IBOOD Asus i5 6GB, 500 GB Ultrabook 400 Euro

dingding

http://ie-en.forum.ibood.com/53131-asus_vivo_book_ultrabook_with_133/

Looks like a good price for a ultra book with a good spec. Might suit someone starting college

cormie

Any opinions on this and how it compares to other deals for around the same price? Have a friend who is in the market for a new laptop and was considering a tesco one for 279 and another in DID. I'm not too au fait with spec of computers but this looks ok?

Edit: Ah, I see it's "factory recertified". It's also only 13.3".

dodzy

cormie wrote: »

Any opinions on this and how it compares to other deals for around the same price? Have a friend who is in the market for a new laptop and was considering a tesco one for 279 and another in DID. I'm not too au fait with spec of computers but this looks ok?

Edit: Ah, I see it's "factory recertified". It's also only 13.3".

Whatever he was looking at in tesco / DID for 249, they would not be a patch on this. Wouldn't worry about the recert bit. It is an ultra book, so 13.3 is the norm. 2 cell battery is a bit of a pisser. Asus do make a decent machine.

The_Conductor

Its a good machine at a good price.
If I was in the market for a machine- I would definitely give this consideration (and to be honest- I wouldn't touch any of the Tesco or DID laptops with a bargepole). Its quite remarkable that they get away with selling such crap in this day and age.

cormie

Thanks a lot. Will suggest it. This will probably be plugged in most of the time so the battery probably won't be too big an issue.

dingding

This laptop is designed to be mobile so it would be small and light. Hence the ultrabook designation. In size it would be like a netbook but would have more power than most full sized laptops.

I would try a similar machine in a computer shop first as the small screen and keyboard is not for everyone, however if you need a small compact light powerful machine. You won't get anything at this price.

It is not for everyone and with an i5 it is in a completely different league to anything in tesco. In size and power it is nearer a MacBook Air than a tesco netbook.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/VivoBook-S400CA-14-inch-Touchscreen-Laptop/product-reviews/B00APGM2S2/ref=dpx_acr_txt?showViewpoints=1

Some reviews on amazon for a similar if slightly larger screen. Negative comments tend to focus on windows 8 and the screen quality.

BArra

I have the baby brother of this, the i3, 11 inch screen. It's been a rock solid quick machine for the past year. The build quality is premium and feels like a 1k plus machine

ahnowbrowncow

I'm considering getting this, haven't dealt with ibood before but I see them mentioned quite often here so I'm guessing they're reliable?

Skerries

I wonder if there is an msata slot in it like my ultrabook which would allow you to have an ssd as the windows drive and then use the 500gb for storage, it would massively speed it up

dodzy

ahnowbrowncow wrote: »

I'm considering getting this, haven't dealt with ibood before but I see them mentioned quite often here so I'm guessing they're reliable?

Fire away, they're solid. Delivery time is the only glitch from time to time.

deegs

Very tempted but was gonna hold out for Macbook air...

sector_000

Thanks OP. Been looking for laptops for my college bound kids. The spec of this looks quite good indeed. Pity it is marked "Factory Re-certified"... but I assume that explains the discount. I went and ordered 2 anyways.

Fingers Mcginty

Seriously tempted by this. In the market for a laptop at that price. What exactlydoes factory recertified mean Anyway?
Heading over to the states in a few weeks. .. Might get something cheaper over there .

cormie

Probably like factory refurbished, sent back with a problem and fixed and can't be sold as new, or returned for some silly reason, anyway, it would be checked before being sold on again so should be fine. But the deal is now off ibood so no luck to get it

The_Conductor

Fingers Mcginty wrote: »

Seriously tempted by this. In the market for a laptop at that price. What exactlydoes factory recertified mean Anyway?
Heading over to the states in a few weeks. .. Might get something cheaper over there .

Not a hope of getting something comparable at this price point.
In addition- the Euro is now at a 4 year low against the dollar.
Add to all of this- iBood is a daily offer- it expired at midnight- so for this laptop- its opportunity gone.

dingding

cormie wrote: »

Probably like factory refurbished, sent back with a problem and fixed and can't be sold as new, or returned for some silly reason, anyway, it would be checked before being sold on again so should be fine. But the deal is now off ibood so no luck to get it

Another minor irritation is the US keyboard. The @ and " keys are mixed up amongst others.

On some the enter key is a different shape also.

I replied to the wrong post in my phone. I just wanted to point out an irritation of buying a US laptop as suggested previously.

kirb42

dingding wrote: »

http://ie-en.forum.ibood.com/53131-asus_vivo_book_ultrabook_with_133/

Looks like a good price for a ultra book with a good spec. Might suit someone starting college

Has anyone received there delivery yet...in my now case,iBood..keep shifting the goal post regarding delivery date, anyone else getting the run around...

sector_000

Kirb42....
I appear to be in the same boat as you :mad:
Delivery has been postponed THREE times, for a total slip of ~2 weeks from original commit date.

I am considering cancelling?

