X-bit labs

14" Widescreen: Most Optimal Solution? 10 Contemporary Notebooks Roundup (page 14)

Category: Mobile

by Vasily Melnik

[ 06/07/2006 | 10:56 PM ]

LG T1

LG’s T1 is the first notebook in this review that is based on Intel’s new mobile platform. LG has done a good job on this one and made some great progress since the LW40. The new platform is parceled into a smaller case, weighs less, and boasts a better configuration (it lacks integrated graphics which is available in the LW40, but this doesn’t matter much for the user group the T1 is targeted at). The new Bluetooth adapter (BlueCore 4) needs a special mention as the T1 is among the first notebooks to feature it. Also remarkable in the T1 is the new low-consumption Intel L2300 processor (1.5GHz clock rate) that promises a long battery life.

The exterior design is perhaps the single thing in this new model that is not perfect.

The “piano finish black” plastic of the lid that owners of expensive hi-fi equipment may be familiar with just cannot possibly remain long in its ideal pristine state. Unlike hi-fi devices, a notebook is supposed to be carried about, so all this finish will wear off eventually. This is in fact a common problem of all notebooks whose cases are designed like that. The case quickly gets covered with a cobweb of micro-scratches unless you carry the notebook in a velvet pouch and handle it very carefully. The snow-white keyboard margin is made of the same plastic and your fingerprints are very visible on it. Well, it is sure to wear off eventually even if you work in gloves. Still I don’t think this will be a problem for anyone who sees this notebook live – LG has made a truly stylish device in which every element is well-placed. Even the logotype has been made smaller and fitted snugly into the computer’s lid.

The notebook status indicators are placed properly, too:

The front view reminds me of the advertising videos of ultra-thin cell phones:

The card-reader’s position is somewhat unusual:

It is in the middle and closer to the bottom of the front panel. As the result, it is not very easy to use. And funnily enough, the labels of the supported formats are printed upside down. Like the LW40’s, the card-reader of this model supports xD cards, too.

There are also two speakers of the integrated audio system on the front panel:

Unfortunately, the new platform hasn’t brought any improvements in the sound quality field. Without headphones, this audio system is only sufficient for reproducing Windows’ system sounds, and it seems like notebook owners cannot hope to hear a decent sound in near future. This is a whole new story, though, and we are going to cover it in our upcoming review of desktop-replacement systems which have progressed more in this respect, at least you can use them to play some background music.