Compaq Armada E500S

WHAT'S HOT: Two modular bays give the Armada E500S unusual flexibility. For example, you can swap out the floppy and CD-ROM drives for two extra batteries, for a grand total of three power packs and an estimated 9 hours of outlet-free computing. (We didn't test Compaq's claim, but we did get an impressive 4 hours out of one battery). Each extra battery costs $184. Alternatively, if you don't need day-long battery life or internal drives, you can fill both bays with weight-saver plugs and lower the notebook's weight from a hair over 8 pounds (including AC adapter) to a more manageable 5.8 pounds.

Other bay options include an extra-cost DVD-ROM drive, a CD-RW drive, a SuperDisk drive, or a second hard drive up to 12GB. Compaq's lighter-weight corporate notebook, the Armada M700, can use the same devices as E500S-series notebooks, so companies can save money by sharing notebook parts. The E500S's four shortcut buttons, which can launch favorite applications, files, or Web sites, can also aid multiple users: You can save an unlimited number of shortcut sets under different names, such as "Dave's project," and switch among them using the notebook's Easy Access utility.

WHAT'S NOT: In our most recent survey of PC World readers, Compaq earned only a Fair rating for the reliability of its notebooks and for its vendor service.

WHAT ELSE: The industrial-looking E500S is neither the handsomest nor the most traditionally designed corporate notebook we've seen. With its boxy profile, plain keyboard, and vented back panel, it instead resembles a ruggedized laptop. Most connections are crammed on the right side and in the back, with the left side of the notebook left oddly bare. However, it's easy to access storage--to free the hard drive, just remove one screw on the bottom of the notebook.

Music CDs sounded clear and adequately loud, and a handy volume toggle on the front helps to adjust sound levels. A composite video-out port lets the notebook use a TV screen as an external display; pop-out tilt feet add typing comfort. Compaq includes utilities for IS people to troubleshoot and manage the E500S across a network. Documentation covers the basics; you also get ergonomics advice in a separate Comfort and Safety Guide, and a Getting Started and Troubleshooting manual. In late October 2000, Compaq recalled 55,000 batteries from models in the E500 and V300 lines after one notebook overheated and smoked. However, we didn't notice any problems with our test machine. To see if you qualify for a battery replacement, go to this Compaq page.

BEST USE: The Armada E500S is a workhorse notebook, suitable for a wide variety of business users, especially those who work out of the office for hours at a time. It's also appropriate for businesses that are already using its compatible sibling, the Armada M700.

SUMMARY

Compaq Armada E500S PC WorldBench 2000 score of 134, Pentium III-800/650, 128MB of SDRAM, 256KB L2 cache, Windows 98 SE, 14.1-inch active-matrix screen, 8MB of video memory, 10GB hard drive, 12X-24X CD-ROM drive, built-in V.90 modem and network interface, touchpad pointing device, 8.1-pound weight (including AC adapter and phone cord). One-year parts and labor warranty; free, unlimited 24-hour tech support. $2604 800/345-1518 www.compaq.com