LG- LW40 Express!!!

Hi all,

I travelled to Singapore this past week. I came across a LG laptop that caught my attention. This model LW40Express is really eye catching and is being promoted as a multimedia powerhouse. Here are the specs:

Sonoma,
Intel’s 2nd Generation Centrino Mobile Technology
The Intel’s 2nd generation Centrino, Platform with a Dothan CPU equipped with 533MHz FSB and 2MB of L2 cache, as well as Mobile Intel 915 Express chipset provides you much faster performance

LW40-EXPRESS

Processor Intel Pentium M 1.73GHz (740) Core Technology Mobile Intel 915 PM Chipset
L2 Cache/ FSB 2MB/533MHz OS Windows XP Home
Display 14" WXGA(1280x768) Fine Bright LCD Technology Glare
Graphic Card ATI Radeon x600 Graphics Memory 128MB(HyperMemory)(Dedicated 64MB)
Memory 1 pc 512MB DDR2(533MHz), Dual Channel Support HDD 60GB(5400rpm)
ODD Super-Multi(DVD+/-RW,DVD-RAM) Dual Layer(Hot Swappable with weight saver) Wireless Technology Intel Pro/Wireless 2200BG(802.11 b/g), Dual Hexa-band
LAN 10/100 Modem 56kbps Modem
Multi Media Card Slot 5-in-1 Audio High Definition Sound Technology(24bit)
Ease of Use IP Operator, Intelligent Update PC Card Slot ExpressCard /34
Power-saving Technology Battery Miser 2005 I/O 3 USB(2.0), VGA, S-video, IEEE1394, MIC, RJ11/45, SPDIF9Headphone)
Keyboard 84 Keys(Elastic Reaction) Battery Standard 6 Cell / Optional 9 Cell
Dimension 335x236.5x31.7mm Pointing Device Touchpad with Scroll Function
Software LG Intelligent Update, Recovery CD, Power DVD 5.0, Nero 6.0 Weight 2.46kg(W/ODD, Including a standard battery)
Remark Software CD’s included.(IP Operator, Battery Miser…..) Warranty 1YR(International Warranty Service Included)

As I am a PC novice and shopping for a laptop for the 1st time, your kind inputs here would be really helpful to me. I have only came across laptops with either a Dothan or Sonoma CPU, never have I saw a notebook like this particular LG model. Correct me if I am wrong, Dothan supports only up to 64MB of VRAM? Also LCD supposed to be classified as Bright, SuperBright, or Clear but with this LG model, it is called ‘Glare’?? What do you mean by a hot swappable??
I have been google-ing around trying to find a LG site where I can be advised. I have also contact LG to direct me to a link but getting no answers from them, LOL. Should I play it safe and opt for IBM’s ThinkPad, Toshiba’s Satellite/ Tecra, or a HP/ Compaq laptop??? Or should I feel adventurous and buy this good-looking LG notebook? Thank you in advance

Cheers
Kathy

 

oops i think i saw another thread pertaining to this LG model. Sorry moderator

 

Kathy, LG is new the laptop field. There has been an increase in interest for the new LG Dual Core laptops. Whether or not they are good...we are not too sure.. cos there aren't many people with these notebooks.

Regarding LCDs...LG calls their screen, FineBright, which means glossy with high contrast and brightness and vividness.

The Lg Lw40 is a nicely specced machine.

Take the Lg Lw40 price and put that beside the new coming ASUS W3J and see what happens...

The 14" WXGA ASUS W3J is all the new RAVe..once its released the first thing people are concerned about is the heat dissipation...if that is good and it has over 3 hours of battery life, then the W3J would be called a HIT!

A competitor to the LG Lw40 is the ASUS W3v compare them both spec wise and price wise.. also I do suggest you wait roughly 2-3 weeks as we will see more Dual Core laptops.

Thanks,

MysticGolem

 

I believe the LW40 will be superceded by a replacement model in the very near future. Furthermore, from a friend who worked at LG of Korea, she told me that there were major problems with the USB ports and had alot of returns over it.. which include her own LG (i believe she had the LS50)

 

Thanks MysticGolem. I would take your words and wait for a month before my final decision, lol. I know i have never came across a LG laptop, that's why i am rather undecisive but this model is a candy to my eyes. Nevertheless, LG needs to put more efforts in terms of marketing and technical supports for a clueless person like me

See ya
kathy

 

Ok Goren. I take your words for it and wait for a replacement model

Thanks,
kathy

 

Hi Kathy, this model had just launch another version LW40,
this had a 2.0Ghz, 100GB HDD.

 

If only they had released sooner... I bought the first iteration of the LW40 with the integrated GMA900... Nice, but a little heavy for it's size.

