The LG P1 Pro Express Dual notebook is a sturdy new addition to LG's mobile PC range, and offers some nice features including a crisp LCD screen and a full size keyboard with a number pad. The P1 Pro Express uses a 32-bit installation of Windows Vista Business edition and performed without any noticeable performance problems during our tests.

The Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 (1.66GHz) CPU is no powerhouse, but it still performs reasonably well for most common tasks. We stress tested the CPU by encoding 53 minutes of WAV files into 192Kbps MP3 files, which the P1 Express completed in just over two minutes 45 seconds. This is not an especially impressive result, but it is indicative of the processor and with the 1GB of DDR2 667MHz RAM installed, the system handles a fair amount of multi-tasking before it begins to slow down.

The 15.4in screen has a native resolution of 1280x800 and is one of the nicer notebook screens we've seen from recent review models. The viewing angle was good at sharp vertical angles where many notebooks lose image clarity and both the brightness and contrast levels were good. The housing around the screen is sturdy and rigid and allows very little flex in the LCD panel.

The keyboard is comfortable to use, but the inclusion of a number pad is particularly nice and will suit both number crunchers and gamers. However, gaming is not this machine's forte. It comes with an ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 graphics card, which is enough to allow Windows Vista to run the flashy Aero interface. It scored 10686 in 3DMark 2001 SE which indicates it will handle older games, but don't expect it to run any of the latest 3-D games.

A 100GB hard drive and a DVD re-writer comes installed for any storage requirements that might be needed. A 5-in-1 media card reader will facilitate the transfer of photos from xD, MMC, MS/Pro and SD memory cards and a collection of ports and wireless connectivity, including one FireWire port, 3xUSB 2.0 ports, Gigabit LAN, a 56k modem, Bluetooth 2.0 and WiFi 802.11 a/b/g provide all the other connections that are commonly used. For Video out there's a VGA port and also an S-Video port.

We drained the battery by looping a DVD to determine how long the system would last under the worst conditions (a DVD rundown uses all the core components, plus the speakers and optical drive), which the LG P1 Pro Express endured for one hour and 45 minutes. This was a little more than was needed to complete one loop of a feature film and is a fairly normal result for a notebook of this size and power.

This unit comes with a biometric fingerprint scanner for a more secure login and also has a DirectMedia button above the keyboard which is essentially a shortcut key for Windows Media Player. There are also volume controls and an SRS button for simulated surround sound. Physical volume controls are surprisingly handy and a welcome addition, since changing the volume within Windows difficult in a pinch. The SRS is hardly a replacement for true surround sound, but it does widen the soundscape and also gives more volume to otherwise soft speakers.