Laptop Lineup

3/12/2001: IBM's ThinkPad TransNote combined a laptop PC with an electronic notepad in a unique folderlike form factor for a fresh take on clamshell laptop design. However the relatively large size and weight were more appropriate for a desktop replacement laptop than a machine meant to be carried as a portfolio. Though the TransNote easily saved, organized and viewed notes we'd taken on the digital pad, the included software did not perform handwriting recognition, so notes could not be converted to text.

4/2/2001: When Apple released the PowerBook G4, Labs opined that the new computer redefined how a notebook computer should look and feel. In eWEEK Labs’ tests, the 500MHz PowerPC-based notebook outran a 600MHz Pentium III-based notebook. Adding an 802.11b wireless Airport card, however, required users to remove the eight screws that secured the bottom titanium cover, pry off the bottom to reach the internal card slot, and get the bottom back on without bending the flexible titanium cover.

11/7/02: When Microsoft officially launched Windows XP Tablet Edition, dozens of hardware and software providers lined up to support the new operating system, which eliminated most of the technical challenges that killed early pen-based designs. One unit that looked promising was Toshiba's Portégé 3500, which included a strong hinge to support the screen and an Intel Pentium IIIm running at 1.33MHz when most Tablets were running at slightly slower speeds.

2/24/2003- Almost two years after the first PowerBook G4, Apple introduced smaller and larger 12-inch and 17-inch models.

The 12-inch model we tested shipped with an 867MHz PowerPC G4 processor and 256MB of double-data-rate RAM, a configuration that delivered performance that, although snappy, didn't seem strikingly faster than Apple's less-costly options. At 10.9 by 8.6 by 1.18 inches and 4.6 pounds, the device was more compact than any PowerBook Apple had yet offered.

The much larger 17-inch PowerBook was only an inch thick, and its other, much more sizable dimensions didn't seem quite so onerous once we got the excellent 1,440-by-900-pixel display open.

5/5/2003- Fujitsu Harnesses Athlon XP-M

Fujitsu PC is now shipping notebooks armed with the mobile Advanced Micro Devices Athlon XP-M processor. Based on eWEEK Labs' tests, we think these notebooks could give Intel's Centrino-based systems a run for their money. The unit we tested also had integrated Wi-Fi-certified wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11b) capabilities—a nice touch.

The diminutive notebook is powered by a removable six-cell lithium-ion battery, which, in tests, delivered almost 2 hours of life between charges in heavy testing with all power-saving functions turned off. The S2000 offers a bay for one of Fujitsu's swap-in drives or a second modular bay ion battery ($116), which will double the system's battery life, according to Fujitsu officials.

Battery life tests showed that, on average, the Athlon XP-M with PowerNow can increase battery life to about 3 hours. By comparison, Intel's Centrino-based systems yielded more than 5 hours on a standard nine-cell lithium-ion battery in eWEEK Labs' tests.

6/16/2003 - Fujitsu Raises the Bar Again

With the P5010D, the latest in its line of P Series LifeBooks, Fujitsu has managed to improve on a good thing by extending the basic design of the P2120 with a roomier keyboard and a speedy Intel Pentium M processor.

5/23/2003: Though Sharp Electronics' 2.1-pound Actius MM10 was one of the lightest and most pleasant-to-tote notebooks eWEEK Labs has ever reviewed, this great portability came with somewhat-sluggish performance. Ultralight notebooks such as this one aren't necessarily built for speed, of course, but we noticed small lags even when we switched between running applications from the task bar. Even with these limitations, however, the impressively portable form factor of the Actius MM10 made the machine a compelling option for mobile workers looking to lighten their laptop bags.

8/11/2003: Usually, $1,500 wouldn't buy much in terms of desktop replacements, but in 2003, that sum would get you on the Intel Centrino bandwagon—and more—with Acer's TravelMate 290LMI. This enterprise-oriented desktop replacement was armed with a 1.3GHz Pentium M processor, an Intel 855 GM chip set and Intel Pro 802.11b wireless capabilities.

11/3/2003: Any device designed for portability is bound to suffer some drops and bumps along the way. The ThinkPad T41 and ThinkPad R50 came equipped with what IBM called the world's first automatic hard drive protection technology. Still available today on many ThinkPad models, the system includes a motherboard-mounted sensor that detects acceleration—or the falling movement of the laptop—and automatically parks the unit's disk drive heads to help minimize damage and prevent the loss of data.

