Sager NP8886 2.8GHz Pentium 4

Conclusion

Part notebook, part desktop, the Sager NP8886 is the largest desktop replacement system we have seen to date. Sure, being big has its advantages but do the pros outweigh the cons? We tend to think no.

As we alluded to in the introduction, there is really no way to determine what makes a computer a notebook. Sure, the Sager NP8886 is a far cry from the "luggable" of the 1980s but it is also a far cry from your standard notebook. Its size, at 14.2"x11.8"x2.15", and its weight, at 12 pounds, make the system difficult to carry even for short distances. Indeed, the NP8886 is most at home on a desk but what advantages does the system offer over a standard desktop?

Well, it is nice to be able to move the system around easily on occasion. It is certainly more portable than a standard desktop system despite its weight and size. It also offers many of the features we have come to expect on only desktop systems, such as a fast processor, dual hard drives, and a TV-tuner. The NP8886 is, without question, the must feature rich notebook we have seen. The desktop speed is there too. On the whole, performance of the 2.8GHz Sager NP8886 was about 5% slower than the performance of the 3.06GHz Hypersonic Sonic Aviator in CPU intensive situations; not a large performance difference at all.

Although the desktop features are there, not all of them are up to par. The internal TV-tuner, while interesting in concept, proved to be more a novelty than a useable feature thanks to buggy software and poor video display. The internal MP3 player is a neat concept but it is far from ideal. The simple player is really limited in functionality by incorporating such a small LCD panel and the inability to read MP3 tags or filenames.

Despite these problems, they all seem trivial when compared to the largest thorn in the NP8886's side: its size. It seems that taking the system on a trip would require it to be packed in the luggage compartment, that is unless your idea of fun is strapping rocks to your back. On top of its weight, the physical size of the unit also makes it unmanageable. Fitting the system into a standard laptop bag proves to be an interesting task. Luckily, the unit comes with a basic carrying case but this does not make the notebook any lighter.

The best analogy we can give to describe our feelings on the Sager NP8886 is that it is a desktop system trying to be a notebook, not a notebook trying to be a desktop. We can see the concept of an all powerful notebook working but not this time around.

The Sager NP8886 starts at around $1900 and is available from a number of online resellers such as Powernotebooks.com who provided us with our review sample. The system as we reviewed it tops the price scales at around $2700.