IBM ThinkPad A31p: An Exclusive First Look

1. Mobile Workstation Performance To Max

Building a viable alternative to a powerful desktop workstation poses quite a challenge. In our article on the ATI Mobility Radeon , we looked at what we considered to be one of the first true desktop replacement PCs. Notebook manufacturers, not content with substituting desktop PCs with laptops, have invented a new category of notebook, which is now being referred to as the "Workstation Replacement" category of notebooks. To date, this category of notebook has had few contenders for the crown. However, we think that the impending release of the Intel Mobile Pentium 4 processor might change this scenario.

The historical argument has been that it is just not possible to cram the raw processing power of a typical workstation into a mobile platform. Typical desktop workstations used for such tasks as AutoCad, Avid, MicroStation, 3D Studio Max, ARC View, Alias Wavefront, Pro/E, Ideas, Softimage XSI, and similar applications, are for powerhouse systems which often feature "exotic" components not typically found in mainstream desktop systems, let alone notebooks. The basis for the majority of these exotic components are rooted in the same components that make up a desktop PC, but often they are built to more exacting and demanding standards. The workstation market, in general, is so outrageously overpriced that it makes one ask, "Why?"