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Top 15 Notebook PCs

Portables with distinctive designs--a 17-inch wide-screen model and a unit that can convert to a Tablet PC--debut this month.

Richard Baguley

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450XL PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: November 07, 2003

1. Gateway 450XL

1.7-GHz Pentium M processor, 15.1-inch screen, 8.1 pounds, 60GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive, Price when ranked: $2279

Bottom Line: An unremarkable exterior conceals such top-notch features as built-in Wi-Fi, very good battery life, and upgradability.

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Latitude D600 Notebook Computer (Dell-D600CNET) PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: June 30, 2003

2. Dell Latitude D600 Notebook Computer (Dell-D600CNET)

1.6-GHz Pentium M processor, 14.1-inch screen, 6.5 pounds, 40GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive, Price when ranked: $1887

Bottom Line: Midweight machine has legacy ports, but unappealing sound and a springy keyboard.

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Aspire 2000 PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: February 27, 2004

3. Acer Aspire 2000

1.6-GHz Pentium M processor, 15.4-inch wide screen, 8.1 pounds, 60GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive, Price when ranked: $2000

Bottom Line: Though this notebook offers an alluring wide-aspect 15.4-inch screen, it emits only so-so sound.

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Compaq NX7000 Notebook Computer (HP (Hewlett-Packard)-DL855A) PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: October 01, 2003

4. HP Compaq NX7000 Notebook Computer (HP (Hewlett-Packard)-DL855A)

1.6-GHz Pentium M processor, 15.4-inch wide screen, 7.6 pounds, 60GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive, Price when ranked: $1975

Bottom Line: This wide-screen notebook incorporates many attractive design touches, but the keyboard feels flimsy.

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Pavilion ZD7000 PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: February 27, 2004

5. HP Pavilion ZD7000

2.8-GHz Pentium 4 processor, 17-inch wide screen, 11.1 pounds, 60GB hard drive, DVD+R/RW drive, Price when ranked: $2029

Bottom Line: Huge portable with a wide-aspect screen has great sound and a nice keyboard, plus a four-in-one memory card reader.

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ThinkPad R50 PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: January 23, 2004

6. IBM ThinkPad R50

1.4-GHz Pentium M processor, 14.1-inch screen, 6.5 pounds, 40GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive, Price when ranked: $1699

Bottom Line: Well-rounded, affordable laptop turns in strong performance, and has long battery life and a great keyboard.

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Satellite M35-S359 Notebook (Toshiba-PSM30U0QQ01V) PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: February 27, 2004

7. Toshiba Satellite M35-S359 Notebook (Toshiba-PSM30U0QQ01V)

1.4-GHz Pentium M processor, 15.4-inch screen, 7.1 pounds, 60GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive, Price when ranked: $1499

Bottom Line: Reasonably priced wedge-shaped portable allows comfortable typing and offers a great multimedia experience on its 15.4-inch screen.

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NP5015A PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: February 27, 2004

8. Micro Express NP5015A

1.5-GHz Pentium M processor, 14.1-inch screen, 6.9 pounds, 40GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive, Price when ranked: $1199

Bottom Line: Fast, low-cost unit has nice features for the money, but the keyboard layout is annoying. The manuals we received didn't match the system.

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ThinkPad T41 Notebook (IBM-23733HU) PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: December 21, 2003

9. IBM ThinkPad T41 Notebook (IBM-23733HU)

1.6-GHz Pentium M processor, 14.1-inch screen, 5.9 pounds, 40GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive, Price when ranked: $2039

Bottom Line: Eraserhead and mouse buttons feel a bit flimsy, and the battery is awkward to remove, but the overall design is still pleasing.

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C300 PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: February 27, 2004

10. Acer C300

1.5-GHz Pentium M processor, 14.1-inch screen, 7.8 pounds, 40GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive, Price when ranked: $1899

Bottom Line: Convertible Tablet PC notebook has a big 14.1-inch screen plus great performance and a built-in memory card reader.

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ThinkPad X31 PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: December 22, 2003

11. IBM ThinkPad X31

1.3-GHz Pentium M processor, 12.1-inch screen, 6.4 pounds, 20GB hard drive, Docking-station-based DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive, Price when ranked: $1698

Bottom Line: This near-perfect small notebook's only flaw: The optical drive is located in a separate $199 docking station.

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BTO Portege m100 PM-1.2LV 256MB 40GB CD-RW/DVD-ROM 802.11b 12T-XGA (Toshiba-PPM10U0002T7) PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: November 22, 2003

12. Toshiba BTO Portege m100 PM-1.2LV 256MB 40GB CD-RW/DVD-ROM 802.11b 12T-XGA (Toshiba-PPM10U0002T7)

1.2-GHz Pentium M processor, 12.1-inch screen, 5.3 pounds, 40GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive, Price when ranked: $2249

Bottom Line: Sporty notebook almost does it all, with a good keyboard, solid performance, strong audio, and a long battery life.

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Latitude X300 Notebook Computer (Dell-X300SB) PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: November 07, 2003

13. Dell Latitude X300 Notebook Computer (Dell-X300SB)

1.2-GHz Pentium M processor, 12.1-inch screen, 6.0 pounds, 40GB hard drive, Docking-station-based DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive, Price when ranked: $2257

Bottom Line: On its own, this portable weighs just 3 pounds; its 1.9-pound media slice adds a full set of connections and great sound.

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Lifebook P5020D Notebook (Fujitsu-FPCM20206) PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: December 21, 2003

14. Fujitsu Lifebook P5020D Notebook (Fujitsu-FPCM20206)

1-GHz Pentium M processor, 10.6-inch screen, 4.7 pounds, 60GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive, Price when ranked: $1899

Bottom Line: Relatively compact for a portable with a modular bay, the P5020 has a small screen and is somewhat slow.

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SHARP ACTIUS PC-AV18P NOTEBOOK ATHLON1800+ 40GB CD-RW&DVD 802.11B (Sharp-PCAV18P) PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: November 22, 2003

15. Sharp SHARP ACTIUS PC-AV18P NOTEBOOK ATHLON1800+ 40GB CD-RW&DVD 802.11B (Sharp-PCAV18P)

1.53-GHz Mobile Athlon XP-M 1800+ processor, 12.1-inch screen, 5.1 pounds, 40GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive, Price when ranked: $1399

Bottom Line: Basic thin-and-light offers Wi-Fi computing on the go, but only so-so typing and a hard-to-remove battery.

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All systems are tested or retested under our PC WorldBench 4 test suite.

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