Re: Thanks!
Hey, if you're going to order an Area-51m, I'd hold off for a wee bit (say a week or two) and watch their website. With some luck, the free Targus bag will still be available as well.
AW has yanked the mini-PCI card offered for WiFi. It was an A/B card, and while good, the company decided to pick up a new card that are A/B/G compatible (and I think that it is compatible with the new deafting for 802.11I, but don't quote me on that).
You can't pre-order it, so it's worth waiting for... but if you can't wait, then you'll have to change your configuration to add it.
The trick is to let AW know that you know it is not available, since the price they are using in the mags for their promotion includes the card as part of the deal (a $57 value).
Tis up to you... personally I like arcadyan. Never used them, but I like the idea behind their products. Most mini-PCI cards can handle a lot more than what manufacturers are designing them for, and this company tries to push the limit on that. Here's a quick link to check out one of their internal WiFi cards.
http://www.arcadyan.com/PDF/Datasheet_abg_miniPCI PH11107_12127.pdf
BTW: if you should order, make sure to include the surge protector they are offering. I like Belkin's products (I REALLY like their USB bluetooth adapter), and the surge protector is no exception. If the picture on the AW site is correct, they are selling a surge protector that is compatible with most voltages (for those of us who travel out of the US a lot with our laptops) and has a retractable phone cord built in (the phone cord is also protected). Considering my lifestyle, this suits me quite well, and for $25 (as opposed to like $45 or so on Belkin's site, or $50 at Best Buy... if they carry it, instead of the cheaper model) it's a half-decent deal.
Cool thing about AW though is that if you order your system, and the products aren't released before your system is shipped, just tell them and they'll send it to you at the same cost as if you had purchased it with your system, and with free shipping.
Not too bad a deal.
I'll be getting my hands on one in a few weeks, so I'll make a post and give an opinion then. Personally, I kinda like the company (though it does have some issues which really need to be dealt with) and was impressed with they old Area-51m, though it has some major issues with battery life and I was not a big fan of the Clevo cases (too chincy for my tastes, and the latch broke too easily).
