Compaq Compaq nc2400

The notebook lacks parallel and serial ports (common omissions on ultraportables), and includes only a DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive, rather than a rewritable DVD drive. However, HP does offer an optional $149 docking station, which provides those missing ports along with three more USB 2.0 ports, an additional ethernet port, and an S-Video connection.

Despite the notebook's small size, the keyboard feels big and spacious, with a good key pitch. Its comfortable keyboard layout made typing easy.

Because of its manageable 3.6-pound weight (4.5 pounds with the AC adapter), the nc2400 should be easy to carry on the road. In our tests, the nc2400 chugged along for 4 hours and 52 minutes, a lengthy time that will appeal to hard-computing travelers who need to get a lot of mileage--or across the country--on one battery charge.

Unfortunately, the nc2400 didn't fare as well in our WorldBench 5 tests: Using an Intel 1.2-GHz Core Solo U1400 processor and 512MB of DDR2-533 SDRAM, it mustered a score of just 58, placing it at the bottom of the pack of all notebooks we've recently tested. Granted, the nc2400 will suffice for undemanding tasks like writing e-mail and Word documents, but with more demanding jobs such as video editing, you will definitely feel a performance pinch.

Despite its performance shortcomings, the nc2400 does have attributes that make it appealing, including its light weight, excellent battery life, and a great keyboard--all for a reasonable price. Just don't expect the notebook to power through lots of demanding apps.

Kalpana Ettenson