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In the past, System76 laptops were just rebranded Clevos, which are sold in the U.S. by Sager. This is true of most boutique laptop providers. Theoretically, System76 does extra work to insure Linux works seamlessly on these laptops, but I've had zero issues getting Linux to work on the Clevo that I purchased. Certainly, these laptops aren't perfect, but I do believe the Clevo has some of the best value for the dollar in their laptop line. My biggest complaints are that their mechanical components are only OK.

To give an example, a two minute check for their Gazelle:

https://system76.com/laptops/g...

Tells me that it's probably a rebrand from the Clevo W650 line:

http://www.clevo.com.tw/clevo_...

Clevo tends to refresh their lines pretty often, so it's sometimes hard to get the exact model, but not impossible. Searching by laptop dimensions is the fastest way to get into the ballpark.

Clevo is the barebone manufacturer behind System 76, Eurocom, PC-SEX, Malibal, Xotic, Deviltech, and others...
http://www.clevo.com.tw/en/products/index.asp
They don't come with all the software layers you can have on Asus, Dell & co and you can upgrade them to your needs..

Given that it most likely has a TPM chipset, no self-respecting/informed geek will want it so you might as well give it to Apple for some cash.

If anyone knows what else may have TPM I'd like to know, I may feel like sending some hardware Apple's way :)

You have to get to know the notebook ODM products and then search for the model with the features you want, or you can try finding the back channel equivalent of an OEM model depending on which ODM is their supplier. The latter is usually the harder method because the relationships keep changing. Easier to just get to know the ODMs.

Clevo for instance builds a lot of the chassis for Eurocomm, Sager, etc. They used to be involved with Alienware and Voodoo PC, but I think that has changed since those got bought out by Dell and HP. But you can just go to Clevo and browse their products for features. Of course all ODMs don't make it that easy (MSI does as well, and they would be my first choice for a mid-range system, but other big ODMs like Arima, Quanta, etc. don't care about B2C). Then find a good barebones seller like rjtech.com (they're the cheapest I know). The key is to find somebody who will give you the option not to buy all the drop in parts from them. That way you can get the highest quality memory/drives/etc. at the lowest cost somewhere else.

I think I'd rather have a Notebook that supports a quad-core, XUXGA, can have 2 8800s in SLI, 3 drive bays w/ RAID-5 support, and a 12-cell battery. Please do disable SLI if you are running exclusively on battery power.

Pictures stolen from a company named "Clevo" that is based in Taiwan. Yet they claim that they are assembled in Brazil and that they will continue to do that until they have their manufactoring facility ready there.

Sounds a bit fishy; too good to be true.

But the credit card processing firm is in Ohio and they're for real.
So as long as a Visa or MasterCard is used, you could always dispute
the transaction if it turns out to be a fraud.

        https://www.2checkout.com/community/

I did a little digging on the web. The company is in Sweden. The
founder has a patent on keyboards with keys that are little displays
and can change their faces.

        http://www.unitedkeys.com/index.html

But Medison has only existed for a couple of months, although there
have been other companies owned by the same guy and named as a
variation of Medison.

As best I can tell, here's the Taiwan manufacturer's page. They
sell to OEMs in a "bare bones" configuration. Medison claims these
go to a new factory in Brazil to be finished out (add disk, memory,
load Linux, etc.). They've got a good reputation for build quality.

        http://www.clevo.com.tw/products/M540V.asp

So, I suppose it could be a scam, or maybe something that turns out
to be too ambitious for Medison to deliver on. They'd have to do
tremendous volume to make it work. But for $150, and with the
credit card processor between me and them, I think I'll go for it.

The content is a complete rip-off of:

http://www.clevo.com.tw/products/M540V.asp

They say that they manufacture in Sweden, but that's a Taiwanese firm. Definitely stinky, and I wouldn't buy one.

This is not a first review, and this laptop is not manufactured by Alienware. This laptop is really a Clevo M590K, rebranded as Alienware. It's also avalable from a lot of other reseller like Sager, Voodoo PC etc. For ages Alienware was trying to get credit for "reseach" a"design" of laptops of Clevo. All that it really doing is modifing the lids.

