Systemax TourBook 5207 review

Notebooks come and go, but sometimes their chassis just refuse to give up. The TourBook has been around seemingly forever, with just the innards being refreshed.

These systems also frequently offer great value for money, with the last TourBook we reviewed enjoying a spell on our A List in the Value Notebook slot. And the 5207 is no exception.

With a 1.7GHz Pentium M 735 and 512MB of PC2700 memory, it turned in an excellent 1.80 in our benchmarks, and also includes a DVD+R/RW burner and a moderately fast 5,400rpm, 40GB hard disk.

But raw power isn't the most important asset in a notebook for many buyers, and performance must be balanced with portability and usability. Although no ultra portable, the thin (37mm) 2.9kg chassis is a sensible compromise between screen size and weight, although the high screen resolution of 1,400 x 1,050, won't be to everyone's liking.

Protection behind the screen isn't of a high standard, although it's no worse than most value notebooks. It's the brightness that disappoints, with little adjustment range or top end and localised variations near the bezel. Battery life is good, lasting four hours, 13 minutes, and nearly two hours for intensive work. If that includes a spot of gaming, there's a 128MB ATi Mobility Radeon 9700 card inside. Our 3D benchmarks produced a result of 44fps in Unreal Tournament 2004, running at 1,280 x 1,024 and 32-bit colour. Extreme titles will be a stretch though, as indicated by the 17fps in Halo.

The exterior hasn't kept so up to date: signs of ageing include awkward port placement, with all three USB ports at the back of the machine along with the headphone jack. The keyboard also harks back to an earlier time, when rattly keys were common on boards that were too springy, although we've no complaints with layout or comfort. Extra buttons are grouped around the edges for quick-launching Windows apps, and transport controls to play audio CDs without booting into windows. Sound output is typically tinny, but there's enough volume for presentation work.

Mesh's previously A-Listed PowerView 3GHz Pro has recently fallen to £850, while increasing both memory speed to PC3200 and its 3D graphics to a 128MB ATi Mobility Radeon 9700. It's an impressive hike, but the TourBook's better battery life and all-round portability mean it manages to once again make it onto the A List. It cranks out a lot of power, and the jack-of-all-trades design means that it's equally at home on the desktop as it is on short trips round town. It's starting to lag behind more recent designs in some departments but, considering the bargain price, these are easily overlooked.

Author: Roger kirkwood