The M4000 WideNote excelled when it came to battery life, running for 5 hours, 19 minutes on a single charge. For users who want even more time away from the wall socket, a Mobile button next to the speakers automatically adjusts system settings for maximum battery life (CNET did not test this feature). By contrast, the TravelMate TM3002WTCi ran 4 hours, 49 minutes, while the Averatec 4200 lasted only 3 hours, 33 minutes. Three hours of battery life is the average for this category.
Even though it's aimed at roving businesspeople, the M4000 WideNote comes with a one-year warranty--well short of the three or four years of coverage we'd expect for a corporate system. The company offers adequate online support, with downloads of key software, updates, and manuals, but the site lacks a chat room or online troubleshooting. On top of Sharp's 24-hour toll-free hotline, you can send an e-mail to tech support representatives; the company promises to answer within 24 hours.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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BAPCo MobileMark 2002 performance rating |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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BAPCo MobileMark 2002 battery life in minutes |
Find out more about how we test Windows notebooks.
System configurations:
Acer TravelMate TM3002WTCi
Windows XP Professional; 1.73GHz Intel Pentium M 740; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM PC3200 400MHz; Intel 915GM/GMS, 910GML Express 128MB; Hitachi Travelstar 60GB 4,200rpm
Averatec 4200
Windows XP Home; 1.6GHz Intel Pentium M 730; 512MB DDR SDRAM PC2700 333MHz; Intel 915GM/GMS, 910 GML Express 64MB; WDScorpio WD800UE 75GB 5,400rpm
Sharp M4000 WideNote
Windows XP Pro; 1.73GHz Intel Pentium M 740; 512MB DDR SDRAM PC3200 400MHz; Intel 915GM/GMS, 910GML Express 128MB; Fujitsu MHV2080AT 60GB 4,200rpm
Sony VAIO VGN-S470P
Windows XP Pro; 1.73GHz Intel Pentium M 740; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM PC3200 400MHz; Nvidia GeForce Go 6200 128MB; Fujitsu MHT2080BH 80GB 4,200rpm
