advertisement

Ask CNET Asia

Find Products

  • Brand
  • Notebook type
  • Processor
  • Diagonal screen size
  • Weight w/battery
  • Dedicated GPU
  • Filter »

Price Guides

Buying Advice

Editors' Top 5s

CNET Features

 
 Print    Email     Bookmark     Share

NUS/NTU notebook deals for 2007/08





Ultraportables (sub-2kg)

Ultraportables are the babies of the notebook world. Sacrificing the inclusion of integrated optical drives, ultraportables put a premium on mobility which allow them to be easily accessible anywhere. Size and battery life are the cornerstones in is class of mobiles.

Both ultraportables available for this academic year are business-oriented machines with strong security features and advanced physical protection. The ThinkPad X61 and Portege R500 have magnesium-alloy bodies which are stronger than plastic yet much lighter. The former's ThinkVantage platform and latter's EasyGuard technology optimizes and backup system operation.

The ThinkPad X61 has the advantage in price while possessing a more powerful Core 2 Duo processor. Compatible with a wide range of accessories and docking options, it remains one of the premium corporate systems in the market. However, the new Portege R500 is much lighter and slimmer than the ThinkPad, yet manages to incorporate an optical drive under its hood. Students who expect to perform calculation programs like MatLab should opt for the ThinkPad, while those in courses which involve PowerPoint presentations and piles of essays will find the Toshiba notebook more suited to their needs.

Click here for a feature comparison table.
1.  ThinkPad X61 (Core 2 Duo Processor T7300 2.0GHz, 2GB RAM)
 
CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10
The good: Solid performance, thanks to the latest Core 2 Duo processor; extremely portable design; excellent keyboard; fingerprint reader; easy-to-use ThinkVantage utility; lengthy battery life with optional extended battery.
The bad: Lacks built-in optical drive; standard-aspect display feels outdated.
The bottom line: The ThinkPad X61s provides excellent dual-core performance in a lightweight, compact package that's still comfortable to use.

Configuration: Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz processor; 2GB RAM; 160 HDD; integrated graphics card; external DVD writer; 12.1-inch display; Windows Vista Business; three-year international warranty; 1.9kg
Extras: Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium; Microsoft Office 2007 Standard; notebook carrying case; USB optical mouse
Campus price: S$2,456.72 (US$1,808.77)
Street price: S$3,059 (US$2,252.20) (with 1GB RAM; 120GB HDD)

Review | See full specs | Rate this
2.  Toshiba Portege R500 (Core 2 Duo ULV U7600 Processor 1.2GHz, 1.5GB RAM)
 
First take

The Portege R500 is Toshiba's newest premium notebook for the business crowd. Just how premium is it? Well, with a list price of S$3,999 (US$2,944.27), this puts the R500 out of reach for all but the highest-level executive. However, for a dual-core 12.1-inch ultraportable complete with integrated optical drive, there are few which can compete in its class. The Sony Vaio G series may be slightly more affordable at S$3,799 (US$2,797.02), but it has only a Core Solo processor. The HP Compaq 2510p comes closer with a Core 2 Duo chipset, but isn't as slim or light. Protected with Toshiba's EasyGuard features and possessing long battery life, the Portege R500 is great for students.

Configuration: Core 2 Duo 1.2GHz processor; 1.5GB RAM; 120 HDD; integrated graphics card; DVD writer; 12.1-inch display; Windows Vista Business; three-year international warranty; 1.1kg
Extras: Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium; Microsoft Office 2007 Standard; notebook carrying case; USB optical mouse; clip-on Toshiba USB Webcam (available till August 31, 2007) ; Toshiba USB 2GB flash memory (available till August 31, 2007); Garskin laptop skin (available till August 31, 2007)
Campus price: S$2,982.09 (US$2,195.57)
Street price: S$3,999 (US$2,944.27)

First take | See full specs | Rate this

 

 
« Introduction | Thin-and-lights »

    Talkback
There are currently no comments for this story.
To post comments, you need to become a member. It's FREE.
advertisement