Nope. This is a Clevo notebook, just like all of the earlier high end notebooks from Alienware. Specifically, it's a Clevo M590K. http://www.clevo.com.tw/products/M590K.asp

Im pretty sure alienware buy their notebook cases from clevo at least they definately used to, same as dell (for some models). then they just install standard components and badge them (same as dell). I guess that would mean you pay the premium for their after sales service, which if 3 weeks return to base, is correct then thats pretty much the same as dell too.

from my understanding there are about 4 true laptop manufacturers, all out of taiwan and most companies buy from them, i think only IBM have theri own manufacturer, but its more likely to be one of the 4 just they have an exclusive relationship on one product line.

Looks like this machine is manufactured by Clevo, the Clevo D900T... It's also sold by Alienware (Alienware Area-51 m7700) and probably a few other vendors

Looks like this machine is manufactured by Clevo, the Clevo D900T... It's also sold by Alienware (Alienware Area-51 m7700) and probably a few other vendors

http://www.clevo.com.tw/products/L295PB.asp

I've been selling and servicing PCs from that family for years. Great machines, low power, easy service.

Hmm. Sucktastic is not exactly accurate, and neither is the parent.

Sager does not make laptops for Alienware. The truth is that both Sager and Alienware obtain their laptops from the same Asian supplier, Clevo Computer Co. of Taiwan.

And speaking as an owner of a Sager8886, I think that the Clevo products have their niche. They are not designed to be ultra-portable notebooks for business roadwarriors. They are supposed to be fairly mobile workhorses. They make some sense for power gamers who frequent W/LAN parties and for developers who need every last scrap of processing power. I bought mine originally, because I work with large client-server apps. I used every bit of CPU. The performance was very good, and the only problem I encountered in 18 months of 10+ hours of hard use was a shoddy backlight for the LCD. This problem happened twice though and was pretty goddam annoying.

However, I have recently shifted my thinking. My workplace purchased a stacked IBM ThinkPad T40P for me. It's light and wonderful. My Sager8886 is now becoming a heavy (8.5 lbs) computer that I don't want to use. If it were lighter, I'd lend it to my girlfriend, or it could be my Linux road companion. If it were a desktop, I'd upgrade it and use as a file server or testbed. But it fits in some middle-ground.

From now on, I'm going to buy the lightest, slimmest laptop that will accomplish what I need it to do. In 30 months, when that laptop is no longer able to play the fastest game and might not be a good development environment, it WILL still be a useful, convenient laptop for word processing or web browsing.

That's my opinion.

That post really should be modded up....

Here's another good link: | Clevo |

I purchased a Sager laptop, which is really a clevo rebranded. Alienware rebrands these, if you look at some of the models, you can see that it's just a fancy paintjob. It was (6 months ago) about $500 dollars less than the competing voodoo or alienware for the same power.

The same machines are rebranded as prostars also, so check them out if you are in the market.

I've been very happy with my laptop, even though it weighs in at 9.5 lbs. It took some time to find a backpack that the monster fit in, but now I'm really mobile, when I want to haul it.

It is true that I don't leave the house with it often, but all the mobility I was really looking for was around the house and on business trips. I'm rarely away from the power grid, so battery isn't that big of a deal. It's only got an our of life. And no, I will not give you my home address...

Clevo actually make them. M-Tech just plug the CPU, HDD, etc. in

Clevo also make the Alienware notebooks, have a look around on the Clevo site and you'll spot the model.

I bought a D470W from a company that imports them direct from the manufacturer into Australia. I use it for video editing, recording my band, coding watching videos and, of course, playing games.

I bought a Clevo D470W about six months ago.
Clevo make the Alienware gaming notebooks.

It weights 4.2Kg, which, considering the processing power of the PC, doesn't bother me at all.
I use it for playing FPS games and coding. The Unreal Tournament 2004 demo, for instance, runs
smoothly with all the graphics settings maximised.

It is a VERY portable desktop replacement.

Alienware and Sager both already sell Clevo laptops as their own house brand (after neon spraypaint, etc.). Pretty good units, so a Walmart-branded one might be an OK computer.

There are already comments whining about Walmart quality - how much differentiation is there among the vast majority of PC's today anyhow? Sure there's always premium gear, but most of the stuff for sale in stores, whether it says WalMart, HP, or Dell on it is all low-end gear designed for price, and will probably last out its useful lifecycle.

