Hitachi’s first notebook computer features a number of bells and whistles and several innovations, but the machine also has a couple of key design flaws.
With a 120MHz Pentium, 16MB of RAM (expandable to 48MB), a spacious 11.8-inch active-matrix display, a
removable 4x CD-ROM drive, and stereo speakers, the M-120T ($5,299) is a multimedia powerhouse. And the built-in 28.8 fax/modem and 10BaseT Ethernet port leaves the two Type II PC card slots completely free.
Unfortunately,
the machine turns into a ravenous beast when running on battery power. Even after setting the supplied Phoenix PowerPanel utility for maximum life, the Hitachi consistently delivered a meager one and a half hours of uptime from its NiMH battery. What’s worse, the only battery status indicator is a tiny LED that lights up a few minutes before the battery is exhausted (the machine emits a feeble beep at the same time). It’s a good thing Hitachi supplies a stand-alone battery charger, because the computer won’t charge its battery unless it’s plugged in but powered off.
One of the M-120TS most significant innovations is the sliding hinge attached to its display (max resolution of 800×600 and up to 64,000 colors). When opened, the bottom of the panel slides forward so the lid stands perpendicular to the base. This is convenient for working in tight quarters, such as an airline seat, but the hinge consumes real
estate that could otherwise have been used for an ergonomic wrist rest. The hinge also prevents the display from lying flat, so using this computer with a CRT display is problematic because the lid obstructs your view of the monitor. The lid is thin and not at all
strong. Even light finger pressure on the back and sides causes the LCD display to bloom and distort.
Weight, on the other hand, is no problem. The M-120T tipped the scales at just 7 pounds, including the CD-ROM drive, battery, and built-in power supply (all you need is a cord; there’s
no power brick to pack).
The front drive bay accomodates either a removable 3.5-inch floppy disk drive or a CD-ROM drive. If you need both at the same time, plug the floppy into the parallel port. But if you extend the legs on the back of the unit, however, you won’t be able
to open the CD-ROM drive without jamming its tray into your desktop. Can’t you just picture Hitachi’s engineers exploding with a Homer Simpson-style “Dooohl” the first time they punched the CD eject button on a shipping unit?
In our performance tests, the M-120T delivered
under the hood
the brains
CPU…………120MHz Intel Pentium External Cache.256k L2
RAM…………16MB EDO DRAM (48MB max)
Video……….Cirrus Logic-7543 PCI, 1MB DRAM
the brawn
Hard Drive…..1GB-IBM
CD-ROM………4x (removable)
Expansion……2 Type II PC Card or 1 Type III
the beauty
Display……..11.8-inch active matrix
Video……….800×600 max res, 64,000 colors
Sound……….Sound Blaster Pro-compatible,
FM synth
Speakers…….Stereo
Weight………7.3 pounds w/CD-ROM drive
Communications..28.8Kbps modem/14.4Kbps fax;
10BaseT Ethernet, Infrared port
Other……….Built-in AC adapter; 5-year warranty
