TABLE 1: Summing Up the Laptops

*Selection criteria; bold entries signal best or tied result in category

LOW-END SYSTEMS HIGH-END SYSTEMS
System BSI NP8620D HiNote VP 535 HiNote Ultra II LTS 5150 LTE 5400 TravelMate 6050NT Poly 500 AS5 FutureMate FM9720T Ascentia P50 BSI NP8620A ThinkPad 760ED
Company Broadax Systems
818-442-0020,
800-872-4547,
http://www.bsicomputer.com
Digital Equipment
800-344-3825,
http://www.digital.com
Digital Equipment
800-344-3825,
http://www.digital.com
Compaq Computer
800-888-5858,
http://www.compaq.com
Texas Instruments
800-848-3927,
http://www.ti.com
Polywell Computers
800-999-1278,
http://www.polywell.com
FutureTech Systems
800-275-4414,
http://www.futuretec.com
AST
714-727-4141,
800-876-4278,
http://www.ast.com
Broadax Systems
818-442-0020,
800-872-4547,
http://www.bsicomputer.com
IBM
800-426-2968,
http://www.pc.ibm.com
SYSmark/32 for NT Score* 51 61 85 88 92 101 104 110 112 121
List price (as configured when tested)* $2,050 $3,899 $5,698 $6,248 $4,678 $3,834 $3,499 $4,599 $3,470 $5,614
Performance per $1000 cost* 25 16 15 14 20 26 30 24 32 22
CPU* 100MHz Pentium 133MHz Pentium 150MHz Pentium 150MHz Pentium 150MHz Pentium 166MHz Pentium 200MHz Pentium 133MHz Pentium 166MHz Pentium 133MHz Pentium
Level 2 Cache* 256KB 256KB 256KB 512KB 256KB 256KB 256KB 256KB 256KB 256KB
Memory (installed/max)* 16MB/40MB 16MB/40MB 32MB/56MB 32MB/80MB 40MB/64MB 32MB/80MB 32MB/80MB 32MB/40MB 32MB/40MB 32MB/104MB
Hard Disk (installed/max)* 1.03GB/ NA 1.44GB/NA 1.44GB/NA 2.16GB/4.3GB 2.067GB/NA 1.033GB/NA 1.034GB/2.1GB 2.1GB/3.3GB 2.1GB/2.1GB 2.1GB/4.2GB
LCD Display* 11.3" 800*600 Dual Scan 12.1" 800*600*65,536 colors TFT 11.3" 800*600*65,536 colors TFT 12.1" 800*600, 16-bit, CTFT 12.1" 800*600*64,000 colors TFT 12.1" 800*600*256 colors TFT 12.1" 800*600*64,000 colors TFT 12.1" 800*600*64,000 colors TFT 12.1" 800*600, 24-bit, TFT 12.1" 1024*768*65,536 colors
Video* 64-bit PCI 128-bit PCI 32-bit VL 32-bit PCI, 1MB VRAM 32-bit PCI, 2MB VRAM 2MB VRAM C & T 65550 32-bit PCI, 1MB VRAM 64-bit PCI, 2MB VRAM 64-bit PCI, 2MB VRAM
External CRT (max)* 1024*768*256 colors 1024*768*256 colors 1024*768*256 colors 1024*768*256 colors 1024*768*256 colors 1024*768*256 colors 1024*768*64,000 colors 1024*768*256 colors 1280*1024, 16 colors 1024*768*65,536 colors
CD-ROM* 6X 6X 6X 6X IDE 10X 6X 6X 6X 6X IDE 6X
Audio* Sound Blaster Pro compatible Sound Blaster compatible Sound Blaster compatible Sound Blaster compatible Sound Blaster Pro compatible Sound Blaster compatible ESS 1788; Sound Blaster compatible Integrated Sound Blaster Vibra 16 Chipset; 8-bit/ 16-bit stereo/mono playbackand recording; internal microphone and 2 speakers Sound Blaster Pro compatible Media Processor (Mwave DSP-TheatreSound for 16-bit Sound Blaster Pro, MIDI & .wav support, 28.8/14.4Kbpsfax modem, full-duplex speakerphone & digitalanswering machine, DSVD permits voice and data transmission over one phone line
Battery Type* NiMH ENiMH Lithium Ion NiMH Lithium Ion Lithium Ion Lithium Ion Lithium Ion NiMH Lithium Ion
Battery Life (light operational load; hours:minutes)* 3:19 4:02 2:36 2:40 2:12 2:31 3:09 3:21 2:13
3:47
NT APM/PnP* No/No Yes/Yes Yes/Yes No/No Yes/No No/No No/No Yes/No No/No Yes/No
Weight (lb)* 7.9 7.1 4 7.4 6.1 6.3 6.3 7.1 7.9 7.4
Dimensions* 9.1"*11.8"*2.1" 8.9"*11.8"*1.9" 8.5"*11"*1.2" 9"*12.2"*2.07" 9"*12"*2" 9.9"*11.7"*2.2" 9.9"*11.7"*2.2" 8.98"*11.3"*2.15" 9.1"*11.8"*2.1" 8.3"*11.7"*2.0"
Sells NT 4.0/Provides drivers* Yes/Yes No/Yes Yes/Yes No/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes No/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes
Supports NT* Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Installation help only Yes Yes Yes Yes
Price for NT $200 NA NA NA $800 (due to upgrade in system such as memory and hard disk) $65 $250 NA $200 ThinkPad 760EL comes with NT 4.0. The cost of NT depends on the variouscorporation's licensing agreement. Offer $35 technical support for customers who install NT 4.0 on their own. For the preloaded model, we offer free service and support.
Ports 1 PS/2, 1 port replicator,1 video out, 1 parallel, 1 serial, 1 stereo line out/stereo line in, VGA, IrDA 1 PS/2, 1 port replicator,1 VGA, 1 enhanced parallel, 1 serial, 1 serial IR link, 1 stereo out/microphone in 1 enhanced parallel port replicator, 1 serial, 1 PS/2, 1 VGA, speaker, microphone in, joystick/MIDI, speaker, line I/O 1 PS/2, 1 port replicator,1 TV video, 1 parallel, 1 serial, 1 VGA I/O, VGA 1 PS/2, 1 port replicator,1 parallel, 1 serial, microphone, line 1 PS/2, 1 port replicator,1 external video, 1 parallel, 1 serial, 1 video-in, 1 microphone-in, VGA 1 PS/2, 1 port replicator,video-in, VGA, 1 parallel, 1 serial 1 serial, 1 PS/2, 1 two-way IrDA-compatible infrared, 1 microphone-in, 1 line-in, 1 audio-out, 1 game, port replicator, modem jack, 1 VGA 1 PS/2, 1 port replicator,1 video-out, 1 parallel, 1 serial, 1 stereo line out/stereo line in, VGA, IrDA 1 PS/2, 1 parallel, 1 serial, expansion bus port for docking, external FDD, video I/O, external VGA, modem jack, IrDA
Pointing Device Integrated Trackpad Integrated Touchpad Integrated Trackball EasyPoint II The Point Touchpad Touchpad Touchpad Integrated Trackpad Integrated TrackPoint III
BIOS SystemSoft/1.01 Phoenix NoteBIOS 4.0 SystemSoft Phoenix NoteBIOS 4.0/1.00.11 SystemSoft/1.17.00 SystemSoft Phoenix/2.02 SystemSoft/1.01 IBM
Warranty 3 years 1 year 3 years 3 years;prefault warranty on SmartDrives available 3 years Unknown 1 year standard;4 years optional 3 years 3 years Unknown