stuart test blog

My new notebook arrived on Monday and I couldn’t be happier with it. I spent a lot of time leading up to this purchase researching prices and features of various notebooks and brands and I’m fairly sure that I got it right. This notebook is my first, proper, new computer – all of the others I’ve owned were either second-hand, or built-up using a mixture of new and second-hand parts.

The important specs of the notebook are:

• Processor: Intel? Pentium? M Processor 740 (#) supports Enhanced Intel? SpeedStep Technology (1.73GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 533MHz FSB)
• Cache: 2MB Level-2 Cache
• Memory: 512MB (1 x 512MB) DDR2 SDRAM (400MHz)
• Smart hard drives: 60GB (5400 rpm)
• Display: 15.4″ colour TFT WXGA (1280 x 800 resolution)
• Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon X600 PCI-Express (64MB video memory)
• Audio: Integrated 16-bit Sound Blaster Pro-compatible stereo audio, AC97 audio, integrated stereo speakers, volume control and mute buttons
• Communications: High speed 56K modem with digital line guard, integrated 10/100/1000 NIC, Intel? Pro/Wireless 2915ABG 802.11a/b/g integrated wireless LAN, integrated Bluetooth
• Battery: 4.8Ahr 8-cell Lithium-Ion battery, up to 4 hours of battery life
• Keyboard: 101/102-key compatible keyboard with isolated inverted-T cursor control keys, editing keys, left and right control & alt keys, and 12 function keys; One-touch access to HP Info Center, Wireless on/off, Presentation mode, and volume control
• Optical drive: DVD?RW/?R
• Dimensions: 2.8cm(H) x 35.5(W) x 25.9cm(D)
• Weight (min.): Up to 2.71kg – may vary, depending on configuration and components

My reasons for choosing this notebook were based around: (a) the features I wanted, and (b) the features I could afford. My first decision to make was the type of screen I wanted, as this usually slims down the number of models to choose between. I decided to go for a wide screen model as opposed to the traditional screen, and although I wanted to get as high-resolution as possible, the cost factor kicked in and I decided to settle for the 1280×800 screen. This is actually a very comfortable size to use – text isn’t too big or too small (it’s just right…) Once I had decided on the screen, it was just a case of getting as much CPU/RAM/HDD as possible on my budget. I also wanted to get a dedicated graphics card in the notebook as I’m tired of having to miss out on playing the latest games due to having to share precious memory with the rest of the system. This notebook has an ATI X600 PCI-Express graphics card with 64MB dedicated RAM. 64MB may not seem much compared with some of the newer graphics cards out now, but it is ample for all but the most strenuous of games.

The CPU is also not the most powerful on the market currently but it is also more than OK for day-to-day tasks and it’s been able to easily handle everything I’ve thrown at it so far. The notebook also came with 512MB RAM in a single slot and is upgradeable to 2GB, I may look at installing an extra 1GB RAM later this year. The 60GB hard drive is a little smaller than the 80GB drive I wanted but this came down to the cost issue again. The size and weight of the notebook is perfect too – the widescreen is crisp and clear, and the rest of the body is slim and light.

As I had recently set up my new Linksys wireless router, I was eager to test out the wireless capability of the laptop. I had configured the router with WPA2 security so I needed to download an update for Windows XP SP2 to allow me to authenticate. As soon as I had the update in place, the wireless card picked up the AP, asked me for the pre-shared key, and then connected effortlessly at ‘G’ speeds of 54Mbps. It’s quite cool to be able to move around the house with my notebook without having to drag a 10 metre ethernet cable behind me!