Pegasus
DTS - Computer Buyer
(Jan '04)
“The
Rock has the longest battery life we’ve ever seen from a
notebook”
Any Sacrifices the widescreen Pegasus makes in compactness
are amply compensated for in performance and style.
The
Pegasus DTS is the kind of notebook that will turn heads the moment
you slide it out of its bag. Where other notebooks are short and
stubby the Pegasus is long and slender, with a 15.4in widescreen
display under its stylish metallic blue-grey lid. Perfect for
kicking back and watching a few DVD movies on - but only
if the rest of the system is
up to scratch.
One
of the first things you see when you open the Rock’s lid
is a sticker telling you that the Pegasus DTS uses Intel’s
Centrino technology. This means it has a Pentium-M processor (in
this case a 1.4GHz), an Intel 855 motherboard chipset, and the
Intel Pro / Wireless 2100 wireless networking capabilities. Centrino
offers a number of power-saving and heat-reduction features, and
the Pegasus certainly makes use of them. It Lasted 2 hours 43
minutes in our intensive battery life test - the longest
battery life we’ve ever seen from a notebook. This test
gives the battery a real pounding, and in everyday use, you could
expect it to last twice this long. We were able to use spreadsheet
and word processing applications quite happily for almost 5 hours.
The
Rock’s impressive widescreen display is is run by an Intel
855 graphics chipset, which can be set to use up to 64Mb of the
system memory for graphics purposes. The end result is crisp,
sharp images and rich colours. It was a joy to watch DVD movies
on. The extra screen space also enabled us to work on several
programs at once, such as flickering between a spreadsheet and
a word processor document.
While
the Fujitsu MHT2030AT 30GB hard disk may not be the biggest around,
it’s enough for most users’ needs. We were quite pleased
to find a ‘combo’ DVD/CD-RW drive. You get three USB
2 ports and one mini-FireWire, as well as a type II PC Card slot.
The Pegasus even has a built in Webcam, letting you see what you
look like from your laptop’s perspective. Home users will
appreciate the software bundle, which also includes Ability Office
and Panda anti virus software.
So
far, so good. It was only when we started looking at the system’s
ergonomics that things started to come unstuck. The speakers are
good - a bit tinny, bit still better looking than most notebook
speakers. They do, however, take up a lot of space. As a result,
the 88-key keyboard is the sort of size you’ll find on ordinary
laptops - a wasted opportunity, given the Rock’s extra
width. If the speakers had been front-mounted, Rock could have
given us a really large keyboard using the standard desktop layout
- great for touch typists. This is only a minor niggle,
though, particularly as the keyboard is well made, with decent
travel and well-spaced keys. The same can’t be said for
the trackpad, which may be a bit too sensitive for some.
We
were also concerned about the durability of the screen, which
isn’t as robust as we’d like. In an environment such
as a train, sharp judders caused little ripples in the LCD panel.
There’s a lot of flex in the lid, too. Pressing on the back
of the display also produced quite noticeable distortion.
While
the Rock’s graphics chipset is fine for most purposes -
even many types of games - its 3D mark score of 1839 shows
that it’s not the ideal for playing the latest 3D action
games. It may seem a minor point to pick on, but by including
Windows XP Home, Rock is clearly aiming this laptop at the home
market. This lack of any real gaming power could be a major drawback
for those looking for a machine that will suit all members of
the family.
The
Pegasus DTS has a lot going for it. Its battery life is exceptional.
If you want a system for working, or even watching DVDs on the
move, then the Rock is for you. The screen is fantastic to look
at - if only it weren’t so flimsy. Its lowly 3D score
will also limit its appeal. Compare this PC with our current top
50, the Multivision Solus 1030, which we reviewed in our December
2003 issue. That machine scored over 9000 in 3D Mark 2001, came
with a DVD writer and cost almost 200 quid less than the Pegasus.
You can see why this notebook just missed getting an award.
VERDICT |
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4/6 |