnesium. It requires a watchful eye to not scratch. But I've managed for years now, so it's just something to keep in mind.

The black plastic portions of the body are made out of a material that is much more appealing to me than the standard hard plastic of computers from Dell and Sony. Those plastics are glossy, super hard, nearly textureless, and generally cheap feeling. Those types of plastics make my hands sweat for whatever reason. The plastic used on my 200A5 has a nice matte finish to it that I find really appealing now that I've had some time to use it. The slight matte finish has a tendancy to pick up dust and lint a bit more than most hard "tv remote control" plastics, but who cares.

Like I said, so far so good. I took a spill on some ice outside with my notebook in it's bag and managed to walk away with only a fixable bit of plastic that popped off. I'm no small fry either. Don't go falling on your laptop and attempt to recreate my results though. ;)

Oh, my damn keyboard broke on my first 200A5 but they replaced it. This is a common problem with more than one notebook from more than just VRP brand computers. Though I'll admit that the keyboard is about a 7 out of 10 in terms of typeability and durability (god knows what Dell uses to make their keyboards so nice).

[Angus]

I spent some time tonight at ChumpUSA (CompUSA) trying to decide if I should spend my dough on a WiFi-G access point or if I should just wait and score myself another much-needed network switch. I went with the switch because it was $80 less, but that's not my main point...

So I wandered over to the Apple display, as usual for every time I visit ChumpUSA, and started looking at the new gear since the last time I was there. First off, I have to get one of those 23" HD widescreens. Sweet lordy jesus, I need (not want, NEED) that display. Or at least need the Sony with the same LCD. Or even the Samsung with built-in digital tv tuner. Too bad I already have the $2000 needed for that display spent (in my head) on a Nikon D100 digital camera. But that's not my point either... I digress...

The powerbooks caught my eye. There it was, my nemesis, the Powerbook 15" in all it's light grey titanium glory. It made me sad when I touched it (not for the first time mind you) to know that while my 200A5 is close, it's not comparison. Bwahaha, at least I saved $900 on mine! Anyways, also not my point...

MY POINT

I was fondling the 12" Powerbook (aluminum) and noticed immediately the heat from the harddrive under my palms. "No sh*t" I thought. So I looked into it a bit more and there, just like the widescreen VPRs, was a hot spot front left right above the harddrive. However, the 15" was completely cool to the touch. So my thoughts on this are that clearly the material chosen and heat issues are not related directly to a serious flaw in design. Nor are they something that those high and mighty powerbooks can't claim to have. So don't feel bad folks, even those funny people who pay hundreds or even thousands more for a better looking computer from "that other brand" have the same heat issue.

[nickmartin]

Thanks for info on the warranty!

I'll have to decide what to do real soon. Allthough it seems most
problems here in the forum have been found very early (within
days) I guess the 1 year factory warranty should do okay for me...

Another question. Just saw this on vprmatrix.com FAQ page:

Q: Will my notebook work outside the U.S.?
A: This notebook is only sold in the U.S. and Canada. Your
notebook will function outside the U.S. and Canada with country-
speci.c requirements such as power cords, adapters,
modems, and region-speci.c DVD titles.

Does this mean the DVD player will only play US region dvd's or
what? Or can it play both with software upgrade or something?

Thanks all!

[stickman]

Well... I'm also buying a VPR for Europe and I'm not really worried about that, there must be some firmware for the combo that patches for RPC-1 or through some utility you must be able to change at least 3 times your region, so we can use region 2 dvd's.

Maybe someone who already owns a 185A5 or 200A5 could tell us the model used as combo drive so we can look at the firmware-flash page.



What really annoys me about buying it is the reported problem of the shift key, what can we do here in Europe to solve it if it happens?





Stickman

[sunshine]

Originally posted by stickman
Well... I'm also buying a VPR for Europe and I'm not really worried about that, there must be some firmware for the combo that patches for RPC-1 or through some utility you must be able to change at least 3 times your region, so we can use region 2 dvd's.

Maybe someone who already owns a 185A5 or 200A5 could tell us the model used as combo drive so we can look at the firmware-flash page.



What really annoys me about buying it is the reported problem of the shift key, what can we do here in Europe to solve it if it happens?





Stickman

There is currently no firmware to make the drive rpc-1. There is one for the mac but not one yet for windows. I believe one will be coming soon. However there is a software dvdplayer that will work around the hardware region checking. Check out www.dvdidle.com.

A note about the heat coming from the hardrive. Heat is the #1 enemy of HD's so the fact that the vpr is conducting more heat to the surface of the laptop may be a good thing. Laptops which insulate against this may be keeping the heat in the HD.

[fortinaa]

I'm just getting into trying out the dvd player on the laptop. I'm using the standard PowerDVD software that came with it. I notice that when I watch a dvd on the laptop, the sound is only about 1/2 to 2/3 as loud as the standard system sound volume (wav, mp3, etc) or when playing a music CD in the same drive. Is this normal? If so, can someone explain why there is such a difference please.

thanks
aaron

[sonoronos]

Hi Fortinaa,

I had the same problem with my 185A5 using PowerDVD.

The solution is to go into the player options, click on the sound tab, and click the option for "stereo speakers" (for a notebook computer). Then click on the option to select audio amplification.

