Dell Inspiron 3700 C466GT

WHAT'S HOT: Dell joins the notebook fashion show that began with Apple's multihued iBook by offering the Inspiron 3700 in a choice of two colors: Storm Grey or Tahoe Blue. The Inspiron 3700 is the first Dell notebook to come with touchpad and eraserhead pointing devices. The Inspiron 3700 offers a comfy keyboard, and its case allows easy memory and hard-drive upgrades. It also comes with a convenient docking connection that works with an optional $199 port replicator.

WHAT'S NOT: Dell now offers only a PC Card option in place of a modem. The eraserhead's mouse buttons are concave and half the size of the touchpad's buttons, making navigation uncomfortable.

WHAT ELSE: Compared with other Celeron-466 notebooks we've tested, the 3700 is a midrange performer. It's a hair thicker than the 3500 series it replaces. You can also swap in the DVD-ROM or floppy drive (both included) or a second battery ($119). You can use the floppy drive alongside any of these options by attaching it to the notebook's parallel port. Or, snap a dummy module into the drive bay and drop the 3700's weight to 6.2 pounds. An S-video TV-out port lets you watch DVD movies on your television, but otherwise the Inspiron 3700 skimps on audiovisual extras. The battery lasts an above-average 3.5 hours.

BEST USE: With its unique case colors, big screen, and flexibility, the Inspiron 3700 makes a fun, capable desktop replacement for small businesses.

SUMMARY

Dell Inspiron 3700 C466GT PC WorldBench score of 194; Celeron-466, 14.1-inch active screen, touchpad, eraserhead, 64MB of RAM, 10GB hard drive; 6X DVD-ROM drive, V.90 modem, multipurpose bay takes second battery, lithium ion battery. $2606 800/388-8542 www.dell.com