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)