Conclusion, Warranty and Support
The performance, while it could have been a bit better with the use of DDR400 SODIMMs, was very impressive. You get desktop level performance in a laptop package, that while not too portable, isn't so terrible that you want to leave it at home or in the office all the time. I've had the unit out and about whenever possible, to try and get a proper feel for mobile computing, and its portability isn't what's put me off using it.The screen did that. Hard to use due to too much internal reflection, especially in bright light, the screen was definitely the downside to using the Platina. The resolution, gaming and fast motion performance and excellent geometry performance are all let down by the uneven brightness. It might be fixable with an extra internal lamp ,or different electronics, and it may even be sample specific, but I have to report what I found.
Apart from that, I'm impressed. I got on well with the keyboard, the trackpad was fine once I'd trained myself to press its buttons in a certain place and there's generous wrist space with which you can obtain good ergonomics. It's very very quiet, nearly silent when the internal unit fan turns itself off, the PSU then becoming the noisiest part of the package. For that I'm grateful, I have another laptop in for testing that's louder than my desktop PC and while heat is the other unit's obvious nemesis, the Time manages to deal with its own heat issues with notable aplomb.
Large memory capacity, good features (DVD-R on the move is excellent for example), the ability to read flash memory and the WiFi all stood out too. The bundled extras are well thought out and chosen to compliment the Platina, rather than just being part of some standard bundle that Time ship with everything. Audigy 2 NX is brilliant, the Sennheiser cans sounded great, the Bluetooth will please mobile phone junkies and certain corporate types, while the Saitek pad helps make those train journeys a bit shorter.
It's a capable gamers laptop without breaking the bank, close to being the ultimate LAN party toy if it weren't for the lacklustre screen. The hard disk is quiet and HDTach confirms it as fairly fast.
I'm left wanting for a better display, DDR400 SODIMMs, 802.11g, some slight keyboard tweaks and a nice rucksack to carry it around in. It looks good, it performs well, the bundle is excellent and you get 64-bit computing on the move. Battery life isn't as shocking as you'd think either.
It's not perfect by any means, poor basic ergonomics leave me with a bad aftertaste, but it makes a good case for itself otherwise. Keep it in your thoughts if high power on the move is what you need, it's basically the VoodooPC Envy m:855, sold by a UK retailer, but almost £400 cheaper at just over £1600 inc VAT.
Warranty and Support
The unit comes with Time's usual three year warranty, the first two years are on-site, the final year is return to base. Parts and labour costs are covered in the purchase price, for the duration of the warranty. You get the reload media, access to Time's support site and a phone number to call for 24/7 phone support (a new service). You can purchase extra cover at a nominal fee, talk to Time about that when you make your order, they're pretty flexible in that respect.Being a laptop, it was hard to pretend to break something and fake a support call, so I took the easy option and turned off the WiFi using the button on the front of the unit, then rang them saying I couldn't connect to my wireless network at home. Playing dumb, the first thing the support person asked me, within seconds of me explaining my problem, was 'is the blue light on the front of the laptop lit up?'. Top marks for that, even if it was slightly easy to remedy. A three month grace period of dialling tech support on a freecall number would be nice, £1/min is annoying, even if they do sort you out as quick as possible.
Score
Pros
Good, desktop level, performanceExcellent value bundle (Audigy 2 NX, Saitek, Sennheiser headphones)
DVD-R on the move
Mobility Radeon 9600 3D performance
Stylish chassis
Good expansion and peripheral connection (flash memory, IrDa, FW400, USB2.0)
VGA and S-Video outputs
SXGA resolution LCD, good fast motion performance
Good initial warranty
Decent speakers
Cons
Poor display characteristics in terms of even brightness and reflectivityAwkward mouse buttons under the trackpad
It's not the lightest laptop in the world (nearly 4kg)
Crippled performance due to memory module choice
No 802.11g WiFi
Thanks
Komplett for the camera used to take the shots.Time for the sample.
