THE search for the perfect notebook computer becomes something of a religious quest for many regular business travellers.
Yearning for that balance between usability and weight, they scour retail shelves and vendor websites looking for the ultimate portable machine.
Tired of lugging a full-screen notebook that strains shoulder muscles and breaks carry-on weight limits, some are lured into the emerging netbook category of devices that offer basic computing capabilities in a tiny, featherweight case.
For others, netbooks are just not enough. They need a fully fledged notebook computer that can cope with heavy computing tasks but still be light and portable.
The good news is that equipment vendors have been busy in this ultraportable segment Using innovative design and lightweight components, they ’ve created a selection of notebooks that tick both the weight and performance boxes.
ExecTech took two of the latest contenders out for a road trip.
HOUSED in a silver plastic case, the R600 looks too flashy to he a serious business notebook, hut don ’t he deceived by first impressions.
Built around an Intel Core2 Duo processor and 3GB RAM, this little beast packs some serious computing punch.
The 12.lin screen is sharp and bright and the keyboard is solid and big enough even for those with large fingers.
Despite its svelte profile and 890g weight, the R600 also has an internal DVD burner, a 200GB hard drive, a webcam and a fingerprint reader.
Although the screen flexes noticeably if pulled by the corner, it doesn ’t seem flimsy. When closed the whole unit feels solid, durable and ready for the road.
The one feature lacking in this notebook is sound, with just a single tiny speaker at the top left of the keyboard. The sound it produces will have you reaching for headphones in a second.
Running Microsoft Vista Business, the review model chugged through normal office tasks with ease. You can expect a couple of hours of battery life, and doing things like dimming the screen backlight and turning off the DVD drive will extend this further.
Closing the lid puts the notebook into sleep mode in less than 10 seconds and you can wake it again in a similar time. This is a boon when working on the road or in situations where you ’re regularly interrupted and need to pause.
If you ’re in the market for a grunty ultraportable notebook and don ’t mind paying a premium price, the R600 could be for you.
LENOVO has stuck with its standard oh-so-corporate black casing for the X200.
Although a little staid, it gives the notebook a solid ready-forbusiness look that will appeal to many users.
Inside, the X200 has an Intel Core2 Duo with 2GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive.
The unit ’s 12.lin screen is clear and bright (although not great in full sun) and is housed in a solid lid.
The keyboard feels good and exudes quality. Some users may be put off by the lack of a touchpad. Sure, there is a rubber nipple in the centre of the keyboard, but if you ’re more comfortable with a touchpad, you ’d best look elsewhere.
Knowing bow corporate types tend to treat their portable devices, Lenovo has incorporated a spill-resistance feature into the keyboard.
This means that spilling your long black over the machine won ’t necessarily put it out of action.
Running Microsoft Vista Home Edition, the notebook ’s performance was impressive enough for all but the most power-hungry travelling business person.
The internal cooling fan is quiet and effective and battery life topped the two-hour mark under normal working conditions.
Like the R600. the X200 is not great for sound. A single speaker produces muffled noise that means listening to music should he avoided. One absence is an optical drive, although you can add one by investing in a dock.
There is a built-in webcam for video calls and messaging.
For those looking for a solid, dependable ultraportable computer, the X200 is a good choice. It may lack the flashy looks of other models, but it is built for business.
SHEDDING kilos from your portable computing equipment no longer has to mean shedding performance. The latest ultraportable devices are housed in cases so light you can almost forget you ’re carrying them.
The solid design and build of the ThinkPad X200 will make it a natural choice when dependability is paramount, although the lack of a trackpad and internal optical drive is a little disappointing.
Those seeking something a little more stylish and with more than enough power to cope with a heavy daily workload will find it hard to go past the Toshiba R600.
