A great desktop replacement (ECS i-Buddie A928)

Member Name: Drighten

Product:	ECS i-Buddie A928
Date:	06/01/06 (389 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Large clear LCD, fast, good build, portable when necessary

Disadvantages: Not large enough hard drive after three years use

I purchased this machine over three years ago, with the full knowledge that it was NOT a laptop. It was a portable desktop replacement. I had been waiting years for just such a beast, and this gave it to me. I run it into a full sized monitor at home, with a desktop keyboard and optical mouse (both USB 2.0) and it works just like a desktop computer in every way that I need. I do a lot of video editing and DVD manufacture and with an external DVD burner (USB 2.0) it runs just fine. When I occasionally need to take it somewhere, I put it in a padded computer backpack with all the accessories I need (it is heavy) and I take it with me. Then I use the integrated keyboard and a spare USB mouse that I carry also, and the LCD screen that is attached. It performs fine there too. If on the really rare occasion that I need it away from a power source, the external power UPS available as an option makes it fully functional then also. I did not have any misconception about this being a laptop. I have two of those also. I wanted it for what it is. Now I have upgraded it to 1GB of RAM and am looking to put in a larger HDD now that they have 7200RPM laptop hard drives. ECS technical says I cannot do this because of heat issues, but we'll see. I have never had a problem with overheating, but maybe I don't tax it enough to drive the heat up. The fan cuts in when it seems to be thinking hard, and video editing can cause this, but the processor never seems overworked. It came with a Pentium 4A 2.4 Ghz processor and a 184 pin DDR ram stick, which is not portable components. The Hard Drive is a 2.5 which does bottleneck it a little. It does have a printer port (parallel) but lacks a serial port, so needs a serial to USB adapter cord. It also lacks a card slot, but as it has everything built in for LAN and internet, I have not found this to be a problem. After three years, I am still not looking for a new desktop computer to replace this, but I had looked for this to replace desktops for years. All in all, the best computer purchase I have ever made, and I have owned in the neighborhood of fifty, over my thirty five years of computer use. (read TRS80 as my first personal box and the NORAD defense systems room sized behemoths at work)

Anybody not happy with their ECS I-Buddie4 A928 and wants to sell it to me cheap, just let me know. Must not be DOA. I don't need any anchors.

Summary: It's a desktop with portability

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