SFF Tech posted up an article titled "DIY Notebooks: The Next Enthusiast Conquest". This article takes a look at the rise of the Notebook and the eventual emergence of DIY Notebooks. The article focuses on Small Form Factor manufacturers and how this concept may influence their direction.

One of the biggest hurdles to the barebones notebook market has been video cards, and the inability to deliver high power or upgradeable options. One side benefit of PCIe in notebooks is the standardization of a portable video card interface. We're not quite there yet, but Nvidia is getting closer and closer to a universal portable graphics connector dubbed MXM. The Mobile Express Module is an upgradeable unit that is meant to standardize laptop graphics cards. Look for its introduction late in 2005. There is also a handful of notebook resellers, barebones and complete, that offer video upgrade options at a fairly hefty price. Add to that ATI and Nvidia’s recent focus in the mobile segment, which has been delivering up to date, high-end solutions that are nearly on par with their desktop brethren. The power is there to drive laptop screens at reasonable resolutions while playing today’s games, and they are only getting more capable with each successive generation.

DIY Notebooks: The Next Enthusiast Conquest?