Review: Sceptre Soundx S7300

From...

By Carla Thornton

(IDG) -- WHAT'S HOT: Well-equipped for this class of notebook, the Soundx S7300 comes with a 13.3-inch screen and all the standard notebook connections built into its handsome metallic blue case. An Ultra Base slice ($199 extra) snaps easily onto the bottom of the notebook and provides bays for a 10X-24X CD-ROM drive and a floppy drive, plus a second battery bay that serves as a charger when the laptop isn't docked. The Soundx S7300 tips the scales at a mere 4.4 pounds without the base, the external drives, or the AC power brick.

WHAT'S NOT: The CD-ROM drive and the floppy drive have to take turns using the single proprietary connection on the side of the notebook. If you want to use both drives simultaneously, you must buy the Ultra Base slice, which adds about a pound to the overall weight and half an inch to the height.

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WHAT ELSE: The slice adds three internal bays, including two for the standard CD-ROM and floppy drives (or any of several extra-cost devices, including a DVD-ROM drive, a CD-RW drive, a second battery, a Zip 100 drive, or a SuperDisk drive). The slice also adds second PS/2 and USB connections, an S/PDIF connection for Sony or Philips mini-disc players and other compatible audio equipment, and 4-pin and 6-pin IEEE 1394 ports to accommodate the full spectrum of digital equipment. Built-in modem and network connections help make up for the provision of just a single PC Card slot. The keyboard feels a little thin and cramped, which is fairly typical for this class of notebook, but we found it reasonably easy to type on. The Soundx sports a second pair of mouse buttons above the touchpad, ostensibly to ease work in tight quarters--but only if you don't mind using your thumb to move the cursor. Frankly, we found the extra buttons awkward to use. The RAM slots and the hard drive are easy to access, and the audio ports sit conveniently on the front. You can use a felt-tip pen to write your name, telephone number, and other contact information in the block of white spaces on the bottom of the notebook. The Soundx S7300 performed as we expected in our tests, earning a PC WorldBench 2000 score of 161--average for a Pentium III-850/700-based notebook with 128MB of RAM and running Windows 2000.

BEST USE: With solid performance, a pleasant design overall, and a free nylon carrying case, the Sceptre Soundx S7300 should tempt those looking for a reasonably priced, ultralight roadster.

Buying Information

Sceptre Soundx S7300

• $ 2358
• PC WorldBench score of 161, Pentium III-850/700 CPU, 128MB of RAM, 256KB L2 cache, Windows 2000, 13.3-inch active-matrix screen, ATI Rage P/M Mobility graphics with 8MB of SDRAM, 20GB hard drive, 10X-24X CD-ROM drive, V.90 modem, network adapter, touchpad pointing device, 7 pounds (including external floppy drive, external CD-ROM drive, external drive cable, AC adapter and phone cord), one-year parts and labor warranty, free unlimited toll-call support for 9 hours on weekdays.