Best Laptop

super777

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I'm shopping for a notebook for college, but I really want one that I will be able to play games on. I would love a laptop that could handle Crysis when it comes out. With that in mind, I would like to know, what is the best laptop? Ignoring price...So far I have looked at Voodoo which provides some nice options, also since I found it mentioned on here I looked at killernotebooks. If anybody has any suggestions about what I should go for, please tell me ^^
 

ironhell

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I'm planning on getting a K|N Executioner this summer (late June early July). I think it provides the best performance at that price and the K|N support is top notch.

I have to ask, have you purchased anything from Killernotebooks?
 
No I have not. I have e-mailed Mark dozens of times for a variety of reasons (my potential order and questions on other tech issues) and every time have gotten a quick and informative response. I count pre-order answers as support. I have also spoken to a few people who have about his company and they have no complaints. Why do you ask?

He is a forum sponsor at guruofgaming.com (gaming notebooks) and helps answer tons of questions there.
 

ironhell

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Oh, it's just that I see you are an avid supporter of K|N and constantly refer people to that company. I wanted to see where you are coming from and gauge your credibility when you speak so highly of Mark and K|N - i.e. if you have actually gone through the whole process of purchasing one from him.
 
I support Mark and his company because he is a no BS guy. Every time he joins a discussion he always has the correct info and points people in the right direction. Numerous times he has told a person with an out of warranty laptop in need of repairs to send it to him and he would fix it. If you want to ignore my opinion due to lack of first hand experience, fine thats your choice. Just read the reviews on his site and read the posts at guru. If you still don't agree then there isn't much hope of convincing you.

Again go to the gaming notebook section of guruofgaming.com. You will find all the people you need to convince you of K|N. They convinced me.

I'm a K|N fanboy so shoot me.
 

ironhell

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I support Mark and his company because he is a no BS guy. Every time he joins a discussion he always has the correct info and points people in the right direction. Numerous times he has told a person with an out of warranty laptop in need of repairs to send it to him and he would fix it. If you want to ignore my opinion due to lack of first hand experience, fine thats your choice. Just read the reviews on his site and read the posts at guru. If you still don't agree then there isn't much hope of convincing you.

Again go to the gaming notebook section of guruofgaming.com. You will find all the people you need to convince you of K|N. They convinced me.

I'm a K|N fanboy so shoot me.

Great!

(As a matter of fact, through your posts and a few others I was convinced to try K|N. I hope you have a better experience than I did when you finally start your purchasing process.)

I think it's important for people (whom you are recommending to K|N) to know the extent and limit of your personal experience with K|N and the long and short of your testimonials for that company.
 

killernotebooks

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Here is the story with IronHell.
Guy contacts me wants a notebook.
He also wants a custom designed logo.
I tell him $75 for the custom logo design.
I come up with and design the logo. The system is delayed at the distributor because the ODM gets a DELL contract and screws all the channel partners about getting them chassis.
I contact him and tell him about the delay. Instead of 10 days, we're talking like almost 3 weeks.
I also tell him I will throw in the logo design for free. So right there the $75 is refunded.
I have the system ready.
He tells me to WAIT in that his partners want to rethink a logo they design.
I wait.
I get the new logo.
I get contacted Wednesday night an told he needs this laptop for research that weekend. That means I have to fly to get this skin done and applied PLUS upgrade the shipping.
So I contact the company (at that time, I do them myself now) that did the gaming skins... He stays open late so I can get the the thing. I cut the tip of my finger off (completely my fault I know, but thought I would mention it) applying the thing (because I have like 45 minutes) to get this thing done and across town to FedEx to express this to California. (If you haven't shipped $2,000 things that weigh 15 lbs. to California express, then you haven't had the pleasure of paying over $100 shipping cost.)
I get it out in time, and it is done.

I get a call the next day.
He got the machine.
He says there is a scratch in the cover, and the skin has air bubbles under it. I tell him the skin can be redone (now I do the skins/graphic shields in house and have a process that leaves no air bubbles, they can be applyed and removed by the customer over and over and they will not scratch AT ALL) I concede that I rushed the skin, and there were in fact a few small air bubbles in it. I also sent the original skin that had been done with the logo I designed and printed.
Then I get another call, a little background, the system he bought has a recessed area for graphics, this area is about 18 mils deep... pretty deep. He isn't happy that the graphics do not come all the way to the top of this recession. Ok, I find a different material to use to coat the skins... this is what I use now.

