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| Compaq Armada M300 600 |
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Hardware Reviews November 2000 • Vol.3 Issue 11 |
Compaq Armada M300 600 | ||
 Weighing just 3.4 pounds, the Compaq Armada M300 is the most mobile of Compaq's Mobility Series Armadas and is one of the best mininotebooks on the market. We weren't surprised, then, when Compaq sent us an updated evaluation unit with a faster processor, more RAM, and a bigger hard drive. It is less than an inch thick with its lid closed, yet still manages to pack in some of the best components money can buy, and in addition, features one of the best 12.1-inch displays we've ever seen. Specifications. How time flies. The last time we reviewed an M300, it came with either a 333MHz Pentium II or a 333MHz Celeron; one year later it comes with your choice of 500MHz or 600MHz Pentium III chips. Ours came with the latter and 128MB of RAM, which is 64MB more than the standard amount and 192MB less than its total capacity. The memory upgrade is expensive, pushing the unit's price up from its $2,699 base price to $3,048, but there is usually a substantial increase in overall performance when you move from 64MB to 128MB. The M300 has a 12GB hard drive crammed into its tiny case, and if you want, you can add another 18GB drive to its optional MEU (mobile expansion unit), which costs $499 with an 8X DVD-ROM drive. Our review unit came with the MEU, bringing the price of the M300 as tested to a considerable $3,547, but mobility and performance like this are bound to be a little on the spendy side. The M300 comes with an external 1.44MB diskette drive that connects to the unit's parallel port, a 14.8-volt Li-Ion (lithium-ion) battery, an internal Compaq 56Kbps (kilobits per second) modem, and either Windows 2000 or Windows 98. Ours came with Win2000, which Compaq recommends for business users and costs $100 more. It also includes an ATI Technologies RAGE LT Pro video chipset with 4MB of video memory to drive its 12.1-inch TFT (thin-film transistor) display. Design. The M300's case is made of tough black plastic and does a good job of protecting the notebook's vital components, including the display, which is outstanding for its size. It runs at resolutions up to 1,024 x 768 and projects clear, bright images and good color. There aren't any speakers on its primary case due to space constraints, so all you can hear are the occasional beeps and clucks Windows throws at you. The optional MEU, on the other hand, has room for lots of stuff that wouldn't fit in the diminutive M300, including a pair of speakers that rival the best we've heard in a notebook. They are extremely loud, provide great treble and bass, and only distort a little bit when at full volume. The MEU is really a must-have option, especially if you want access to a DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive, and it makes a great docking station for the little notebook. A smallish but highly functional keyboard takes up most of the notebook's base. Although it is small, Compaq arranged it cleverly to minimize typos and hand fatigue, and like the rest of the M300, it's surprisingly good for its size. The touchpad is even better, offering fast, accurate Windows navigation without taking up much space. The M300 has an interesting cylindrical battery that attaches to both ends of the notebook at the rear. It covers the ports along the back of the unit, but you can swivel it down and out of the way where it doubles as a handy set of rear legs. This is just another of several clever space-saving design features that keep the notebook small. Without its MEU, it measures .89 inches high (when closed) x 10.4 inches wide x 9 inches deep. Performance. When we reviewed the M300 a year ago, we weren't crazy about its performance scores. The latest incarnation, however, turned in some rather impressive SYSmark 2000 scores, including a 134 in Internet Content Creation, a 118 in Office Productivity, and a 125 overall score. There are certainly faster notebooks on the market, but there are none that we know of that can match the M300's extreme portability. Final Word. At $3,547 the M300 (with optional MEU unit and a RAM upgrade) isn't cheap, but you won't find a better combination of portability and performance anywhere. Users with large hands may find its keyboard a little cramped at first, but we think that features such as the M300's fantastic display and excellent touchpad more than make up for it. We also think that carrying this little powerhouse around over your shoulder for a few days will convince you that it was worth every penny. Especially when you see the poor sap on the plane fighting to cram his 7-pounder into an overhead storage bin. by Chris Trumble
$3,048 ($3,547 with MEU) (800) 282-6672 (281) 370-0670 http://www.compaq.com
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