Powerful computers offer options for frequent travelers
Notebook computers are essential second PCs for businesspeople who travel frequently. However, as notebooks become more powerful, more people use them as primary PCs. Windows 2000's (Win2K's) improved support for mobile systems makes desktop-replacement notebooks attractive for users who need all their data and applications with them when they travel or who simply need to conserve desk space.
Desktop-replacement notebooks feature comfortable ergonomics, good performance, and a variety of optional hardware. These notebooks also provide the capacity and functionality of desktop systems. In the desktop-replacement class, size and weight are secondary considerations; desktop-replacement notebooks tend to be larger and heavier than mainstream notebooks.
The IBM ThinkPad 390X 2626L2U and the Dell Latitude CPx H500GT were among the first models that manufacturers equipped with Win2K. Each model includes a Pentium III processor, a 12GB hard disk, a 14.1" Extended Graphics Array (XGA) Thin Film Transistor (TFT) screen, a full-size keyboard, a slot for one Type III or two Type II PC Cards, multimedia capabilities, a lithium ion battery, and a modular bay that can accept optional accessories. However, the machines have different personalities that can affect your purchase decision.
IBM ThinkPad 390X 2626L2U
If you've ever used an IBM ThinkPad, you'll feel comfortable with the ThinkPad 390X. With its traditional black textured case, nearly ideal keyboard layout, and red pointing stick, the ThinkPad 390X appears almost identical to other ThinkPad models. When I opened the computer's case, I noticed that its large wrist rests surround the centrally located mouse buttons. IBM provides a third button below the other two buttons that you can use in conjunction with the pointing stick to scroll through documents and Web pages. The keyboard was comfortable to use, but IBM reversed the Fn key and left Ctrl key positions, creating a minor inconvenience. The ThinkPad also lacks a Windows key.
The ThinkPad 390X that I tested had a 450MHz Pentium III processor, 128MB of SDRAM (expandable to 512MB), and a 14.1" TFT display. (IBM also offers the ThinkPad 390 with a 15" display and a 500MHz Pentium III processor, but Win2K isn't available on that model.) The display was bright, evenly lit, and had vivid colors; if you're running business applications, you'll find it a pleasure to use. Even though I used the system's True Color mode, I noticed slight color banding in screen areas that transitioned between light shades of blue and gray. The color banding seemed to be an artifact of the flat-panel display; I didn't see the banding when I connected the notebook to a 17" CRT. Users running business applications won't notice the banding, but users editing images might.
IBM bases the ThinkPad 390X's graphics subsystem on a NeoMagic MagicMedia 256AV AGP graphics accelerator with 2.5MB of graphics memory. This combination supports True Color mode at 1024 x 768 pixels on the internal LCD display, and I achieved an 85Hz vertical refresh rate when I used an external CRT. I could select a maximum resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels on the external display, but the display's palette had only 256 colors at that resolution.
For the ThinkPad 390X, IBM uses a modular chassis design with one bay for optional components. IBM integrates the notebook's 24X variable-speed CD-ROM drive and 3.5" disk drive into one module. Although this integration feature will please users who prefer to have both drives within the system's case, it adds to the ThinkPad 390X's 8.5-pound weight (which includes the AC adapter). IBM offers an optional 4X variable-speed DVD and disk drive module, with Moving Pictures Experts Group-2 (MPEG-2) decoding software, for an additional $389. The modular bay can also hold an optional second battery or an additional 6.4GB or 10GB hard disk.
The CD-ROM and disk drives are in front of the PC Card slots and the unit's internal V.90 modem port. The volume control and headphone, line-in, and microphone jacks are below the PC Card slots. On the computer's left edge, I found one USB port, an S-video jack to let you connect to a television or a video projector, and an infrared communications port. The rear panel provides serial, parallel, external monitor, and power ports, as well as a port for an external keyboard and mouse.
The battery cartridge also fits into the left side of the computer. Charging the battery while the computer's power was off took approximately 2.5 hours, and the battery lasted a commendable 3 hours in my battery rundown test.
A pair of integral Altec Lansing speakers reside below the LCD panel, and a built-in microphone is near the upper right corner of the display. Audio output was more than adequate, and fidelity was about average for a notebook. Unfortunately, I could access the CD-ROM drive's controls only through the Win2K user interface (UI), so I had to turn on the notebook to listen to CDs.
The ThinkPad 390X offers a variety of expansion options, including an external expansion bay that supports IBM's 100MB Iomega Zip drive, a SuperDisk LS-120 drive, and 6.4GB and 10GB external hard disk options. The company also offers two port replicators, one of which has an integrated 10/100 Ethernet port with Wake-on-LAN capability. The notebook comes bundled with Lotus SmartSuite Millennium Edition, an OEM version of Symantec's Norton AntiVirus, Puma Technology's Intellisync 97, and Ring Central Fax. IBM sells the ThinkPad 390X with a 1-year limited warranty that includes pickup and delivery of the defective computer. Additional extended warranty service is available for the second through the fifth years.
Users who prefer to have 3.5" disk and CD-ROM drives accessible within the computer's case will like the ThinkPad 390X. The system's ergonomics are very good, but users who like to work on external displays at high resolutions and high color depths might find the 390X's 2.5MB of graphics RAM a bit stingy. Also stingy is the ThinkPad 390X's 1-year warranty.