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 (MegaHertZ) One million cycles per second. It is used to measure the transmission speed of electronic devices, including channels, buses and the computer's internal clock. A one-megahertz clock (1 MHz) means some number of bits (16, 32, 64, etc. Pentium III-M (Intel's mobile PIII PIII Pentium III Processor (Intel) PIII Phase III (clinical studies) PIII Plasma Immersion Ion Implanter 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 MEU Marine Expeditionary Unit MEU Mobile Expansion Unit MEU Maximum Expected Utility (philosophy, economics) MEU Municipal Employees Union MEU Modern English Usage MEU Main Electronics Unit ) with a CD-ROM CD-ROM: see compact disc. CD-ROM in full compact disc read-only memory Type of computer storage medium that is read optically (e.g., by a laser). , or a CD-1RW, or a DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc. DVD in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. 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). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] |
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