Compaq Armada E500

Compaq markets its Armada range of notebooks squarely at the enterprise buyer, and we've been consistently impressed by their build quality and networkability. We've also repeatedly criticised them for their lack of performance and poor value for money, most recently demonstrated by the Armada M300 (reviewed issue 64, p151). So we were interested to see how the Armada E500 would fare.

The start was promising - everything a professional could need is packed inside this Armada. Taken as a desktop replacement, there's an integrated 10/100 Intel PRO/100+ Ethernet adaptor for trouble-free networking, removable floppy and DVD-ROM drives, and the usual array of ports at the rear for connecting external peripherals, including serial, parallel, infrared, USB and PS/2, along with an expansion bus for a docking station or port replicator.

The E500 isn't so suitable as a notebook on the move. It weighs 3.2kg and measures a bulky 315 x 250 x 40mm. Compaq does supply weight savers if you don't need the DVD-ROM or floppy, and this drops the weight to 2.65kg, or you could choose to fit an extra battery. This might be wise, as using the lithium ion battery fitted as standard the E500 proved to be only an average performer, lasting for 91 minutes in our rundown test, compared to 138 minutes for the HP OmniBook 6000 (reviewed p165).

In the model sent for review, Compaq included Intel's 650MHz mobile Pentium III processor, which adds a few more minutes to battery life by dropping to 500MHz on battery power. The fast processor's incongruous partner is 64Mb of RAM, which inevitably holds the E500 back and will muffle the effect of the fast processor when multitasking in Windows. Compaq would be wiser to include 128Mb of RAM as standard with its Pentium III machines, but instead you have to pay an extra £171 for an upgrade.

At least it's only the RAM Compaq skimps on. The 12Gb IBM DARA-212000 hard disk is fast and large, while ATi's Rage Mobility-P chipset packs 8Mb of SGRAM and can support up to 1,600 x 1,200 resolution in 32-bit colour on an external monitor. This amount of memory also ensures you can make 3D presentations at 1,024 x 768 resolution.

Rather than opt for a 15in screen with a 1,400 x 1,050 resolution, as seen in the Gateway Solo 9300 XL (reviewed issue 69, p154), Compaq opts for a more conservative 14.1in XGA display. As we'd expect, it's a good example of its type: decent viewing angles, brightly lit, and easy to read. Our only concern is the lack of a metal lid, although the plastic Compaq uses will protect the screen in most circumstances. In all other ways, this is a well-built and sturdy machine, up to Compaq's usual high standards for build quality. Unfortunately, when it comes to design, it's also up to Compaq's normal standards for blandness.

The keyboard is adequate if clattery, but it's a shame that Compaq doesn't follow the example of Dell and HP by offering users the choice of a trackpad or trackpoint. Instead, you're stuck with a trackpad and just two buttons.

Buyers are offered a lot more choice with the drives that can be fitted in the E500. Along with the conventional 24-speed CD-ROM, there's a CD-RW and DVD-ROM to choose from. Compaq opts for the latter in this setup, but the Armada is only an average performer for full-screen motion playback if and when this is required. However, there's a composite video-out on the side of the machine for easy connection to a TV or video, and the stereo speakers are of good quality.