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

HP/Compaq NC6000: Construction - Build, Appearance, Size

From HP/Compaq's Business Notebook line, we have their flagship notebook: the NC6000. This model is similar to the Dell D600 in the sense that it has been on the market for some time, but with the introduction of the Dothan processor, it has undergone a refresh.

As most people undoubtedly know, HP and Compaq are really HP/Compaq, due to the merger. As a result of the merger, the one big company has been integrating the two different engineering teams over time. This means that the HP side may have former Compaq people working on their products, and vice versa. Either way, it is still pretty easy to tell which side designed what. HP designs and those from Compaq each have a certain flare that distinguishes them in the marketplace. And as far as this notebook goes, it has a design feel more reminiscent of the Compaq team.

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This notebook is bulkier than either the D600 or the 320XL, but it is definitely a sturdier design in feel compared to the other two notebooks in this roundup. The casing specifically feels stronger.

The front of the system is fairly straight, with a slight tilt toward the surface on which it sits, by a few degrees. To release the notebook, hold the silver release clip down, which releases two security hooks in the base of the notebook.

Front side (left to right):

• IR port
• Mute button
• Volume down/Volume up

Note that the IR port is placed on the corner. This is going to be a "like it or hate it" point of design, mainly because IR has LOS (aka line of sight) restrictions.

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Left side:

• headphone port
• microphone port
• hard drive door
• Multibay

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Back side:

• Exhaust vent
• Power port
• Serial port
• Parallel port
• S-video port
• VGA-out port
• Ethernet jack
• 2 x USB 2.0 ports

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Right side:

• 2 x PCMCIA slots
• SD CardReader
• Modem jack
• Kensington lock port

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Peculiarly, the NC6000 has a business card holder, which we found to be kind of handy for business users. Measuring in at 12.5" x 10.3" x 1.4" and weighing close to 6 lbs. (ours came in at about 5.8 lbs.), this marks it as the biggest and heaviest notebook of the three.

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