The scratch? I never placed blame and 100% honored the NO B.S. Guaranty. It didn't leave here with a scratch.
Now I tell him how he can buff out the scratch, or send it back, and I can. We come to some understanding that the system will be sent back AT MY EXPENSE and I will take care of all the issues after the research or whatever he needed it for is done that weekend.
I send him a FedEx label to send the system back.
He sends it back the next day! So obviously this thing didn't need to be rushed, the skin could have cured overnight as they are supposed to and applied correctly, my flawless reputation could have been untarnished and everyone would have been happy.

This pretty much puts me over the top as I have about $175 in extra costs in shipping forth and back and forth, and materials NOT INCLUDING time. I really didn't need to incur.
That is NEITHER HERE NOR THERE because what KillerNotebooks does is tell him, "Listen, I'm sorry this transpired this way. I think you're not happy, and I can understand that. I don't think K|N is a good fit for you. WE WILL REFUND ALL OF YOUR MONEY IMMEDIATELY UPON GETTING THE NOTEBOOK."
We get the notebook like Tuesday, his money is instantly refunded so my question is.... With all these other fly by night guys out there... what is his F'n gripe with K|N? What other company is going to do that?

That machine? I got a call a week later. I have a customer with one of my earliest MSI systems that had problems and it was out of warranty. I traded it in against IH's notebook and lost my proverbial butt on it.
 

ironhell

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Mark, you should've just let this one slip by...

People know that not everyone is going to be satisfied with a company; you can't please everybody. I didn't bother posting my story because I figured, if someone REALLY cared, they can PM me. I wasn't about to divulge the entire story online.

But seeing how you are quick to do so, let me share some of the emails we have exchanged that'll shed some light on this event. (PS. I have pictures of the scratch. I even have a witness at work [I had it sent to my company] who saw me open the box and saw the scratch out of the box.)

Below are some of the email correspondents.

Some highlights include

1. “I have entered the details of this transaction into a probability matrix on my server and it has come up with every conceivable future outcome. Through statistical analysis I have determined that in no scenario is Killer
Notebooks a good fit for your situation.” - *chuckles* read my reaction below in the email.

2. Offering to sell me a used Dell machine… Classy.

3. Trying to blame me for his cut finger.

4. Making promises to deliver but failing to do so; and then again getting upset and claiming I am demanding… The laptop was a month overdue.... Hello?

5. Not being able to deliver a manual with the laptop (not even a digital one online.)

6. Shipping a product that he felt was junk. (“At this point I
had to think long and hard if I wanted to put the K|N name on that
particular chassis, and I don't. The chassis and what comes with it does not
make the grade, I feel it is junk.”)

7. And yes, I did need it to do research (I used it Fri night at the LA library).

8. By the way, take a look at XoticPC.com – amazingly I got my laptop in the time promised and I didn’t need to return it because it wasn’t junk. Oh happy day!

(See my review of XoticPC.com here:

http://forumz.tomshardware.com/mobile/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=48450&highlight=

And please note how Mark was so quick to discredit them so quickly, just as he’s done with Xtermenotebooks.com here:

http://forumz.tomshardware.com/mobile/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=48443&highlight= )

********************

MARK:

Once again, sorry for your troubles and wasting your time.

The label is all set with insurance, tracking etc.

This point I just want to take the loss, discontinue the line, put the
system on Ebay for $1,499 (scratch and all) and be done with it.

Sticking with chassis from a supplier I can count on to get them to me, and
that are something that I myself would want are what I need to offer. Which
is why I am sticking with my initial reaction to discontinue 2 products in
my product offering. Lesson learned.

********************

IRONHELL:

Mark,

Yes, you did go above and beyond on designing the logo we agree on the
cost of your time and efforts (however, the payment was nullified by your
not able to get the machine ready to ship in the timely order you
advertised.) And no, the machine was "not ready to go" and wasn't for a few

weeks (due to your supplier's goof-up as you claim in one of your emails).

I am sorry to hear about your finger. However, that was doing
something you advertised - customizing the chassis correct?

As for the getting the order by Friday.... you TOLD me that you are
able to get it to me by Thursday (that is... weeks after the first original
shipby date you quoted me) and I took you to be a man of your words.

You advertise getting your products to your customers within 10 days
correct?

As for the branding job itself, it looks nothing like what they were
shown on your webpage. The scratch aside, none of the pictures you showed
on your site had particles and bubbles in it. I was expecting the same type

of pristine workmanship on my laptop and was disappointed that wasn't the
case.

While the laptop has to represent your company (the quality, the
workmanship, the design, etc.) the idea of branding it has to represent my
company. This is why I have to be super picky. If you thought it was junk
by your standards, did you think I wouldn't also think it's junk?

As for rushing it... I am only going by the expectation you have set
forth on your webpage and the deadlines you have communicated to me.

