Feature-rich notebooks that don’t cost a bomb

Danny Lim / Singapore

Notebooks are fast becoming a necessity as enterprises go mobile. Many SMEs, however, still cannot afford the indulgence of purchasing the latest and fastest models.

But with a riot of notebook models out there, shallow pockets need not beget feelings of inadequacy. Here are some models you can get for just over $1,000.

For a modest $1,092, you can get the Dell Inspiron 1150. It is the cheapest of the models featured in this story, but it is certainly not a rock bottom performer. It houses a 2.8GHz Mobile Intel Pentium 4 processor, up to 64Mb Intel Extreme Graphics, 128MB RAM and a 20GB hard disk drive. Tipping the scales at 3.3kg, the 45mm-thin notebook has integrated multimedia features and an array of optical options. When you need to take a breather, you can pop a DVD into the internal drive (you have a choice of DVD-ROM, CD burner / DVD combo drive or CD / DVD burner drive), and relish the latest flicks on a 14” XGA screen. Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, integrated modem and network card are included, and a wireless network card is available as an option.

If you can afford to blow $100 more, you can consider getting the IBM ThinkPad R40e. At $1,189, it packs a 2GHz Mobile Intel Pentium 4 processor, 256MB of RAM, and a 30GB hard disk drive. It also incorporates a DVD-ROM drive, a 56K V.92 modem and a 14.1” XGA TFT LCD screen. Preloaded with Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, the notebook weighing 2.7kg offers good mobility with a battery life of 2.6 hours.

Just shy of the $1,200 barrier is the HP Compaq Business Notebook nx9110. At $1,199, you get a 2.8GHz Intel Celeron M processor, 256MB of RAM, 30GB of hard disk drive space, and a combo drive. The 15” display should be adequate for most purposes, and there is an integrated 5-in-1 media card reader. Weighing 3.76kg, the 51mm- thin notebook comes preloaded with the Microsoft Windows XP Professional Edition.

For those who desire to stand out from the crowd, there is only one choice—the Apple 12” iBook. And the good thing is that it does not cost much more. Besides the cool factor, you get the benefits of a 800 MHz PowerPC G4 processor, 256MB SDRAM, and a 30GB Ultra ATA drive for $1,266. The feature-packed Apple notebook also boasts a Combo Drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW), 32MB DDR video memory, two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400, VGA video out, S-video and composite video out support. Advanced connectivity is possible using the AirPort Extreme (based on the ultra-fast 802.11g standard).

Top-notch mobility comes naturally with the 2.2kg iBook which gives up to six hours of battery life. It is preloaded with MacOS X Panther and the iLife’04 suite of applications.

With so many models to choose from—and many more on the market if one takes the trouble to shop around—who says that the financially challenged cannot be spoilt for choice?