Anyone see any other laptops of near comparable spec for anywhere around €400?

kirb42

sector_000 wrote: »

Kirb42....
I appear to be in the same boat as you :mad:
Delivery has been postponed THREE times, for a total slip of ~2 weeks from original commit date.

I am considering cancelling?

Anyone see any other laptops of near comparable spec for anywhere around €400?

What do you do... on paper it appears quite a good deal, might extend the courtesy until next shipping date... I'd leave it after that, we paid for this over a month ago... since then the dollar has gained against the euro..there shipping from the states, perhaps that's the problem...

ahnowbrowncow

Yeah I'm still waiting too, was supposed to ship on the 25th and it's been delayed three times now until the 7th of October.

I emailed them and they said they have them in stock but are waiting on adapters for them before they can ship.

I've emailed them again today to try and get an ETA so depending on what they say I might try get a refund.

manuhalo

I'm still regretting having missed this deal. I've been looking for comparable machines and couldn't find anything that came close in terms of quality/cost/weight balance - you can find nice machines that are cheap but bulky, cheap light crappy machines, or expensive light machines with nice specs. Waiting is frustrating but unless you are in a rush I'd try to hold onto this.

sector_000

ahnowbrowncow wrote: »

Yeah I'm still waiting too, was supposed to ship on the 25th and it's been delayed three times now until the 7th of October.

I emailed them and they said they have them in stock but are waiting on adapters for them before they can ship.

I've emailed them again today to try and get an ETA so depending on what they say I might try get a refund.

Do please post if you find out any new news, esp delivery estimates.

I had asked them back around the earlier delays and they simply said:

Unfortunately, we are currently awaiting a delivery with adaptors before we can ship this product.
These are shipped to our warehouse already.

I fail to see why they cannot give us a 90% confident delivery date.

If it wasn't such a good spec laptop for the price, I would cancelled by now.

deegs

manuhalo wrote: »

I'm still regretting having missed this deal. I've been looking for comparable machines and couldn't find anything that came close in terms of quality/cost/weight balance - you can find nice machines that are cheap but bulky, cheap light crappy machines, or expensive light machines with nice specs. Waiting is frustrating but unless you are in a rush I'd try to hold onto this.

Dell Inspiron 14 comes I at around 620 with VIP code. Awesome machine

The_Conductor

deegs wrote: »

Dell Inspiron 14 comes I at around 620 with VIP code. Awesome machine

How about you start a new thread? Specs, links to the VIP code all the details etc...... Hopping on here- even if someone is moaning missing a particular offer- is dragging the thread off-topic

enviro

Same here, shipping delayed again, I don't want to cancel as it is exactly what I need and it's really good value imo. I will hold out and hopefully there won't be any further delays beyond the 7th.

sector_000

FYI - latest update from ibood:

As stated before, we are awaiting the adaptors for this product.

As iBOOD is depending on third parties for shipment and delivery, we are tied to any delays due to border security or other causes. The only thing we can do, is keep informing you about the progress.

If you don't want to wait any longer, you can of course cancel your order prior to shipping, free of charge.
Refunds will be given within 10 business days back to your VISA card.

We apologize for any inconveniences that arose from this matter.

skeg16

Just saw this deal, absolutely gutted I missed it, i have been searching for an ultrabook for weeks, was hoping to pay less than 1000e for similar specs, 400e is a steal even if it re-certified!

muggles

I know the delivery delay in a pain in the butt to put it mildly but I've purchased from iBood before and they will come through in the end. It's just something you have to be aware of when ordering, I'd say factor in an additional 8 weeks or so to their initial delivery date.

ahnowbrowncow

I've just purchased another laptop, so I'm going to cancel my order and get a refund.

Unless anyone who missed out on this deal would like me to keep the order open and buy it off me for what I've paid, I think it was €412.45 with shipping.

I'd have to be paid in advance though because I don't want to be stuck with two laptops.

cormie

I was actually going to ask if anyone would be up for doing a deal like that if they weren't happy to wait. My friend may be interested in taking you up on that. She might be a bit worried about paying for something that way but maybe you can work something out so there's no risk for her?

manuhalo

I would love to get my hands on one of these. If it's still available (or if anyone else is thinking of cancelling their order) please send me a pm.

The lips

Damn! Where was I a month ago?

Still worth waiting for IMO.

ahnowbrowncow

cormie wrote: »

I was actually going to ask if anyone would be up for doing a deal like that if they weren't happy to wait. My friend may be interested in taking you up on that. She might be a bit worried about paying for something that way but maybe you can work something out so there's no risk for her?

Yeah I'd try work out something that suits both of us but I'd be looking for payment first because if someones pulls out of the deal I'd be left with an unneeded laptop, I'll probably be cancelling tomorrow evening.

PM if you're interested.

cormie

Have just sent my friend a message to let her know, thanks!

bonkers

i'll take one of these if anyone wants to cancel etc

sector_000

Anybody hear anything from our friends at iBOOD?
Oct 7th was the date they said they'd ship! Not that I have much faith in that.

cormie

Someone above mentioned about them shipping from the US, iBood is based in The Netherlands though, right? So is it that iBood are waiting for a delivery from the US before sending out stock from their .NL warehouse, or will they be shipped direct from the US and risk import duties etc?

kirb42

Quite Disappointing.....



