IN BRIEF: With its semi-rugged build quality and extended battery life, the adventure may be just about to start for the Soliton Safari

Elonex is a UK-based company that has been in operation since 1986, selling predominately to the education and corporate sectors. Its laptop range has never been extensive, but in recent months Elonex has started to rectify this. The Elonex Soliton Safari (£1169 inc. VAT) isn’t the most attractive of laptops. Its boxy shape makes it look rather old fashioned. What it does offer, though, is sturdiness. The magnesium-alloy and plastic case is certainly made to last. With plenty of support behind the 15-inch panel and two solid hinges, the Safari proved to be rigid with no signs of buckling when carried.

CONSTRUCTION

Once the lid is open, the same attention to strength of construction can be found. The keyboard sits squarely in the centre of the chassis and is well-spaced. The keys have a shallow amount of travel, but as they lie flush with the chassis, to which they are firmly mounted, we found that the Safari’s keyboard was a pleasure to use.

Powered by an Intel 1.6GHz Pentium M Processor, the Safari has sufficient processing power for most tasks. Add to this 512MB DDR SDRAM and the Safrai is capable of running applications with ease. With a MobileMark 2002 score of 173, we found the system more than adequate. The Soltion Safari has not been fitted with the latest processor, which means there is less strain placed on the system. In turn, this means that less power is used to run the fan, which we found only came on when taxing the system with multimedia such as games and multiple active windows.

While the build quality of the Safari lends itself to a machine ideal for taking on the move, its weight of 3.3kg won’t be a natural choice for the regular traveller. However, with an average battery life, under test, of 250 minutes, it passes the four-hour average we would expect from a laptop of this size. The Soliton Safari is better suited to those users who will carry the laptop from room-to-room, rather than out and about with them.

The 15-inch screen has a native resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels, which is the minimum you should expect from a new laptop. The use of the 128MB ATi Mobility Radeon 9700 assures that users will be able to play the latest 3D games and applications, as reflected in a 3DMark 2001 score of 9076.

Wireless connectivity is now a staple part of many laptops, and Elonex has opted to support Intel’s Centrino branding with the Safari. To qualify for the Centrino logo, the laptop must sport a three-piece Intel solution – a Pentium M processor, the accompanying chipset and the use of Intel’s own PRO/wireless Wi-Fi adapter. The Safari is fitted with the increasingly common PRO/wireless 2200BG adapter, which supports the faster 802.11g, and is also backwards compatible with the older 802.11b standard. A green button above the keyboard switches the wireless LAN feature on and off, with it lighting up to signify the signal strength. The Elonex Soliton Safari is a semi-rugged laptop that offers a great deal in terms of build quality and will suit those looking to take their laptop into rough regions. While its specification was satisfactory, it offered nothing to make the Safari stand out from the crowd. Overall, an adequate laptop that will meet the needs of the office, rather than mobile professional.

PRICE £995/£1169 (EX/INC. VAT)
PROCESSOR Intel Pentium M 1.6GHz
MEMORY 512MB DDR SDRAM
HARD DRIVE Hitachi 40GB
SCREEN SIZE AND TYPE 15-inch TFT
DISPLAY RESOLUTION 1024 x 768 pixels
GRAPHICS CARD ATi Mobility Radeon 9700
DIMENSIONS 330 x 280 x 39mm
WEIGHT 3.3kg
PC CARDS (TYPE II/III) 1/0
WIRELESS LAN 802.11g
ETHERNET Yes
MODEM Yes
USB PORTS 3
FIREWIRE 1
STANDARD WARRANTY 1 yr RTB
WARRANTY UPGRADE none supplied
CONTACT
020 8452 244
www.elonex.co.uk  

VALUE FOR MONEY 7
PERFORMANCE 8
FEATURES 6
MOBILITY 6
BUILD QUALITY 6
OVERALL 7

BATTERY LIFE 250
MOBILEMARK 2002 173
3DMARK 2001 9076