The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
I've currently got one on loan from work. It's a decent laptop, but there are better options. The main chassis is built well, but the lid has lots of flex, and it doesn't take much to make the screen ripple. It's decently quick with a Pentium M and 512MB of memory, but the Mobility Radeon 9000 is no great performer for graphics. On top of that, battery life is mediocre at best, especially for a thin and light, and I usually get less than 2.5-3 hours on it. The palm rest also gets really hot on the left side, making it uncomfortable to type on after a while.
The touchpad also seems really sluggish, but it has an eraser head if you so wish. The screen has a good resolution for a 14" (1400x1050 usually), but the screen definitely looks washed out compared to modern laptops. It also only has 2 USB ports, but features legacy serial ports if that's what you need. Wireless is just 802.11b, which is pretty slow as well. You'd probably be better off getting a D610 or a D520/531 for not much more. You'll get less age, less wear and tear, and 4 USB ports rather than 2. You'll probably also get 802.11g wireless, which is much faster.
I found one for my daughter very cheap $275 several months ago. Its a 1.6/512/40gig/centrino. She likes it. I have seen the same model sell on ebay for over $400. Hers does a have a slight warping on the seam at the botton of the lcd corner by the hinge. The screen is dull. No scroll. But its her first laptop. Excellent starter or backup GL
I have bought two D600's in the last two months (need to update my sig line). Both from Ebay sellers with 99.8% or better ratings. Both of the lcd's are bright and you can make them ripple - but it isn't easy because the lid is magnesium. Easy to get parts for - pretty good battery life and rugged. My daughter's first D600 will be four years old in August and still running strong - and she's had it in three countries in Africa since January. If you don't have to have a widescreen lcd - then I highly recommend the D600's.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.
