Samsung P25 C XVC 2200 Fingerprint review

You don't normally associate grey with good looks and panache - some people don't even consider it a colour. But use it on the inside of a notebook, mix in a splash of blue and silver, and you've got a modern, professional colour scheme that old-school black can only dream of.

Just take the new P25 C series. Somehow, Samsung has taken a 2.65kg desktop-replacement notebook that's 35mm thick and actually made it look good. It goes to show that you don't necessarily need the Sony VAIO PCG-Z1SP's space-age frills or Apple's translucent plastic to grab someone's attention. In fact, if you want to keep your image subtle and professional, you probably need quite the opposite.

Like the VAIO, the P25 C series is aimed at businesses (the C stands for Corporate). But, unlike Sony, Samsung has included that all-important element of security. And we're not talking about password protection or PIN codes; the P25 C comes with biometric protection.

You'll find the fingerprint reader next to the touchpad, and it's more than just a token gimmick. You can set up the software to kick in when you boot up Windows or, more importantly, set it at BIOS level so it requests a print when you switch the P25 C on. It takes three scans of each finger to make the reference image, and that's it - no-one except you can access your notebook.

But this isn't the only security method available. Dell's Latitude D600 (see issue 105, p68) comes with a smart card reader, as does the Acer TravelMate 803LCi (see p108). It's not nearly as flash, and you're far more likely to lose a smart card than your fingers, but it still shows that security is becoming a bigger factor in making a buying decision.

An even bigger factor, however, is Intel's new Centrino technology (see p108). Getting fast performance with lower clock speeds means you can now build a power notebook with a slim lightweight chassis, a perfect example being Samsung's own X10 (see p117). But this is where the P25 C does things differently, with a relatively chunky chassis needed to accommodate the 2.2GHz Pentium 4-M.

The Samsung is the perfect example of why the Pentium 4-M isn't an ideal mobile chip. In spite of the extra 600MHz, the P25 C still can't compete with the performance of Centrino machines in our 2D benchmarks, with a disappointing overall score of 1.19 compared with the Acer's 1.40.

Even the 3D performance was slightly lacklustre, and this is where the Pentium 4-M is supposed to help, especially with a 32MB Radeon Mobility 9000 graphics chip in tow. But, while the Samsung's 3DMark2001 SE score of 5,481 means the P25 C will be fine for current games, it still looks second rate next to the 7,372 from the Acer.

Then, just to hammer the final nail into the Pentium 4-M's coffin, the same can be said for battery life. The Samsung gave out after 190 minutes in our light-use test, which would have been quite respectable a year or so ago, but not now that we're frequently getting over five hours from Centrino machines.

But none of these are reasons to write off the P25 C. It's likely to spend most of its time on a desk, so battery life isn't a huge issue, and three hours is enough for many people. Also, businesses won't be worried about cutting-edge 3D performance, and you're unlikely to notice the difference in 2D speed in general use either.

What you will notice are the P25 C's ergonomics and build quality. The screen, for example, uses Samsung's WiseVIEW technology and, while it's not as bright as some of Toshiba and Dell's notebook screens, it still offers great image quality with reasonable viewing angles. There's hardly any fluctuation in brightness if you look at it head on, and the picture is sharp. Perhaps more importantly, the XGA resolution is kind to your eyes when spread out across the 15in diagonal - much easier to look at than a 14.1in SXGA+ screen like the Dell Latitude D600's.