 

Personally I would not by LG, as I brought a LG external DVD writer here in the UK two years ago, after needing a replacement USB cable, I was shocked at how bad the LG customer service is (well here in the UK anyway) I contacted SEME (LG parts distributor) who sent me the wrong cable, after that I contacted LG directly they gave me a part number for me to give to SEME directly, which was again wrong! I then went back to LG directly and after much delay and several emails, they gave me another part number which they assured me was now correct, but....... you guessed it..... WAS WRONG!!

This whole process spanned over a year and a half, waiting for LG to come up with the right part number, I mean come on, how hard could it be to get a simple usb cable? and LG would not sell it to me directly, and being a custom cable I couldnt go elsewhere to get a replacement.

I found their service and support effectively useless, mind you I am sure they are better with laptops?? any body else had to deal with LG service?

I have been researching laptops for a year and a half now, and find that ASUS are are, by far the most consistent, performance and quality wise to other brands, as soon as the W3J is comming out i am getting one.

Good Luck

ps check this out may:
http://store.agearnotebooks.com/asusnotebook.html

 

NZ...well product and service are 2 different things and but they relate to eachother.

Each laptop must be evaluated seperately...to understand how good or bad it is.

For example, we may not like toshiba.. but there's a possibility that they can release a laptop with amazing build quality and performance and price...but if we have a pre-judgment that all tosh sux... then its pointless.

LG is just a brand name....the laptops are the products we are looking at and we all look at whether the product is good first.. then look at service..

customer service is extremely subjective and also based on luck, i've contacted LG canada 3 times, spoken with 5 reps, and got info.. sufficient info...yes the first people i talked to had no clue, but they got me in touch with the people who did know the stuff.

When dealing with customer service you havta be patient and try several times to get info.

BTW... with ur external DVD writer... why din't you just return it and buy another one with the cable...? Make life easy.... that's how i do it...I never deal with customer service because i believe all of them are slow (pre-judgment) but w/e.

Thanks,

MysticGolem

 

Well you will probably laugh at this one...... but the reason I didnt return it was that I brought it on ebay.......with out the cable! (so in a way its really my own fault).

But I consider myself quite resoursefull when it comes to finding parts and fixing stuff, I was lucky I had a PCMCIA lead that happened to have the same end that fits onto the drive, so was able to use that (although not 100% realibly) and you are right service is a bit subjective, but this one had me stumped, maybe it is a UK thing but service I find over here from retail shops to banking, everything thing is just such a hassle. (well compared to NZ anyway), I am sure in other countries their service is much better where LG is much more established.

I did try a lot, I have a huge trail of emails from both SEME and LG, that spanned over a period of a year and a half, I gave up after the second time LG gave me the wrong part number, because LG dont sell spares directly, they only dealt through SEME (parts distributor) and becasue LG gave me the part number to give to SEME, SEME would not refund for the wrong cable because that was the one I had asked for, I was asked to take it up with LG, but it was only 16 pound so wasnt worth the hassle.

To be honest, I was dissapointed at the service here in the UK because even though product and service are different, if the lack service is stopping your product from working... you have a problem.

But at the end of the day dont let that put you off because the LG DVD drive I have is a nice piece of kit that I am really happy with it (when it works), it is just my experience with ther parts replacement system here in the UK that got me more than anoyed, anyhow I may even have another go at getting the cable.

Cheers )

 

Sory Kathy, back to the subject at hand, have you seen the specs for the W3J,

- 14" TFT Wide Screen(WXGA, Colour-Shine)
- Intel Centrino Core Duo T2400 1.83G
- ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 256MB(512MB HyperMemory)
- 1024MB(512x2) DDRII SDRAM (up to 2gb)
- 100G HDD
- DVD+/-RW Double Layer
- Gigabit LAN
- Intel 3945ABG WLAN
- Bluetooth Built-in
- WinXP Pro
(not to mention the DVD drive is a multi drive bay so you can slot either an extra battery or second hard drive in the bay, great to use as a scratch disc when using photoshop, two hard drives in a laptop for me is a great feature! and I have also used a second battery in the multi drive bay in my work laptop, a Del latitude on a flight back to NZ gave me 8 hrs, fantastic!! personally I think all laptops should have multi drive bays)

I think quite favourable specs compared to the LG, I have never seen a review for LG laptop before, so can't comment on performance, but I have a UK suscription to whatlaptop and a month go there was a review for the ASUS W3V only had 1.83ghz Pentuim m processor and 4200rpm drive, but it was so well configured it scored a Bopac Mobile Mark performance score of 256 quoted by the reviewer as being one of the fastest scores they have evaluated to date and only just behind the current dual core laptops on offer.

I dont have the magazine handy, but if you are interested I could dig it out, scan and give the review to you?

Hope that helps