ThinkPad 760ED: An upscale toy for serious multimedia jobs

By Zatni Arbi

JAKARTA (JP): Finally, courtesy of PT Usaha Sistim Informasi Jaya in Jakarta, I had the opportunity to test-drive the Rolls Royce of notebooks that so many computer magazine editors have raved about: none other than the IBM ThinkPad 760ED.

Although we have some strong newcomers in the notebook arena -- including Hitachi, the most unexpected for a notebook maker -- this one still seems to be the premier notebook in the marketplace today.

First, here are some of the top-of-the-line specs: a Pentium 133 MHz processor, 16 MB RAM, a 1.2 GB fast hard disk, a 12.1- inch SVGA black active matrix screen that is capable of displaying 800 by 600 dots with 65,536 colors, a removable quad- speed CD-ROM drive, a built-in 28.8 fax/modem, an MWave Digital Signal Processor (DSP), and a hodgepodge of goodies. What more do you want?

And what could be a more lively place to work than Windows 95 displayed on a superb screen?

It plays Mozart

Mozart's Quintet in A for Clarinet, Two Violins, Viola and Cello, played off my compact disc, radiates nicely from my very cheap, under Rp 20,000 (US$8.58) pair of speakers that were connected to the ThinkPad. It is obvious that, from such bottom- of-the-pit speakers, we couldn't expect a room-filling, ear- shattering sound reproduction. Still, the music comes out very bright and clear and oh so enjoyable.

Unlike most other multimedia PCs or notebooks that I've tried, changing the settings such as the volume, bass and treble responses in this ThinkPad doesn't produce any of those annoying crackling sounds whatsoever. I think the MWave DSP is really a good choice for handling audio data, and the entire audio circuitry is of top quality.

Audio controls include reverberation and chorus sound enhancement. The audio system is also further enriched with QSound technology. It was really amazing that I still could use such a lowly pair of computer speakers as mine to enjoy most of these features. There are only two audio ports, however: one for headphones and line out, and the other for a microphone and line in. The volume is adjusted by sliding a control located on top of the keyboard.

To complete the sonic picture, there are also a built-in MIDI capability and a wavetable synthesizer. Unfortunately, the internal speakers remind me more of the budget Recoton speakers that I bought for my Discman many years ago. The experiment with my cheap speakers shows that making good audio speakers should actually not cost much nowadays.

It shows videos

MPEG 1 and 2 capabilities are built in, although the software utility is not as versatile as what users of RealMagic have gotten accustomed to. Clicking on the fast forward button a little too long, for example, crashed the system a couple of times in my test. In the RealMagic MPEG playback utility, on the other hand, you'll have a sliding button on the screen that you can drag with your mouse so that you can jump forward a little bit at a time.

If you don't go back and forth so much, the MPEG playback is smooth and the video images are sharp; so sharp, that you may forget that you're staring at an LCD display.

The CD-ROM shares a bay with the Sony-made diskette drive. As you'd expect, two PC Cards -- Type II or one Type III -- can be accommodated. With a fax/modem and a CD-ROM built-in, you might find it hard to think of any really useful PC Cards to fill the slots.

There are other external device connections as well. In this model, you can attach an external disk drive, too. Oddly, the PS/2 port can be used to connect an external mouse, but not to my Lexmark keyboard.

ThinkPad 760ED is also well-connected. The internal fax/modem is built by IBM utilizing the same DSP as the audio subsystem. It's rated for 28.8 Kbps and can be upgraded by software. It also comes with a telephone answering machine function. Since this is an interesting subject of discussion, I'll discuss the use of the computer as an answering machine in a future article.

Keeping up with the trend, 760ED also comes with infrared communication ports -- one on the front and another on the back side -- so that you can easily transfer files to another notebook, PC or printer that has the standard infrared port as well.

The lithium ion doesn't take very long to charge. When the battery is being used, the LCD display on the top left corner of the keyboard will tell us approximately how much longer we can use the notebook.

When not working, we can put the notebook either in the suspend mode or in the Hibernation mode instead of turning it off altogether. The Suspend mode allows us to start working immediately where we left off. In the Hibernation mode, we'll have to wait a little bit longer. But the latter consumes less battery, so it is the better mode if we're taking the notebook home after work.

It's handsome, too

Like any other expensive ThinkPads, the notebook clamshell feels as if it was wrapped with rich velvet. The black color makes it look handsome, just like a black Rolls Royce. The keyboard definitely gives the best tactile feedback that I've gotten from a notebook. With IBM's track record in making excellent keyboards, that's not surprising, is it?

The top of the keyboard rises and the keyboard tilts to the front automatically each time we open the notebook. Unlike the older ThinkPads, there is also a bit of wrist support area in the front, where the two internal speakers are also located.

Surely, there's nothing to complain about concerning computing performance in running Windows 95 if you have a 133 MHz Pentium processor and no less than 16 MB of RAM. It's as fast as it should be, and that's more than enough to describe this machine.

But competitors are not sitting still. This notebook has been around for a couple of months, and already we read about innovative ideas being implemented in notebooks. The new Samsung Sens 810 notebook series, for example, has an ergonomic keyboard that you can spread out to fit the angles of your arms.

Is it for you?

With an estimated price topping US$8,000, it's obvious that this toy is not for everybody. It's definitely not for me. When I took it home from PT USI Jaya, I felt so compelled to confess to my driver that this notebook was more expensive than my car. But those of you who regularly give multimedia presentations or training may be able to justify such a huge investment.

The screen's clarity and bright color will certainly dazzle onlookers, and the sound capability will leave audiences guessing what high-end audio system is being used in the presentation. Using the external display connection, we can raise the resolution to 1024 by 768 if we have the Standard Video Model. On the Enhanced Video Model, we can get the high resolution of 1600 by 1280.

With so many features packed into it, the 760ED could not be a lightweight notebook. With a lithium ion battery and the CD-ROM drive installed, it weighs 7.58 pounds, or 3.35 kgs. At 54.3 mm, the CD-ROM drive also makes the 760ED a little bit more than 5 mm thicker than its non-CD-ROM drive 760E cousin. If you're looking for a more totable notebook, get yourself the lower-priced ThinkPad 560 that I raved about a couple of weeks ago.

With so much horsepower under the hood, however, this machine can easily become a desktop replacement. So, if you plan to have only one fully-loaded computer for the road, the office and home, this one is for you.

One minor concern is that the lids that cover the memory expansion bay and the ports both don't seem to be sturdy enough to withstand abuses. You'd have to handle this masterpiece with great care. Therefore, this expensive machine is probably not for you if you always do things -- such as connecting and disconnecting cables -- in a hurry. But then again, as I said, because of such a high price tag, only the super-rich can afford to abuse this notebook.

And, alas, there is still the external AC power adaptor. This adaptor is such a small one, and -- you may be tired of hearing this -- I wonder why Big Blue has not simply integrated it into this powerful notebook.