ECS G556 Centrino / ATI 9600 Pro laptop

[BargainSeeker]

ECS has posted the specifications on their new G556 laptop (http://www.ecs.com.tw/products/pd_spec.asp?product_id=404) on their global website. The G556 is a 5.5 lb (2.5 kg) laptop with a Pentium M or Dothan processor and ATI 9600 Pro graphics with up to 128MB of VRAM.

According to this DigiTimes article (http://www.digitimes.com/NewsShow/Article1.asp?datePublish=2003/11/25&pages=PR&seq=204):

"The G556 Centrino notebook features a 15-inch TFT LCD display, a 1.7GHz Intel Pentium M processor, a 855PM chipset, a Radeon 9600 graphics chip from ATI Technologies, a 60GB hard disk and a DVD-RW drive. Positioned as a flagship notebook product, the G556 is priced at around NT$73,999 (about US$2,176)"

The G556 is the laptop shown by ECS at Comdex (http://www.tomshardware.com/business/20031120/comdex-03.html) as shown in Tom's Hardware Guide (look at the bottom of the page).

Several computer vendors resell ECS laptops under their own brand names. Also, ECS laptops can be purchased in barebones form from a number of vendors (a rarity). I have contacted some of these ECS barebones vendors but they do not yet have an ETA on the G556.

[pizzo812]

Which vendors resell? And in your own opinion do you think this is something we won't see until after the new year?

[BargainSeeker]

Which vendors resell? And in your own opinion do you think this is something we won't see until after the new year?To get an idea of some of the ECS resellers, do a Google search on: G551 notebook OR laptop. The larger name brand resellers usually change model numbers. For them, it takes detective work to match pictures and detailed specifications between their models and models offered by manufacturers such as ECS. Many "big name" computer vendors get laptops from several different manufacturers.

As to availability, my guess is that we're looking at late December or early January.

[BargainSeeker]

Which vendors resell?
Here's one (http://www.voodoopc.com/systems/m460.aspx) complete with a fancy paint job and a tremendous markup.

[BargainSeeker]

Here's a company profile on ECS with links to more information about the company and its products from DigiTimes (an IT publication in Taiwan): http://www.digitimes.com/Backgrounders/ecs.asp?view=profile

Here is a review of the ECS G550 laptop, the first ECS laptop in the ECS G55x range:
http://www.neoseeker.com/resourcelink.html?rlid=63692

Here is a review of the ECS G552 laptop, another one in the ECS G55x range:
http://www.gamersdepot.com/hardware/notebooks/voodoo/m460/001.htm

[shurcooL]

Any updates on this laptop yet? :-[

Edit: Yes! (http://notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=13169&page=4)