Keeping with the trend of more features for less money, Compaq Computer Corp. has introduced the Contura line of notebook computers. (Notebook computers, which usually weigh six to eight pounds, are about the same size of an actual notebook.) Aimed at the mobile computing consumer who doesn't want to sacrifice affordability or features, the Contura line weighs in at just over six pounds and offers several features that users need when taking their offices on the road.

Compaq offers three models in the Contura line. The Contura 3/20 and Contura 3/25 both have monochrome (one color) monitors, while the Contura 3/25c features a color monitor.

The Contura 3/20 models sell for approximately $1,400 to $1,500 while the Contura 3/25 models sell for approximately $1,750 to $1,950. Contura 3/25c models sell for $2,300 to $2,500.

All three models in the series provide the mobile computing slave with an extensive provision of standard features that users need to make portable computing a practical possibility.

Compaq's Contura 3/25c notebook computer includes a color screen display, a good-sized hard drive and comes with Microsft Corp.'s Microsoft windows and MS-DOS 5.0 preinstalled.

Standard Features

Recent microprocessor technology and more hard disk space take the sacrifice out of portable computing--and both are standard features in the Contura notebook models. (A microprocessor, also called the processor or the central processing unit, is the "brain" of the computer; it is an integrated circuit that carries out all the central processing functions of a computer. A hard disk is a data storage device for personal computers that consists of a rigid platter that is fixed inside of a sealed casing. A hard disk can store more information and retrieve data faster than a diskette, a removable storage device.)

To bring the notebooks up to speed, Compaq uses the 386SL microprocessor from Intel Corp. Based on the 386SX microprocessor, the 386SL is designed specifically for portable computers. It takes up less space inside of the computer and it incorporates special features to conserve battery power. (Microprocessors are named with numbers. The higher the number, the faster the technology. The 386 family of microprocessors is one of the newer technologies and while it is faster than its predecessor, the 286, it lacks somewhat behind the 486 models.)

To enhance performance, the 3/25 and 3/25c models in the Contura line offer 64KB of cache memory. (A kilobyte, or KB, is a unit of measurement of computer storage or memory equivalent to approximately one thousand bytes. A byte is the amount of storage needed for one keyboard character, such as the letter A or the number 3.) Cache memory is high-speed static memory that stores the most recently used information in anticipation that it will be needed again by the processor. When information is stored in cache memory, the processor can retrieve it faster, thereby improving the overall performance of the system.

To make sure that hard disk space is no longer the sacrificial cow of portable computing, Compaq has equipped the Contura notebooks with hard disk storage space that rivals many desktop systems. The Contura systems feature both 40MB and 84MB hard disks in the 3/20 models and 60MB and 120MB hard drives are available for the 3/25 and 3/25c models. (A MB, or megabyte, is a unit of measurement of computer storage or memory equivalent to approximately one million bytes.)

For memory-intensive applications, Compaq offers expandable random-access memory (RAM) on all Contura models. (RAM is the computer's volatile memory; it is memory that holds the information that a user is currently working with.) With 2MB of RAM, the 3/20 models can be upgraded to 10MB; the 4MB of RAM in the 3/25 and 3/25c models can be expanded to 12MB.

User-friendly features such as preinstalled software and the extensive EZ Help Online Library make it possible for a user to get the Contura notebook up and running as soon as it is taken out of the box. The 3/20 and 3/25 models come with preinstalled software for the EZ Help Online Library and Compaq's tailor-made version of Microsoft Corp.'s MS-DOS 5.0. The 3/25c models also have Microsoft's Microsoft Windows 3.1 preinstalled. (DOS is software that translates users' typed commands and allows application programs to interact with the computer's hardware; Windows is software that gives DOS a graphical environment that allows users to maneuver through its applications by selecting pictures, or icons, instead of entering typed commands.)

The EZ Help Online Library will be of particular interest for newcomers in the world of portable computing. Not only does the help program guide the Contura user through the system and its programs (such as MS-DOS), it also bolds, underlines and defines technical terms that the beginner may not understand. No techie term is left unbolded, leading the user to a complete and comprehensive knowledge of the system, its capabilities and its possibilities.

