Chunky desktop replacement has great battery life.
Editors' note: At press time, we were unable to find this configuration of the G40 listed for sale on IBM's site or at major online retailers. However, IBM representatives say that customers can order this configuration by calling the company at 888/746-7426. Other configurations of the G40 are readily available at IBM's Web site and from other online sellers.
WHAT'S HOT: IBM's new budget desktop replacement notebook features a steeply inclined case for more-ergonomic typing; wedge-shaped, the ThinkPad G40 slants from a tall 2.25-inch height at the hinges to 1.5 inches in front. Typing also benefits from IBM's signature keyboard design, which features one-button access to the slick animated electronic manual, as well as keys that depress deeply and quietly.
Like all the latest ThinkPads, the G40 comes with three different caps for the pointing stick: a soft textured version, one with a distinct rim, and the original stiff design. Our review machine's 12-cell battery lasted nearly 4 hours on one charge. The G40's cup also runneth over in USB 2.0 ports, with two on the left and two on the back.
WHAT'S NOT: Although it performed about as expected for a notebook equipped with a 2-GHz Celeron desktop CPU, the G40 attained a PC WorldBench 4 performance score of just 84, which is rather disappointing compared with the marks of similarly priced desktop replacements such as the Premio Kaypro A1100, which scored 108 using a 2-GHz Pentium 4 desktop processor.
Some aspects of the G40's design are a little disappointing. Considering the screen measures only 14.1 inches (rather than the common 15 inches), the notebook is heavy, weighing over 8 pounds without the power adapter. (A true brick, the adapter adds a pound and a half to the weight, for a total package of 9.7 pounds.) In addition, the G40 has the same removable hard drive design as other ThinkPads (the drive slides out the side after you remove a retaining screw), but the drive in our test machine was so sticky we had to force it out using a flat screwdriver. The notebook's sound was subpar, too: Though you get the same handy volume buttons above the keyboard that other ThinkPads feature, the G40's weak, flat audio may be the poorest of any ThinkPads we've reviewed.
WHAT ELSE: The G40 is basic for a ThinkPad. For mouse functions, it has only a pointing stick (not the touchpad-and-pointing-stick combination offered on the R series). The floppy and optical drives are fixed, rather than mounted in modular bays that accept other devices (such as a secondary battery or hard drive). Missing also are most of IBM's quirky but welcome proprietary features, such as the ThinkLight LED that helps illuminate the keyboard in the dark and the USB UltraPort located in the lid for attaching small devices such as a digital camera. The G40 lacks FireWire and TV-out ports (though it has a new function-key shortcut for switching to an external display). Graphics memory is borrowed from main system RAM, which contributes to the notebook's lower performance. However, the all-in-one G40 does excel in legacy features, including a parallel port, PS/2 (keyboard and mouse) ports, and the floppy drive, which is on the left side (opposite the optical combination drive on the right). The notebook comes with built-in 802.11b wireless network capability as well.
IBM reaches too far in describing a new "feature," the EasyPivot base, as a way to adjust the position of the notebook on a desk. The so-called pivot is nothing more than a large plastic bump on the bottom rear of the notebook.
UPSHOT: Small-office users who need a PC they can schlep between meeting room and desktop without worrying about battery life or compatibility with older peripherals might take a look at the ThinkPad G40. But buyers willing to forgo IBM's pricey brand name can find more-powerful and lighter desktop replacement models for around the same price.
SUMMARY
IBM ThinkPad G40
PC WorldBench 4 score of 84, 2-GHz Celeron processor, 256MB of DDR266 SDRAM, Windows XP Professional, 14.1-inch active-matrix screen, Intel 830MG graphics using main memory, 40GB hard drive, 8X DVD-ROM and 24X/10X/24X CD-RW combination drive, built-in V.90 modem, built-in network adapter, built-in 802.11b Wi-Fi, eraserhead pointing device, 9.7 pounds (including AC adapter and phone cord). One-year parts and labor warranty, 24-hour daily toll-free tech support.
$1449
888/746-7426
