Vendors push out 1Ghz laptops

Compaq, Dell, Gateway, Hewlett Packard and IBM yesterday rolled out notebooks running Intel's new mobile Pentium III chip.

The chip, built using Intel's 0.18-micron process technology, is designed for the so-called full size and thin-and-light notebooks and laptops.

Intel said more than 20 laptops using the mobile Pentium III will be rolled out by PC makers. Notebooks from manufacturers based on AMD's forthcoming rival 1Ghz mobile Athlon chip are expected in June.

Among the Intel-based laptops are a series of high-end Compaq Presario notebooks, featuring the Presario 1800 available in customer-configured models.

Compaq also said the Armada E500, which features a 15-inch display, 128Mb of memory, 30Gb hard drive, CD-RW drive and network card, and the Armada M700, with a 14-inch display, 128Mb of RAM and 20Gb hard drive, will be based on the 1Ghz chip.

Dell will base its Latitude C800 corporate PC on the new 1Ghz chip as well as the Inspiron C800 for the consumer market. The C800 uses the 1Ghz chip and offers 128Mb of SDRAM, a 15-inch display, a 10Gb hard disk drive and Microsoft Windows 2000.

Gateway said it has combined the fastest mobile processor with the largest notebook screen in the company's new Solo 9500 to handle streaming video and complex graphics. The notebook includes a 15-inch display and an optional DVD/CD-RW drive.

HP will use the chip in its newest consumer model, the Pavilion N6395. The notebook, which weighs in at 5.8 pounds, will ship with a 15-inch display, 256Mb of RAM and a 30Gb hard drive. HP also announced that it would introduce integrated wireless LAN technology in its HP Omnibook 500 and HP Omnibook 6000 notebook PC lines.

IBM is introducing the Thinkpad T22 and A22, available on 28 March and 13 April, respectively. Meanwhile Toshiba announced the 1Ghz Tecra 8200 notebook and Satellite Pro 4600.

New computers are also expected from Intel original equipment manufacturers Acer, Fujitsu, Micron Electronics and NEC.