September 15, 1997

Notebook Power Energy-saving Intel chip lets vendors expand feature offerings By Tom Davey rash of more-potent but power-thrifty notebook computers began hitting the market last week as top vendors unveiled systems based on new low-power Intel Pentium processors. Top-of-the-line products are as pricey as ever, however. The notebooks range from an intriguing design from Hewlett-Packard and Mitsubishi that combines several new technologies in a machine less than half as thick as most notebooks and weighin g 3.1 pounds, to a 7.6-pound monster from IBM that accommodates a digital video disk drive, up to 256 Mbytes of memory, 10 Gbytes of hard-disk storage, and two batteries. The common element in the systems is a smaller and faster version of Intel's Pentium with MMX technology processor, code-named Tillamook. The chip comes in 200-MHz and 233-MHz versions, which use only 3.4 and 3.9 watts of power, respectively. Previously, the fastest notebook CPU was a 166-MHz Pentium that consumed 7.7 watts. More For The Money The Tillamook chip lets notebook makers offer machines with longer battery life or more power-hungry features such as larger displays. With powerful notebooks able to handle applications such as videoconferencing, demand for portables is expected to grow faster than the overall PC market, says Frank Spindler, Intel's mobile marketing director. The HP-Mitsubishi machine-built by Mitsubishi and sold by HP in Europe and the United States-incorporates several leading-edge technolo gies. They include an as-yet-unannounced extra-thin 1-Gbyte disk drive, a thin LCD display, a battery that will run for 1-1/2 to 2 hours on average, and a slim keyboard with keys that travel less than 1 mm when depressed. All help shrink the machine to its 3/4-inch thickness. The system will be sold in 200-MHz and 233-MHz versions with 32 Mbytes of memory and a 12-inch screen. Mitsubishi plans to sell the product under the name Pedion in Japan in November for the equivalent of $4,900 and $6,600, depending on processor speed. HP plans to ship its version in the first quarter of next year as part of its Omnibook line. Pricing has- not been decided yet. A fully loaded version of IBM's Tillamook-based ThinkPad 770 will feature a 14-inch screen, the largest yet on a notebook. Company officials say the 7.6-pound device will run up to nine hours on its two batteries. The ThinkPad 770 will come with 32 Mbytes of memory, upgradable to 256 Mbytes, and a 5-Gbyte disk upgradable to 10 Gbytes. A new drive b ay, called the UltraBay II, can hold a floppy drive, a CD-ROM drive, a DVD-ROM drive, an extra hard drive, or a battery. The ThinkPad 770 will start at $6,500. A scaled-down version with a smaller screen and CPU and less storage will sell for $4,800. IBM officials say they worked with Microsoft to build support for Windows NT 5.0 functions into their current design. This includes a suspend-resume feature that lets a user close the notebook yet keep the memory active. A hibernation mode stores memory to the hard disk so the user can easily continue earlier tasks after rebooting. A hot-pluggable PC Card slot also lets the user install a card without turning off the machine. The IBM notebook can also be upgraded to take advantage of Intel's future generations of notebook chips. Early next year, Intel will introduce a portable version of the Pentium II, dubbed Deschutes. Later in 1998, Intel will introduce a version of Deschutes with its accelerated graphics port technology. Virtually all major noteb ook vendors are offering products based on Tillamook. Some vendors new to the Wintel or notebook market are also joining the fray. For example, Power Computing Corp. in Round Rock, Texas, which recently agreed to sell its line of Mac- intosh clones to Apple Computer, has launched a Tillamook notebook, the PowerTrip. It has 16 Mbytes of memory, a 2.1-Gbyte hard drive, a disk drive, a CD-ROM drive, a 12-inch display, and a built-in 56-Kbps modem for a starting price of $3,299. ASUS Computer International, a Taiwanese motherboard maker, plans a Tillamook product called the ASUSbook P6300. It contains 32 Mbytes of memory, a 3.2-Gbyte removable hard drive, a CD-ROM drive, and a 13.3-inch monitor. ASUS says users will be able to upgrade to future CPUs, 3-D graphics accelerators, and DVD drives. Other Tillamook-powered notebooks that offer less differentiation from previous products start at about $2,500. Back to News in Review Send Us Your Feedback Top of the Page

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