AJP M6000N

When the Dothan processor was announced last month we were given a sneak preview of it in the form of the AJP M6000N (£1408 inc. VAT). However, we were only able to test the capabilities of the processor and not those of the new chassis. This laptop’s base specifications are powerful enough to satisfy the most demanding of users. The Pentium M processor 745 has a clock speed of 1.8GHz and uses the smaller 90nm die-size, but still manages to ramp up the Level 2 cache to 2MB. Supported by 512MB DDR SDRAM this helped to produce a MobileMark 2002 of 169. The use of a Hitachi 80GB hard drive offers a generous amount of storage. The M6000N is billed as a “digital entertainment” system. In the main this means it has a 15.4-inch widescreen display, which offers a native resolution 1280 x 800 pixels and supports the ATi Mobility Radeon 9600 graphics adapter.

Under test, this adapter scored a more than convincing 3DMark 2001 score of 9272, which is enough to run the latest games comfortably.However, what makes the M6000N entertainment focused is the inclusion of four speakers, two of which are fitted below the screen, while the others are located in the base of the chassis at the front of the system. This means the sound quality is far superior to that of the average laptop. While it lacks a sub-woofer in the base of the unit, the placement of speakers offers tone and a reasonable depth of bass.

Widescreen laptops necessitate a wider chassis, and this allows a more spacious keyboard, which in the case of the M6000N is situated in the centre of the chassis. The keys on our review unit were well spaced and had a satisfactory amount of travel.

The AJP M6000N is a fine example of a laptop designed with the home user in mind. The mix of performance and usability works well to produce an affordable desktop replacement laptop that can be used for creating multimedia as well as enjoying it.

RATING: 7

PRICE: £1198/£1408 (EX/INC. VAT)

PROCESSOR: INTEL PENTIUM M 745
MEMORY: 512MB DDR SDRAM
HARD DRIVE: HITACHI 80GB
SCREEN SIZE AND TYPE: 15.4-INCH TFT
DISPLAY RESOLUTION: 1280 X 800 PIXELS
GRAPHICS CARD: ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9600
DIMENSIONS: 355 X 275 X 35MM
WEIGHT: 2.9KG
STANDARD WARRANTY: 1 YR RTB
WARRANTY UPGRADE: 1 YR EXTENSION £99
CONTACT: 0208 208 9739 WWW.AJP.CO.UK

TEST RESULTS

BATTERY LIFE: 231 MINS
MOBILEMARK 2002: 169
3DMARK 2001: 9272