Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 16, 1993 TAG: 9311250338
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Peter H. Lewis THE NEW YORK TIMES
DATELINE: LAS VEGAS, NEV. LENGTH: Medium
There are plenty to see, including new subnotebook models equipped with color screens; trim notebooks that come close to rivaling the power and storage capacities of desktop computers; and pocket-sized personal digital assistants, or PDA's.
The Comdex show is the largest showcase for new computer technology, and portable computers are one of the fastest-growing segments of the industry. A few companies introduced new portables just before the Comdex show.
Two of the new subnotebooks make for an interesting comparison. Both have active-matrix color screens, an increasingly popular feature among small portables. In terms of outward design, they look very similar. However, when one lights up it displays a Macintosh happy face, while the other unfurls the Windows banner.
There are two principal types of color screens for lightweight portables. The best is called active matrix, in which each little dot on the screen is controlled by its own transistor, unlike the alternative kind, passive matrix, in which a transistor controls a whole row or column of dots.
The advantage of active-matrix screens is that colors are much brighter than those on passive-matrix screens. The drawbacks are that active matrix screens are expensive and power-hungry.
Apple Computer Inc. recently introduced its Powerbook Duo 270c subnotebook, a sleek, 4.2-pound Macintosh with a relatively small but bright color screen. It has a base price of $3,290 and comes with a 33-megahertz Motorola 68030 microprocessor backed by 4 megabytes of system memory and 120 megabytes of hard disk space.
While the Duo's small size and weight are its biggest strengths, they also contribute to the machine's biggest weaknesses. People with large fingers may find the Duo keyboard and trackball too small for comfortable use. Also, the Duo 270c's active-matrix display is small, measuring 8 inches diagonally, as against 10 for the regular Powerbook.
Worse, the screen literally pales in comparison with some other screens, notably the one used in the IBM PC Co.'s active-matrix Thinkpads. But for Macintosh users who require color and light weight, the Duo 270c is the best choice.
It is almost unfair to focus on the Duo's weak points, because it has so many strong ones elsewhere. Top on the list is the Mac operating system, which is more consistent and easier to use than Windows. The Duo also has built-in networking and its optional fax modem is among the best available. The model I tested did not feel as flimsy as earlier Duos.
But the Powerbook design has not changed in two years, and now other competitors are matching its innovative features, and in some cases surpassing them. For example, the Duo has met its match in Toshiba America Information Systems Inc.'s new Portege T3400CT, a 4.5-pound subnotebook.
The T3400CT, which will have a base price of $3,999 when it reaches market in mid-December, may be the only active-matrix color 486 Windows subnotebook on display here. (Comdex takes up 2 million square feet of display space scattered over more than a dozen hotels and convention sites, so it is possible a search party may find another one.)
The Portege uses a 33-megahertz 486SX microprocessor. Some people would say this is a more powerful chip than the Duo's 68030, but the argument is tenuous.
As with the Powerbook, the Portege's keyboard is pushed back to create a built-in wrist rest. From the Thinkpad, Toshiba has copied the ``eraserhead'' pointing device, a rubberized nubbin that looks much like a pencil eraser inserted between the G and H keys. Toshiba calls it the Accupoint, perhaps in homage to IBM's Trackpoint.
The little Toshiba model suffers from the same small-screen limitations as the Duo 270c, with the screen measuring less than 8 inches diagonally.
Both the Powerbook and the Portege use new battery technologies that compensate for the extra power demands of color screens. Toshiba's model promises about three hours of battery life on a single charge, which gives it a slight edge over the Duo. It also scores some technical points for its local- bus graphics and its single PCMCIA Type 2 card slot, which gives it some interesting options for expansion. Apple does not have a PCMCIA slot, which it must add soon to compete.
On balance, both the Duo and the Portege are strong machines. If nothing else, the Duo scores a split decision simply by erasing the stereotype that Macintosh computers cost more than Windows machines of comparable power. By mimicking the best features of the Powerbook, though, the Portege has weakened the argument that Macintoshes are simply superior.
by CNB