New Laptops Lighten Your Load

When I'm dashing through an airport, the last thing I need is an extra 7 or 8 pounds over my shoulder. That's why I'm reluctant to carry around one of those full-sized ''desktop replacement'' laptops. Instead, I prefer a lighter machine that's easier on the arms and shoulders.

One of my favorites is the IBM ThinkPad X31, which weighs only 3.6 pounds, is 1 inch thick yet has a full-size keyboard and a decent size (12.1-inch) screen. The X31 starts at about $1,449. Trouble is, the laptop doesn't come with an ''optical'' CD or DVD drive. I can usually get through a trip without having to use a CD but -- given a choice -- I like to carry a laptop with a DVD drive so I can watch movies on the airplane or in my hotel room.

X31 owners can buy the optional ''UltraBase'' expansion chassis with an optical drive but, in addition to adding $199 to the machine's base price, it also adds nearly 2 pounds, which pretty much defeats the purpose of getting an ultra-light laptop.

IBM's answer to that dilemma is its ThinkPad T series, weighing in at about 5 pounds including the built-in optical drive. I've been using a T40 lately and, while it's manageable between my home, the airport and the hotel, it's still a bit too heavy to carry around all day as is my habit when I go to trade shows.

When I'm not at a trade show (which is most of the time), I find the T40 to be a pretty good compromise between weight and features. IBM is legendary for making great keyboards and the screen is certainly large enough.

This machine, despite its relatively low weight, has the look and feel of a full-sized notebook PC. It also comes with two PC Card slots and two high-speed USB 2.0 ports, which means you can easily expand it with an external hard drive (for backup purposes), mouse, scanner or other device.

ThinkPads aren't cheap. The model I'm testing costs $2,249 though the T40 model line starts at $1,499. The one I'm using with a 1.5 gigahertz Pentium M (for ''mobile'') processor, 256 megabytes of memory, a 40 gigabyte hard drive and the CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive and a 14.1 inch (diagonal) screen.

It also has a built-in (802.11b) WiFi adapter for use with wireless networks. In fact, I'm writing this column from the Palo Alto Café while accessing the Internet via the café's wireless network. Any laptop machine can be adapted for use with a wireless network for about $60, but the plug-in adapters have a small antenna that sticks out from the chassis of the laptop. It's easy to break if you're not careful, which is why I prefer built-in systems with a hidden internal antenna.

One of the reasons I'm fond of this and other IBM laptops is because IBM is one of the few companies to use the TrackPoint ''pointing stick'' to substitute for a mouse on the notebook PC. The TrackPoint is a little stick that looks like an eraser. It sticks up just above the B key on the keyboard so you can move it with your finger.

Most notebook PCs these days come with an electronic touch sensitive ''touch pad'' positioned below the keyboard. Personally, I find the TrackPoint much easier to use, but I recognize that my opinion isn't shared by all laptop users.

Some people hate the TrackPoint and love the touch pad. IBM says that its research shows the public is about half and half on this one. Most new IBM ThinkPads, including the IBM T 40 series, now let have both a touch pad and a TrackPoint. Of course, you can always plug in an external mouse, regardless of what type of pointing device your machine comes with.

IBM is certainly not alone when it comes to lightweight machines with a built-in CD/RW-DVD drive. Fujitsu and Sony both have interesting offerings that weigh less than 4 pounds.

The $2,199 Sony VAIO PCG-TR1A, which I've been testing for the past couple of weeks, is a particularly innovative machine. At 3.11 pounds, it's very easy on the shoulders. In fact, it's not much bigger than those portable DVD players I sometimes see on airplanes.

The screen, which measures 10.6 inches (diagonal), is very bright and readable, albeit smaller than most notebook screens. It's also a wide-screen format (about the same aspect ratio as a movie theater) that makes it particularly good for watching DVDs.

The keyboard is also a bit smaller than standard keyboards and a little flat, making it look a bit chintzy. Yet, as a touch typist, I am impressed with the only thing that counts. It feels good. It has a light touch that makes it easy for me to type without making too many mistakes.

Like most notebook machines, the Sony has a touch pad-pointing device that I've already lambasted. Yet, the machine is so good in other areas that I'm finding myself forced to get used to the touch pad. My only complaint about the Sony is that it gets hot, which is only a problem when you want to place it on your lap. Maybe I should shop around for some insulated underwear.

I have not only used it for work but to watch a couple of DVD movies. The new Sony comes with an Intel Centrino processor that is pretty easy on the batteries, making it possible to get through an entire DVD movie on an airplane.

Like a lot of new machines it also has a wireless network adapter.

As an added bonus, the TR1A also comes with an integrated camera that sits on top of the screen. It takes up almost no room, weighs practically nothing, but can be used to take snapshots or for video conferencing.

By Larry Magid