Laptops come laptops go, some look clunky some look cool. But whatever the look or feel, it’s a huge help for the constant traveller, hopping business meetings across cities or continents. And it also comes in handy if you regularly need to bring work home. With components shrinking in size but offering the same capacities, you can expect the portable to match the desktop, every kilobit by kilobit.

But on the whole, they are packed with more or less the same goodies and perform almost similar functions. Then why feature a selection of laptops? Simply because this lot is a lot different and stands out from the run-of-the-mill. If one is the slimmest in its league, another turns your world around (literally), while yet another … well, read on to find out.

 

Sony Vaio PCG-TR5AP

The little wonder that packs a punch. It’s slightly bigger than a palmtop, boasts a 1.10 gigahertz (GHz) processor and a cool 1 GB of RAM. The internal DVD-RW/CD-RW drive lets you watch and even burn your own CDs and DVDs! The Vaio also has an integrated microphone and camera with which you can take snaps of people and things around you, or just watch yourself at work in real time. Integrated wireless options help connectivity while a suite of bundled software enhances multimedia capabilities. To top it all, it’s a Sony.

Available at: Balaji Electron, Shop 3041 Metro Plaza, 1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani, Cal 71. Ph: 9830079584

Price: Rs 1.55 lakh (approx)

 

Samsung X10 plus

Lightest and thinnest in the world it’s supposed to be. And anyone who has used it will agree that at 0.93 inch thickness it can’t possibly get slimmer, and at 1.8 kgs, certainly not lighter. At the core is a 1.5 GHz strong Intel Pentium M Processor, which, coupled with 256 MB of RAM, speeds up things considerably. Biometric finger print recognition technology helps in increased security. Hardcore gamers will be delighted to see the 64 MB Nvidia Graphics Card.

The Smart Invertor Control function ensures that the lithium ion batteries re-charge in two hours flat and provide up to 6.7 hours of juice. The CDRW/DVD Combo Drive boosts entertainment. For wireless connectivity, it’s Wi-Fi enabled too.

Available at: Avenue Q, 3/1 Mangoe Lane, Cal 1. Ph: 9830036137

Price: Rs 1,69,990 (approx)

 

Compaq Tablet PC tc1100

Like many Microsoft-backed-ventures, the much-hyped Tablet PC was supposed to turn things around in the PC industry but it didn’t. The turn-and-write-on capability was instead seen as a novelty only. But the feature also makes it stand out from other notebooks. Just twist the monitor and fold the notebook for it to resemble and function like a slate. You can actually write on it with a special pen to input data. The PC automatically recognises the handwriting. Feel free to draw pictures, annotate documents and do just about anything else. The magnesium casing provides better durability. The 1 GHz processor, 30-60 GB hard disk options and integrated Bluetooth capabilities add strength to style.

Available at: Optima Infotech, 24 Park Street Cal 16. Ph: 22262376

Price: Rs 1.25 lakh (approx)

 

Apple PowerBook G4 17 inch

Simply being Apple should be enough to make it to the list. The legendary Apple design ensures that no Wintel notebook worth its gadgetry is a match for this machine. Sample: the screen is 17 inch wide and the hard disk a mammoth 80 GB monster. Think of any other feature that a laptop offers and it’s present here, only a little better. The PowerBook, incidentally, is the big-brother (and more expensive) version of iBook — the other range of notebooks that Apple offers. Use it and you’ll forget the rest.

Available at: Macintel Solutions, 3 Parasar Road, Cal 29. Ph: 24651874

Price: Rs 1,71,400 (approx)

 

…and elsewhere in the world

Yet another smartphone? Yes, and no. The new T-Mobile Sidekick II mobile phone unveiled in New York last week is the latest addition to the league of Treo and the gang. But it’s still full of surprises.

There are loads of functions, including phone, email, web browsing, instant messaging, calendar, games and camera. At 0.9 inch thick, it’s around 25 per cent slimmer than its predecessor and half an inch wider at 5.1 inches. Riding piggyback is a digital camera, complete with a baby flash. Unlike other phones, when someone in your phonebook calls you, not only does his photo pop up, but a separate screen illumination colour and ringtone are activated. The device can conduct up to 10 instant-message chats simultaneously using Yahoo! or AOL Instant Messenger. You can open and view Word and Adobe Acrobat documents and photo attachments.

The battery life is also better than the predecessor — four-and-a-half hours of talktime and 60 hours of standby.

Makes you wonder when it will be available here, doesn’t it? Your guess is as good as ours but let’s hope it’s really really soon!