Xeno-m

Computer Shopper (June '03)

5/5 Stars

Features
Rock’s Xeno-M is one of the smallest and most portable notebooks on test:it weighs 2.82Kg and measures 37x307x272mm.The system has a DVD/CD-RW drive, a PCMCIA card slot and three USB2 ports, plus a four-pin FireWire port. However there is no wireless networking option.

Style
The Xeno-M is very stylish. It has a metallic blue lid and a silver finish. The keyboard is divided into character and function keys, and four hot keys are situated on the front panel. Keyboard size is limited by the small chassis, as is the 14.1” screen. Still the keyboard is comfortable to use, as is the touch pad.

Performance
The Rock has a battery life of 142 minutes, which is above average. It is also an excellent performer, scoring the highest result of all eight notebooks. This reflects strength in all areas of its core configuration: a 2GHz Intel Pentium 4 Mobile processor, 512Mb Ram, a 40Gb Hitachi hard disk and the SiS650 graphics chipset.

Verdict
This is an excellent notebook. Not only is it portable, stylish and fast, but it also comes with decent software and a three-year collect and return, parts and labour warranty. Rock charges £116 for a spare battery.

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