It fits in an envelope, it is light and has a 13 inch screen, it is silver, mostly, and it also has a full size keyboard. The New MacBook Air? No way: it's the latest light compact laptop from LG, the ultra slim 13.3" Black Rose Notebook. STEVEN AMBROSE takes the new P300 for a road trip.
Various manufacturers have released a host of light, functional and good-looking laptops; there is the IBM X300, the MacBook Air and the Sony Vaio, to name but a few. The bottom line is that the road warrior, or any user, who wants a full-featured laptop that also looks good, has never had it better.
The just released LG is a surprisingly well-specified laptop in the ultraportable field. Most ultra light, sub-2kg laptops make significant compromises. The LG, at 1.6kg, has few. The first major compromise is obviously the size of the screen. With 10 to 12 Inches being the norm for sub-compacts, the LG has a 13.3 inch screen. The benefit of this is that, at the resolution chosen, which is 1200 x 800, most spreadsheets, documents and web sites are big enough for you to use the laptop all day. The smaller screens of 12 inches and below, which have similar screen resolutions, have very small text, and can result in eye strain after extended use.
The P300 screen is a LED-lit LCD, which simply means that the screen is lighter, brighter, thinner, and uses less power than a standard backlit LCD screen. The LG screen has a glossy finish which gives deep blacks and amazing colour rendition, but can be a little reflective in bright light.
What makes the LG special, even compared to the other models in this group, is that it incorporates the latest Penryn processor from Intel. The T8300 2.2GHz processor, which was released by Intel in January 2008, is also faster, cooler and uses less power than previous generation processors. The main benefit is that the laptop is very fast and has extended battery life, despite its speedy performance.
The P300 also has the latest Nvidia 8600M video subsystem, which is another first for Laptops in this space. The result, once again, is fantastic video performance. I tried a number of PC games and was extremely impressed by how well the laptop handled this type of content. DVDs are no issue and even simple video editing and web design is well handled. The laptop is also very fast and responsive in general use.
The firsts don’t stop there; the LG also incorporates Intel Turbo Memory. Turbo memory is the additional – in this case of 1Gb – memory which is built in and utilised by Windows Vista as a temporary cache for currently used data. This again results in a brilliant responsiveness, similar to what I have only seen in seriously high end laptops or workstations. Switching between programmes is very fast and loading programmes is very quick. The laptop additionally can be specified with a hybrid hard drive, which has a large built in cache of very fast memory, and this once again helps to make the laptop feel very responsive.
The build quality of this laptop, from the very cool but somewhat pretty top cover, is excellent; the keyboard has good travel and a very solid feel; the lack of openings in the base make the whole laptop feel very solid and well made. This impression of quality is apparent throughout: the included external DVD drive is a top of the range unit from LG; it is light and has a thoughtfully included USB cable, which pulls out from the drive, so no extra cables need to be carried.
The question is obvious: is this laptop the best of the bunch? Well, it is not cooler than the Mac, but it is faster and has far better specifications. It is much nicer looking than the ThinkPad, and is as well made as the Sony Vaio.
This LG really impressed on all fronts. It ran Windows Vista flawlessly, it went to sleep when told to and woke up fast, and really blazed through anything that I could throw at it. At no point did I feel short-changed when going on the road and leaving my high end Mac or HP on my desk at home. The LG made working on the road and out of the office a real pleasure. The battery life was very good at around 4.5 hours. The overall responsiveness and sheer power of this unit, made using the laptop a really great experience.
Finally, I had no reservations using Windows Vista, which is included as standard. Vista on the P300 never put a foot wrong; it just worked. The bundled software from LG, from the useful sidebar widget to the intelligent update utility, is unobtrusive and well executed, and useful. No bloatware included on this machine.
In summary, LG have hit the sweet spot with this laptop. If you are in the market for a light, small, full function laptop, you should put this one on your shopping list.
Various manufacturers have released a host of light, functional and good-looking laptops; there is the IBM X300, the MacBook Air and the Sony Vaio, to name but a few. The bottom line is that the road warrior, or any user, who wants a full-featured laptop that also looks good, has never had it better.
The just released LG is a surprisingly well-specified laptop in the ultraportable field. Most ultra light, sub-2kg laptops make significant compromises. The LG, at 1.6kg, has few. The first major compromise is obviously the size of the screen. With 10 to 12 Inches being the norm for sub-compacts, the LG has a 13.3 inch screen. The benefit of this is that, at the resolution chosen, which is 1200 x 800, most spreadsheets, documents and web sites are big enough for you to use the laptop all day. The smaller screens of 12 inches and below, which have similar screen resolutions, have very small text, and can result in eye strain after extended use.
The P300 screen is a LED-lit LCD, which simply means that the screen is lighter, brighter, thinner, and uses less power than a standard backlit LCD screen. The LG screen has a glossy finish which gives deep blacks and amazing colour rendition, but can be a little reflective in bright light.
What makes the LG special, even compared to the other models in this group, is that it incorporates the latest Penryn processor from Intel. The T8300 2.2GHz processor, which was released by Intel in January 2008, is also faster, cooler and uses less power than previous generation processors. The main benefit is that the laptop is very fast and has extended battery life, despite its speedy performance.The P300 also has the latest Nvidia 8600M video subsystem, which is another first for Laptops in this space. The result, once again, is fantastic video performance. I tried a number of PC games and was extremely impressed by how well the laptop handled this type of content. DVDs are no issue and even simple video editing and web design is well handled. The laptop is also very fast and responsive in general use.
