AMD and The Push in the Mobile Market

Compaq Evo N1015v Notebook Review

This content was originally featured on Amdmb.com and has been converted to PC Perspective’s website. Some color changes and flaws may appear.

AMD has been attempting to get into the mobile market of sales for as long as I can remember. Their initial attempts were less that successful with the K6 line of processors. Yes, they did make a slight dent in the otherwise impenetrable armor of Intel, but their products were never looked at in the same light. They were big, bulky and not as powerful or fast as their Intel powered counterpart machines.

With the release of the first Athlon XP processors based on the Palomino core back in October of 2001, AMD has been touting their readiness to enter the mobile market. The process of their entry has been slow and tedious, to say the least. With each processor release from AMD on the desktop market, a corresponding release of the mobile processor was also usually announced – but we rarely saw any products available to users for months at a time.

The reason was simply because AMD didn’t have the same number of companies wanting to use AMD processors in the laptops. When Intel releases a new mobile chip, the infrastruture is already there and the necessary research and development is very fast. But in AMD’s case, system builders nearly had to start from scratch and that is why we see such a long delay between product releases and product availability.

Just another point in the same manner is that the laptop review that you are reading today is based on the Athlon XP 1800+ processor – one that was released to the mobile market on July 15th, 2002.

processor and memory
CPU / processor  min: Athlon XP1400+ (1.2 GHz)
max: Athlon XP2000+ (1.67 GHz)
cache description  256KB L2 cache
memory description  min: 128 MB
max: 1024 MB
video
display size  13.3, 14.1 or 15-in TFT XGA or 15-in TFT SXGA+
display resolution  External video: Up to 32-bit per pixel color depth. Supports 640 x 480, 800 x 600, 1024 x 768, 1280 x 1024, 1400 x 1050, 1600 x 1200, or 2048 X 1536 resolutions up to 160-Hz refresh rate dependent upon monitor capability, resolution and color depth settings.
video adapter description  ATI Radeon IPG video graphics with 16MB DDR SDRAM
storage
hard drive  min: 20 GB
max: 40 GB
optional modules  8X DVD/CD-RW combination drive, 16X CD-RW drive, 8X DVD-ROM drive or 24X CD-ROM drive
audio and ports
audio  JBL Pro Speakers with bass reflex and 16-bit stereo sound; Dedicated hardware volume controls; headphone-out port, microphone-in port
I/O ports  Enhanced Parallel EPP/ECP; and 2 USB Ports
communications  Type III Mini PCI 56K (V.92) modem
slots  One Type II PC Card slot which supports both 32-bit CardBus and 16-bit PC Cards
power  External 90-watt AC adapter, 6-foot power cord included. Total length including External AC adapter is 12 feet .
keyboard  102-key compatible keyboard with isolated, inverted-T cursor control keys, and right-control key, special feature hotkeys for instant access to power conservation, toggle between internal and external, or simultaneous displays, and control brightness and contrast.
mouse / pointing device description  Touchpad with 4-way scroll
software
operating system  Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional Edition or Microsoft® Windows® XP Home preinstalled with support for Windows 2000
drivers and utilities / pre-installed software  Diagnostics for Microsoft Windows; DVD Playback Software; Compaq Security Management; Safety and Comfort Guide; Compaq Power Management Acrobat® Reader; Reference Guide; Norton Internet Security; Compaq Easy Access Button Software
software included  Diagnostics for Microsoft Windows; DVD Playback Software; Compaq Security Management; Safety and Comfort Guide; Compaq Power Management Acrobat® Reader; Reference Guide; Norton Internet Security; Compaq Easy Access Button Software
manageability
security management  Configuration Control Hardware; Memory Change Alert; Ownership Tag; Set-up Password; Power-On Password; Enabled for PC SmartCard options; Kensington Lock
mobility
weight  From 6.6 lb.
dimensions
(w x d x h) 
12.89 x 10.53 x 1.55 in.
warranty and support  One-year, Worldwide Limited Warranty, pick-up or carry-in. Warranty term upgrades and toll-free 7 X 24 hardware technical phone suport available. Certain restrictions and exclusions apply.
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