Aopen's White-Box Notebook PCs

Usually, when you buy a notebook computer, you have to choose from one prepackaged configuration or another with a bunch of preloaded software and limited options for hardware. In fact, when buying a notebook computer, we're really subjected to all of the things that steered a lot of us into building our own desktop machines. Nobody really ships the exact machine that we want to suit our individual needs and even if they have something that's close, it's loaded with a bunch of crappy software that we don't want due to bundling deals with software vendors. AOpen may just have a solution to this problem with its new 1735 Series of BareBook white-box notebooks. The BareBook initially comes without memory, a hard-disk drive and operating system, which allows AOpen's partners (and hopefully Mom and Pop shops) to customize notebooks to your exact specifications. AOpen now has a special introductory program for resellers who purchase the 1735 Series through September 30, 2001. For each pre-assembled notebook purchased from an AOpen distributor, resellers will get one 17" AOpen A70 CRT monitor (a suggested retail value of $170). The BareBooks come with CPUs pre-installed and a 15" TFT XGA display (1024 x 768, 16M colors), as well as standard components that include and 84/88-key keyboard, with one-touch Internet/multimedia hot keys; audio DJ; S-Video TV Out; a 1394 port; two USB ports; mini-PCI 10/100BaseT LAN support; a V.90 56 kbps onboard data/fax modem; a 1.44MB, 3.5" FDD; a touchpad pointing device; an AC adapter; and a rapid-charge NiMH battery. Channel partners can then add their customers' choice of hard-disk drives; memory (up to 512MB) and their preferred operating system (Windows 98, Me or 2000 - Standard or Professional - hopefully your local vendor will let you choose to get one without an OS and without paying for one); in addition to accessories for future expansion that include CD-RW and DVD-ROM drives; and CDRW/DVD combo drives. AOpen says the BareBook 1735W is designed for "corporate power users" and the 1735D is geared toward mid-range business users. The 1735W is a 3-spindle unit that weighs in at 7.2 lbs and features the Intel Pentium III 850MHz processor with a 256K cache. The 1735D is also a 7.2 lb. 3-spindle unit and has a Celeron 750MHz processor with a 128K cache. Additional models and configurations are forthcoming in the months ahead. The typical suggested retail price of a completed 1735W should be around $1,700 USD, and $1,400 USD for the 1735D.