Compaq's newest thin-and-light notebook, the feature-packed Evo N410c, takes battery capability to a new level; this 3.5-pound wonder can hold an amazing four cells at once. But besides burly battery capacity and some other unique features--including the silver MultiPort in the lid for 802.11b (Wi-Fi) or Bluetooth modules--the Evo N410c isn't entirely on the cutting edge. Its 1.2GHz Pentium III-M processor, 256MB of memory, 30GB hard drive, and 12.1-inch display can't touch the specs of bigger notebooks. But these components provide plenty of oomph for a road warrior's typical tasks and don't cost an arm and a leg. And for a few more bucks, you can grab the optional Mobile Expansion Unit--a docking station with two swappable drive bays--to make for a more desktoplike experience. All told, the Evo N410c is a smart choice for corporations looking to outfit traveling employees, even though its ValueWatch rating is only average.From the moment you set eyes on it, you'll know that the Evo N410c looks different. But until you spend a few minutes examining this tiny notebook, you won't be able to tell how versatile it really is.
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The silver MultiPort on the Evo's lid. |
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A raised, silver bump called the MultiPort runs down the right side of the N410c's black lid. Lift the silver cover along this ridge, and you'll find a built-in, USB-based wireless-connection port. The port supports optional 802.11b (Wi-Fi) and Bluetooth modules, and are easy to install by unscrewing the cover, inserting the module, then replacing the screws. This easy-to-access setup will also make it simpler to migrate to future wireless standards, according to Compaq.
Even with the MultiPort, the Evo manages to keep trim at 10.5 by 9.5 by 0.9 inches and 3.5 pounds. However, you should count on this Evo to weigh another 0.75 pounds with the AC adapter.
For such a thin system, Compaq was able to stuff the N410c's case full of ports and slots. The right edge contains jacks for headphones, a microphone, USB, IrDA, a 56Kbps modem, and Ethernet, as well as one Type II PC Card slot. The opposite side features a VGA slot, another USB port, and a Kensington lock slot, while the front edge offers two volume-control buttons. Finally, the back edge includes parallel and serial ports as well as a NTSC/PAL video out. The Evo lacks a FireWire port, but its fast USB 2.0 connections make up for the absence. Plus, you can increase your Evo's ports with its versatile Mobile Expansion Unit (see the Features section of this review for more). 
The ports on the right side. | 
Touchpad and mouse buttons. |
Ports aside, the Evo N410c's bright screen measures an acceptable 12.1 inches with a default 1,024x768-pixel resolution. This notebook's exceptionally comfortable keyboard is nice and wide, with decent-sized keys and an inverted-T cursor pad that is thankfully separated from the rest of the keys. This sort of layout prevents your right pinkie from hitting the up arrow when it really seeks the Shift button. The system also comes with a touchpad, which is planted comfortably in the middle of the wrist rest. Under the touchpad are two slightly small mouse buttons, along with a dedicated scroll button for quick trips through documents or Web pages. Four convenient, programmable application quick-launch buttons lie above the keyboard's upper-right corner. | |
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The Mobile Expansion Unit is also a port replicator, offering extra ports for parallel, serial, VGA, USB, and analog audio-in and -out, as well as two PS/2 slots. While the expansion unit and its complimentary components aren't cheap, companies that already have Evo notebooks or Compaq Armada E- and M-series laptops can save a few bucks by interchanging drives and batteries.
The Evo N410c offers a limited number of configuration options. You can choose a Pentium III-M processor running at either 1GHz or 1.2GHz; a 4,200rpm hard drive at 20GB or 30GB; and 133MHz SDRAM between 256MB and 1,024MB. The screen size and the graphics chip are limited to just one choice each: a 12.1-inch, active-matrix display with a default resolution of 1,024x768, and an ATI Mobility Radeon chip with 16MB of 266MHz DDR SDRAM.
The Compaq Evo N410c is a thin-and-light notebook with great mobile application performance and battery life. With its 1.2GHz Pentium III-M CPU, 256MB of RAM, and 4,200rpm hard drive, it scored higher than competing thin-and-light systems when CNET Labs ran MobileMark2002. The Evo beat the similarly configured IBM ThinkPad X30 by a small amount and crushed the 933MHz Gateway 200 by a significant margin.
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Compaq Evo N410c
| IBM ThinkPad X30
| Gateway 200
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The notebook/laptop is second hand and has some fine handling marks!
You could use it as a thin easy to carry and stylish looking unit or attach the docking station which would be able
