Paul, Article...29 Notebooks ship...ALL INTEL...
If you're talking about high-end notebooks these days, you're talking about Tillamook, the second version of Intel's Pentium MMX processor specifically designed for notebooks. The 29 new notebooks we just evaluated at PC Labs all came with either the 200 MHz or 233 MHz version of this excellent CPU. On the whole, they run really well.
Today's top portables feature 13.3 or even 14.1-inch active-matrix displays, built-in modems, 5 GB hard disks, modular drive bays for easy swapping of accessories or extra batteries, CD-ROM drives, and even NYSC video-out ports.
Despite all the gadgetry, the systems we tested average better than three hours of battery life. Compare that with the two-hour average of non-Tillamook systems we tested in August. Things are indeed looking up.
Of course, we're not talking about the bargain basement here. Systems such as these have average street prices around $4,500, and many hover near $5,000, in part because the processor itself is relatively expensive. Nevertheless, there are some good deals to be found.
Take, for example, one of our Editors' Choice picks, the Gateway Solo 2300. This 6.5-pound system has a price of $3,149, and that's with a 12.1-inch display and a 3.9 GB hard disk. Its tested battery life was an amazing four hours, 44 minutes.
Got a fatter budget? Take a look at the $7,540 IBM ThinkPad 770. IBM keeps upping the ante for portable power, and this system is state-of-the-art, with a 14.1-inch display, a cellular modem, and even advanced 3D sound. The 7.8-pound system was a top performer across all our tests.
In between these two price extremes are two other Editors' Choice picks: the NEC Versa 6230, and the IBM ThinkPad 560X, a light-and-thin design I'm going to take with me on my next trip.
By the way, don't just consider systems like these as traveling companions. Add a port replicator or a docking station, and many of them are viable desktop replacements. In fact, of the 29 systems we evaluated, we rated 26 as either good or excellent when used as your only system. That's saying quite a bit about how far notebooks advanced in 1997.
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I wonder if notebooks are are making up a larger percentage of computer sales. My gut tells me they are, but I haven't read any statistics on it. Have you?
Michael
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