Laptop Evo-lution. (B.E. Reviews).

Compaq's new Evo N200 is a mini notebook that packs a punch. The 2.5-pound notebook features a 700MHz Pentium III-M (Intel's mobile PIII chip) and 192MB of RAM. While our test focused more on usability than benchmarks, we can tell you the N200 is a speed demon.

In terms of power, the tiny laptop is a more-than-adequate tool for word processing, e-mail, and simple spreadsheets. But if you're looking to do more, the 10.4-inch active-matrix LCD might fall a bit short. The N200 we tested had a dark screen that didn't improve with adjustment. This could prove difficult in low-light conditions, say, on an evening flight. (Compaq shipped a second unit that was just as dark, so we stuck with the first one.)

The N200 ships with the basics (two USB ports, PC Card slot, 10/100 Ethernet connection, and so on); but for multimedia, you'll have to purchase a Mobile Expansion Unit (MEU) with a CD-ROM, or a CD-1RW, or a DVD drive. That will add nearly 3 pounds to your laptop bag but it's worth the weight to have multimedia functionality. ($1,799; www.compaq.com).

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