Subnotebooks are the lightest and smallest DOS and Windows portables. However, there is a trade-off between portability and functionality. By definition, all came with external floppy drives and downsize keyboards (the Gateway models also have nonstandard I/O ports). But subnotebooks are also competitively priced: The average price (not including the $2300 color Sager NP440C) was $2183.
We tested eight subnotebooks with traveling weights (i.e., system, external 3 1/2-inch floppy drive, AC adapter, and power cord) of under 7 pounds. While the system size and weight of a subnotebook are less than a notebook, keep in mind that traveling with all the related subnotebook components can be cumbersome. For example, the average weight of a subnotebook and battery was only 4 pounds, but when you add the external floppy drive and AC
adapter, the average weight increases to 6 pounds.
All the subnotebooks we tested support VGA resolution (640 by 480 pixels) and feature passive-matrix monochrome LCDs, except for the Sager NP440C, which uses a passive-matrix color LCD. In this section, we named only a Best Overall winner; we found that overall performance and system prices among these units were too similar to justify High Performance and Low Cost rankings.
Subnotebooks may be small, but they don't necessarily lack expansion capabilities. The eight subnotebooks support up to 20 MB of RAM, and you can configure them with IDE hard drives ranging in capacity from 120 MB (Sager NP440C and Altima Traveler) to 200 MB (Caf 486 Subnote). With their 486 processors, external keyboard ports, and support of external monitors in resolutions of up to 1024 by 768 pixels (the Altima Traveler is limited to 640 by 480 pixels externally), these subnotebooks can function well on the desktop. Each of the subnotebooks we tested provides a Type II P
CMCIA slot for network adapters or modems.
The Zenith Data Systems Z-Lite 425SL Model 170W and Packard Bell Diplomat 170M Subnotebook produced the highest overall ratings. However, the runners-up provided some strong overall competition, and unranked subnotebooks made strong showings in individual tests.
The Altima Traveler is a close second to the Zenith unit in battery life, running for close to 4 1/2 hours on its NiMH battery pack. The system's 8-inch monochrome display received the highest screen-quality rating among subnotebooks and stands out for its smooth transitions from light to dark areas. Performance is not this 25-MHz system's strength, because it possesses a relatively slow memory subsystem. The Altima Traveler features a high-quality keyboard, and its LCD indicator panel is visible when the unit is open or closed. An integrated trackball is located above the keyboard on the right-hand side of the system.
We tested two versions of the Gateway 2000 HandBook. They're identical
except for their CPUs (486SX/25 and 486DX2/40). Besides being the smallest (1.6 by 9.75 by 5.9 inches) and lightest (5.1 pounds, with accessories) subnotebooks we received, their Sanyo screens offer similar gray-scale quality and an overall "excellent" rating. However, the HandBook display is only 4 inches high and 7.9 inches measured diagonally. Battery life is only around 2 1/2 hours, the shortest among monochrome subnotebooks, using their standard NiMH battery packs.
The 40-MHz 486DX2 HandBook provides better overall performance than its cousin. However, the 40-MHz model's memory subsystem is slow, and the unit performs poorly in BYTE's Windows VGA tests. The 25-MHz HandBook is among the slowest subnotebooks in its class. The parallel port on both Gateway units is nonstandard and requires a special adapter (which could be easily lost) to connect a printer or the external floppy drive. The HandBooks' eraser-shaped pointing device, EZ Point, mimics IBM's acclaimed TrackPoint II but lacks its ease of
use (see the text box "New Pointers" for details).
The unranked (see the "Roll Call" on page 180) Mitac Micronote Lite Subnotebook Model 4010F outperforms the other 25-MHz subnotebooks in each of the application-based benchmarks due primarily to its fast memory subsystem. It ran for about 3 hours on its nickel-cadmium battery pack, and its monochrome display produces average gray scales but an overall rating of "fair." The Mitac Model 4010F's external floppy drive plugs into a PCMCIA slot, leaving one available slot when in use, and its integrated trackball is centered on a hand-rest below the keyboard, which is ideal for right- and left-handed users. The eject switches for the PCMCIA slots are located on the front of the case and are not labeled. Function keys are half-size, and arrow keys are not separated from the cursor direction keys.
The Sager NP440C's 8-inch Sanyo passive-matrix display delivers acceptable color. However, the trade-off for color is battery life--the unit runs for only 2 h
ours on its nickel-cadmium battery pack, which is over an hour less than the average for subnotebooks. The NP440C performed well in our application benchmarks, with an overall score of 2.43, which makes it the third fastest among subnotebooks tested. Function and special keys (e.g., PageDown, PageUp, Home, and End) are half-size, and LED indicators, the suspend switch, and brightness/contrast controls are bunched together above the keyboard, which saves space. The NP440C's integrated trackball sits to the right of the keyboard, which places your hand in an awkward position.
The Caf 486 Subnote features a high-quality keyboard with average-size keys. Its integrated trackball and buttons are located below the keyboard at opposite ends of the system, and its external 3 1/2-inch floppy drive is bigger and bulkier than those provided with other subnotebooks. The Caf's Toshiba IDE hard drive subsystem performed well in our disk-intensive benchmarks. However, with an overall score of 2.39, it ranks in the sec
ond half of the subnotebook field. The standard nickel-cadmium battery provided over 3 hours of life, and the unit's monochrome display stands out for its gray-scale quality.
Ratings for This Application Considered
WINDOWS AND DOS PERFORMANCE 30%
DISPLAY QUALITY 20%
BATTERY LIFE 20%
PRICE 15%
EASE OF USE 10%
FEATURES 5%
For small size without compromise...
BEST OVERALL
Packard Bell Diplomat 170M Subnotebook
This slimline, modular unit (and its more expensive look-alike from Zenith Data Systems) competes with similarly equipped monochrome notebooks in performance. The AC adapter on both systems attaches to the back of the external 3 1/2-inch floppy drive. The combined unit then attaches to the left-hand side of the system, giving the appearance of one seamless unit. A detachable trackball screws onto the front of the system and can be us
ed by either hand. However, the keyboards are very small and will take some time for touch-typists to adjust to. Both units ran for over 4 hours on their NiMH battery packs. Both use identical 8.5-inch monochrome displays that produce slightly above average gray scales and an overall "excellent" screen-quality rating.
SUB
NOTE
BOOK
OVERALL EASE
PRICE CPU SPEED OF USE
BEST PB Diplomat 170M Subnotebook $2100 SL/25 2.65 ***
RUNNER-UP ZDS Z-Lite 425SL Model 170W $2499 SL/25 2.65 ***
RUNNER-UP Altima Traveler $2499 SL/25 2.44 **
RUNNER-UP Gateway 2000 HandBook 486SX-25 $1495 SX/25 2.38 ***
RUNNER-UP Gatewa
y 2000 HandBook 486DX2-40 $1995 DX2/40 2.98 ***
BATTERY
LIFE SCREEN MAX
(HOURS: SCREEN SIZE HARD DISC
MIN) QUALITY (IN.) (MB)
BEST PB Diplomat 170M Subnotebook 4:04 **** 8.5 170
RUNNER-UP ZDS Z-Lite 425SL Model 170W 4:22 **** 8.5 170
RUNNER-UP Altima Traveler 4:21 **** 8.0 120
RUNNER-UP Gateway 2000 HandBook 486SX-25 2:37 **** 7.9 130
RUNNER-UP Gateway 2000 HandBook 486DX2-40 2:37 **** 7.9 130
KEY
Poor *
Fair **
Good ***
Excellent ****
The Best Subnotebooks
