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Technology Stocks : C-Cube -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Rieman who wrote (38946)	2/16/1999 1:58:00 PM
From: DiViT	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 50808

Dell Inspiron 7000 A366LT 03/01/99 Computer Shopper from ZDWire Copyright (c) 1999 ZD Inc. All Rights Reserved. Of the three notebooks in this roundup, the Dell Inspiron 7000 A366LT probably comes the closest to resembling a full desktop-replacement system. The Inspiron comes with the largest display in the group and an advanced graphics subsystem. It also has the largest footprint, measuring 2.2x12.9x10.4 inches (HWD), and is the heaviest of the group at 8.9 pounds. With all of its accoutrements, the Inspiron has a $3,499 direct price, the highest in the group. The Inspiron's 15-inch display is what truly sets it apart from the other notebooks in this roundup. Manufactured by Samsung Electronics Co., the active-matrix display was the brightest in the group, but it showed a greenish tint. The display has a native resolution of 1,024x768 and does a better job of scaling a lower-resolution image up to full screen than either the Gateway or the Micron, lacking the blockiness you traditionally get on an LCD. The scaled image does have a somewhat soft focus, however, and can't compare to the native resolution's sharpness. Driving the display is an ATI 3D Rage Pro LT graphics chip with 8MB of SGRAM memory and support for a 32-bit color depth at native resolution. The Inspiron ships with 4MB of graphics memory in its standard configuration. (An extra factory-installed 4MB memory module adds $40 to the price.) The Inspiron is the only unit included here to use a 2x AGP bus with support for 3-D graphics acceleration in hardware. Although most 3-D-enabled desktop systems will outclass the Inspiron, it still provides the best 3-D performance we've seen to date in a portable system. Anecdotal testing with two Direct3D games, G-Police and Incoming, indicates that the Inspiron is capable of impressive-looking 3-D graphics and can maintain the frame rates necessary for enjoyable game play. Of course, for the time being at least, the only 3-D applications most folks are likely to use are games. Business users are more likely to benefit from the Inspiron's 2-D performance, which happens to be the best of the bunch. And even with its large power-consuming display, the Inspiron managed to last 3 hours and 2 minutes on the BatteryMark 2.0 test. The Inspiron has an integrated V.90 data/fax modem, making it the only notebook of the three to come with both of its PC Card slots empty. The right side of the unit houses the RJ-11 jack and a Kensington Lock slot. A LuxSonor LS242 DVD/MPEG-2 decoder chip is built into the notebook. This, combined with the 2.4x Toshiba SD-C2102 DVD-ROM drive, makes the playback of DVD movies excellent. Although the image loses some sharpness when scaled to full-screen, it still looks exceptional. The ESS Maestro-2 audio chip supports wavetable synthesis and provides high-quality MIDI playback. Dell has 24-hour toll-free support and offers the best warranty of the three units in the roundup, covering parts and labor for three years. One word of caution for corporate users, though: The Inspiron does not support DMI 2.0. Packed with features, the Inspiron is a natural choice for a portable alternative to a desktop system. But as with most desktop-replacement notebooks, the Inspiron's heft will not endear it to everyone.