The firsts don’t stop there; the LG also incorporates Intel Turbo Memory. Turbo memory is the additional – in this case of 1Gb – memory which is built in and utilised by Windows Vista as a temporary cache for currently used data. This again results in a brilliant responsiveness, similar to what I have only seen in seriously high end laptops or workstations. Switching between programmes is very fast and loading programmes is very quick. The laptop additionally can be specified with a hybrid hard drive, which has a large built in cache of very fast memory, and this once again helps to make the laptop feel very responsive.
The build quality of this laptop, from the very cool but somewhat pretty top cover, is excellent; the keyboard has good travel and a very solid feel; the lack of openings in the base make the whole laptop feel very solid and well made. This impression of quality is apparent throughout: the included external DVD drive is a top of the range unit from LG; it is light and has a thoughtfully included USB cable, which pulls out from the drive, so no extra cables need to be carried.
The question is obvious: is this laptop the best of the bunch? Well, it is not cooler than the Mac, but it is faster and has far better specifications. It is much nicer looking than the ThinkPad, and is as well made as the Sony Vaio.
This LG really impressed on all fronts. It ran Windows Vista flawlessly, it went to sleep when told to and woke up fast, and really blazed through anything that I could throw at it. At no point did I feel short-changed when going on the road and leaving my high end Mac or HP on my desk at home. The LG made working on the road and out of the office a real pleasure. The battery life was very good at around 4.5 hours. The overall responsiveness and sheer power of this unit, made using the laptop a really great experience.
Finally, I had no reservations using Windows Vista, which is included as standard. Vista on the P300 never put a foot wrong; it just worked. The bundled software from LG, from the useful sidebar widget to the intelligent update utility, is unobtrusive and well executed, and useful. No bloatware included on this machine.
In summary, LG have hit the sweet spot with this laptop. If you are in the market for a light, small, full function laptop, you should put this one on your shopping list.
Steven Ambrose
Tech Specs
Processor Intel: Core 2 Duo Processor T8300, 3MB L2 Cache, 2.2GHz, 667MHz FSB
Operating System: Windows Vista Business
Chipset: Mobile Intel PM 965 Express
System Memory: 3GB DDR2(667MHz, Dual Channel Support, Up to 4GB)
Intel® Turbo Memory: 1Gb
Display: 13.3inch WXGA (Resolution 1280x800)
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS (256MB VRAM, TurboCache Technology)
Hard Drive:160 to 250GB (SATA, 5400rpm)
External DVD Combo / DVD Super Multi Dual Layer (DVD-R/RW, +R/RW, RAM)
Wireless: Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN or Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG
WLAN Antenna: Hexa-band Antenna or Triple Hexa-band Antenna(Intel® Next-Gen Wireless-N Only)
LAN : 10/100/1000MB Ethernet
Bluetooth: Bluetooth v2.0+EDR
Webcam: 1.3M Pixel LG Smart Cam
Audio: - 24bit HD Audio, SRS WOW HD, SRS TruSurround XT
Security: HDD Security
Keyboard: Full Size 86Keys
Pointing Device: Touchpad with Scroll Function
Multimedia Card Slot: 5-in-1 (XD/SD/MMC/MS/MS Pro)
PC Card Slot: -ExpressCard/34
Input/Output Port :- 3xUSB ,RJ45 ,VGA ,HDMI ,HP-out, Mic-In, Smart Link, DC In
Battery: - 6 Cell (Li-Ion / 2600mAh)
Software: Pre-installed: Battery Miser, On Screen Display, LG Magnifier, LG Smart Cam, LG intelligent Update
CD/DVD Titles : Recovery Centre DVD, LG Intelligent Update DVD(Norton Anti-Virus, Drivers, Applications, Easy Manual and Easy trouble shooting Guide, IVT Bluesoreil), Power2Go CD
Size 315 x 236.5 x 21.2, 25.8, 32.1 mm
Weight:1.65kg
Tech Specs
Processor Intel: Core 2 Duo Processor T8300, 3MB L2 Cache, 2.2GHz, 667MHz FSB
Operating System: Windows Vista Business
Chipset: Mobile Intel PM 965 Express
System Memory: 3GB DDR2(667MHz, Dual Channel Support, Up to 4GB)
Intel® Turbo Memory: 1Gb
Display: 13.3inch WXGA (Resolution 1280x800)
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS (256MB VRAM, TurboCache Technology)
Hard Drive:160 to 250GB (SATA, 5400rpm)
External DVD Combo / DVD Super Multi Dual Layer (DVD-R/RW, +R/RW, RAM)
Wireless: Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN or Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG
WLAN Antenna: Hexa-band Antenna or Triple Hexa-band Antenna(Intel® Next-Gen Wireless-N Only)
LAN : 10/100/1000MB Ethernet
Bluetooth: Bluetooth v2.0+EDR
Webcam: 1.3M Pixel LG Smart Cam
Audio: - 24bit HD Audio, SRS WOW HD, SRS TruSurround XT
Security: HDD Security
Keyboard: Full Size 86Keys
Pointing Device: Touchpad with Scroll Function
Multimedia Card Slot: 5-in-1 (XD/SD/MMC/MS/MS Pro)
PC Card Slot: -ExpressCard/34
Input/Output Port :- 3xUSB ,RJ45 ,VGA ,HDMI ,HP-out, Mic-In, Smart Link, DC In
Battery: - 6 Cell (Li-Ion / 2600mAh)
Software: Pre-installed: Battery Miser, On Screen Display, LG Magnifier, LG Smart Cam, LG intelligent Update
CD/DVD Titles : Recovery Centre DVD, LG Intelligent Update DVD(Norton Anti-Virus, Drivers, Applications, Easy Manual and Easy trouble shooting Guide, IVT Bluesoreil), Power2Go CD
Size 315 x 236.5 x 21.2, 25.8, 32.1 mm
Weight:1.65kg
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