NetVista X40i: Big Blue's Homerun (Revised 10-6-00)
Written: Aug 04 '00 (Updated Oct 07 '00)
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Pros: Great style, great performance.
Cons: Hard to reach modem and ethernet.
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| TCar's Full Review: IBM NetVista X40i |
Ever notice lately that when a character in a movie uses a computer it is almost always either a laptop or an iMac? Why? They look better.
We are used to computers being ugly. You have a big beige box and a big beige monitor. Cables spill out the back of the computer, getting all tangled up as they snake everywhere. I have never been a Mac user, but thank God for Apple and Steve Jobs. When they came out with the iMac, they exposed the computer industry to the benefits of style. How many people, who would previously have gone the standard Wintel route, bought an iMac on its looks alone?
Dell and Compaq quickly came out with more stylish desktops and eMachines copied the iMac look. Computer makers refer to the design of the computer as its "form factor". The word alone tells you that computer makers are still geeks. (Hey, geeks are good for designing the inside, but not the outside.) Their stylish systems weren't terribly more interesting than the typical beige box, but were much more expensive. Consumers decided they weren't worth the premium, and Dell and Compaq are quietly discontinuing those lines. And Apple sued eMachines and made them drop the eOne.
Well, IBM, who never really did desktops systems all that well, has come to the rescue with the NetVista X40i. As their advertising campaign proclaims, computers are no longer a commodity business if you stop making commodities.
The NetVista has style in spades. It is sleek, black, and futuristic looking. It takes up very little room on the desk. The are only 3 parts: system, keyboard and mouse. There are only 3 cables: 1 each for the kb and mouse, and a power cable. You can check it out online. Cut and paste this address into your browser:
http://commerce.www.ibm.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce/CategoryDisplay?cntrfnbr=1&cgrfnbr=2050334&cgmenbr=1&cntry=840&lang=en_US
There are two models. The basic one has a Celeron 533, 64MB RAM, 10.1GB HD, and 24X CD-ROM for $1799. The better model bumps to a PIII 600, 128MB RAM, 15GB HD, and a DVD drive for $2099. Both have a a 56k modem and 10/100 Ethernet card and come with WIN98 Second edition installed. For my money it was worth $300 for the performance boost. IBM had to bill me for my state's sales tax, so I bought mine from eCost.com instead. Total cost was 2013.11 + 48.31 handling = $2061.42. When you consider that a 15" LCD monitor alone will run $800-900, the price is pretty reasonable. The included software package is weak, though. This wasn't a problem for me, as I simply installed the software I already owned.
(UPDATE: IBM has upgraded the models. The basic now has a Celeron 633 and 20GB HD. The better model now goes for $2199, steps up to a PIII 800, 20 GB HD and an 8x DVD replaces the former 6x speed. Finally, for $2299 you can get a CD-RW rather than a DVD drive.)
When the box arrived, I was up and running in 5 minutes. Pull the main unit out and plug in the power cord. Plug in the keyboard and mouse, connect to the phone jack and you're done.
All connections are made through the 5 USB ports (3 in back, 2 on side of monitor). The keyboard has 2 more USB ports available on it. There are PS/2 mouse and keyboard connections hidden underneath the monitor if you really need them. If your printers, scanners, and other peripherals are not USB, you'll need adaptors. The modem and ethernet jacks are hard to get to though. I had to lay the system on its side to get to them.
My system did have one problem though... a defective modem. I had to wait on hold for 20 minutes to get to customer service (a free call, but a long wait). The rep told me that the NetVista has what they call Depot Service, which means that you take it in somewhere for repair. The rep put me on hold for a minute and spoke with his supervisor. As long as I was comfortable with doing it myself, he offered to send me a replacement modem. And so they did, overnight, with a return label for the defective modem. Needless to say, I was pleased.
Getting into the system is a little tricky. As you'd imagine, it's a little tight inside as well. However, most users will never have reason to get in there. The replacement modem worked just fine.
This is a great system. If you are looking for a computer with style, a computer that will be seen in the den for example, buy the NetVista. It's worth the money. If you are willing to drop big bucks on a system with an LCD monitor, it isn't really costing you extra anyway. Also, while it isn't suitable as a high-powered gaming rig, it will meet most performance needs. A+
(UPDATE: IBM has either misjudged demand, or had some manufacturing or supply problems. You can check their web site for availability. They have been noting availability with "CALL' or "WITHIN 4 WEEKS", and "IN-STOCK" hasn't lasted long when it's there. I still love and recommend my machine. If you are willing to spend the bucks and have some patience, monitor the availability and snag one when you can!)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 2013.11
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Pentium III
Processor speed: 501-600
RAM: 128
Internal Storage: DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 13-20
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Epinions.com ID:
TCar
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Location: Bangor, Maine
Reviews written: 36
Trusted by: 3 members
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