![[H]ardOCP](/images/blank.gif){kind=small}
- Date:
- Tuesday , November 01, 2005
- Author:
- Jason Wall
- Editor:
- Chris Morley
- Google +1
ABS Mayhem G4 Laptop
As a step in the direction of diversifying our OEM systems evaluation program, we take a look at a laptop from ABS. ABS has been in the systems integration business for 15 years and is the OEM behind Newegg.com. Carrying a 6600 Go and touted by ABS as a gaming laptop, the bar is set.
Part I - Overview: Purchasing, Packaging, and Presentation
Purchasing
The ABS Web site is a little bit cluttered, but it's easy to find the links to their options on the left side of the page. There are a number of options for the consumer. You can go for a gaming desktop, a gaming laptop, a performance desktop, servers, or even do-it-yourself (DIY) desktops and laptops. With these options, the consumer has two levels of customization to choose from. For advanced users, choosing the DIY option allows you to choose from an impressive list of components to build your machine from the ground up. For those that may need a little help in putting a machine together, selecting a pre-designed box or laptop may be a better option. Even though they're pre-designed kits, they are still very customizable. With the pre-designed kits, you must select a chassis-video card combo, in this case, the G4. After that, you can customize every other component.
In contrast to Gateway or Dell, where the goal is to get the purchase done and get the computer out the door as soon as possible, ABS and the smaller boutiques focus on providing options and customizations rather than the speed of the transaction. In other words, they are generally more concerned that you've bought the right machine for your needs, rather than just making sure that you bought a machine. The added level of respect towards the consumer is certainly welcome and appreciated, and this can usually only be found with the smaller distributors.
Two clicks from the home page bring us to the customization stage in the purchasing process. We selected the pre-designed Mayhem G4 and added another 512MB of RAM for a total of 1GB. After three total pages of upgrade options, we checked out and selected our shipping options. We then noticed that it takes 3 days for ABS to process orders, so for whatever shipping scheme you choose, add 3 days for shipping. Those 3 days are used for assembly and testing. Also on that page is their Terms and Conditions. With any OEM system you buy, we recommend that you read this document very closely, especially if you have expectations of technical support. Finally, it's just a matter of logging in and selecting your payment option. If you know what you're looking for, you can get through the entire process in less than 15 minutes.
Packaging
I suppose the first thing I have to say is that it came in a very big box. Even with the FedEx Saver shipping package, it's $60 to ship this unit. Speaking of FedEx, they took good care of the box. Unlike the abuse we saw with the Gateway FX400XL, there were only a couple of minor gashes on this box. When we open the top, we see the included carrying case and a 3-ring binder.
Underneath, we see the box-within-a-box routine. ABS packed the main box well, with plenty of space all around. Inside the main box, one internal box contained the accessories.
In the other internal box, we find the laptop. ABS covered all surfaces with a thin plastic sheet to protect it from scratches. It's a very handsome machine and we were immediately drawn to the 15" widescreen display.
Although it lacks the real estate to have all of the ports of a desktop, this system is still well equipped. On the rear, we see S-video and VGA video outputs, 4 USB ports, the data ports, and a security port for securing your laptop. On the side, we find another USB port, an audio jack, a microphone jack, an IEEE 1394 connection, a blocked PCMCIA port, an active PCMCIA port, and a 4-in-1 media card reader. On the other side, we find the CD/DVD-RW drive. On the front, we see controls for the DVD player.
Among the notable items in the accessories kit, there's the manual, a phone line, a quick start-up guide, a quick installation guide, the power cord and adapter, and an S-video to A/V video converter.
I was pleasantly surprised by what I found in the 3-ring binder. First, there is a nice letter from ABS thanking us for purchasing the product. This small courtesy is not something you see from larger OEMs. Next is a list of everything that was included in the box, which is inspected and stamped before it was shipped. In addition, there is a series of synthetic “benchmark” results to show that the system was tested before shipping; PCMark04, 3DMark01SE, and 3DMark03 are the synthetic tests ABS used. Also in the documentation is a checklist of components, also double-checked and stamped for approval before shipping. (Let me apologize for the focus problems in some of the following pictures.)
There are also a number of discs included, not the least of which is a full, unopened copy of XP Home. If that wasn't enough to please us, we also received a Restore DVD disc. Also included is a Works 8 disc, Power Director DE digital video authoring software, and a driver disc for the DVD drive.
