JVC's updated Mini Note shows that firms do not need Intel's Centrino technology to equip staff with a lightweight laptop with built-in wireless LAN (WLAN) capability. The A5-format system is one of the smallest we have seen in IT Week Labs, yet it is still a full-blown PC running Windows XP. The small standard battery, however, means that an extended battery is essential for anything other than light use while away from the mains supply.
The Mini Note MP-XP7230, available now, is the successor to last year's MP-XP7210. The new model, which weighs less than 1kg, features a 933MHz version of Intel's Ultra Low Voltage Pentium III-M processor and a built-in 802.11b WLAN adapter. It also includes a 10/100 Ethernet adapter and an integrated modem, making it as capable as many larger laptop designs.
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Despite its compact design, we had no difficulty using the Mini Note's keyboard, although those with large fingers may find it tricky to use. However, the TrackPoint mouse pointer on our review unit barely stood proud of the keys surrounding it, making it difficult to control the cursor without pressing a key. We also found that the bottom of the case became very hot after prolonged use.
In tests, we found the Mini Note MP-XP7230 more than adequate for running productivity applications.
The laptop achieved a score of 18.4 under our Business Winstone 2002 benchmark test. This compares favourably with the 10.2 score of Compaq's Tablet PC TC1000 and just beats the 17.8 of Toshiba's Portégé R100, a Centrino system based on the 900MHz Ultra Low Voltage Pentium M. Our system had 256MB of memory, which could be upgraded to a maximum of 384MB.
The standard battery of the Mini Note MP-XP7230 fits flush with the rear of the case and looks as if it should be removable. This is not the case, however, and the two latches next to it are actually to lock an extended battery to the back of the system. The extended battery, which ships with the MP-XP7230, will be necessary if the user is to work for any length of time away from the mains. Under our BatteryMark 4.01 benchmark, the review unit lasted for just one hour and 21 minutes on the standard battery, rising to a more respectable three hours and 34 minutes with the extended battery also fitted. The extra battery pushes the weight up to about 1.1kg.
The Mini Note MP-XP7230 has an 8.9in screen with a wide aspect ratio, supporting a resolution of 1024x600 pixels. We found this bright and sharp enough to make text clearly legible when on mains power, but the default power management settings dim the screen noticeably when on batteries. The display adapter driving the screen takes 16MB of the system memory for its screen buffer by default, up to a maximum of 64MB.
Because of the Mini Note's small size, it has no floppy drive and ships with an external CD-ROM drive unit. Oddly, this drive unit uses a PC Card to connect to the system, despite the MP-XP7230 having dual USB 2.0 ports and an IEEE.1394 FireWire port. A Secure Digital (SD) slot is provided for Flash storage cards and there is also a Type II PC Card slot for expansion.
For staff running everyday applications, the JVC Mini Note MP-XP7230 offers most of the capabilities of a standard laptop but in an A5 format. The small keys may cause problems for some users, but the Mini Note's compact size and light weight will endear it to many mobile workers.
Pros: Highly portable; built-in wireless LAN
Cons: Short life on standard battery; small keys; underside gets hot in use
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