Finally, I read about your offering manuals on Tomshardware forum
somewhere that says the units from K|N comes with manuals. That's the only
reason I was looking for one - again, I took it to be something you
advertise and will deliver.

You said you are going to post the manual online (not printed) and all
the drivers - great, that's fine by me. I didn't bitch about demanding you
to mail me a hardcopy.

I wish we were able to communicate better on the deadline and how you
needed more time and even more money since I expect something of the highest

quality. Within reason I would've been happy to pay you more for your best
work (without scratches, without cutting your finger off, without the
bubbles, without rushing, adding laminate, etc.) The thing is, you kept
agreeing/promising to do all these things without discussing extra cost and
effort.

Regardless, I am grateful that you are willing to do what you think is
the "right thing". It seems that there are some
resentment/bitterness/misunderstanding on both ends of the business deal so
it is indeed time to move on. I will drop off the laptop at FedEx.

I assume the slip you sent me comes with tracking and insurance so we
can be sure the laptop gets back to you.

Cheers,

Raymond Fong

Director
Affinity Enterprises
www.AffinityEnterprises.com
Raymond@AffinityEnterprises.com

********************

Ray, the 14.1" market isn't something I want to pursue.

I designed you a logo, and printed it out.
That cost me time and money.
The system was ready to ship.
You didn't want the logo designed, you were not charged.
You didn't want the skin printed, you were not charged, but received it
anyway.

You then wanted a different logo skin printed you had designed.
It was.

You HAD TO HAVE THE SYSTEM by FRIDAY according to an message I got 3 hours
before it would have to ship.
You got 2 day shipping AT NO CHARGE.
In the process of rushing your skin, to cut it to the proper size before
application, the top 1/4 of my finger tip was cut off.
YOUR SYSTEM STILL WAS TAKEN TO THE ACTUAL FEDEX DISTIBUTION CENTER BECAUSE
ALL PACKAGES HAD BEEN PICKED UP ALREADY SO YOU COULD HAVE IT BEFORE I EVEN
WENT TO THE HOSPITAL.

Upon receiving your system you called and told me there was a scratch. I
didn't ask for a picture or argue at all about it. I said I would have it
shipped back at my expense to remove it and give you a new skin because you
were unhappy with the job done. 100% customer satisfaction is the goal.

You then called and said you wanted additional laminate's put over the top
of the skin to bring the height to the top of the channel the skin resides
in.

You then called back and said there was no printed manual. At this point I
had to think long and hard if I wanted to put the K|N name on that
particular chassis, and I don't. The chassis and what comes with it does not
make the grade, I feel it is junk.

My target market is gamers, and people that want custom work and want it
done right. To do custom work right, it can't be rushed. I want to do the
right thing and that is giving you your money back so you can deal with
someone who is going to specialize in that type of system.

********************

Mark,

Both of us are businessman so we can learn to read between the lines.
If you mean to say "I am tired of providing customers service to you, please

return the product and I will give you your money back" then fair enough.

If this "probability matrix" truly exists, perhaps it would've been
wise for us to have visited it BEFORE this whole debacle. Good for your
business and good for the usage of my time.

This email is ironic in that, within the span of just a few hours, you
went from saying "I want to do this right" to "bug off" (Do you seriously
expect me to just accept the laptop with that scratch on the cover? And
with all those bubbles and particles trapped between the laminate and the
sticker?)

Regardless, thank you for the return label, I will be returning it
promptly and will look forward to a refund so I may take my business
elsewhere.

And thank you for informing me of a second-hand Dell (who "sold out to
China"...), but I am not interested. I have already found another vendor
that also does custom work.

Good luck with your future endeavors.

Cheers,

Raymond Fong

Director
Affinity Enterprises
www.AffinityEnterprises.com
Raymond@AffinityEnterprises.com

********************

Raymond,

I have entered the details of this transaction into a probability matrix on
my server and it has come up with every conceivable future outcome. Through
statistical analysis I have determined that in no scenario is Killer
Notebooks a good fit for your situation.

I have officially discontinued the Kodachi as a product we will be offering.
I believe the company is better suited in the high end gaming market, and
that is where we will be focusing our efforts.

I do know someone who bought an Executioner from me and has a DELL 12.1" XPS
system that they are selling for $1,700, which may be better suited for you.
It is decked out with 2 GB RAM, 120 GB HD, Intel 3945 wireless, BlueTooth,
Core 2 Duo T7200 2.0 GHz. I think it is a really good deal.

http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/xpsnb_m1210?c=us
<http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/xpsnb_m1210?c=us&c
s=19&l=en&s=dhs> &cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

You can use this label to send the system back and I will refund your money.

