Notebook computers continue to get faster as the high-speed processors find themselves optimized for the road warrior.
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= Preproduction product reviewed.
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Products ranked on a scale of 1 (worst) to 5 (best).
| Product | Price as tested | Configuration | In brief | Issue reviewed | Box score |
| AST Ascentia J30 800-876-4278, 714-727-4141 | $2,999 | 100MHz Pentium, 810MB HDD, 10.4" active-matrix screen, 11.4" by 9.0" by 1.9", 5.8 lbs. | With its bright screen, performance and light weight, it's well suited for mobile applications. | March 96 | 4.5 |
| AST Ascentia P50 800-876-4278, 714-727-4141 | $4,999 | 133MHz Pentium, 8MB RAM, 256KB cache, 800MB HDD, 11.3" active-matrix screen, 11.3" by 10.0" by 2.2", 7.0 lbs. | 133MHz performance in a small footprint. | May 96 | 4.0 |
| Canon NoteJet IIIcx 800-848-4123, 714-438-3000 | $5,799 (street) | 90MHz Pentium, 8MB RAM, 810MB HDD, 11.8" screen, 3.25" by 14.0" by 12.0", 10.0 lbs. | A Pentium processor combines with a unique printer/scanner for on-the-road utility. | April 96 | 4.0 |
| Dell Latitude XPi P133ST 800-613-3355, 512-328-4400 | $4,599 | 133MHz Pentium, 24MB EDO RAM, 256KB cache, 1.2GB HDD, 11.3" display, 2.3" by 11" by 8.75",6.2 lbs. | Good performance small size and light weight. | May 96 | 4.0 |
| Hitachi M120-T 800-555-6820, 408-321-5216 | $5,299 | 120MHz Pentium, 16MB EDO RAM, 256KB cache, 1GB HDD, 11.8" display, 2.2" by 12.0" by 9.7", 6.2 lbs. | Great performance, built-in LAN and modem connectivity . | August 96 | 4.5 |
| HP OmniBook 5000 CTS 5/120 800-443-1254 | $5,040 (street) | 120MHz Pentium, 16MB RAM, 256KB cache, 1.2GB HDD, 12.1" SVGA screen, 1.9" by 11.60" by 8.1", 6.8 lbs. | It features outstanding performance, and it has built-in SCSI 2 | April 96 | 4.0 |
| IBM ThinkPad 560 800-IBM-2YOU | $3,749 | 120MHz Pentium, 8MB RAM, 810MB HDD, 12.1" active-matrix screen, 1.2" by 11.0" by 8.5", 5.0 lbs. | Light-weight, but with lots of power and a sizeable screen. | July 96 | 4.0 |
| Micron Millennia Transport P133 208-893-3434 | $4,899 | 133MHz Pentium, 16MB EDO RAM, 256KB cache, 1.2GB HDD, 12.1" SVGA screen, 2.1" by 11.7" by 8.3", 6.9 lbs. | The latest available technology makes it a screamer. | May 96 | 4.0 |
| NEC Versa 4000C 800-NEC-INFO, 508-264-8000 | $3,973 (street) | 75MHz Pentium, 16MB RAM, 540MB HDD, 2X CD-ROM, 10.1" VGA screen, 2.1" by 11.7" by 9.5", 7.0 lbs. | With its bright screen, performance and light weight, it's well suited for mobile applications. | January 96 | 4.5 |
| NEC Versa 6030H 800-NEC-INFO, 415-528-5300 | $5,999 | 133MHz Pentium, 16MB RAM, 256KB cache, 1.35GB HDD, 6X CD-ROM, 12.1" display, 2.1" by 11.7" by 9.5", 7.4 lbs. | A bright screen with a PCI bus, make this one a winner. | July 96 | 4.5 |
| Toshiba Portégé 650CT 800-993-4273, 714-583-3000 | $4,499 (street) | 133MHz Pentium, 16MB RAM, 256KB cache, 1.26GB HDD, 11.3" active-matrix screen, 1.8" by 10.3" by 8.2", 4.8 lbs. | Solid construction, three-year warranty, and it fits into your briefcase easily. | August 96 | 4.0 |
| Toshiba Satellite Pro 420CDT 714-583-3000, 800-334-3445 | $3,899 | 100MHz Pentium, 8MB EDO RAM, 1.3GB HDD, 6X CD-ROM, 11.3" display, 2.2" by 11.8" by 9.3" , 7.4 lbs. | Hardware-based MPEG and a 6X CD-ROM drive. | July 96 | 4.0 |
| Toshiba Tecra 700CT 800-993-4273, 714-583-3000 | $4,999 | 120MHz Pentium, 16MB RAM, 1.2GB HDD, 11.3" active-matrix screen, 4X CD-ROM;, 7.3 lbs. | Big screen, PCI architecture and optional CD-ROM drive. | January 96 | 5.0 |
| Toshiba Tecra 720CDT 800-993-4273, 714-583-3000 | $6,299 (street) | 133MHz Pentium, 16MB RAM, 256KB cache, 1.3GB HDD, 12.1" active-matrix screen, 2.3" by 11.8" by 9.1",7.75 lbs. | Big screen, swappable CD-ROM/floppt drive, built-in 28.8 Kbps modem. | June 96 | 4.0 |
| WinBook XP5/120 800-468-2162, fax 800-448-0308 | $3,499 (direct) | 120MHz Pentium, 16MB RAM, 256KB cache, 1.3GB HDD, 10.4" screen, 2.0" by 11.7" by 8.79", 6.1 lbs. | Top-flight performance, crisp, fast display, and good ergonomics. | March 96 | 4.5 |
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