We get most of our hardware through a small independent company that basic only sells to consultants. They also will repair out of warranty products. Took in a friend's kid's Asus that had power issues. It was of course the power connector to the motherboard. The part was $4, labor $120. The Acer would cost maybe $50.
If you don't mind, let me know what config you get and how it prices out with Lotus. Do get the third generation Core series. It is a much better chipset and much longer battery life. If you would like, I can ask which one our hardware guy recommends (I don't pay that much attention to series numbers any more since they are changing so quickly now.)
Also, let me know what you think of them after a few months. It would be cool to find something made in the US, unfortunately we are not in the position to take risks with other peoples businesses.
Does Asus solder their power jack connectors directly to the motherboards? Sony Vaio does not (but they still have issues).
Yes, I am thinking Acer as a fallback if we can’t get the deal done with Lotus (which is a bundle deal including another computer as well). There’s a floor model on clearance that includes the touch screen.
Hoping Lotus comes through, though. If they can meet or come close to our price point, that’ll be quite a success story. Maybe Lotus could become the official Freeper laptop! :)