Powered by an Intel Pentium-M 1.6GHz, the Modtech Civic Diamond 1600W Centrino notebook has a decent core specification, including a useful 512MB DDR RAM, 40GB of disk space and an ATI Mobility RADEON 9000 card offering 64MB of non-shared memory.
It offers a good range of networking options, being able to communicate using 10/100Mb LAN, 56k modem, and 802.11b Wireless. Three USB2.0 ports, FireWire, infra red and a parallel port will make sure that you can connect to a variety of peripherals, but it is missing serial connectivity.
A powerful core, good connectivity, and networking options, and a classy finish make this configuration look tasty for a sub-$3,000 price tag. And it becomes a delicacy when you see that the Civic Diamond 1600DW comes with a DVD-RW. This means you not only write DVDs, but you can DVDs and CDs. With decent sized RAM and video RAM, the core specifications of the Civic Diamond 1600DW will make viewing and copying DVDs easy. But DVD copying does take up disk space, so you have to be careful about how you use your 40GB.
This translates to some useful gear inside its compact chassis. While on the same note - even before we fired up the Civic Diamond 1600DW, we liked the way it looked. The finish is very clean and Modtech have obviously put some effort into making the 1600DW look sporty, using an interesting range of metallic hues with a splash of white. The translucent keyboard is also a nice touch.
At 2.7kg, it wasn't the lightest Centrino we've come across, but on the positive side it is very solid all over - this is very apparent if you try and 'twist' the screen, as it's a lot harder than some of the others we've seen. The touch-pad buttons are a little sensitive, clicking with not much depth - whether you like this or not often comes down to personal preference.
Modtech offers a warranty of 1 year for parts and 3 years for labour. The Civic Diamond 1600DW comes with an 8 cell Lithium ION supporting around 5 hours of use; a spare costs around $245. Along with a carry case, Modtech provides Nero Xpress and WinDVD to help out with your DVD and CD copying. An electronic user's guide is also provided.
A strong core, good features, a sporty finish - throw in a DVD rewriter for a price tag like this - means that it deserves at least an eyebrow-raise and a whistle.