14 DAY TRIAL // Although most new Sandy Bridge-powered laptops arriving on the market run Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system, that's not really the case with the latest such products from System76, whose brand-new Serval Professional and Gazelle Professional laptops take a much more open-source approach. So, both notebooks come pre-loaded with Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat) 64-bit, while also sporting some ultra-powerful configurations, as you'll be able to see next.
So, the Serval Professional laptop offers various CPU options, up to a 2nd Generation Intel Core i7-2920XM Processor Extreme Edition (8MB L3 Cache, 2.50GHz ), while also supporting up to 16 GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz and various storage options, pertaining to both HDD and SSD families.
Moreover, the notebook sports a 15.6" Full HD LED Glossy Display (1920 x 1080 pixels resolution), accompanied by a choice of mobile GPUs (up to nVidia GeForce GTX 485M) and THX TruStudio PRO audio.
The Gazelle Professional, on the other hand, while also sporting a 15.6-inch display, can only go as high as the 2nd Generation Intel Core i7-2820QM Processor ( 8MB L3 Cache, 2.30GHz), accompanied by an Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M Graphics with 1.5GB GDDR5 Video Memory, up to 16GB of RAM memory and roughly the same storage options provided by the Serval model.
The two notebooks also offer the latest-generation connectivity options, including here DVI-I, HDMI, 2 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, eSata/USB 2.0 Combo Port, FireWire Port, Headphone Jack, Microphone Jack, S/PDIF Output Jack, Audio Line In, SD Reader, plus a built-In 2.0 MP Webcam, a fingerprint reader and a Kensington Lock.
Pricing for the Serval Professional laptop starts at 1,379 US dollars, while the Gazelle Professional is just slightly more affordable, starting at 1,239 US dollars, but if you're considering opting for the top configurations available, it's quite likely that you'll end up paying a whole lot more than the starting price.