Notebooks You Can Take Everywhere
A hands-on review of three ultra-lightweight notebooksConventional notebooks are portable computers that are meant to be carried anywhere. But for any frequent traveler who's lugged a notebook through a long airport corridor, or sacrificed leg room in order to stuff one under the airplane seat in front, a smaller and lighter notebook is music to the ears.
Ultra-lightweight notebooks are laptop computers that weigh about 3 pounds each. Conventional notebooks, on the other hand, often weigh between 6 and 8 pounds, depending on their display sizes and configurations.
Compared to regular notebooks, ultra-lightweight notebooks are also smaller, which results in some definite compromises. These notebooks lack built-in floppy and CD drives-they're separate and must be connected externally via cables, adding weight and bulk to your luggage. In fact, many ultra-lightweight notebooks don't even come with CD-ROM drives. You have to purchase one as an option.
Because these notebooks are so small, they also have small displays. If you're going to give a multimedia presentations on such a computer, your audience will have to huddle around to view its screen. On the other hand, these notebooks easily connect to LCD projectors through their VGA-out ports, and they can work with any computer monitor that may be available at your client's site.
Smaller notebooks have smaller keyboards, too. Besides making it harder to type, these keyboards may require you to learn key combinations for some functions that usually have their own buttons-for example, on the IBM ThinkPad 240X, "Caps Lock" is activated by pressing the Shift key and function (Fn) button.
One last downside is that the sound quality from an ultra-lightweight notebook's speakers is a definite step below that of a conventional notebook. Most notebooks come with dual speakers, while many ultralights come with only a single speaker. And because the speakers are small, they can't put out a lot of volume, and tend to sound somewhat tinny.
We approached the major notebook vendors and asked them to submit their newest ultra-lightweight notebooks for our evaluation. At our press time, major vendors such as Toshiba, Apple, Panasonic, Sony, and Hewlett-Packard either didn't have new models that they felt would be appropriate, or were unable to supply us with an evaluation unit.
The ultra-lightweight notebooks included in this round-up come from Compaq, IBM, and NEC. They are equipped with relatively fast Pentium III processors, so you don't have to sacrifice much speed.
Amazingly, the three ultra-lightweight notebooks in our round-up are almost as small as the CE notebook-style PDAs that we reviewed last year. While the PDA-style notebooks are smaller, ultra-lightweight notebooks are more powerful and convenient to use. First off, ultra-lightweight notebooks are real PCs that run Windows, and can connect with networks (via PC card ethernet adapters), and have their own CD and floppy drives (even if they are external). Best of all, you don't have to connect them to a PC to transfer files, as you do with PDAs.
For multimedia presentations, ultra-lightweight notebooks can run PowerPoint or Freelance. PDA notebooks can only run a stripped-down, limited version of PowerPoint. From what we've seen of these latest ultra-lightweight notebooks, there's no reason to use a PDA style notebook. The only downside is that a real notebook costs at least twice as much as a PDA, but the difference in performance is worth it.
We liked the small size and the long battery life of the IBM ThinkPad 240X. But for presentations, we weren't impressed with its small display and tinny sound. The NEC Versa Fxi comes with a larger screen and decent sound, but it's also bigger and heavier, and has the shortest battery life.
Effectively bridging the gap between portability and presentation-readiness, the Compaq Armada M300 delivers a thin, ultra-portable system that doesn't scrimp on screen size, and still plays decent sound. For these reasons, the Compaq is our portable presentation notebook of choice.
Compaq Armada M300
The word "armada" conjures up images of something stodgy and powerful. Compaq's Armada M300 surely isn't stodgy-it's a first rate ultra-lightweight notebook, and it definitely packs power.
To start, the Armada is amazingly thin. The top LCD portion is about a quarter-inch thick, and the bottom half is only a bit more than half an inch, which makes the closed unit under one inch thick. The back of the notebook features a cylindrical bar that covers the ports when the notebook is not in use. When you use the notebook, you roll down the bar to reveal its ports, and the bar acts as a prop so the notebook is positioned at a convenient angle for typing. Depending on the configuration that you purchase, the Armada weighs between 3.2 and 3.4 pounds. All models measures .89" x 10.4" x 9.0"
The Armada comes with an attractive 12-inch active-matrix display. The display did tend to wash out when viewed from directly above, but this was the same for all of the notebooks. The display was clear under office lighting, but in direct sunlight it was almost unreadable.
