3. Impressions Of The Design

The 15" display is a bit flat color-wise but with decent contrast (170:1). In our opinion the angle of view is average. The maximum brightness of the display is 152 candelas per square meter, which is sufficient for working outdoors - at least in the shade. The keyboard has enough hub, and the key force is clearly tangible. We found the scrollbar and cursor keys a bit too diminutive. The two-tone silver anthracite case gives the unit a sturdy, mechanical look. However, over several weeks of tests, the surface of the case was fairly prone to scratches.

Three USB 2.0 ports, two PC card slots with protective dust covers and a FireWire port adorn the left-hand side.

Good to see: if the user wants to upgrade later, say by adding more RAM or a new hard drive, the components are easily accessible and serviceable thanks to unscrewable plates on the bottom of the unit.

Volume control, audio ports and the CD-R/RW drive are on the right-hand side of the case.

Rear view: despite its slim form, the device has serial and parallel ports and a PS/2 connector.