CNET Asia Review

Well-known for its household appliances, LG is not a brand one would associate with computing. The LG LM60 Express is a midrange machine from the Korean marque, yet contains components one would associate with high-end notebooks. Despite encasing the unit with the more expensive carbon-fiber material, the LM60 remains reasonably priced and received our editors' choice for its build quality and features.

Design
When we heard that our test unit came with a Pentium M 760 2.0GHz processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, serial ATA harddisk and dedicated graphics card, we expected something that was as heavy as a brick and as large as a table laptop. Usually, these specifications are found only in weighty desktop replacements. But the LG LM60 gave us a nice surprise with its thin-and-light form factor. Only 2.1mm thick, the LM60 tips the scales at just over 2kg. It's not too far off the mark to say that this is a desktop replacement in thin-and-light clothing.

	Powerful performance in a slim and light body.

The full-sized keyboard is comfortable to use for extended periods. The only gripe is the odd placement of the FN key at the bottom left. Usually occupied by the CTRL button, gamers who are used to mapping keys could find it fatal when the former is pressed during an intense virtual firefight.

Features
Though the LM60 doesn't hold any surprises in terms of novel features, it impresses with the overall package by offering high-end components in a slim profile. Connectivity-wise, all the usual suspects such as USB 2.0, FireWire and PC card slots are present. Though it would have been nice to have more than the included three USB ports, we like the fact that the next-generation PCMCIA standard, the ExpressCard slot, is incorporated for future peripherals. Just under the PC slot is the memory card reader which is compatible with SD/MMC and Memory Stick flash cards. This mobile can also hook up with both b and g Wi-Fi networks.

Though the 14.1-inch screen does not use the newer transflective LCD, it is still bright enough for use under strong light without the distracting reflections associated with the latter. The compromise, unfortunately, is that the display uses significantly more power. The battery drain is not helped by the dedicated graphics card providing advanced video capability. Using the powerful ATI Mobility Radeon X600 chipset, 128MB of video memory had no problems multitasking between Half-Life 2 and background Internet downloads, with only a few instances of slowdown during intense firefights. The serial ATA harddisk also contributed greatly to overall performance with its faster transfer speed.

The connectivity ports are easily accessible.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Fitting all these parts into a thin-and-light profile means heat is a major problem. The LM60 uses a multisource cooling system, which is essentially a fan that takes all the thermal buildup and blows it through a vent on the left flank. Unfortunately, the fast processor and dedicated graphics card heat up during resource-intensive tasks so much that you can burn your finger if it touches the vent. Operating at maximum performance should not be done over long periods.

Performance And Battery Life
Our test unit came equipped with a Pentium M 760 2.0GHz processor and 1GB of RAM. Despite several attempts, MobileMark 2002 was unable to complete benchmark tests for the LG LM60. With the stated specifications, we expect the unit to be on par with the Dell Inspiron 9300.

The battery life claims to last 4 hours 18 minutes with the standard six-cell power pack. For longer unplugged time, an optional nine-cell Lithium-ion pack can be purchased separately.

Service And Support
LG notebooks come with a one-year international warranty. For an additional S$50 (US$35.58), the coverage can be extended for an additional two years of local support. The company also offers an interest-free loan of 36 months for all laptop purchases through its authorized retailers. On its support Web site, you can download user manuals and device drivers. However, there is no knowledge database or comprehensive FAQ for self-diagnosis. There is also no telephone technical support and only a hotline number is given for basic enquiries. In case of hardware failure, the unit should be brought to a service center for repair. It is unfortunate that the number of service centers, of which there's only one location in Singapore, is found lacking. Overall, there is much room for improvement when it comes to LG's technical support.

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LG LM60 Express (Pentium M Processor 760 2.0GHz, 1GB RAM)

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User Reviews

Extremely slim model!!!

Oct 2, 2005

Rating: 7 out of 10 (Very good)
Pros: 
Cons: 
Opinion:
1. The outlook is ok for me.
2. CPU should be 1.73GHz rather than 1.6GHz.
3. Extra-slim design makes it portable and visually light.
But the 512MB DDR2 RAM is not enough for me to use and the capacity of hard disk is just 60GB which is not so powerful compared with other latest models.
4. Price: I bought it by cash for HK$11,300, the price seemed reasonable and hope its current price in the market won't slump so fast as new model is released.

 

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