March 1994 / BYTE Lab Product Report

Hands-On Testing: 46 Powerful Portables	Our tests show which 486-based notebooks and subnotebooks are best for your applications - by Anthony Lennon
The Best Windows Notebooks Ratings for This Application Considered Need the best all-around monochrome portable? Need high speed? Cost-conscious?	Monochrome notebooks cost less and run an hour or more longer on battery power than the average color notebook.
New Pointers
How We Tested Essential Features	PERFORMANCE We rated the performance of each notebook and subnotebook using BYTE's low-level DOS and Windows benchmarks, along with application tests developed by NSTL.
The Best Color Notebooks Ratings for This Application Considered Looking for the very best color? When color quality and speed matter... Need top-quality color and economy?	Color notebooks make graphical applications easy to use, but they extract a cost in system price and battery life.
Dual Scan: An Economical Compromise?	Each column or row of pixels in passive-matrix displays uses three transistors to control red, green, and blue signals.
Desktop Replacement Ratings for Th is Application Considered One system for the office and the road... For speed and flexibility... Need low cost and high speed?	Thanks to the processing power of 486-class CPUs, all the notebooks in this review could qualify as desktop replacements.
Mobile Multimedia How They Compare	Multimedia's ability to combine text, graphics, animation, and sound to produce interactive presentations is no longer tied to the desktop.
The Best Subnotebooks Ratings for This Application Considered For small size without compromise...	Subnotebooks are the lightest and smallest DOS and Windows portables.
SL-Enhanced CPUs: Power Misers, But Rare	The Mitac Micronote Performance Model 4021G/CT is the only notebook in this review that uses an SL-enhanced processor (33-MHz 486DX).
Lithium Promises Longer Battery Life	Lithium is a volatile and potentially explosive chemical that nevertheless may become the power source of choice for rechargeable batteries.
We liked the AST PowerExec 4/33SL-ColorPlus	We liked the AST Po werExec 4/33SL-ColorPlus's integrated tilt stand.
Unique features of the Olivetti Philos 44	Unique features of the Olivetti Philos 44 (and Philos 44c) separate it from the rest of the notebook systems.
The modular subnotebook design	The modular subnotebook design used by the Zenith Z-Lite 425SL Model 170W and Packard Bell Diplomat 170M Subnotebook results in a very slimline appearance.
Typical integrated pointing devices	Typical integrated pointing devices can be cumbersome for left-handers.
To receive a generic manual	To receive a generic manual after spending thousands of dollars for a new system is not reassuring to users who want and deserve expert technical support from the vendor.
The Mitac Micronote Lite Subnotebook Model 4010F	The Mitac Micronote Lite Subnotebook Model 4010F attaches its external floppy drive through its PCMCIA slot.
Roll Call Of Portables Tested

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