Dear iBOOD’er,

On the 6th of September you have ordered the Asus Vivobook, for which we are grateful.

Currently the products are stored in the warehouse but have not been sent out, therefore our sincere apologies.

Because the Vivobooks are delivered with a US adapter these devices need a UK plug. However the required extra plug is out of stock at the supplier. The plugs will be delivered at iBOOD on the 17th of October. As soon as your order is complete the Vivobook will be send to you. You will receive an e-mail on the day it will be dispatched from our warehouse.

If you do not wish to wait for the new delivery date, you have the option to cancel your order free of charge. For a quick reimbursement please cancel your order in your 'My iBOOD Account’. Go to My Orders > see order number for a service request. In your account, you have the option to directly enter your financial details. If you do that, we will refund purchase amount within 5 to 10 days on your bank account.

We apologize for the inconvenience. Nevertheless, we hope to have informed you sufficiently.

On behalf of the whole IBOOD team, we wish you a nice day!


With best regards,

iBOOD Customer Service

sector_000

kirb42 wrote: »

Quite Disappointing.....



Dear iBOOD’er,
:
:
The plugs will be delivered at iBOOD on the 17th of October. As soon as your order is complete the Vivobook will be send to you.
:
iBOOD Customer Service

Very disappointing indeed. I need to reflect on this. It's been so long I just not sure I can wait that long. And to be honest I have lost confidence in their delivery dates.

sector_000

I called iBOOD.
They say they are very confident about the Friday Oct 17th ship date.
Shipment will be from NL and they say UPS takes 2~3 working days.
They cannot do a partial or incomplete order shipment - so they have to wait for the UK plug to arrive in NL.

cormie

So there definitely wouldn't be import duties then. That's good to know.

I emailed them asking if they had any cancelled orders would it be possible to get one, haven't heard back yet.

enviro

sector_000 wrote: »

I called iBOOD.
They say they are very confident about the Friday Oct 17th ship date.

Dragging on now... Disappointed. It will be a Christmas present at this rate.

manuhalo

It's on again! valid until tomorrow. Date of dispatch same as reported by other people here (16th of October) - I guess they are selling the stock exceedance of the people that cancelled their order. Get it while it's hot!

The lips

Boooom! Got myself one, thanks manuhalo. Good spot!

Amazingfun

Just ordered one, thanks. Asus is my fav brand of computers, got my last three from them. Only complaint is that sometimes the actual casing of the computer comes apart long before the device itself wears out. I have used crazy glue more than once to keep them rolling, am hoping this one will be in better nick.

skeg16

I was so close to buying this but personally I would prefer a better screen, an SSD and a back-lit keyboard....I might wait for xmas and pay the little bit extra for better specs.

Great deal all the same

dingding

All gone now.

manuhalo

Aaaand another week of delay with the same excuse. Will we ever see these machines?

"Dear iBOOD’ian,

On the 11th of October you have ordered the Asus Vivo Ultrabook, for which we are grateful.

Currently the products are stored in the warehouse but have not been sent out, therefore our sincere apologies.

Because the Ultrabooks are delivered with a US adapter these devices need a UK plug. However the required extra plug is out of stock at the supplier. The plugs will be delivered at iBOOD on the 23rd of October. As soon as your order is complete the Ultrabook will be send to you. You will receive an e-mail on the day it will be dispatched from our warehouse.

If you do not wish to wait for the new delivery date, you have the option to cancel your order free of charge. For a quick reimbursement please cancel your order in your 'My iBOOD Account’. Go to My Orders > see order number for a service request. In your account, you have the option to directly enter your financial details. If you do that, we will refund purchase amount within 5 to 10 days on your bank account.

We apologize for the inconvenience. Nevertheless, we hope to have informed you sufficiently.

On behalf of the whole IBOOD team, we wish you a nice day!


With best regards,

iBOOD Customer Service"

kirb42

Cashed my chips in over the weekend....got an instant refund from Ibood...wasn't buying into the lead excuse...these leads cost no more than €3...cant see that being the constant delay...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Power-Parts-Cloverleaf-Adapter-Charger/dp/B003ONN64W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413470745&sr=8-1&keywords=LAPTOP+POWER+CABLE+LEAD

sector_000

I spoke to iBS (oh, I meant iBOOD) this morning.
Adapters are claimed to be scheduled to arrive today... then they say they need 2~3 days to check/test them blah blah... so they'll "definitely" ship by end of next week.

Yeah yeah... heard that so many times.

Cust service agent could not give me a guarantee of shipment and could not agree to a penalty clause.

sector_000

Called iBOOD.
Plugs supposedly arrived today.
They say order will ship tomorrow.
We should receive email with tracking number tomorrow.
Fingers crossed.

I'll hold off the excitement until I get the email :rolleyes: