From the rarefied heights of Dells Inspiron 8100 (reviewed October 2001, page 71) we take a step back with the Toshiba Tecra 9000. Like the Inspiron 8100 the Tecra is a Pentium III-M CPU, from the Tualatin family of processors, although this is the 933MHz version. The same Intel 830 dedicated mobile chipset has also been used, giving the Tecra 9000 the same advantages as the Inspiron.

Despite these similarities, however, there are some marked differences between the two machines. Theres no denying the Tecras technical advantages, but whereas the Inspiron is an out-and-out speed demon, the Tecra takes a more holistic approach.

Taking into account the thermal characteristics of the Tualatin chip, Toshiba has devised a liquid cooling system that draws heat away from the CPU and condenses at the extremities of the notebook, before recollecting as liquid near the CPU and then recirculating. Theres also extra shock protection for the hard disk and, at 2.4kg, a weight saving of 10% over its predecessor, the Tecra 8200.

No corners have been cut to accommodate the modest weight. The Tecras looks alone are enough to turn heads. The casing is ABS magnesium-alloy in a trendy champagne colour. Microphone and headphone plugs adorn the front, along with a volume dial and a switch to turn on the wireless LAN antenna. Theres also a bank of LEDs denoting power states and access. On the right side are the PC Card slots and a vent, while the left side houses the Secure Digital (SD) media slot above the combination DVD-ROM / CD-RW drive. The hatch to remove the hard disk is next to the drive and the back holds the remaining essential ports for serial, parallel, external VGA, USB, network, modem, FireWire and PS/2 mouse or keyboard.

In a deliberate move by Toshiba, no floppy drive has ben included. Legacy devices such as the floppy disk and serial, parallel and PS/2 ports are under pressure to be made redundant by the likes of Microsoft and Intel. Toshiba has so far resisted the call to consign the other ports to the waste bin but, finally, the floppy has gone the way of the dinosaurs.

The SD media slot is the future as far as Toshiba is concerned. Venture inside the clamshell and youll be pleasantly surprised with its simplicity. The wristrest and bezel around the screen are all matt black in contrast to the champagne chassis. If you too were getting tired of seeing cryptic buttons around the keyboard, then rest easy the Tecra sports a single power switch and another button that boots the machine into the Toshiba utility console.

The greatest indicator of where the Tecra is positioned is connectivity. You want to connect your notebook? Take your pick. The Ethernet adaptor and V.90 modem are accepted as standard these days. FireWire networking is not that popular, but looks to be a technology that will come into its own. Its a similar situation with wireless networking, but Toshiba is doing everything in its power to gain a groundswell of patronage in this area. The Tecra 9000 offers both optional Bluetooth and 802.11b wireless networking, and Toshiba has allowed for its implementation by integrating the antenna into the lid.

Corporate purchasers will find the Tecra 9000 attractive for the software image that Toshiba has committed to for 12 months. TCO and asset management advantages can be gained from this practice.

Performance-wise the Tecra 9000 fared well in the PC Authority benchmark tests, scoring 2.56 and 1,676 in 3DMark2000 Pro. While the Tecra cannot attain anything near the lofty heights of the Inspiron, the Tualatin-class chip, 133MHz FSB and SuperSavage video adaptor still sing a reasonable tune.