Micro Express 259iA1

The 259iAl's keyboard is a dream to type on: roomy and firm with deeply depressing keys and a nice built-in slant. Unfortunately, we had some trouble getting the touchpad calibrated on the unit we looked at. Even after we adjusted the sensitivity and speed settings several times, the cursor remained slightly flighty.

We also had some trouble getting the Micro Express's instant-on DVD feature to work at first. The stand-alone application, InterVideo InstantOn, bypasses Windows when you press a shortcut button at the top of the keyboard; but it refused to launch our DVD the first few times we tried. Eventually, however, it worked reliably.

Audio, which flows from speakers stylishly embedded in the lower screen frame, was fairly loud, but the highest volumes seemed to trigger a faint background buzz. We missed having keyboard volume buttons, especially because the <Fn> keys are poorly marked and had little effect on volume. We were forced to control volume with software sliders.

The 259iA1 is a fine performer. Equipped with a 2.1-GHz Pentium M 765, it's the fastest notebook we've tested, zooming to a WorldBench 5 score of 99. It ran for just under 3 hours on one battery charge, an average length of time.

Upshot: The Micro Express 259iA1's cleanly delineated case design has avant-garde appeal, and the 15.4-inch widescreen is tops. The unit performs well, even as a stand-alone DVD player, once the kinks work out.

Carla Thornton