IBM Thinkpad R32

WHAT'S HOT: The latest model in IBM's line of bargain ThinkPads, the ThinkPad R32 offers the same great design as its predecessor: a great keyboard, wireless Wi-Fi (802.11b) antennas, and a roomy 14.1-inch screen, all in a package under 6 pounds. With the R32, the line graduates to Intel's mobile Pentium 4 chip. Though this processor is a drain on some notebooks, the 1.8-GHz/1.2-GHz Pentium 4-M chip in our review model did not stand in the way of a good, 3-hour battery life--a 25 percent improvement over the performance turned in by the last R-series ThinkPad we reviewed, the R30. You can stretch that life even more by swapping out the notebook's optical drive (a DVD-ROM in our machine) for an optional second battery. Other modular-bay options include a second hard drive and a Zip 250 drive.

WHAT'S NOT: The notebook's printed documentation is limited to one slim troubleshooting manual, though we have no complaints about IBM's on-screen manuals. An internal floppy drive costs an extra $79, and IBM ends free technical support after three years. To increase or decrease sound volume, you must repeatedly press the R32's volume buttons--a hassle if you're trying to adjust the sound quickly.

WHAT ELSE: As for performance, the R32 earned a PC WorldBench 4 score of 94, average compared with similar systems. With its newer-generation processor, it outstripped the R30's score of 88. Consider this ThinkPad R an affordable version of the ThinkPad T: Both are one-bay notebooks that offer lots of flexibility. Like previous R-series models, the R32 is black and fairly plain, with gently beveled sides and easy-to-reach parts (including the hard drive, memory slots, and battery). Parallel ports, and just about all but a couple of near-obsolete connections (such as PS/2), are included; you get an S-Video TV-out port, as well. The keyboard boasts IBM's signature comfort and design, including the vivid-red eraserhead pointing device and bright-blue Enter key. The mouse buttons and their centered Internet scroll key have satisfyingly deep travel, unlike the shallow, stiff buttons we've experienced on many other notebooks.

IBM's digital manual is second to none, with step-by-step animation sequences that guide you through many operations, such as upgrading the hard drive. On the minus side, the R32 lacks a high-speed FireWire port and the grab bag of extras some other portables offer, such as more than just one PC Card slot. The R32, however, does have the ThinkLight, a small LED that partially illuminates the keyboard in dark rooms. The notebook's built-in speakers aren't quite boom box quality, but they'll do for work and for listening to music--if you're not fussy about pristine sound.

The R32 also ships with the Lotus SmartSuite Millennium productivity suite.

UPSHOT: This "ThinkPad for the rest of us" keeps most of the pluses found on the T series and is also ready for wireless networking.

SUMMARY

IBM ThinkPad R32 PC WorldBench 4 score of 94, 1.8-GHz/1.2-GHz Pentium 4-M, 256MB of DDR266 SDRAM, Windows XP Professional, 14.1-inch active-matrix screen, ATI Radeon Mobility graphics with 16MB of DDR SDRAM, 30GB hard drive, 8X DVD-ROM drive, built-in V.92 modem and network adapter, eraserhead pointing device, 6.7 pounds (including AC adapter and phone cord), Lotus SmartSuite Millennium Edition. One-year parts and labor warranty; free, toll-free 24-hour, 7-day technical support during warranty period ($35 per incident thereafter). $2114 888/746-2246 www.ibm.com/thinkpad