Cheapo thin and light laptops

UK
The Acer Aspire 1362WLC Notebook costs only £624 all inclusive, sold direct at Acer. What sets it aparts from other laptops is the fact that it is probably the first Sempron laptop available in the UK. Featuring a 2800+ processor, the 1362WLC comes also with a sizeable 512MB DDR memory, 40GB Hard disk drive and a CDRW/DVD Combo 24x24x24x8. The screen is a superlative 15.4-inch WXGA TFT widescreen plus 64MB shared onboard graphics provided by the K8N800 chipset through the S3 Graphics Unichrome Pro.

And yes, it is a Sempron clocked at 1600MHz, not based on the XP core but on the Paris one, the same as the Sempron 3100+. The battery technology used is an 8-cell Li-Ion which can hold up to three hours charge. Amongst other interesting features we have four USB2.0 ports, two PCMCIA ports, one modem, one ethernet port and Windows XP home as well as Norton Anvirus and Power DVD installed.

No, there is, unfortunately, no floppy in there but with a look that kills, superb ergonomics and the fact that there is a hidden beast just beneath the hood, the Aspire 1362WLC is a real bargain up for grabs. I can hardly believe that such a powerful laptop is on sale at that price. µ

Singapore
Looking for a cheap but powerful laptop in Singapore? Try this Sharp UM32W at S$1800 at newcomer Costback. At 1.2Kg, it won't strain your shoulder but will certainly strain those prying eyes of your envious neighbours. It is less than one inch thick and though it is powered by a now obsolete P3-M 1GHz processor, it still packs ample oomph to give you satistaction. The UM32W is very well designed.

For example, it has two wireless antennas embedded on the sides of the its XGA 12.1-inch screen. It comes with 256MB memory, a 40GB hard disk, a Firewire plus two USB 2.0 ports and a CDROM. No floppy on the horizon even though you have a compact flash slot. The notebook itself is encased in a solid and light magnesium alloy which should prove enough for even the most demanding journeyman.

The keyboard is a retractable one, popping in and out when closing and opening the notebook lid. Apart from that, PC Card slots, Modem and Ethernet are present. A decent if not excellent buy that will please the image conscious traveller. µ

France
The MD42469 is neither the cheapest nor the more powerful laptop in France but at €999, but it commands respect as it is the cheapest one featuring a DVD writer.

The Mediaon MD42469 is based on the new Intel Celeron M330 which is a 1.4GHz model with 512KB level 2 cache and a 400MHz FSB, basically a Willamette Pentium IV but burnt at 90nm, strange no? The CPU is backed by 256MB memory and a 40GB hard disk, out of which 6GB is destined for system restauration. A multi-format card reader is also included.

The chipset is a SIS one, most probably the old 630 featuring the SIS305 graphic core, the latter powers a 12.1in widescreen TFT. In the sound sector, two speakers are included as well as an SPDIF port. The DVD Writer is a multi-format one. Other than that, three USB 2.0 ports, one Firewire and two PCMCIA are also in the spec list. As are one integrated 802.11g - 54mbps theoretical bandwidth - with a modem. Software is Windows XP home, Ahead Nero and Works 7.0 The laptop is quite light at 1.7Kg. Even though it is a Celeron based laptop, you can expect general performance to be equivalent to a high end Pentium III. µ

USA
The Averatec 5110P is a close cousin of another notebook that we covered recently. It is more expensive though at $999.98 but the features explain the price. It also sports the Pentium M 1.3GHz based on the Banias technology. With Windows XP Pro as OS, the 5110P is definitely geared towards the corporate market. 512MB memory and a large 40GB hard disk confirm this.

More interestingly, a DVD Writer is provided as is a 15in TFT widescreen display as well as an integrated 802.11b, all for the businessmen to relax and have some fun after hours of work. Download films, view them and then burn them on your DVD's, guys. The graphics section is not powerful enough to allow smooth game playing. The 855GM chipset simply does not cut the mustard. The Realtek ALC202 audio and the integrated everything aspect - Firewire, twin PCMCIA, three USB2.0 ethernet and modem - is welcomed.

The laptop though is still small even with all these functionalities crammed. At 3Kg, it is much smaller than any destop replacement product. Its 4400mAH battery will get it running for a while. However, apart from that, you wont get any carrying case or floppy disk drive. µ