Pegasus DTS

IT Reviews (January '04)

Notebook PCs are not only a lot more convenient than desktops, they're also close to being better equipped. There's less scope to add extras to a notebook yourself, so clever suppliers are adding in more and more of what you could want to their brand new machines, as is the case here.
The Pegasus DTS notebook is a smart silver and slate-grey machine, based around a Pentium M processor running at speeds up to 1.7GHz. The unit reviewed here runs at a clock rate of 1.4GHz and comes with 256MB of memory and a 30GB hard drive. So far so good, as these three core components give a good turn of speed for its class.
However, the system also uses an Intel 855GM graphics processor, which nicks 8MB of main memory to use for video. Although widely used in notebooks, this technique limits the graphics performance of the system, so it's never going to excel at, for example, 3D action games.

The notebook uses a widescreen TFT display with a 15.4-inch diagonal, offering a maximum resolution of 1,280 by 800 pixels. This is ideal for viewing DVD movies and the Pegasus DTS comes with a CD-RW/DVD combo drive, which plays them cleanly and without any break-up. Unusually, a miniature camera module is fitted just about the LCD display, so the notebook is also well-equipped for video-conferencing.
The unit also has all the connectors you would expect, with two USB 2 ports, a miniature FireWire socket and connectors for modem and 10/100Mbps Ethernet. There are sockets for an external monitor and an S-Video port for a TV connection, with Intel-based wireless LAN as an alternative to a wired link.
The audio system is quite special, as in addition to the small speakers at the base of the hinged lid, two panels either side of the keyboard provide extra audio output. The sound is good for a notebook, but you still shouldn't expect much in the way of bass output.
Under test, the Pegasus DTS produced an acceptable Windows applications performance result, given the specification of the laptop. The result from the 3D graphics test was less inspiring, though. This could restrict the games you can play, and is a result of the memory-borrowing graphics controller mentioned above.
Rock rounds the whole system off with a three year collect and return warranty - well above average cover - and copies of Ability Office and Panda Anti-Virus. There's a useful, leather-look carrying case in the box and the laptop has a battery life of up to 4.5 hours, thanks to the Centrino chipset.

Rock - Pegasus DTS features - Verdict
The Pegasus DTS notebook is a well-appointed machine, suitable for application work on the move, wireless Internet and video-conferencing and for some entertainment uses, though not necessarily the latest games. It's a high value, portable workhorse from an established supplier.

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