Dell SmartPC 250N

Dell has stuck with a 15.1in TFT display with a native resolution of 1,400 x 1,050, and is powered by an ATi Mobility M6 graphics chip - a combination that provides a thoroughly respectable image. The graphics chip has 32MB of memory, which is more than adequate for 2D applications, but may struggle with the latest games. The 3DMark2001 SE score of 2,427 in 32-bit XGA is good enough for a notebook, but slips into insignificance compared to the 6,819 from Dell's Inspiron 8200 with its ATi Radeon Mobility 9000 graphics chip.

The major reason for choosing a desktop CPU-based notebook like the SmartPC is that they're less expensive, and when you consider just how much you get for your money, the SmartPC does represent good value. The 2.4GHz Pentium 4 will provide good performance (revealed by a superb score of 1.07 in our benchmarks, with only the 2.2GHz specification), and the feature set offers almost everything a home or small business user would want, as well as taking up less room than a desktop. If that's what you want, and not the smallest, lightest and most stylish Japanese import, then Dell's SmartPC 250N certainly fits the bill. Quote the e-Value code 200-i72REV when ordering.

Author: Henry Tucker