Compaq Presario 1700
The 2.3kgs Compaq Presario 1700 is the only two-spindle device in our roundup. (A two-spindle notebook can simultaneously accommodate a hard drive and either a floppy drive or an optical drive.) With a fast-performing 800MHz Pentium III processor, a 15GB hard drive, and a high-power graphics subsystem under the hood, this sleek, fashionable system is a great choice for students who value portability without entirely forsaking flexibility.
This AU$4,500-direct system's silver-matte finish with dark battleship-grey accents and stylish detailing will cut quite a profile on most college campuses. And that beauty comes with a considerable amount of brawn: The Presario 1700 scored the fastest benchmark results in our roundup. The Presario 1700 also lasted nearly 4 hours on our BatteryMark test, thanks to its large 3,600mAh lithium-ion battery.
The notebook's 14.1-inch XGA display provided rich, bright colours and adequate off-axis viewing, while the Rage Mobility-M graphics chip and 8MB of dedicated graphics RAM delivered good full-motion, full-screen video. But with a score of only 6.6fps on our Quake III Arena test (which approximates standard desktop-computer settings for colour depth and resolution), the Presario 1700 is not recommended for serious gaming, though it will do in a pinch during the occasional study break.
The notebook's case features a single swap bay that accommodates either a floppy drive or an optical drive (an 8x DVD-ROM drive, in our test unit), permitting hot-swapping via Softex's BayManager utility. The Presario 1700 reflects its futuristic approach to computing in its connectivity options as well, doing away with the old-fashioned serial port in favor of an S-Video-out connector and dual USB ports. Because it features an internal modem and Ethernet adapter, its single PC Card slot should suffice for most users.
Although the Presario 1700's keyboard doesn't quite compete with those of the Dell notebook we looked at, we were more than pleased by its firm feel, excellent travel, and substantial, satisfying click when the keys were depressed. We found ourselves chastising Compaq for abbreviating the size of the Backspace key and placing it to the left of the Home key, however. Also, while the fully programmable Synaptics TouchPad is housed in an attractively designed wrist rest, the snazzy-looking actuation buttons don't have enough travel to make them easy to use. But a third programmable rocker button, located beneath the actuation buttons, gives you four-way scrolling functionality or a host of other capabilities.
The volume, digital-music, and one-touch Internet buttons above the keyboard are welcome features, though resetting the targets of the Internet buttons is a hassle: You must first log onto the Internet and handle this operation online. In fact, Compaq has done away with the standard Windows Internet wizard in favor of a Compaq login screen that you must use to get online the first time. Notebook novices may appreciate the added ease of use this affords, but seasoned users will probably find it a hindrance.
Our evaluation model shipped with Windows Me and Microsoft Works. Electronic documentation includes the excellent Compaq Knowledge Centre, a compendium of troubleshooting tips and usage wizards, but we would also like to see complete electronic versions of the user manuals.
Compaq Presario 1700
Company:Compaq Australia
Ph:1300 363669
Price: AU$4,500
Pros: Attractive price; terrific performance; good battery life; nice aesthetics; fine keyboard; above-average video-playback and audio quality
Cons: Quirky cursor-actuation buttons; programming Internet buttons is difficult
Editors' Rating (10 is best): 7.0
Design: 7.0
Ease of use: 5.0
Features: 7.0
Performance: 8.0
Value: 8.0
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