AOpen OpenBook 1557GLS

The heart of this Centrino-branded (802.11b/g Wi-Fi-equipped) machine is a 1.8GHz Intel Pentium M processor, 512MB of 333MHz PC2700 DDR SDRAM, an 80GB 5400rpm Fujitsu hard disk and a multiformat DVD writer.

The 15" display supports a maximum resolution of 1400 x 1050 and graphics are served up by a 64MB DDR ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 graphics controller.

The SYSMark 2001 and PC World Bench 5 productivity benchmarks returned high scores of 284 and 80 respectively, and 3DMark 2001 scored an amiable 8738.

This well-constructed model includes essentials like three USB slots, FireWire, 10/100 Ethernet, 56Kbps modem and support for one Type II PC Card. However it has nice touches too, such as S-Video TV-out, optical audio-out, an integrated multi-card reader and Windows-independent CD player and controls located atop the keyboard. Programmable shortcut buttons are on the right of the keyboard. Bundled extras include a Targus carry bag and AOpen mini optical mouse.

With a solid set of features and battery life at a reasonable weight and price, the 1557GLS is a classy offering.