The ultra portable notebook is probably one of the most coveted devices on the market today. Few people aren’t wowed by these small sleek machines that often pack a fair bit of computing power within their small confines.
However, apart from their aesthetic appeal, ultra portables have a definite place and purpose on the notebook market. They’re the notebooks which don’t strain your shoulder, that can be put in the average briefcase or handbag without crowding everything out, and can be used with ease while on the move.
Up until recently, you had to make many trade-offs if you went down the ultra portable route. Ancillaries such as floppy disc and CD ROM drives were often ditched for the sake of space. Computing power was usually far more limited than that offered by bulkier peers.
However, in recent times, the ultra portable has come on in leaps and bounds. Much of this has to do with the arrival of new technologies, while continued improvements in micro-engineering mean that often far more power can be packed into a tight space.
Perhaps the biggest boon to the ultra portable market came with the arrival of Intel’s Centrino technology. Centrino isn’t just a processor, rather it’s a group of components centred around Intel’s Pentium M processor which is designed specifically for mobile devices. It also includes Intel’s 855 chipset, which supports USB 2.0 and has an optional graphics solution. However, the most talked about element of Centrino is built-in support for Wi-Fi (802.11b) wireless networking. Notebooks with Centrino no longer have to add a wireless card. The built-in solution uses less power, as does the Pentium M, which according to Intel means that Centrino offers longer battery life to notebook users. Wi-Fi means wireless access to office and home networks and more importantly, wireless access to the Internet via these networks. Public wireless hotspots can also be availed of while one the move.
Technology with teeth
Another wireless technology, which has made a difference to the notebook sphere, is Bluetooth technology. While Wi-Fi is purely for networking, Bluetooth is used mainly for wireless communication between devices. One of the most common applications that Bluetooth is used for is connecting a notebook with a mobile phone and accessing the Internet via the phone. It’s a handy, albeit slower, way to access the Net. Nonetheless, with wireless hotspots still in their infancy, it may well be the option most people use to connect while on the move. There are plenty of other applications as well, such as synchronisation with handhelds and mobiles, as well as file transfers. Indeed, there’s no better way of sharing documents and presentations at a business meeting than beaming them from machine to machine via Bluetooth.
Although the technology has had its teething problems and there are still relatively few Bluetooth phones on the market, it was somewhat disappointing to see that none of the models under review offered Bluetooth. This has the potential to be a very useful technology and fits in very well with the wireless vision promoted with the launch of Centrino.
The advent of affordable DVD/CD RW combo drives has also been a boon to the ultraportable market. They lessen the need for a floppy disc drive as removable storage can be handled via writable CDs. Many, but not all ultra portables these days manage to squeeze in such a drive.
A nice addition in several machines we reviewed here, was the inclusion of a SD (Secure Digital) card slot. SD cards, for the uninitiated, are small rewritable memory cards, which can be used in a host of other devices such as handhelds, mobile phones, digital music players and even cameras. The inclusion of the SD slot is a smart way around the problem of removable storage given the possible absence of a floppy or CD RW drive. SD cards come in a range of sizes and these days go up to 1Gbyte in capacity. If you’re worried about compatibility with other PCs, PCMCIA or USB card readers are relatively inexpensive and can be picked up for around EUR30 these days.
Of course, there are some potential drawbacks to ultra portables that should be born in mind before making an investment. First of all, they’re pricey and you tend to get less bang from your buck in terms of performance than you would for a desktop or even a bigger notebook. If you don’t really need the portability, a bigger machine may offer you better value. A smaller display, often in the region of 12 inches, may not suit those who need a bigger workspace. The graphics capability tends also to be limited, so they’re by no means the ideal machines for gaming. Finally, there are usually fewer interface ports, such as USB or FireWire and many have opted to ditch parallel and serial ports completely. You’ll usually only get one PCMCIA card slot as opposed to the usual two on larger notebooks.
Superslim line up
The first notebook sent to us for review was from Toshiba, a manufacturer with a strong track record in the field. The Toshiba Protégé R100 certainly fitted the bill in terms of size. It has a 12in display, weighed in at 1.09kg and was a very slim machine to boot at 19.8mm. The small form factor was in part made possible by the absence of an optical (CD-ROM or DVD) drive. However, for those who don’t need one, such a setup saves a lot of weight. The Protégé also includes one of the aforementioned SD card slots, thus offering a removable memory solution. The machine has a good specification for its size. It’s powered by an Intel Centrino 1GHz processor and comes with 256Mbyte of RAM. A 40Gbyte hard drive should handle most storage needs. Other features include two USB 2.0 ports and one PCMCIA card slot. Finished in a black casing with a metallic cover, it’s also quite pleasing on the eye. One issue with this machine is battery life. The internal battery offers only up to two hours working time. A second, clip-on battery is available. While not that large, it adds to the bulk and the price. Priced at approximately EUR2,540, the machine is certainly not cheap and the added extras may add more to the bill.
