Xeno-m

Hit Award
Computer Shopper (March '03)

“Stylish notebook with a good configuration and some decent upgrade options”

The Xeno M notebook from Rock is available in three basic configurations; this model is the most powerful of the three. The core configuration of this notebook is based around a generous 512Mb Ram and 40Gb hard drive, in addition to the dedicated Mobile Pentium 4 processor at 2GHz.

Video performance here is driven by the common SiS 650 chipset. This lacks power for gamers, but is otherwise competent. The DVD/CD-RW drive writes at 8X and the 14.1” screen is of excellent quality. The connections found on the Xeno M include a single PCMIA card slot, four-pin IEEE 1394 (Firewire) port, Ethernet and modem, TV and VGA outputs, PS/2, headphones and microphone sockets, three USB ports and integrated wireless networking.

The keyboard and touchpad are large, well organised and sturdy, with additional up and down scroll buttons adding functionality. Copies of both PowerDVD XP and McAfee VirusScan are bundled.

Rock offers several upgrade options. For an additional £323.13 including Vat, Ram can be increased from 512Mb to 1Gb using DDR Ram. You can also upgrade from 40Gb to a 60Gb hard disk for around £90, or buy an optional internal wireless card (£80).

This notebook looks good and performs equally well. The silver and blue finish is subtle and smart, and the Xeno M looks quite slim. The video chipset limits performance as a gaming system, but for most potential buyers this won’t be a problem. In tests battery life was just over two hours and the notebook performed well in BapCo tests.

The Xeno M is suitable for almost every use. It has a good collection of connectivity options and a strong hardware configuration. The generous three-year warranty accompanies Rock’s good upgrade options. This is an excellent, well-rounded notebook that performs impressively.

Return to reviews index >>