By Allan D. Francisco
I always have difficulty in watching drama films featuring comedians in leading roles. Dolphy, Robin Williams, Babalu, Cachupoy and Ben Stiller—these guys only need roll up their eyes and I’d be rolling down the cinema aisle, laughing myself to kingdom come. But them essaying dramatic roles? That never fails to make me feel like watching a previously archived episode of The Twilight Zone.
That, more or less, approximates my reaction to the ECS G900 notebook computer. Each of the ECS products I previously met was from the low-end side of the market. In fact, this is one company that has built its reputation supplying low-cost, but definitely high-quality OEM parts to other, more established vendors. It later on expanded by launching its brands of bargain-priced, though undeniably capable computers and other IT products. And now, it seeks to conquer the high-end regions of the market.
At Php 149,888.00, this laptop packs enough muscles, bells and whistles to play rough with other notebooks occupying the same space in the market. Its Intel Pentium 4 3.2GHz-powered engine comes with 1GB of DDR memory and a generously bountiful 60-GB mobile HDD from Hitachi, while a multi-format memory card reader-DVD-RW combo drive ensures that almost all devices with removable storage media can be serviced. It takes an oath upon its 128-MB ATI Radeon 9700 graphics card and 17-inch TFT screen that nothing would keep a busy executive from doing business presentations even while on the road, or a gamer from enjoying his or her gaming fix.
With its visual capabilities established, the ECS G900 then aims to aurally astound its user with its surround sound capable audio system. Like you need to be immersed in, enveloped with, and intimately caressed by the sounds accompanying a boring PowerPoint presentation.
While the ECS is designed to grant autonomy to mobile executives, it comes with several connectivity modes to ensure that he or she keeps in touch with the head office. The basic system offered by PC Corner (www.pccorner.com.ph; 723-1718) comes with USB and FireWire ports, a 56-kbps modem, LAN and an Infrared connection.
For those tired of watching bootleg DVDs and VCDs from their friendly neighborhood pirates, the Prescott-enabled ECS G900 supports a TV tuner option. Perfect for those who need to keep abreast with the problems and travails faced by their favorite soap opera mermaids, or to learn whether their text votes have made their favorite love teams, the leading love teams.
Several other options are available to enhance the capabilities of the ECS notebook, and the bottom line of the vendor as well. Windows XP Pro, an external floppy drive, cooler pads, and an external 256-MB flash memory are among these enhancement options suggested and offered by PC Corner.
The ECS G900 laptop is one mean mobile computer that comes bundled with features and capabilities that can be handy for mobile executives, even if the farthest they go to is the next cubicle.
Our only gripe is its size. With a 395 x 285 x 39-mm body, this 4.5-kg brute is just too big and weighs too much for our taste. The fact that several sub-notebook PC models come with most of the features that the G900 boasts of strongly urges me to have some second thoughts before deciding to own one.
Other users, especially those with physical attributes resembling those of the California governor, and with desktop space at least a mile wide, would find the G900 a perfect catch.