It is surprising how WalMart is making the high-tech play; netflix, itunes, now laptops, yet they've skipped consumer electronics (no walmart-branded TV's, DVD players, etc.). Their other areas for house brands are clothing and pharmaceuticals - seems like they target areas where they think there is alot of profit, and try to take some fat out of it.

I think the Alienware laptops are mostly built by Clevo (story here, brochure or press release here). I had someone come in with a Clevo quote recently. They look like capable machines.

I think the Alienware laptops are mostly built by Clevo (story here, brochure or press release here). I had someone come in with a Clevo quote recently. They look like capable machines.

No major manufacturer except for Sony endorses memory stick.

http://www.konica.co.jp/global/press/020924_8e.htm l
http://www.konica.com/products/digital/cameras/kd4 00z_features.htm
http://www.konica.com/products/digital/cameras/kd3 10z_features.htm
http://www.samsungelectronics.com/news/digital_med ia/com_news_1042258148609_001300.html
http://www.samsungelectronics.com/news/digital_med ia/com_news_1042258779765_001300.html
http://www.samsungelectronics.com/camcorder/digita l_camcorder/b_scd590.html
http://www.samsungelectronics.com/camcorder/digita l_camcorder/g_scd87.html
http://www.brother.com/usa/fax/info/mfc5200c/mfc52 00c_ove.html
http://h30015.www3.hp.com/products/detail.php?prod num=Q3000A
http://h30015.www3.hp.com/products/detail.php?prod num=C8443A
http://h30015.www3.hp.com/products/detail.php?prod num=Q1605A
http://www.lexmark.com/US/products/overview/0,1224 ,MzM1NHwx,00.html
http://www.i-love-epson.co.jp/products/printer/ink jet/pm860pt/pm860pt1.htm
http://www.i-love-epson.co.jp/products/printer/ink jet/pm850pt/pm850pt1.htm
http://www.kenwood.com/j/products/home_audio/digit al_avino/sj_7ms/index.html
http://www.pioneer.co.jp/catalog/sys/x-sv7dv.php
http://www.pioneer.co.jp/av-sys/hd1/index.html
http://www.sun-denshi.co.jp/scc/bb/index.htm
http://www.sharp.co.jp/sc/eihon/wahp1/text/index.h tml
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/Pioneer/CDA/CarP roducts/CarProductDetails/0,1429,21417,00.html
http://www.mitsubishielectric.co.jp/mobile/mova/d2 51is/index.html
http://www.sharp.co.jp/products/sh712m/
http://global.acer.com/products/pda/s60.htm
http://global.acer.com/products/pda/s50.htm
http://www.global.acer.com/products/pda/n20w.htm
http://www.global.acer.com/products/pda/s15.htm
http://www.clevo.com.tw/products/images/8880.pdf
http://pr.fujitsu.com/jp/news/2002/10/8-2.html
http://www.nec.co.jp/press/ja/0210/1004-30.html
http://121ware.com/product/pc/lavie/200205/pro/spe c01.pdf
http://www.alpine.co.jp/alpine/navi02/n02.html
http://www.datatec.co.jp/sr/index.html
http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/cpg_prod uct_lobbypage.asp?product=847

Shall I go on?

And yes, the memory stick format is much more expensive

I just paid $30 for 128 MB MS. Show me a better price for CF or SD/MMC.

not to mention has various confusing variations (e.g. magic gate)

You mean 2? Magic gate, non-Magic gate? Boy, that is confusing.

and is still proprietary

"Proprietary", eh? Guess what? All of the major formats are proprietary. Want to sell a CF device? You can if you ante up to the CF org. Sony has released quite a few specifications (http://www.memorystick.org/topics/eng/aboutms/for mat.html).

You might find prices on Amazon.com come close to CF or SD/MMC but I can walk into any camera shop and be offered compact flash cards by 3 or 4 manufactures where I'd be lucky if could find 2 for memory stick.

I count 6 manufacturers of Memory Stick: Lexar, SanDisk, Sony, I-O Data, Apacer Tech.

DNUK have a good rep. but they aren't the cheapest.

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DNUK have a good rep. but they aren't the cheapest.

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