NEC Versa LXi

The NEC Versa LXi is a portent of good things to come. Even though it’s a preproduction sample, there was little to fault with this notebook.
The most obvious drawback with the Versa LXi is the chunk factor. It’s the biggest notebook in all dimensions, and it’s heavy — its travel weight is 4.3kg. Another negative is its equally hefty price tag of $8,999.
If aesthetics are your thing, then you’re in for a disappointment. There’s little to admire in this notebook; it’s straight, square and fairly unimaginative. And that’s about all of its failings.
In the tests, it performed very well; it scored equal first in the Ziff-Davis FPU WinMark 99, but not as high in the CPUmark 99 test. The hard drive, although not the fastest, was quite good in both the Business and High-End Disk WinMark 99 tests, coming third and fourth respectively.
Graphics are a strong point with the Versa LXi. It uses an S3 Savage MX graphics processor and scored highly in the Business Graphics WinMark 99 test, average in the High-End test and left every other notebook choking on its dust in 3D Mark 99 Max. Like the Gateway Solo 9300 XL, the Versa LXi has a large 15.1 in TFT screen to take advantage of its graphics processor.
The preproduction model came with a CD-ROM drive; a DVD-ROM drive would have been so much better. Its battery life was the third longest in this review, lasting a respectable four hours in BatteryMark.
NEC is pitching the Versa LXi as a desktop replacement for the business sector, and its the first notebook to really justify the label. It has enough grunt to take on any demanding work tasks, and would be just as suitable for home use or gameplay.