Compaq takes notebook expandability to new height

By Zatni Arbi

JAKARTA (JP): If we look at the notebook arena today, we will find that basically there are three players leading the game: Compaq, IBM and Toshiba.

Other big players are Digital, Micron, Acer and Dell, but they don't really have as strong an influence on the industry as those in the first tier. It's also interesting to watch how these three players take turns pushing notebook technology and usability forward.

What I find amusing is the fact that the three firms used the figure 7 to name their high-end notebooks. Look at IBM ThinkPad 770, and Toshiba Tecra 740, and now we have Compaq Armada 7700 and 7300 Series. It's hard to believe that this is just a coincidence.

Over time, we also notice that the three leaders have different approaches to the market. What's unique about Compaq is that it breaks down its market into multimedia and business segments. To meet the requirements of heavy multimedia users, they have the Presarios.

Those with business tasks in mind can choose a notebook from Compaq's Armada line. Within each market segment, there is naturally the low end and the high end.

In the case of the Armadas, there are two mid-ranges and two high-ends. It can be confusing indeed, as price is not the only consideration that users now put into the equation.

Courtesy of Compaq Computer Pte Ltd, Singapore, I was able to test drive the next to the top-of-the-line Armada, the 7350T. I was lucky to be able to play around with the ArmadaStation, which introduced the novel concept of expanding the notebook into a fully fledged desktop workhorse.

Although Armada 7350T doesn't use a state-of-the-art processor or oversized LCD display, I should admit that right from the beginning I liked the design very much. Unfortunately, it seems that Compaq has been rather conservative in some respects. The Armadas still use a Trackpoint III pointing device instead of a touchpad, for example.

MMX Technology

The notebook that I tested ran on Intel Pentium 166 MHz with MMX Technology. It's interesting to note that even as a growing number of notebook makers are touting their 233 MHz Pentium with MMX version, Compaq still uses this processor for its high-end notebooks.

However, to tell the truth, I found no reason to complain about the speed of this responsive machine. The new CorelDRAW 8.0 simply flew on it.

My test unit came with 32 MB of RAM, a 2.1 GB hard drive, a Lithium Ion battery, a floppy diskette drive and a very thin 8x CD-ROM Drive.

While the RAM in the 7700 Series can be upgraded to a whopping 144 MB, the RAM in the 7300 Series can be increased to 128 MB.

That's a lot of memory space even for Windows NT, which the 7700 Series has been designed to run on.

The color of the notebook shell is ivory, and it looks really pretty and refreshing. The 7300 Series has been designed for professional users who want a slim notebook to tote around. To make it really thin, Compaq has to use a very thin CD-ROM drive and a very slim floppy diskette drive.

The keyboard will recede automatically when the notebook cover is folded. It's a new technology invented by Compaq. The 7300 keyboard is acceptable, despite its very short key travel that's noticeable when we press the keys.

The keyboard layout is uncluttered and comfortable to use, with the arrow keys separated from the rest.

Like the earlier Armadas, there are also four programmable keys on top of the keyboard.

The truly top of the high-end notebook from Compaq at present is the Armada 7700. The 7700 Series is thicker and heavier than the 7300 Series, and its design is not much different from the LTE 5000 that we're quite familiar with.

The 7300 Series was designed more recently, and that's why my test unit has a much sleeker look and design -- including a palm support in front of the keyboard.

Both the 7700 and 7300 Series use 12.1" TFT screen. It's tiny when compared with today's 13.3" and 14.1" screens, but a recent survey revealed that notebook users were not really as concerned about display size as they had been in the past.

Therefore, I think Compaq made the right the decision to stay with 12.1" screen, particularly because a larger screen would jack the price up significantly.

The new Armadas also incorporate Intelligent Management, a set of software tools that allow administrators to keep track of an inventory, do routine tasks and ensure security from a remote site. Once a feature exclusive to high-end servers, such tools have now trickled down to high-end PCs and notebooks.

Docking

My test Armada also came complete with its docking station, or expansion base. Compaq calls it ArmadaStation, and it really expands the capabilities of the notebook. Honestly speaking, it's not the most complete docking station I've ever seen though. For instance, Siemens Nixdorf's MobiDock comes already equipped with a SCSI adapter.

We have to add this to the ArmadaStation if we want to use a Jaz or SyJet drive, for instance. However, we can add up to two Type III PC Card devices -- including tiny hard disks -- to ArmadaStation.

It can accommodate both the thicker 7700 and the slimmer 7300 Series. The interesting thing about ArmadaStation is that we can also add a Tower Stand and turn the notebook into a tower PC, as you can see in the accompanying picture.

During my test, I connected the ArmadaStation to Compaq's V70 17" monitor and a Compaq keyboard, and I had a full-featured tower PC. The main expansion base has two speakers and a sub- woofer to enhance the bass range, and the sound is decent.

We can put the ArmadaStation upright on the floor to get more space on the desktop. The control buttons and the 4 Mbps infrared port on the ArmadaStation will be on top when we place it vertically.

The notebook and the cover of the ArmadaStation can be locked and we can secure the entire system with a Kensington lock. Press on one button, and the notebook will be ejected.

The docking station can accommodate up to 2 PCI or ISA expansion cards, so you can add a TV tuner, too, if you'd like to follow the news on CNN. Two 5.25' bays are available. Since Armada 7300 has a very slim CD-ROM drive, we need to fit it into an adapter before we can place it into one of these bays.

A note about the monitor: The V70 -- the name reminds me of my dream Volvo Station Wagon -- is a good monitor. It was a PC Magazine Editors' Choice a year ago, and they still liked it in their recent roundup of large screen monitors.

One thoughtful design in V70 that other monitors should follow is the concealment of cable connectors. They all face downward and are covered by a flip up panel. With such a design, the required space can be smaller because you can push the monitor all the way toward the wall. It also looks better when placed with its back to your guests, as the ugly cable fumble is fully covered.

Final word

After using it for about three weeks, I like the 7350T very much. I can find only one minor design shortcoming that Compaq may want to fix: The speakers in 7300 Series are placed at both ends of the palm rest.

When you're working, your hands cover the speakers and the sound becomes muffled. In the bigger 7700 Series, the speakers are located on both sides of the LCD monitor, directing the sound toward the user.

Compaq told me that some future versions of the Armadas will come with larger LCD screens and faster processors. The color may also change, although that may not be a good news because I'm already so enchanted by the beige-ivory color.

The 7300 Series is not as lightweight as ThinkPad 560, for instance, but with the full setup -- a large monitor, expansion base, keyboard and mouse, you'll definitely no longer need two computers.

If you're looking for a new notebook for the office or on the road, and you don't like the black and boxy shape of the ThinkPad, Armada 7350T is certainly worth considering. Even with only the 166 MHz Pentium processor to power it, it is unquestionably a potent computer that is a pleasure to use.