From: hyatt@cis.uab.edu (Robert Hyatt)
Subject: Re: Jetta Jetbook
Organization: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 18:03:14 GMT

In article <5cg802DG2fB201@JUTS.ccc.amdahl.com> rwb00@avon.as writes:
>
>In article 92Dec16192218@newyork.eecs.uic.edu, solworth@newyork.eecs.uic.edu (Jon Solworth) writes:
>>
>>PC Magazine's recent review of portables reviewed the Jetta Jetbook,
>>which was the top performance on processor speed.  Does anyone know
>>anything about this notebook -- how does the keyboard feel, does it
>>have full travel, how is the screen?
>
>I don't know about the Jetta notebook in particular, but you are asking the
>right questions.
>
>I just wanted to comment on the PC Magazine review (they had another such
>roundup in August, too). Based on their favorable comments, I bought a
>Compudyne 386/25SL. Variations of this unit recieved quite favorable
>comments in the August issue, and again this month. However, I was quite
>disappointed when I got it home - lots of streaking in the display, plus
>the feel of the keyboard wasn't very good, plus I couldn't get it to work
>with a serial mouse (you must use the little built-in trackball), plus
>the documentation wasn't very good, plus....well, you get the idea. The
>PC Mag reviews don't really address things like display quality or 
>documentation - they did comment on the Compudyne keyboard, however.
>
>I returned the Compudyne (CompUSA has a great, 30 day no-questions-asked
>return policy) and bought a Toshiba Satellite 1850. This machine cost me
>$200 more, but the display is noticably better, the keyboard is great,
>it comes with good documentation, an 800 number and BBS for support - its
>better in every way then the Compudyne. Reading PC Magazine, however, this
>is not at all clear.
>
>I think the moral of the story is that there is no substitute for actually
>trying the unit you want to buy - feeling the keyboard, seeing the display.
>And take the PC Magazine reviews with a grain of salt...


I agree.  Also, the "evaluation" of machines in PC magazing make absolutely
no sense.  For example, the Toshiba 4400SXC got the editors choice award,
yet the Compaq LTE lite 25c got "goods" in every suitability to task
category while the toshiba got 3 fairs and only one good.  go figure?

Also, if you compare the zenith and the compaq, they are so close from my
actual hands-on testing that I would rate them equal.  I personally like
the compaq trackball and where it is, but as far as speed, color, keyboard,
etc.  they are close.  The zenith got the same "suitability" ratings as
the toshiba, yet the toshiba costs much more. 

I have often wondered if toshiba owns part of Ziff-Davis?  In any case,
if you buy one "hands off" and take any magazine's analysis, you are
probably going to be disappointed.  Remember, you are still letting only
ONE person tell you his/her analysis;  why not ask someone you know and
trust instead?  Even better, make up your own mind.  Everybody has their
own keyboard likes/dislikes;  that and the power management are probably
the only things that differentiate the color notebooks, (with a little
difference in weights and size, but not much.....)


-- 
!Robert Hyatt                    Computer and Information Sciences   !
!hyatt@cis.uab.edu               University of Alabama at Birmingham !
Newsgroups: comp.sys.laptops