LONDON (02/02/2000) - Leading notebook manufacturers have poured scorn on speed record claims by smaller rivals.
London-based AJP Computers PLC is selling a laptop which the company is heralding as "the fastest ever notebook." The AJP 3300C does indeed sound impressive -- until you read the small print.
Powered by an Intel Pentium III processor running at 750MHz, AJP can justifiably claim to have put together a more powerful system than much larger manufacturers such as Toshiba Corp., Compaq Computer Corp. and Dell Computer Corp. Closer inspection, however, reveals that AJP has concocted its speed monster by incorporating processor technology usually reserved for desktop PCs.
At the heart of the 3 kg notebook lies an Intel Corp. FCPGA processor, better known as a Flip Chip, which was originally developed for smaller-shaped budget PCs. By packing in a Flip Chip processor, manufacturers can leap frog ahead of Intel's mobile range, which tops out with the Speedstep-enabled PIII 650Mhz.
Other manufacturers look set to follow AJP's lead. Sarah Chard, marketing manager for Rock Computers, told PC Advisor the only reason Rock didn't have a similar offering was because the company hadn't yet received supply from Intel.
More established notebook vendors have ridiculed the inclusion of desktop processing in mobiles, pointing to problems with heat and life span.
Steve Crawley, product marketing manager for Toshiba, said: "if you put a desktop processor into a notebook you might not notice it initially -- but you'll end up shortening the longevity." According to Crawley, every ten percent you push a laptop above the optimum heat level halves the working life of anotebook.
"If you don't tell users about the down side, they are most certainly being short changed -- it's almost fraudulent," he claimed.
Compaq's notebook product manager, Steven Gales, also dismissed the inclusion of a desktop processor as "a serious risk". "We wouldn't take any rival seriously if they did it [use PC processors in notebooks]," he said.