Notebook.. That Won't bust your budget
by Robert Lauriston
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Finding a notebook to fit a fixed budget means making some tough trade-offs. Fast CPU or big screen? More RAM or a larger hard drive? CD-ROM drive or modem? Brand-name security or off-brand bargain?
navigational image To confront these real-world issues, we asked over two dozen vendors to send us notebooks that cost less than $3,000. The only constraints were that the systems had to have exactly 16MB of RAM and at least a 750MB hard drive--other than that, the companies were free to allocate up to $3,000 any way they wished.
Ten vendors took us up on the challenge and sent us a very diverse group of systems. Each has a Pentium processor, Windows 95, and a pair of PCMCIA card slots, but beyond that, the configurations are all over the map. We received notebooks with 100-, 120-, and 133-MHz CPUs; hard disks from 750MB to 1.2GB; screens from 10.3 to 12.1 inches; plus extras like modems, CD-ROM drives, cases, even a spare battery, and a pair of external speakers.
keyboard We put the portables through their paces with our applications-based performance benchmarks and constant-use, battery-drain test. We also compared screens, keyboards, pointing devices, speakers, and weight. In addition, we considered how well each machine was suited for mobile use and presentations. For the gory details, jump to "CNET tests 10 notebooks." To find out which are the best values and why, jump to "CNET recommends." Finally, if you're wondering why no Mac PowerBooks are included, it's because none fit our criteria. While Apple initially sent us a PowerBook 5300 that costs around $3,000, the company discontinued the product soon afterward. For extra shopping tips, check out "what to look for in a budget notebook." And whatever you do, don't miss the "performance results"--you may never look at CPU clock speeds the same way again.