If you are interested in the DELL XPS, I can get you the persons contact
information.
 

killernotebooks

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Ok, so I read the emails you allegedly cut and pasted the what was it? Oh yea, "highlights" of. I'm sure those go a long way to tell the whole unbiased story. Honestly, I am not going to waste allot of time with this. You have time on your hands to do that... I do not. This gets one snappy response and you can go on about what a jerk I am.

There are people out there that you just can't please, and I tried to head this off at the pass and do the right thing initially by taking the system back and refunding the money. I thought the record should be set straight when someone wants to complain about a company, we should probably get both sides of the story.

Out of all the systems I sold in the last 12 months there is THIS issue? The system was late, and you didn't like the skin so I refunded your money? [chirp] [chirp]... Is that a cricket I hear? Where's the smoking gun? I mean there are people out there with bloody horror stories that are scratching their beans right now in disbelief.

The system was late.
Your were compensated for it and you agreed to it!
You got a system in 3 weeks instead of 10 days... stuff happens in business and you roll with the punches.
Accept $75 off and expedited shipping and you somewhat lose your right to later complain the thing was late... not, "Oh, I'll just blow this guy off late, but communicated, and settled on terms... you know what's going on late."

This was the first system of this kind that I built and when I did I DID NOT LIKE THE QUALITY OF THE CHASSIS, I HAVE HIGH STANDARDS, YOU THEN GOT IT AND YOU DIDN'T LIKE IT. I DISCONTINUED IT AND YOU GOT YOUR MONEY BACK IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE I SAID I WASN'T GOING TO CARRY THE MODEL ANY LONGER!

Great that you want to commend XoticPC for selling a system that I won't carry because it doesn't meet my quality standards. Some people will sell anything and care little about their end user. I think this issue actually says A LOT about what K|N is all about. I didn't want to sell and support a system that I felt was junk.

:arrow: From the time you got the system... called me, to the time you got a FedEx label to return it, was what... an hour?
:arrow: You shipped it out the next day (my cost).
:arrow: You got all you money back an hour after I received the machine!

I am failing to see the issue, but man, judging by your post of, "Mark, you should've just let this one slip by..." there is obviously some hostility there.

I didn't exactly "divulge the entire story online" as I don't have time to play reindeer games. I posted some bullet points of what happened.

This though... this IS Killer Notebooks, this is good material right here boy...“I have entered the details of this transaction into a probability matrix on my server and it has come up with every conceivable future outcome. Through statistical analysis I have determined that in no scenario is Killer Notebooks a good fit for your situation.”
Yea, that's a little sassy, but the "highlights" don't include several emails and anyone that has read my material knows I am a little hot and spicy. If you want to deal with a straight shooter... well, it isn't an act, you get it thick and thin.

Seriously, this is as close as business owner can come to saying, "You're a pain in the butt... goodbye." Which is what I think the real issue here is. I DON'T accept every customer, it truly is "for the Select Few". There is no "probability matrix" that is a line I modified from "12 Monkeys". In all of this I see...
Once again, sorry for your troubles and wasting your time.

The label is all set with insurance, tracking etc.

This point I just want to take the loss, discontinue the line, put the
system on Ebay for $1,499 (scratch and all) and be done with it.

I had to think long and hard if I wanted to put the K|N name on that
particular chassis, and I don't. The chassis and what comes with it does not
make the grade, I feel it is junk.

My target market is gamers, and people that want custom work and want it
done right. To do custom work right, it can't be rushed. I want to do the
right thing and that is giving you your money back so you can deal with
someone who is going to specialize in that type of system.
I freaking wish, wish I got a fair shake like this in some of my business dealings!
I guess understanding that comes with experience in life and maturity in business dealings.
 

ironhell

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Ok, so I read the emails you allegedly cut and pasted the what was it? Oh yea, "highlights" of. I'm sure those go a long way to tell the whole unbiased story.

I have them in my inbox so yes, they are cut and paste. And no, they don't tell the "whole unbiased story" as neither do your posts.

Good luck with your endeavors Mark.

Love and peace :)
 

grog23

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Wanted to say I've had a Wakazaki for 10 months now and I'm very happy. It's my 15 yr. old daughters and she hasn't had any problems at all.

Dealing with Mark was a pleasure and he answered all my e-mails quickly, and all delays were my fault, but I ended up with one of the first core 2 duo notebooks instead of a duel core.

I like dealing with small, quality companies. Sometimes things happen but in the end I get nice work for a decent price.

grog
 

killernotebooks

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So far... yes.
:D
I am filling time waiting for the new Wakizachi and Executioner SR with PS3 Resistance Fall of Man online.

I think I now have more Bluetooth accessories than 20 average people.