If you're after an ultra portable, this isn't the notebook for you. If you're after a large form factored portable desktop replacement, this could be the ticket. This behemoth of a notebook features a 17-inch widescreen display and a footprint to match. Add to this a 6-in-1 memory card reader, 80GB 5400rpm hard disk drive, ATI Mobility RADEON 9700 graphics and DVD writer and you'll see why this is a very capable multimedia notebook for power users. Interestingly enough, although scoring a high 4154 marks, it was outperformed marginally by Acer's 1802WSM with its 3.0GHz processor and half the amount of RAM. It sat just below the middle of the pack in default resolution 3Dmark01SE testing with just shy of 10,000 marks and gained two places with AA enabled. It shone greatest when it came to real world testing, churning out an 18.3 frame average in Doom3, enough for reasonable gameplay.
This notebook is another multimedia powerhouse to feature a 2.1 speaker system, allowing for extra bass from the woofer mounted on the bottom of the chassis. Small rubber feet raise it from the resting surface to avoid the vibrations to being absorbed as you play music or movies. This notebook also boasts a non-boot multimedia play mode, allowing you to pop in a disc and listen to it without needing to first fire up the operating system. Unlike the Toshiba, Excel have opted for CD-only, as there's no graphical interface meaning you'll need to boot to watch a movie and losing the battery saving advantages.
While this notebook would be perfect for power users and people who travel from power point to power point, it's not really one for the weight conscious.
If you're willing to almost completely compromise portability for the sake of a large display, this 4.5kg beast is for you. If display is a few places down your priority list, you might want to have a look at the Toshiba M30 Special Edition for something a little more movable.