Everex StepNote MX: can a full-fledged midpriced portable deliver the goods?

Article Abstract:

Everex Systems' $2,695 StepNote MX portable computer can meet basic user needs at a less expensive cost. The seven-pound product contains a 166MHz genuine Intel Pentium processor. A limited supply of current compatible software makes it difficult to determine the MMX multimedia-processor upgrade's capability. Other standard features include 16MB of RAM, a 2.1GB hard disk and a 1.44MB floppy disk drive. Its 11.8-by-9.4-by-2.1-inch size places StepNote MX as a midsize portable. An 11.5-inch TFT active matrix screen, with its 800x600 SVGA screen resolution, depicts bright and visible images that are difficult to adjust. The fairly quiet keyboard's addition of two unnecessary keys crowds space around the cursor keys, which occasionally can result in awkward situations. Short battery life is commensurate with other mid-priced counterparts, and StepNote places two stacked PC Card slots on its left side. A prime attraction is StepNote's ability to interchange CD-ROM and floppy disk drives, but the unreliable touchpad is a drawback.

Everex Systems Inc., EVRX, Everex Systems StepNote MX (Pentium-based notebook)

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Midpriced portable gets the job done

Article Abstract:

The Duracom Mobile PC 7550 from Duracom Computer Systems has nearly all the features necessary for a modern portable computer. The system has an integrated design that includes a built-in 3.5-inch floppy disk drive, a built-in 16x CD-ROM drive and big 2.3GB hard drive. With an estimated street price of $3,267, the Duracom weighs seven and a half pounds and measures 11.8"x9"x2.2". The unit has a 166MHz Pentium processor with MMX, and a 265K pipeline-burst cache to help make operations faster. The notebook comes with 32MB standard memory that can be upgraded to 80MB. Other features include a 2.3GB hard disk drive, a 101-key keyboard with palmrest, and 12.1-inch SVGA active matrix display with 800x600 resolution. Overall, the notebook is a well-built, nicely equipped portable computer that is priced reasonably. The least attractive aspect of the computer is its 16-bit stereo sound. Using the onboard speakers, music CDs sounded tinny, with headphones helping the sound quality little.

Duracom Computer Systems, Duracom Computer Systems Mobile PC 7550 (Pentium-based notebook)

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A quality portable that's sure to please

Article Abstract:

HP's $3,330 OmniBook 2000CT is a full-featured, intelligently designed notebook computer that makes portable computing a pleasure. The product ships with a 133MHz Intel Pentium MMX processor, 10 speed CD-ROM drive, a 2GB hard disk drive and 16MB of RAM, which can be expanded to 128MB. The OmniBook 2000CT weighs 7.5 lbs and measures 11.6-in by 8.9-in by 1.9-in. The product's 12.1-in active matrix display is capable of displaying up to 64,000 colors at 800x600 resolution. The OmniBook 2000CT uses a 64-bit PCI local video graphics card with 2MB of VRAM. The system can also support external monitors at up to 1,024-by-786 with 65,000 colors at 75Hz. I/O jacks include parallel, PS/2 mouse, SCSI-2, external VGA, serial and infrared.

Hewlett-Packard Co., HWP, HP OmniBook 2000CT (Pentium-based notebook)

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