Compaq Armada M300

A compact sub-notebook with good processing power, but at a stiff price
Clumsy and obese laptops have given way to a new generation of sub-notebooks. These are slim and light, and easier to carry. They’re in fact trimmed down versions of full-fledged notebooks, the difference being in features, size, and sometimes, even the processing power. 

The Compaq M300, though it falls in the sub-notebook category, is actually
power-packed. It boasts of an Intel Mobile PII/333 MHz processor, and ships with 64 MB RAM and a 6 GB hard disk. It also has an in-built 56 kbps modem.

It has a 11.3” TFT active matrix panel, which is sharp and clear, with an ATI Rage Pro with 4 MB VRAM for display. However, its touchpad needs some getting used to. And its small size gets in the way of typing.

The M300 has a single Type II PC card slot, which is typically used for connecting modems and network adapters. Most laptops have two such slots. In any case, you shouldn’t miss it much as the notebook already has a built-in modem. It has a single USB port, and one serial port. There’s no PS/2 port for connecting an external keyboard. Others connectors include a VGA connector for your external monitor, a parallel port, and an infra-red port which is a boon for infra-printing (for this, your printer must also have an infra-red port). The floppy drive has to be attached through an external connector on the notebook. 

The notebook’s battery design is different from that of its counterparts. Its tubular shape protrudes out of the back, doubling as a rear elevator for the notebook. This is supposed to make typing more
comfortable, which we found to be true for short periods. For longer periods, however, the keyboard’s small size makes it cumbersome anyway. 

The notebook has an optional docking station called MultiBay Mobile Extension Unit, which costs an additional Rs 42,000. With it, you get a 24x CD-ROM drive. You can also add a DVD drive, a super disk, a second hard disk or even a second battery. However, connecting the docking station blocks the USB port, making it unusable. 

The M300 came to us with Win 95 OSR 2.1 pre-installed. Performance was pretty good, though it occasionally failed to shut down properly. It performed well with common office applications, like word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and presentations. Music sounds nice on it too, and you can connect external speakers for better effects. We also tried playing some games on it. Quake II gave good frame rates, and was pretty smooth. However, navigating through the game was a bit clumsy with the keyboard. But then, a laptop isn’t designed for gaming.

This model of M300 will be available till April this year. After that, the same model will be available with a Mobile PIII processor at the same price. All said and done, a sleek notebook that is a good performer, but at a stiff price.