The keyboard is quite responsive, the easiest to type on of the notebooks reviewed here. The Armada offers generous room in front of its keyboard so you can rest your palms while typing. Also, the Armada's keyboard has the fewest differences from conventional keyboard. You don't have to look as much for keys that are in unfamiliar places or replaced by combination key commands.
The Armada, like Compaq's line of Presario notebooks, comes with a set of useless buttons that launch Internet functions. We would have preferred dedicated buttons for adjusting sound volume or screen brightness. In fact, the Armada was the only notebook here that lacked hard volume controls. The volume button (a double function key) merely brings up a software volume control. The Armada's touchpad is rather small, as are the corresponding buttons. We had no problems using the touchpad, although users with larger hands may feel cramped.
The wavetable sound from the Armada was the most natural of the notebooks here. While the Armada has only a single speaker- which is, surprisingly, positioned on the bottom of the notebook- it puts out a decent level of sound. At higher volume levels, we found that the sound did distort. If you don't use the back roll-bar, you'll find the sound is muted, but not as much as you might expect, considering that the speaker is resting flat on a table top. However, the Armada's single speaker can't compare to the NEC's dual speaker system.
The notebook features headphone and external microphone jacks at the front. You might expect these cables to get in the way in use, but they don't. The notebook also comes with a built-in modem, a single USB port, and VGA-out, parallel, and serial ports. There's also a built-in Ethernet port and a single slot for a PC Card. The only thing missing is a PS/2 port for a keyboard or mouse.
In our battery tests, which were fairly aggressive, the Armada lasted a respectable 1 hour and 29 minutes. The Armada is the only notebook here that requires a three-prong outlet for its AC adapter, which limits where you can plug it in.
The Armada M300 ranges in price from $2,199 for the 450MHz Celeron model (11.3-inch display, 6GB hard drive) to $2,599 for the 600MHz PIII (12-inch display, 12GB hard drive, with Windows 98-more for Windows NT or 2000). Also, Compaq offers a 1-year, extendable to 3-year, warranty that includes second business day pickup and delivery. Over all, there's a lot to like about the Armada M300. It's the best of the notebooks here.Price: $2,599
Contact: Compaq Computer Corporation, 800-AT.COMPAQ, www.compaq.comProduct Rating
Pros: The notebook is compact in size, has a large 12-inch display, offers good wavetable audio, and features an excellent keyboard.
Cons: No dedicated buttons for adjusting audio and screen brightness.
Rating: 5IBM ThinkPad 240X
When thinking ultra-lightweight and ultra-portable, smaller may seem better. But that's not always the case.
At 1" x 10.25" x 7.88," the 3.28 pound IBM ThinkPad 240X is the smallest notebook here. Interestingly, the notebook's battery pack attaches to the bottom and rear of the notebook, forming a hump that tilts the unit to a convenient angle for typing.
Being the smallest in size, the ThinkPad features the smallest display, at 10.4." The display is bright, and like the others, tended to wash out when viewed from directly above. Under office lighting, the display generally reflected a bit more glare than the others, making it harder to read. Under direct sunlight, the display was very difficult to read.
The ThinkPad was the only notebook here to feature IBM's TrackPoint stick in place of a conventional touch pad. While it's a personal preference, we like the TrackPoint more than a touchpad to move a mouse cursor. In use, the ThinkPad's stick let us move the cursor quickly across the notebook's screen, from one side to the other, which is hard to do with a touchpad. Also, the pointer stick gave us adequate accuracy when we wanted to click on-screen objects. Like all IBM notebooks, the ThinkPad comes with generous ridged mouse buttons that are easy to find and click with your thumbs.
The keyboard is somewhat cramped to touch-type on, but you can quickly get used to it. The keyboard was quite responsive and provided decent tactile feedback. However, we didn't like the location of the keyboard's "tab" button, whish was located on top of the left-shift button. We often found ourselves pushing "tab" and shifting the on-screen cursor when we were trying to capitalize letters. The notebook's volume controls are function keys that double as "Insert" and "Delete" keys.
The ThinkPad's single speaker sounded rather scratchy. While it could put out a decent level of volume, the audio would quickly distort. Also, because the speaker is on the left-hand side of the notebook, right under your hand, it lacks the balance that two speakers can provide. Wave table orchestrations had a definite electronic sound. The notebook also comes with a microphone, located just under the display on the left side.