7/18/2005: The Thinkpad X41 Tablet, Lenovo’s first mobile computing release after buying IBM's PC division, was machine enough to persuade skeptical IT managers to take the tablet PC plunge. The convertible tablet didn't just sport the IBM and ThinkPad names; eWEEK Labs' tests showed that it also lived up to IBM's tradition of well-designed, well-engineered laptops. Built on the same platform as the ThinkPad X Series systems, the X41 had a screen that swiveled, enabling users to convert the machine into a slate format. At 3.5 pounds, the machine was considerably lighter than other comparably sized tablets we'd seen, but it was not equipped with a built-in optical drive.

4/10/2006: Intel's Core Duo dual-core processors brought on a number of improvements to business laptops, including more processing power and battery life. Among the machines to take advantage of this technology was the widescreen Latitude D620, the first business laptop to offer integrated EvDO (Evolution Data Optimized) with an integrated antenna and the first to offer a choice of wireless broadband service. The HP Compaq nc6320 also stands out with an integrated seven-in-one digital media reader.

5/12/2006: When money is no object, Sony's Vaio laptops are hard to beat, and the Vaio SZ160 was no exception. Armed with Intel's Core Duo dual-core processors, the Vaio SZ160 offered a high level of mobility and performance at an optimal size and weight. The machine we tested came equipped with 802.11a/b/g, Gigabit Ethernet and Bluetooth connectivity, a 56K-bps modem, a fingerprint scanner for security and an integrated microphone and Web cam for videoconferencing.

These features, however, came with a hefty price: The Vaio SZ160 was priced starting at $1,400, and the premium model started at $2,299.

7/17/2006: As the first business laptop to feature AMD's 64-bit Turion 64 X2 mobile CPU, Hewlett-Packard's HP Compaq nx6325 offers road warriors performance at a lower price than its Intel-armed competitors. At a starting price of $1,049, the nx6325 includes a 1.6GHz Turion 64 X2 processor, a 15-inch display, 512MB of RAM, a 60GB hard drive and a Wi-Fi module capable of accessing 802.11a, b and g networks. A similarly configured nc6320 would cost $1,229. Unlike other notebooks in its class, however, the nx6325 does not come with an option for a WWAN (wireless WAN) module.

10/12/2006: Toshiba's Tecra M7 is for users who want a good notebook system with some tablet functionality. Weighing in at almost 6 pounds and sporting a 14.1-inch widescreen display, the Tecra M7 is large and powerful enough for everyday computing, but it lacks the battery performance of its competitors. Armed with the Intel GMA 950, the Tecra M7 is "Windows Vista Premium Ready," which means the machine can provide users with the full Microsoft Vista experience, including Aero Glass. When converting the Tecra M7 from notebook to tablet format, we found the unit's hinge to be sturdy and the machine also was quick to recognize when we wanted to use it in tablet mode rather than laptop mode.

10/12/2006: With a 14-inch widescreen display, a full-sized keyboard and the latest Intel processor, Gateway's M285-E Tablet PC is a machine for users who don't want to make sacrifices to have tablet functionality. The screen provides plenty of real estate for jotting down notes or for drawing, but the system's size and weight—a bulky 7.3 pounds—make it cumbersome to use in tablet format. In fact, the unit was much easier to use as a desktop replacement or in our laps. Nonethless, the combination of processing performance and graphics capability puts the M285-E on par with other business-class notebook machines we've looked at from a graphics and performance standpoint.

1/10/2007: With Apple MacBook-like looks, a fantastic widescreen display and exceptional portability, Toshiba's Portégé R400 is the most groundbreaking Tablet PC eWEEK Labs has tested. The Portégé R400 will be the first notebook to take advantage of Microsoft's Active Notifications capability, which enables real-time e-mail and calendaring notifications via a digital display on the front edge of the unit. It is also the first laptop that can be wirelessly docked via UWB (Ultra-Wideband) technology. Unfortunately, users will pay for all of this innovation—in terms of both price and performance: The machine barely has enough oomph to run Windows Vista Ultimate.

5/11/2007: The Lenovo ThinkPad T61 boasts Intel's latest Centrino technology, formerly known as "Santa Rosa." The Core 2 Duo T7300-based T61 offers robust wireless support, tight security and plenty of power. The ThinkPad T61 is currently the thinnest and lightest 14-inch widescreen ThinkPad laptop. At 13.2 by 9.3 by 1.26 inches and starting at 5 pounds, the ThinkPad T61 makes an able companion for mobile workers and is well worth putting at the top of any organization's laptop shortlist. The T61 is also the first ThinkPad to come with a display panel protected by an internal magnesium-alloy "roll cage" heretofore used only in the system body of Lenovo laptops. The roll cage shields the wireless network radio antennas, located in the display lid, from monitor interference while also providing ample room for the optional antennas used to supply 802.11 draft N connectivity.