Next up was a model from IBM’s long running range of ThinkPad notebooks. The ThinkPad X31 is another small, neat machine. A 12in display was housed in a frame that weighed in at 1.6kg and was 25mm thin. Looks wise, the X31 is very much in the mould of other ThinkPad models. While the matt black casing might not be most eye catching design on the market, it certainly looks and feels very sturdy. Once again, this is a machine that dispenses with an optical drive as a space saving measure. An external drive of course can be purchased, but will add to the bottom line. In IBM’s case, the need for removable storage is dealt with in the form of a Compact Flash card slot. It offers the same benefits as those offered by an SD card slot. However, SD cards seem to be replacing Compact Flash in many mobile devices these days, which could limit your options in terms of sharing data. One potential drawback is the absence of a touchpad control, something which the other three machines offer. IBM instead opts for a button in the middle of the keyboard, which some users find a little more difficult to use. To its credit, the X31 has a great specification, including an Intel Centrino 1.4GHz processor and 256Mbyte of RAM. Once again, a 40Gbyte hard drive should be more than adequate. Other features include two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire port and one PCMCIA slot. Priced at approximately EUR1,870, the ThinkPad X31 is certainly a very attractive option on price compared to some of the other machines on test.
The next machine came from HP and proved to be something of a disappointment. This had nothing to do with the performance of the HP Pavilion zt3000 and more to do with the fact that it isn’t really what you’d call an ultra portable machine. It has a massive 15.4in widescreen display and weighed in at 2.9kg, a veritable monster compared to the other machines. Having said that, this notebook has a pretty decent specification, including an Intel Centrino 1.4GHz processor and 256Mbyte of RAM. It also offers a 40Gbyte hard drive, DVD/CD-RW drive, one PCMCIA slot, three USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire and one SD card slot. Graphics are handled by the inclusion of an ATI Mobility 9200 graphics card. Priced at approximately EUR1,700, it’s certainly competitive, but its sheer size puts it out of the reckoning.
The Panasonic Toughbook CF-W2 was a machine we liked a lot. It’s a very neat little machine, which manages to pack a lot in. A 12in display is housed in a casing weighing in at 1.27kg. Panasonic, as many people know, specialises in rugged notebooks, hence the name Toughbook. While the CF-W2 isn’t like some of the ‘bounce if off the wall’ waterproof machines sold by the company, it certainly is pretty durable with its magnesium alloy casing and internal shock absorption designed to protect against drops and bangs. The feature we liked most about this model was the internal DVD/CD RW combo drive, which is neatly tucked away and accessed by lifting up half of the panel below the keyboard. Another nice feature is the promised maximum battery life of up to 7.5hr, a big plus for a machine of this size. The CF-W2 is powered by an Intel Centrino 900MHz processor and offers 256Mbyte of RAM and a 40Gbyte hard drive. Other features include one PCMCIA card slot, two USB2.0 slots and an SD card slot. However, with a recommended retail price of EUR2,900 the Toughbook CF-W2 is the most expensive of the lot.
And there’s more
While four notebooks were tested, they aren’t the only models on the market today. For example, Sony offers the tiny Vaio TR1MP, which has a 10.6in display and weighs in at 1.4kg. Despite the size, the Vaio manages to fit in an integrated DVD/CD RW drive. The machine is powered by an Intel Centrino 900MHz processor and comes with 256Mbyte of RAM and a 30Gbyte hard drive. This is one notebook that offers Bluetooth, along with a range of other interesting extras such as an integrated 370K pixel digital camera and a Memory Stick slot. The Sony Vaio TR1MP is priced at EUR2,699.
Dell, needless to say, offers a wide variety of notebooks and the Dell Latitude X300 fits the bill when it comes to something ultra portable. It has a 12in display and weighs in at 1.32kg. An external DVD drive comes as standard with this model, but this can be upgraded to a combo drive if you want to pay more. The Latitude X300 has an Intel Centrino 1.2GHz processor, 128Mbyte of memory and a 20Gbyte hard drive. Dell systems can be customised so many features, such as memory and hard drive space, can be changed if you have a bigger budget. The system described retails for EUR2,115.
Finally, JVC has the incredibly small MP-XP731 (See main feature
graphic). With an 8.9in display, this notebook borders on the pocket sized and weighs only 905g. The machine is powered by an Intel Centrino 1GHz processor and comes with 256Mbyte of RAM and a 40Gbyte hard drive. This is an impressive specification for a notebook of this size. An external DVD/CD-RW drive comes as standard with this model. The JVC MP-XP731 is priced at approximately EUR2,600.
PC Live! Best Buy
Toshiba Protégé R100
In deciding on a best buy, there wasn’t much to choose from between three of the machines. The Toshiba Protégé R100 was the lightest and most attractive looking machine on test, but limited battery life was a drawback. The IBM ThinkPad offered great performance and value for money, but had a few drawbacks. Although expensive, the Panasonic Toughbook CF-W2 just edged it. While it doesn’t offer the fastest processor, features such as its neat combo drive, rugged exterior and long battery life won us over.
23/03/04
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