The ThinkPad comes with a built-in modem, as well as easy connections for headphones and external microphones on the left-hand side of the notebook. It also provides parallel, serial, VGA-out, and PS/2 ports, and a single slot that can accept a PC card.
When it comes to battery life, the ThinkPad rules-in our tests. It gave us an impressive three hours and eight minutes of useful battery life. The ThinkPad's power cord has a handy velcro strap that makes it easy to bind the cord after you wind it up.
The ThinkPad 240X ranges in price from $1,899 for one equipped with a 400MHz Celeron and 12GB hard drive, to $2,399 for a 500MHz Pentium III with a 12GB hard drive. All versions have a one-year limited warranty. In all, the IBM ThinkPad 240X is a sleek and compact notebook that's definitely worth packing along.
Price: $2,399
Contact: IBM Corporation, 888-SHOP-IBM ext.7000, www.ibm.comProduct Rating
Pros: The smallest notebook here, it offers long battery life and features a TrackPoint stick to easily manipulate the mouse cursor.
Cons: The display is smaller than the others, and the sound is scratchy and distorts at high volumes.
Rating: 4NEC Versa Fxi
Taking a bit more space, but still keeping the weight down, the NEC Versa Fxi is a solid notebook. At 1.12' x 8.75" x 11.12," it's a bit larger than the others, but like the Compaq Armada M300, it features a generous 12" display. With its larger size, the NEC's keyboard has the advantage of larger keys. In appearance, the Versa's brushed-chromed exterior doesn't look as sleek or attractive as the black exteriors of the other notebooks, but it's a worthy featherweight contender.
Like the others, the Versa's display tended to wash out when viewed from directly above in office lighting, and when viewed in direct sunlight. However, the Versa's display was the most readable of the three in outdoor conditions.
The Versa's larger keyboard didn't give us the cramped feeling that we experienced with the other notebooks. On the other hand, the Versa's keyboard wasn't quite as responsive as that of the IBM ThinkPad. This isn't a big negative, and depends on personal preference. Initially, the "Ins" and "Del" keys are rather difficult to find, as they're positioned at the bottom of the keyboard next to the "Alt" key.
The Versa features an adequate touch-pad. However, the left and right buttons are rather small and easy to miss with your thumb as you move the cursor around. Also, the touchpad is positioned against the very front edge of the notebook, which means that your hand has to dangle off of the front of the notebook to move the mouse, a position that becomes uncomfortable after a while.
The NEC offers two speakers, which reside under the display on either side. The dual speakers did a great job of putting out decent volume, and didn't distort much at higher volume levels. It's nice to have two speakers to balance the output. The Wavetable instrumentation had a less electronic sound than that from the IBM ThinkPad, but wasn't as good as that from the Compaq Armada. The volume controls, which are also function keys, were reversed from what we felt were their logical positions.
The notebook features convenient ports for headphones and microphones in the front of the notebook. You can purchase a second battery for the Versa that fits against the bottom of the notebook, and tightly integrates with it.
The notebook's larger size gives it a bit more space for ports. It's the only notebook here with two slots for PC Cards. It also has the standard VGA-Out port, a built-in modem, and three USB ports (in lieu of the parallel, serial, and PS/2 ports). We liked the hinged covers that cover the ports when they weren't in use. Like the IBM ThinkPad, the Versa featured a velcro strap to bind the power cord. In our battery tests, the Versa came in last, with only a bit more than an hour's worth of use.
You can purchase the 3.4 pound Versa with a 400MHz Pentium III and a 6GB hard drive for $2,299. For $400 more, you can get the Versa with a 500MHz Pentium III. Unlike the other notebooks here, this price includes both external floppy and CD-ROM drives. Last, the Versa is covered by NEC's 3-year warranty, longer than those offered by the others.
Overall, we liked the Versa Fxi, but for lightweight operation and an equally large display, we reserve our unreserved kudos for the Compaq Armada M300.Price: $2,699
Contact: NEC Computers Inc., 800-398-0427, www.nec-global.comProduct Rating
Pros: The Versa offers a large 12-inch display and dual speakers for balanced sound, and its price includes a CD-ROM drive.
Cons: It's larger and heavier than the Compaq Armada M300.
Rating: 4909-593-9675 e-mail:wkawamoto@earthlink.net