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A near perfect portable - Compaq's Contura 420C notebook computer - Hardware Review - Evaluation
Rick Broida

WIN 95/ WIN DOS If you're putting off buying a notebook until the "perfect portable" comes along, your wait may be over. Compaq's new Contura 420C delivers a splendid blend of power, comfort, software, and support, all for an estimated street price of $2,499.

The guts of the 6.25-pound Contura make it as suitable for the desktop as it is for the road: an Intel DX4/75 processor, 8MB of RAM, a BIOS that supports Plug and Play peripherals, a 3.5-inch disk drive, and a 350MB hard drive. That last number is a bit small, but Compaq also sells the Contura with a 420MB, 540MB, or 720MB drive. The 420C boasts a 10.4-inch passive-matrix color display that's as sharp and bright as some dual-scan screens we've seen.

An optical trackball is sandwiched between two large buttons on the unit's wrist rest. The ball itself is comfortable enough, but the buttons are annoyingly stiff. Contura's full-size keyboard, on the other hand, ranks among the best we've tested, but it's also the reason the Contura is a bit larger than average. At 9 by 11.9 by 2.2 inches, the Contura will undoubtedly push the boundaries of your briefcase.

Compaq bundles the unit with a variety of applications, including Microsoft Works, Lotus Organizer, Gold Disk's Astound CSE, and Quicken Special Edition. There's also an abundance of communications software, including WinFax Lite, WinComm, and start-up kits for CompuServe and America Online, but none for Prodigy. If you wish to add a fax/modem, you can simply slide one into the Contura's Type II or Type III PC Card slots.

Like all Conturas, the 420C employs Xerox's TabWorks as a replacement for Windows's Program Manager. Novices will appreciate this tabbed-folder approach to organizing and accessing applications, and experts can easily override or uninstall TabWorks if desired.

By the time you read this, the Contura should be shipping with Windows 95. That's part of what makes the unit's Plug and Play feature so appealing. If you use any of the 420C's expansion ports (which include serial, enhanced parallel, and SVGA) or purchase Compaq's optional docking station, you'll be able to enjoy the benefits of Plug and Play technology.

The first time you power up, the 420C launches a self-running software installation routine. This loads and configures Windows, TabWorks, and the other applications. Our only gripe is that it took nearly an hour to complete, even though the documentation claims it requires only 20 minutes. Plus, the Contura doesn't include original software disks. You can pay extra to get them from Compaq or use an included utility to back up the entire hard drive.

Compaq redeems itself for these less-than-ideal solutions by backing the Contura with a three-year warranty and 24-hour toll-free technical support. That kind of service is virtually priceless.

Is the Contura 420C the perfect portable? Well, except for a few minor flaws, it's dam close.

Details

Compaq Contura 420C Notebook

Manufacturer: Compaq, 800-888-5858 List/Avg. Street Price: $2,599/$2,499 Key Specs: Intel DX4/75 processor, 8MB of RAM, 350MB hard drive, Plug and Play BIOS

A near perfect portable - Compaq's Contura 420C notebook computer - Hardware Review - Evaluation
Rick Broida

WIN 95/ WIN DOS If you're putting off buying a notebook until the "perfect portable" comes along, your wait may be over. Compaq's new Contura 420C delivers a splendid blend of power, comfort, software, and support, all for an estimated street price of $2,499.

The guts of the 6.25-pound Contura make it as suitable for the desktop as it is for the road: an Intel DX4/75 processor, 8MB of RAM, a BIOS that supports Plug and Play peripherals, a 3.5-inch disk drive, and a 350MB hard drive. That last number is a bit small, but Compaq also sells the Contura with a 420MB, 540MB, or 720MB drive. The 420C boasts a 10.4-inch passive-matrix color display that's as sharp and bright as some dual-scan screens we've seen.

An optical trackball is sandwiched between two large buttons on the unit's wrist rest. The ball itself is comfortable enough, but the buttons are annoyingly stiff. Contura's full-size keyboard, on the other hand, ranks among the best we've tested, but it's also the reason the Contura is a bit larger than average. At 9 by 11.9 by 2.2 inches, the Contura will undoubtedly push the boundaries of your briefcase.

Compaq bundles the unit with a variety of applications, including Microsoft Works, Lotus Organizer, Gold Disk's Astound CSE, and Quicken Special Edition. There's also an abundance of communications software, including WinFax Lite, WinComm, and start-up kits for CompuServe and America Online, but none for Prodigy. If you wish to add a fax/modem, you can simply slide one into the Contura's Type II or Type III PC Card slots.

Like all Conturas, the 420C employs Xerox's TabWorks as a replacement for Windows's Program Manager. Novices will appreciate this tabbed-folder approach to organizing and accessing applications, and experts can easily override or uninstall TabWorks if desired.

By the time you read this, the Contura should be shipping with Windows 95. That's part of what makes the unit's Plug and Play feature so appealing. If you use any of the 420C's expansion ports (which include serial, enhanced parallel, and SVGA) or purchase Compaq's optional docking station, you'll be able to enjoy the benefits of Plug and Play technology.

The first time you power up, the 420C launches a self-running software installation routine. This loads and configures Windows, TabWorks, and the other applications. Our only gripe is that it took nearly an hour to complete, even though the documentation claims it requires only 20 minutes. Plus, the Contura doesn't include original software disks. You can pay extra to get them from Compaq or use an included utility to back up the entire hard drive.

Compaq redeems itself for these less-than-ideal solutions by backing the Contura with a three-year warranty and 24-hour toll-free technical support. That kind of service is virtually priceless.

Is the Contura 420C the perfect portable? Well, except for a few minor flaws, it's dam close.

Details

Compaq Contura 420C Notebook

Manufacturer: Compaq, 800-888-5858 List/Avg. Street Price: $2,599/$2,499 Key Specs: Intel DX4/75 processor, 8MB of RAM, 350MB hard drive, Plug and Play BIOS

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