Mid-sized Dothan Notebook Roundup: Dell, Gateway, and HP/Compaq

HP/Compaq NC6000: In the Field (cont.)

Display

Overall, this is the brighter and crisper display between the three notebooks. The text is just slightly crisper than that of the display on the D600. But unless you had both side by side, it would be hard to critique the display on the NC6000 as a system alone. Considering the berth of notebooks with 14.1" SVGA+ displays that we have used, this numbers as one of the higher quality ones in the display department.

LEDs

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The LEDs are cluster in two spots: on the lip of the left front side of the notebook and on the left side above the keyboard. The LEDs above the keyboard indicate (left to right): number lock (green when active), caps lock (green when active), and scroll lock (green when active). The LEDs on the lip of the notebook indicate (left to right): wireless (blue when active), power (green when active), battery status (green when charging and flashing orange when low), hard drive activity (flashing green when active), and multibay activity (green when active).

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The only downside to this implementation is that you need to remember the positions of the LEDs in order to know what the light represents when the symbols are not visible (i.e. in a dark room).

Charger

The charger is just the kind of design that we like: a small brick with a non-angled plug design, which makes it easier to plug in with less fuss. In our opinion, it would be nice if HP/Compaq designed some sort of a cable strap to reduce the amount of cable clutter, particularly for those on the go, which Dell has done well with their power bricks.

Click to enlarge.