[strife]

I went to check BB's site today and noticed that the 185A5 wasn't listed. I don't know if this mean they've finally discontinued it or it's just temporary, but at $1300 (AND an extra 150 rebate) I didn't think it would stick around long. I hope they introduce new models soon, cause if I didn't know about the new models I would think BB is phasing out VPRs.

[fortinaa]

Sonoronos,
Thanks for the input. I'll try that and see if it helps out. I had forgot to mention, if it makes a difference, that I had the same problem whether my listening source were the laptop speakers, headphones, home stereo, or car stereo. I'll have to fire it up and explore PowerDVD some more. Also, since we're on that subject, has anyone gotten the "Capture" feature to work on it?

thanks
aaron

[beardly]

Originally posted by strife
I went to check BB's site today and noticed that the 185A5 wasn't listed. I don't know if this mean they've finally discontinued it or it's just temporary, but at $1300 (AND an extra 150 rebate) I didn't think it would stick around long. I hope they introduce new models soon, cause if I didn't know about the new models I would think BB is phasing out VPRs.

I believe they are bringing in the new models in May some time. That was atleast what the guy at BB said. I went to buy a 200A5 for 1350 with rebate, but they had sold it. Oh well.

[nickmartin]

Damn!

Not sure if my brother got around to ordering the 185A5 from
Best Buy and now it's GONE!! I could almost cry right now! That
notebook is soooo SLICK and COOL! It has power and attitude!

It HAD to be mine but alas ....

Does anybody know where I can go online to find really COOL
notebooks that are slim and slick like the Vpr Matrix ones? That
design really has me going!

Thanks!

[Ioman]

Originally posted by nickmartin
Damn!

Not sure if my brother got around to ordering the 185A5 from
Best Buy and now it's GONE!! I could almost cry right now! That
notebook is soooo SLICK and COOL! It has power and attitude!

It HAD to be mine but alas ....

Does anybody know where I can go online to find really COOL
notebooks that are slim and slick like the Vpr Matrix ones? That
design really has me going!

Thanks!

Check out the Sony laptop here: http://forums.designtechnica.com/showthread.php?threadid=1526

If this was available when I bought my 200A5 I might have purchased this instead....not sure.;)

[beardly]

The sony looks good and all, but for the price, you really aren't getting that much imo. Granted you can get it configured differently, but for the price I think the vpr Matrix is a better deal, even though I don't know if I like the widescreen monitor.

EDIT: The monitor size on the Sony is too small for my tastes, but it isn't a bad deal either way.

[Chris Shaeffer]

Originally posted by fortinaa
I'm just getting into trying out the dvd player on the laptop. I'm using the standard PowerDVD software that came with it. I notice that when I watch a dvd on the laptop, the sound is only about 1/2 to 2/3 as loud as the standard system sound volume (wav, mp3, etc) or when playing a music CD in the same drive. Is this normal? If so, can someone explain why there is such a difference please.

thanks
aaron

fortinaa,

I went into the windows mixer and turned everything up. For some reason the audio output for DVD's is linked to the CD, Wave, and I think the PCM out control. Lower the volume on any of them and I got a lower volume on the DVD. Turn them all up and its plenty loud. :)

[strife]

Great news! VPR Matrix has updated their website and stated that most VPRs are sold out due to popularity. They go on to talk about their accomplishments over the year and you can now sign-up for a mailing list that will notify you of their new and upcoming products.

http://www.vprmatrix.com/about_news_03042003.asp

[sonoronos]

Here's a visual description of how to increase the DVD audio volume.

http://www.nd.edu/~ekang/audio.jpg

[lilteyang]

hey... just stumbled upon this forum...
I bought my 200A5 in Feb.... so far I LOVE IT!!!
everyone says to me what a nice laptop it is...
that being said, I've noticed that the screen is kinda grainny when watching DVDS... doesn't have that "crispness" as the powerbook has.... do you guys have that problem???

[Angus]

I think the graininess is a function of the software DVD decoders being used to play the video. The screens in the 15" powerbook and the widescreen VPRs are the same so really that should be the only difference that I can think of.

[Ioman]

Originally posted by Angus
I think the graininess is a function of the software DVD decoders being used to play the video. The screens in the 15" powerbook and the widescreen VPRs are the same so really that should be the only difference that I can think of.

Could also be the resolution and refresh rate he has it on as well....

[Ishman]

Make sure you select widescreen format. This will make a difference in the picture quality.

Ishman

[lilteyang]

Thanks for all the help guys....
however, I don't understand what you mean by "widescreen format"...
do you mean that there's an option in powerdvd that let's you choose what kinda display you are using???

[benobi]

I bought the 200A5 a few days ago. It's pretty good. I like it a lot, except when I did a clean install (formatted the HD) of windows XP professional to get rid of home edition, the sound seems a bit low. I push fn+F5 to turn the volume all the way up and the speakers don't seem to play sounds very loud. I hear stuff, just not very loud for full blast... Like, i could play a mp3 with the volume turned up and it wouldn't even wake my roommate.

Did i get the wrong drivers? I got all the drivers from vprmatrix.com for the 200A5.