Averatec's new 7100 series of portable computers features a monster 17-inch widescreen display, one of the largest we've seen on a laptop from any manufacturer. And these portable computers start out at under a grand, making them decently priced systems as well.

Averatec builds their 7100 series systems around either an AMD Mobile Sempron or an AMD Turion processor. The baseline 1.8GHz Sempron system, which features AMD's budget processor, starts out at $749.99 and the baseline 1.6GHz Turion system (which runs at lower hertz but provides more power) is priced at $50 more.

These portable computers are otherwise similarly configured, offering 512MB of 333MHz DDR memory. This memory is slower than what you'll find in a lot of portable computers, but these systems support faster 400MHz memory and can accommodate 2GB of memory if you decide to expand the RAM later.

The 80GB hard drive provides ample storage space for the average mobile user. If you need more storage room, the high-end 1.8GHz Turion system in the 7100 series sports a 100GB hard drive, Windows XP Media Center edition, and starts out with a gigabyte of RAM--but it carries a $1,099 price tag.

All of the 7100 portable computers ship with a Dual Layer DVD writer. This optical drive will not only burn to traditional DVDs, but to higher-capacity Dual Layer DVDs which will store up to 8.5GB of data or four hours of high-quality video on a single disk.

The excellent display on the 7100 features a maximum of 1440X900 high definition resolution, great for watching DVD movies or working with two open applications at once. The extra width of this display allows for the inclusion of a 10-key number pad next to the full-sized keyboard, a nice feature for users who perform a lot of data entry. And even with the large screen, these portable computers still weigh in at only a little over seven pounds--not a bad fighting weight for a desktop replacement system.

There's no dedicated memory for the graphics inside these portable computers, but at least it's ATI's Radeon Xpress 200M integrated graphics, providing better performance than more basic integrated options. The 7100 line won't be stellar gaming machines, but they'll handle basic graphics tasks well.

There's no floppy drive, but Averatec does include a 5-in-1 media card reader that supports SD, MMC, xD, and Memory Stick cards. If you have a compatible PDA, digital camera, or MP3 player, it's easy to transfer files or photos from your device to your 7100 system.

There are several connectivity options as well, including three USB 2.0 ports and a Firewire port for hooking up high-speed peripherals. And these portable computers feature a PC Express PCMCIA slot for connecting new faster PC card devices to your system.

Internet connectivity options are top of the line: There's a built in modem as well as integrated gigabit Ethernet, letting you connect to the fastest networks around at speeds of up to 1,000 megabits per second (Mbps). And the integrated wireless on these portable computers is both 802.11b and 802.11g compliant, so you can connect at a variety of wireless hotspots.

Averatec offers only a one-year warranty on the 7100, although you can extend the coverage for about an extra $100 a year. The baseline systems in the line ship with Microsoft's Windows XP Home operating system, but if you need XP Professional or XP Media Center edition, there are Turion systems that offer these higher-end operating systems.

The rest of the software bundle is rather sparse, featuring mainly freeware and trial versions of software. At the excellent starting price of these portable computers, you can pick up the applications you need yourself. We were able to find the baseline Turion system for under $800--a great buy for a 17-inch widescreen portable computer with decent desktop replacement power.

The Averatec 7100 series of portable computers aren't thin and light machines and their memory is a tad slow, but the rest of the system--especially the bright and large 17-inch widescreen display--sure impressed us.


Pros: Beautiful large display, good price
Cons: Slow memory, on the heavy side

Warranty
1-year limited