Although the Zenith Z-Lite 425L won top honors for best overall and low-cost, it faced some strong competitors in both categories. The AMS SoundWave 486 ($3250) combines top-notch performance, owing to its 75-MHz 486DX4 CPU (the only DX4 among the subnotebooks we tested) and 128-KB secondary memory cache.
The SoundWave 486 and the Compaq Contura Aero 4/33c Model 170 were the only color subnotebooks we tested, but based on these two examples, we found monochrome to be the better-quality screen type. The SoundWave's 9 1/2-inch color dual-scan display from Hitachi is only average when compared to the screens on other subnotebooks. The Contura Aero's passive-matrix color display was among the poorest we saw in this sample.
The SoundWave's keyboard is the largest of the subnotebook keyboards; an integrated trac
kball sits in the middle of the wrist-rest area, below the space bar. Subpar documentation that lacked both comprehensiveness and clarity hurt the unit's overall ease-of-use rating. Battery life is also a weakness: The unit ran for under 2 1/2 hours on its NiMH battery pack. AMS provides an impressive three-year warranty with the SoundWave.
The Gateway HandBook 486DX2-50 weighs only 5 pounds together with its battery pack and AC adapter, and it is the smallest subnotebook (1.6 by 9.75 by 5.9 inches) reviewed here. Its monochrome Sanyo display produces above-average-quality gray scales, which helped the unit achieve an excellent overall screen-quality rating. Gateway's quality documentation is excellent for novices. It features large, detailed diagrams and step-by-step instructions.
A drawback to the HandBook is its eraser-head pointing device, which is easily mastered but awkwardly placed to the right of the keyboard. Two mouse buttons are located on the front of the system below the keyboard. Y
ou need a special adapter to hook up a parallel device to the unit's nonstandard parallel port. The same port is used for its optional ($99) external floppy drive. There is no external video port, but an optional PCMCIA device can be used to hook up an external (640- by 480-pixel) VGA color monitor.
Toshiba's Portege T3400CT is the first portable we've tested with a lithium-ion battery. In our tests, battery life was over 6 hours (1 1/2 hours longer than the Zenith Z-Lite 425L). Gray bars produced on the Portege's 8.4-inch monochrome display were below average, lacking definition in the light end of the spectrum. An eraser-head pointing device, located next to the G key, contributes to the unit's excellent ease-of-use rating. It also comes with a 3-year warranty.
The Compaq Contura Aero 4/33c Model 170 is another svelte unit. It weighs only 5 pounds with its optional ($159) external floppy drive, NiMH battery pack (which powered the unit for over 3 1/2 hours), and relatively small AC adapter. Th
e external floppy drive is a PCMCIA device that takes up the only PCMCIA slot when installed.
Ranking for Subnotebooks Considered
WINDOWS AND DOS PERFORMANCE 30%
SCREEN QUALITY 20%
FEATURES 15%
BATTERY LIFE 15%
EASE OF USE 10%
HANDS-0N USE 10%
For fast speed and small size
BEST OVERALL
Zenith Z-Lite 425L
An 8 1/2-inch Epson monochrome display offers above-average gray-scale quality on this slim and lightweight (6 pounds, including floppy drive and adapter) system. The AC adapter attaches to the back of the external 3 1/2-inch floppy drive. The combined unit then attaches to the left side of the system, giving the appearance of one seamless unit. A cable plugs directly into the AC adapter if the external floppy drive is not being used. But performance is not the forte of this 25-MHz 486SL-based system. In fact, it's the slowest of the fiv
e subnotebooks we reviewed. However, it ran for about 4 1/2 hours on its NiMH battery back (second only to the Toshiba Portege T3400CT). Quality documentation adds to the usability of the unit.
BATTERY
SPEED (HOURS:
PRICE CPU INDEX MINUTES)
BEST Zenith Z-Lite 425L $1699 SL/25 3.6 4:28
RUNNER-UP AMS SoundWave 486 $3250 DX4/75 6.1 2:23
RUNNER-UP Gateway HandBook
486DX2-50 $2499 DX2/50 4.9 2:52
RUNNER-UP Toshiba Portege T3400CT $2499 SX/33 4.0 6:09
RUNNER-UP Compaq Contura
Aero 4/33c Model 170 $2517 SX/33 3.8 3:35
TRAVELING
SCREEN EASE DISPLAY WEIGHT
QUALITY OF USE FEATURES TYPE (POU
NDS)
BEST Zenith Z-Lite 425L **** **** *** Mono STN 6.0
RUNNER-UP AMS SoundWave 486 ** *** **** Color dual-scan 6.5
RUNNER-UP Gateway HandBook
486DX2-50 **** *** ** Mono ISTN 5.0
RUNNER-UP Toshiba Portege T3400CT * **** *** Mono passive 5.5
RUNNER-UP Compaq Contura
Aero 4/33c Model 170 * *** ** Color passive 5.0
KEY
Excellent ****
Good ***
Fair **
Poor *
When price matters
LOW COST
Zenith Z-Lite 425L
With a test configuration price of $1699, the Zenith Z-Lite 425L is an excellent value for users who place more value on screen quality and battery life than on performance. The unit includes two Type II PCMCIA slots and an LED indicator with a multilevel battery gauge. A ROM-based Monitor program includes diagnostic utilities. The Z-Lite is backed by an industry-standard one-year warranty; extended warra
nties are available.
BATTERY
SPEED (HOURS:
PRICE CPU INDEX MINUTES)
BEST Zenith Z-Lite 425L $1699 SL/25 3.6 4:28
RUNNER-UP Gateway HandBook
486DX2-50 $2499 DX2/50 4.9 2:52
RUNNER-UP Compaq Contura
Aero 4/33c Model 170 $2517 SX/33 3.8 3:35
TRAVELING
SCREEN EASE DISPLAY WEIGHT
QUALITY OF USE FEATURES TYPE (POUNDS)
BEST Zenith Z-Lite 425L **** **** *** Mono STN 6.0
RUNNER-UP Gateway HandBook
486DX2-50 **** *** ** Mono ISTN 5.0
RUNNER-UP Compaq Contura
Aero 4/33c Model 170 * *** ** Color passive 5.0
KEY
Excellent ****
Good ***
Fair **
Poor *
486-Based Subnotebooks
