ThinkPad 240: A subnotebook for those on the go

ThinkPad 240: A subnotebook for those on the go

By Zatni Arbi

JAKARTA (JP): Do you spend most of your working day sitting in
meetings and taking notes? And do you often work on text
documents or spreadsheets away from your regular workplace? If
you're not a weightlifter, what you'd like to have is a
lightweight, slim and comfortable notebook computer. No question
about it.

Luckily today's notebook computers have come down not only in
price but also in size again. Well, a subnotebook is nothing new.
The first subnotebook computer that I played around with several
years ago was the Slimnote made by Taiwan's Twinhead. It was a
good-looking and capable 386-based notebook.

Compaq also had a 486SX-based Contura Aero, and one of my
senior researchers is still using it today -- although the hinge
is broken and the top can't be closed. Toshiba has had the
Portege line for many years, but I have not really had the chance
to test one. And there are the cool and sleek Sony VAIO 505
Series!

Courtesy of PT IBM Indonesia, I was able to test drive its
four month old ThinkPad 240, included on the A-list
PC/Computing's December issue. This less than three pounds
mini-notebook is not IBM's first attempt in the subnotebook
category. You might still remember the Butterfly, the subnotebook
with a split keyboard that expanded when opened. Honestly,
ThinkPad 240 has a much stronger appeal than the Butterfly.

Capable

At the recent ThinkPad Advisory Council meeting in Singapore,
I had the chance to ask Adalio T. Sanchez, General Manager of
Mobile Computing, IBM Personal System Group, how he saw the
future of notebooks considering the strong interest Internet
appliances -- hand-held devices that can access the Internet and
use the applications that reside on the providers' servers.

"There will always be people who need to work on data, on
contents, and they will continue to use notebooks because they
are always on the go," he said.

The ThinkPad 240 may be minuscule, but it is powered by a
Celeron processor running at 300 or 400 MHz. The unit I had was
equipped with 64 MB of RAM. It had a 10.4 inch TFT display with
sharp SuperVGA (800x600) resolution. I found the screen a little
bit too small for my poor eyesight, but normal eyes will have no
problem reading the text on it.

The unit, which is as black as ThinkPads go, is quite sturdy.
When I torqued the cover from one side, I didn't see much bending
like I observed on the more expensive ThinkPad 570. Bending of
the cover will put unwelcome pressure on the LCD panel, and I
think IBM has fortified the casing to reduce that risk.

IBM has reduced the size of the notebook without sacrificing
much of the keyboard comfort that they are known for. Although it
is five percent smaller than the ThinkPad keyboard, the keys
still feel responsive, and touch typists will love it. Like most
ThinkPads, there are no Windows keys. I found the two-button
TrackPoint III not as responsive as the one the ThinkPad 570, but
it was adequate.

The 6.4 GB hard disk is partitioned into Drives C: and D:. The
more expensive model has a 12 GB hard drive. The ultra-slim
floppy drive is external, and the port is located on the left
side. This is a rather awkward location for righties, but
fortunately, floppies are not used as much as before.

There is only one speaker, and it is located on the palmrest
and is covered by your hand when typing. But, with no CD-ROM
drive, there is little use for the speaker anyway. Despite the
size, the array of connection ports is pretty complete, and this
certainly distinguishes ThinkPad 240 from most other subnotebooks
that require port expanders.

The unit has a serial port, a parallel port, a USB port, an
infrared port, an external monitor port and a built-in V.90
modem. And, if you still prefer an external keyboard or mouse,
there is also a PS/2 port. There are also ports for audio in, out
and microphone.

Wish list

Personally, I would prefer a larger screen with the same
quality; ideally 12.1 inches. Another wish is that IBM supplied a
CD-ROM and floppy combo drive -- something like the combination
drive that Acer supplies with its TravelMate 340 Series. While
not always needed on trips, installing new software will be
difficult without one. IBM seems to expect ThinkPad 240 users
will purchase its optional Portable Drive Bay, which can be
fitted with a CD-ROM, a Zip or an LS-120 drive that is compatible
across all UltraBases and UltraBays.

Another minor design flaw is the rubber cover for the drive
port. I think I would lose the cover very quickly. Besides these
three wishes, however, the US$1,799 or US$2,099 -- depending on
the processor speed -- suffers from a rather short battery life.
In my test, it lasted less than one hour. The reports that I have
read also pointed out the short battery life as ThinkPad 240's
biggest shortfall. However, if you have not heard, there is a
great solution for this problem.

A U.S. company called ElectroFuel (www.electrofuel.com) offers
a battery pack for notebook computers, named the PowerPad 160.
The name goes harmoniously with ThinkPad, and according to
independent test reports, it can power a ThinkPad 600 for more
than 15 hours -- longer than the time you'd care to spend working
on a trip from Singapore to Los Angeles. The price of the
PowerPad 160 is US$499.

If complemented with a PowerPad battery pack, this subnotebook
is a nice lightweight travel companion. It is capable, very
portable, and comfortable to use. (zatni@cbn.net.id)