This post was written by Maureen Jones
Toshiba’s Portégé M750 runs Intel’s 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo P8400 processor. For wireless connectivity, there’s Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g, Draft-N) and Bluetooth. Wired communication is catered for by Gigabit Ethernet and a 56Kbps modem. The Portégé M750’s Windows Experience Index (WEI) rating of 3.4 (out of 5.9) is disappointing. Reviewers liked the dual-mode (stylus/finger) touch-screen and a number of other design elements. However, it’s cumbersome to use in tablet mode, while graphics performance and battery life are disappointing. Overall it’s a pretty average offering.
Fujitsu Siemens’ Esprimo Mobile U range of notebooks is designed for business users who need both portability and power. Esprimo Mobile U9210 is a solidly built ultraportable that should cope well with life on the road. This is a well constructed notebook with a chassis that’s solid to the point of being over-chunky. The spill-proof keyboard has a fair amount of flex, which will be more noticeable to heavy-handed typists than those with a lighter touch. It posted an overall Windows Experience Index rating of 3.7, which is on the low side.
Fujitsu Siemens LifeBook S6420 has a pretty potent CPU, so it’s no surprise that it scored 5,045 in our PCMark 2005 benchmark. It’s a lightweight laptop that tips the scales at 1.75Kg and measures 314mm wide by 234mm high by 22mm deep. It’s not as small as a netbook, but it’s still portable enough to carry around all day. Reviewers like the S6420 for its solid build quality, performance, security and mobile broadband capability. It’s a little pricey, but if you require a laptop with its substantial security capabilities, it’s well worth a look.
Lenovo ThinkPad SL500 is attractively priced, solidly built and a good performer. Reviewers are particularly impressed with the high-resolution 15.4in. screen. However, its inward-sloping edges can make it difficult to locate ports and expansion slots, the webcam is basic and battery life could be longer. The highest-scoring subsystem was Primary hard disk with 5.3. In between came RAM (Memory operations per second with 4.7), Processor (calculations per second with 4.9) and Gaming Graphics with 5.1). Taking all these scores into account, the SL500 can be judged an above-average all-round performer.
Toshiba’s ‘thin-and-light’ Tecra M10 range is aimed squarely at the small business market. The Tecra M10 won’t win any design prizes, but it does look reassuringly solid. At 2.4kg the Tecra M10 falls into the ‘thin-and-light’ category, although it’s probably not a system a mobile professional would want to carry day in, day out. The keyboard is a highlight, being both well constructed and spill-resistant. The keys are large and give good feeback, clicking nicely when pressed. The Tecra M10-10I is attractively priced, and offers a strong range of security and data protection features.
The Q210 is an ordinary clamshell notebook, but Samsung has given it a refreshingly different black and red livery. If you can live with its unusual design and relatively heavy weight (for a 12.1in. notebook), Samsung’s Q210 could be a good choice, particularly for small businesses. It’s an excellent performer and LightScribe drive could come in handy if you pass a lot of optical media to clients. The webcam could be better featured, although it performs well enough for basic video conferencing.