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Written by Sasa Pantelic
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Wednesday, 13 June 2007 |
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Page 2 of 9
Our impressions of the previously tested LG mobile computers are pretty pale. Although they were always of a decent quality and a solid price-to-performance ratio, they were quite “impersonal”. That is what usually kept the buyers away from them.
| | LG P1 PRO | LG S1 PRO | | Processor | Intel C2D T5600 @ 1,83 GHz | Intel C2D T7200 @ 2 GHz | | Chipset | Intel i945PM | Intel i945PM | | Memory | 1 GB DDR2 | 1 GB DDR2 | | HDD (GB) | 100 | 100 | | Storage | DVD +/- RW DL | DVD +- RW DL | | Graphics | ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 | ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 | | Display | 15,4 (1280x800) | 15,4 (1280x800) | | OS | Windows XP Home | Windows XP Professional | | Price (€) | 1180 | 1530 |
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With the LG notebooks we have on test this time round, the situation is a great deal different, especially when talking about the S1 Pro model. LG S1 Pro Express Dual has a slightly cubic, but still interesting and likeable design.
The bright keyboard will not suit everybody's taste and it is prone to getting dirty, but looks pretty elegant combined with the black lid. Keyboard colour is probably one of the reasons that a cleaning cloth is supplied with each notebook. The notebook itself is of a very good production and firm construction, and the screen also deserves compliments. The keyboard is very good, containing the numerical part and clearly separated cursor keys.
As far as the performance is concerned, which is what probably interests you the most, the S1 is not really that great. The only notebook with weaker results is actually the other LG model we have on test. As the processor is obviously more than enough powerful, it is clear that the problem is in the graphics subsystem. ATi has not really shown great results. It's hard to say why the more powerful ATi mobile chips are not present in the market, but what can be found certainly cannot compete with nVidia's solutions. The bad results are thus not LG's fault, who tried to offer as many things as possible in their notebook.
Alongside the fingerprint reader, which is probably not too important to gamers, there are also several interesting extras. Even though the gaming is not exactly its field, the S1 is fantastic in multimedia. The most useful and most unusual gadget is definitely the small remote control, which can be placed in the ExpressCard slot while travelling. That way, it is always at hand, while also being protected from any damage. Although thin, this little thingy does its job very well. Its goes without saying what comfort it gives while watching movies or listening to music. The signal at the headphone output is unusually strong, with the TruSurround XT technology also beneficial for the sound quality. If your choice is instant fun, DirectMedia is there to help. Only a touch of the front-side button is enough to start the application for watching movies or listening to music.
Passionate gamers will not be too happy with this notebook, but if you're looking for a well rounded-up fun-machine, the S1 is a very good choice.
LG P1 Pro Express Dual has somewhat rounder bezels of the silvery lid, while the keyboard is basically the same as with the S1 model. The small “Enter” key is compensated by the additional “Enter” on the numerical part, located in the lower right corner. Thanks to this position, it won't be long before you get used to using this one instead of the usual one. The screen is somewhat worse than the one found on the S1. Performance is unsatisfactory for any, even casual, gamer, so some other characteristics, such as the best battery autonomy of all the notebooks tested, simply become – unimportant. This model also has the sound-quality improvement system implemented.
What is also interesting is the driver installation process. When you run the LG Intelligent Update program (supplied on the bundled DVD), you can choose whether to install drivers from the disc, or the latest versions directly from the internet. A solid body and a large number of connectors would probably be more important elsewhere, but in the gaming world, LG P1 has a side role.
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