Review: IBM tops list of best 15 notebooks

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By PCWorld staff writer

(IDG) -- Two newly anointed Best Buys lead our power and value lists. On the power side, a $300 price drop gave IBM's $3,099 ThinkPad A30p the boost it needed to muscle aside Dell's Inspiron 8100. The ThinkPad's strong performance and huge hard drive bolstered its claim to the title.

Gateway has discontinued the Solo 5350 that we tested in February (with a 1-GHz/733-MHz Pentium III-M CPU), clearing the way for Dell's Latitude C610 to move into the Best Buy spot among value notebooks.

Look for bigger chart shake-ups in the months to come, as notebooks equipped with the mobile P4 processor debut. For a preview, see "Take Pentium 4 Power on Your Next Trip."

WinBook finally throws its hat into the crowded ring of multimedia laptops with the new N3 1.2, which lands in seventh place on our power chart. The N3 is the snazziest model in WinBook's mostly conservative lineup to date. As for the N3's drawbacks, its battery lasted for only 1 hour, 52 minutes on one charge, and it managed a sluggish PC WorldBench 4 score of just 76. Both of these disappointments are due, in part, to its 1.2-GHz Pentium III desktop processor.

Although Gateway's new Solo 1400b LS Pro fell short of our value list, bargain hunters might want to check it out. This $1448 all-in-one with fixed floppy and DVD-ROM drives is light for a notebook that comes with a 15.1-inch screen -- only 6.1 pounds, without the power adapter. Unfortunately, the Solo stumbled in our performance tests, finishing about 15 percent behind Sony's VAIO PCG-FX390P, the only other 1-GHz Pentium III-based notebook running Windows XP Professional that we've tested.

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Top 15 notebooks

IBM ThinkPad A30p: Companies that use Lotus Notes and want to equip their workforces with a full-featured all-in-one notebook and a Palm PDA will like IBM's new A line and its cradle bay device option for the WorkPad C500.

Dell Inspiron 8100: For small to medium-size businesses or multimedia pros seeking a decked-out desktop replacement, the 8100 does it all.

IBM ThinkPad T23: For businesses and well-heeled individuals who prefer the eraserhead pointing device and can afford a top-of-the-line lightweight laptop, the T23 is a best-of-breed winner.

Dell Latitude C810: Like its predecessor, the C810 is a large, black notebook with solid credentials as a graphics machine, especially now that Dell has bumped its screen resolution to the max.

HP Omnibook 6100: An elegant portable for the pinstripe set, the Omnibook 6100 offers performance to spare, including a fast processor, 4-hour battery life, and a wireless-ready case.

Toshiba Tecra 9000: Businesses that use 802.11b networks and expect to invest heavily in Bluetooth devices as they become available will want to look closely at the Tecra 9000 for their corporate travelers. It performs well, travels light, and looks good.

WinBook N3 1.2: Better-equipped and more stylish than most WinBooks, the N3 1.2 has just about everything a graphics pro or presenter would look for in a laptop, including a high-resolution screen. But the subpar battery life will force you not to stray from an outlet for very long.

Dell Latitude C610: The C610 should satisfy corporate buyers, as it offers just about everything a company needs in a highly flexible portable. It gives you built-in wireless readiness along with more-traditional networking connections; both eraserhead and touchpad pointing devices; and the ability to rotate multiple add-in devices, including a second battery.

IBM ThinkPad R30: Aside from its subpar -- but bearable -- battery life and performance, this less-expensive version of IBM's ThinkPad T23 is a winner. Its backward compatibility makes it a better choice than the low-cost ThinkPad I series for companies looking to add inexpensive laptops to a ThinkPad-equipped workforce.

Compaq Presario 1720: An all-around solid laptop for mainstream consumers, the Presario 1720 offers speed and impressive features for the price. You'll need to add productivity software, however.

Toshiba Satellite 5005-S504: The Satellite 5005-S504 comes with almost everything devoted digerati could wish for. But with its short battery life and clunky size, it's not perfectly suited for toting from place to place.

HP Pavilion N5445: Consumers and small businesses in the market for a workaday laptop capable of after-hours fun will enjoy this nicely priced entry from HP. Downsides are the brief vendor support and the lack of major business applications.

Fujitsu LifeBook C Series: Affordably priced for an all-in-one portable with a combination DVD/CD-RW drive, the $1499 LifeBook C Series is a fine choice for consumers who've switched to all-USB peripherals and want to burn their own CDs.

Compaq Presario 2701: Compaq offers consumers nice extras with the Presario 2701, at a reasonable price. Those who spend a lot of time burning CDs should appreciate the Presario 2701's fixed DVD-ROM drive and the bundled CD-RW drive in the modular bay. However, this heavy unit is not really convenient for toting around.

Sony VAIO PCG FX-390P: Digital editors who don't mind a notebook with fixed drives will like this elegantly designed all-in-one model.

For more detailed comparison, see chart with full specifications for each notebook.