BenQ JoyBook 7000 (Pentium M Processor 715 1.5GHz, 256MB RAM)

This BenQ is an eye-catching thin-and-light to use. The instant appeal is its compact size combined with a bright 14-inch widescreen. The Joybook can double as a media center laptop and even a remote is provided. BenQ offers an innovative means of customer service support too. However, performance and battery life are a serious letdown. To those who disregard these two factors, you can consider this value-for-money notebook.

	The sleek 14-inch BenQ Joybook 7000

Design
This Joybook is admittedly stylish on first sight. The sleek 341 x 243 x 33mm casing weighing a mere 2.05kg offers impressive specifications for a 14-inch widescreen. At 200 nits brightness, BenQ claims the unit offers 33 percent brighter viewing experience than other models. The laptop has a refreshing latchless design where the LCD can simply be opened without pressing a button.

No pointing stick here. Only a touchpad is provided but you won't find any two-directional scroller which comes almost standard on all models these days. Keyboard-wise, although we didn't like the light tactile report, it may be satisfying to other users. The Function command is fully utilized to activate several features such as allowing the use of the remote control, adjusting power settings and volume control. Four quick launch buttons line the portion above the keyboard along with the power button. Features
Powered by a Pentium M Processor 715 1.5GHz chip, this Dothan integrates 256MB of RAM and a 40GB hard drive in the package. Yet again, we see the presence of the popular ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics card in another notebook. 64MB of dedicated memory definitely won't be enough for the memory-sapping Doom 3 but sufficient for others like War of the Ring. An inbuilt DVD+RW/CD-RW combo drive comes provided though users have a choice of DVD or a Super Multi combo (DVD±RW), too.

	The Joybook 7000 uses QMedia Center to view movies and pictures

Connectivity-wise, an abundance of standard options is provided. An assortment of ports such as four well-spaced USB ports, FireWire and an S-video port are given. Problems arose when a cable was linked to a TV set via S-video out as the cable could not fit in properly. 802.11b/g wireless LAN, Ethernet, infrared are thrown in and there is optional Bluetooth. Much desired additions such as an earphone-out/SPDIF jack along with a 3-in-1 card reader supporting Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC) and Memory Stick (MS) formats are very much welcomed. There's no provision for CompactFlash (CF) but nevertheless there's a good assortment of ports to connect to other devices.

BenQ has also added proprietary software that differentiates the Joybook from other notebooks. QMedia Center is similar to Windows XP Media Center where the user can access movies, pictures and music at the touch of the remote control. One impressive feature is how the remote can be safely stashed in the Type II PC Card slot when not in use. As for Q-MediaBar2, various popular applications are accessible via a 3D display icon.

Performance And Battery Life

Editors' note: As we had just reviewed the Acer TravelMate 3201XCi (Processor 715 1.5GHz) on 20 October 2004, we took out the Prestigio M360C and Fujitsu LifeBook E8010H and compared the following thin-and-lights for a better comparison (with the exception of the mainstream Acer TravelMate 4001LMi for the 3D graphics test).

The notebook was admittedly weak in these two areas. Based on MobileMark 2002, an unimpressive performance rating of 129 was attained as compared to the Acer TravelMate 3201XCi which clocked a score of 176.

However, using 3DMark03, the unit scored 2,628 which was comparable with others such as the Acer TravelMate 3201XCi, but the top mark of 2,762 is still held by the mainstream Acer TravelMate 4001LMi.

Battery life was simply not up to the mark. BenQ claimed that its 6-cell SBS Lithium-ion battery could achieve 4.5 hours of battery life. The rating we obtained using MobileMark 2002 was 176 minutes (slightly under 3 hours) which compared poorly with most of its 1.5GHz thin-and-light peers with scores of above 200 minutes.

Service And Support
Along with Windows XP Home Edition, the Joybook bundles an assortment of software such as CyberLink PowerDirector 3 and PowerProducer Express, Nero OEM Suite, QPower and QMusic2. DVD playback is handled by QMedia Center while DVD editing is managed by PowerProducer Express and the Nero software where home movies, photos or other data can be transferred to DVDs or CDs.

Although a measly one-year carry-in warranty for parts and labor is provided though the online customer service, the QMessenger instant messaging software delivers real-time support for the user. The manufacturer even has its own Live Update where users can download the latest BenQ updates. Marks deducted for the short warranty but the innovative means of service support deserve recognition.