Dell's Inspiron 700M series of notebook PCs target the go-anywhere crowd with their thinness and lightness. Starting at just over four pounds and only 1.5 inches thick, you can toss an Inspiron 700M into any shoulder bag and barely feel like you're carrying around a full-featured computer.

And it's a pretty powerful PC, svelte as it is. There's a 1.6GHz Pentium M processor inside (which you can step up to a 1.8GHz CPU for $255), and 256MB of DDR memory. You can double that RAM for an extra $113, and the Inspiron 700M will house up to 2GB of memory, so you have room to upgrade later.

The 12.1-inch screen is smaller than that of most laptops, but it's still sharp and bright enough to enjoy watching a DVD or work without squinting. The default optical drive is a combo CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive, so in addition to watching movies, you can burn your own audio and data CDs.

There's a 30GB hard drive, providing a decent amount of storage space for large files and installations. The graphics are integrated and share memory with the main system, so it's not a great gaming machine.

In addition to a modem and Ethernet interface, there's wireless connectivity built in, so you can connect your Inspiron 700M to the Internet from almost any location. The default battery lasts just over two hours, so if you need more on time between recharges, opt for the $50 8-cell battery upgrade that more than doubles your battery life.

It's a two-spindle notebook, which means there's no room for a floppy drive, but you can add an external model for $42 or snag a 64MB Dell USB drive for only $26.

The software bundle includes Microsoft WordPerfect, so if you need compatibility with Microsoft Office, you'll need to upgrade. The Office-compatible WordPerfect 12 suite will cost you an additional $44 or you can opt for the Works Suite, which includes Word 2002, for $26.

Dell's Inspiron 700M systems start at $1,189, a good price for a thin-and-light system with a hefty array of components.

Pros: Very thin and light, good performer
Cons: Integrated graphics, small screen


[Note: In 2006, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of about 2.7 million lithium-ion battery packs used in Dell laptop computers. To learn more, follow this link]

Warranty
1 year limited