HP Compaq Evo N600c

CNET editors' review

• Reviewed by: Charlotte Dunlap
• Reviewed on: 11/14/2001
• Released on: 11/01/2001

The sleek Compaq Evo N600c's design follows the lead of the Evo N400c, with a color scheme reminiscent of a silver-backed gorilla. The two-inch-wide silver module on the lid of this 1.06GHz Pentium III-M-based notebook is Compaq's MultiPort, a nifty, wireless connection option for 802.11b, Bluetooth, and more. But there's much more than a silver bump here; this $2,538 laptop is also a gorilla when it comes to features and performance. The sleek Compaq Evo N600c's design follows the lead of the Evo N400c, with a color scheme reminiscent of a silver-backed gorilla. The two-inch-wide silver module on the lid of this 1.06GHz Pentium III-M-based notebook is Compaq's MultiPort, a nifty, wireless connection option for 802.11b, Bluetooth, and more. But there's much more than a silver bump here; this $2,538 laptop is also a gorilla when it comes to features and performance.

On the lighter side
The N600c shares the black-magnesium-alloy-with-silver-touches motif seen in rest of the Evo family, although this model is the biggest of the bunch at 1.2 by 12.1 by 9.8 inches--and a surprisingly light 4.8 pounds. The two-spindled design houses 128MB of 133MHz SDRAM, a 20GB hard drive, a combo DVD-ROM/CD-R/CD-RW drive, two USB ports, and two Type II (one Type III) PC Card slots. Unfortunately, the N600c ships with easy-to-lose plastic PC Card dummies, rather than spring-loaded doors. Other ports and slots include one each of the following: IrDA, serial, parallel, VGA, NTSC/PAL video-out, a 56K modem, Ethernet, headphone, and microphone. Swapping options for the modular bay are numerous: DVD-ROM ($345), LS-120 ($199), Zip 250 ($299), extra battery ($184), CD-R/RW ($399), or floppy drive ($69).

The 14.1-inch, 1,024x768 XGA TFT display is one of the sharpest we've seen. The keyboard feels great, with a perfect layout and responsive keys. We like the choice of a pointing stick or a touchpad, although the pointing stick might be set a tad low for some, causing you to hit neighboring keys as you maneuver. Left and right mouse buttons nestle atop and below the trackpad. Four user-programmable buttons reside above the keyboard, which are all preset but can be changed to match your preference. The speakers deliver above-average sound for a notebook.

Now about the silver bump: The Evo N600c includes unique wireless capabilities through its MultiPort, which connects to a USB port on the lid. It lets you connect to multiple wireless standards such as 802.11b or Bluetooth. Compaq also plans to migrate the technology to future wireless standards.

Speed doesn't kill
The N600c's 1.06GHz PIII-M has been eclipsed by faster versions of the chip, but the notebook still cranks out impressive performance scores, even when compared to those of laptops with faster CPUs and more memory. The Dell Inspiron 4100, featuring a 1.2GHz PIII-M and a whopping 256MB of memory, nosed past the Evo N600c in two out of the three SysMark 2001 tests, though the Evo beat the Dell in Internet content creation. Where the Evo N600c really shines, however, is battery life. It made it to the 223-minute mark, easily outpacing the Dell.

We're thrilled to see that Compaq did not saddle the N600c with an all too typical one-year warranty. Instead, the company offers a three-year, worldwide limited warranty that allows for carry-in or pickup service. You also get toll-free phone support 24/7. Various other reasonably priced warranty options are available. Compaq's Web site serves up a variety of useful support resources, including instructions for contacting tech support via e-mail or phone; a searchable knowledge base; and downloadable software, drivers, and user guides.

This reasonably priced and fast notebook comes packed with features and options, including built-in wireless capabilities via the Multiport. It's easy to lug around and a pleasure to use, making it a solid Editors' Choice.

Editor's note: This page has been altered from its original version. Please see our .

See more CNET content tagged:

Compaq Evo,

Compaq Computer Corp.,

Dell Inspiron,

HP,

Intel Pentium

User opinions

WRITE YOUR OWN REVIEW How would you rate this product?

• 9/10 Spectacular June 30, 2005

  by beley (see profile)

  "Excellent Lightweight Business Notebook" Read more >>

• 1/10 Abysmal January 12, 2005

  "Many problems during 3 yr period" Read more >>

• 1/10 Abysmal March 27, 2004

  "OUTDATED!!!!" Read more >>

• WRITE YOUR OWN REVIEWSee all 14 user opinions >>

Similar products

• HP Evo N610c (Pentium 4-M 2 GHz, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB HDD)
  • Editors' rating: 7.9 out of 10
  • Users' rating: 6.7 out of 10
• Compaq Evo N800v (Pentium 4-M, 1.7GHz, 256MB, 30GB)
  • Editors' rating: 7.0 out of 10
  • Users' rating: 10.0 out of 10
• Dell Latitude D600 Notebook Computer for Business
  • Editors' rating: 8.1 out of 10
  • Users' rating: 5.7 out of 10
• HP Evo N410c (Pentium III-M 1.2 GHz, 256 MB RAM, 30 GB HDD)
  • Editors' rating: 8.3 out of 10
  • Users' rating: 6.5 out of 10
• Dell Latitude C640 series
  • Editors' rating: 8.6 out of 10
  • Users' rating: 6.4 out of 10

Where to buy

HP Compaq Evo N600c

This product is not currently available.? Click here for HP's latest offerings