To illustrate one of Contura's more unique features--and to better demonstrate the EZ Help Online Library's extensive abilities--let's assume that you are interested in learning more about Contura's hibernation feature.

To do so, click on the EZ Help Online icon in the Compaq utilities menu. A new menu will appear; select Hibernation from the Contura 3/20, 3/25, 3/25c Operations menu item in the help library and then choose What is Hibernation? from the submenu that the online library provides. (To click on an icon, use your mouse or trackball to point to the icon; then to execute a command, press and release the left mouse button or the button on the trackball device. A mouse is a handheld device that is used to move the on-screen cursor; a trackball performs the same functions, but the cursor is controlled by a sphere that you roll with your fingers.)

When you do, the following definition is given:

"Hibernation is a safeguard that saves information should the computer reach a critical low battery condition while it is left unattended. It is a condition during which all the information in memory is saved to the hard disk and power to the computer is turned off. When you turn on the computer, your information is returned to the screen at the point where Hibernation was initiated even from within an application. No information is lost."

From the definition of hibernation you will probably note two things. First, several words are bolded and underlined. These are the words that the help library will define further when asked to do so. (You can make such a request by highlighting the word with the arrow keys and then pressing ENTER.)

Secondly, you'll probably notice that hibernation is a pretty nifty thing. Not only does it save information to the hard disk so it isn't lost because of low battery power, it also serves as a bookmark of sorts, always returning you to the point at which you were last working.

Additional Features

Because a Contura notebook is portable, it will be especially attractive to thieves. For that reason, Compaq equips each notebook with several security features that will protect the system from those who want to pilfer property as well as information.

To protect information from thieves, spies and the whole sordid lot, the Contura line offers users the option to establish a power-on password, which prevents use of the computer until the password is entered.

To prevent stolen systems altogether, Compaq has incorporated a cable lock provision that physically secures the notebook to a sturdy object, such as a desk. If an attempt is made to remove the computer by force when the cable is locked securely in place, the computer will be damaged, thus relinquishing the thief's gains. The Kensington MicroSaver Security System cable can be purchased from Compaq resellers worldwide.

Because most portable computing is performed away from convenient power sources, the Contura notebooks come equipped with both battery packs and AC adapters. Standard on the 3/20 and 3/25 models are enhanced nickel-cadmium battery packs that last more than three and a half hours on a single charge. A nickel-metal-hydride battery pack, which can perform for more than four and a half hours on a single charge, comes standard on Contura 3/25c models and can also be purchased for the other models in the series.

The color display featured on the 3/25c does a good job of handling color. With a resolution of 640 x 480, the monitor can handle 16 colors. With a lower resolution of 320 x 200, the display is capable of handling 256 colors. (The detail and sharpness of an image displayed on-screen are determined by the resolution that you establish during the installation of the software programs that you run on your system. Resolution is determined by the number of pixels that are used; pixels are tiny dots that combine to make up an image. So a resolution of 640 x 480 has 307,200 total pixels. More pixels result in better resolution and more vibrant colors.)

Optional Features

On-the-go computing often necessitates data transfer between a home office and a remote location. To aid Contura users in the data transfer endeavor, Compaq offers internal modems for the notebook systems. (A modem is a piece of computer hardware that allows a computer to communicate with other modem-equipped computers via normal telephone lines. Internal modems are placed on a circuit board inside of the computer.) Fax modems are also available for the Contura series. These modems allow users to send and receive faxes directly on the computer.

A trackball is included with some Contura packages, but if it isn't standard with the package that you're interested in you can add a trackball or mouse. Easy to install, trackballs and mice are especially helpful when working in graphical environments like Windows.

Several other options, including automobile adapters that are used to power notebook systems when traveling in a car, are available from Compaq. Combined with the standard features included with the Contura notebook series, these options truly do take the sacrifice out of portable computing.

by Dana Lieske

Contura 3/20, 3/25 and 3/25c
Compaq Computer Corp.
P.O. Box 692000
Houston, TX 77269-2000
(800) 345-1518