BIOS: Technology Means Business

Rock’s latest mobile offering features the latest Intel Core Duo processor technology and is pitched at the mobile professional. Encased in a thin and lightweight design and sporting some noteworthy niceties - such as Wi-Fi and a 1.3-Megapixel Web camera - the Pegasus 550N (from £799) is one of the best value dual-core laptops available. But as a business machine is lacks some core features, like security and long battery life.

With its two execution cores, Intel’s Core Duo processor is optimised for multi-threaded applications and multitasking. You can simultaneously run multiple demanding applications such as graphics-intensive games or serious number-crunching programs - while downloading music or running virus-scanning security programs in the background.

Intel’s Core Duo processor also enables your Intel Viiv technology and Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology multimedia experience to be all the more vibrant. Featuring Intel Digital Media Boost, the Core Duo processor enables accelerating technologies for applications such as CAD tools, 3D and 2D modelling, video editing, digital music, digital photography and gaming.

The black-and-silver Pegasus 550N offers a respectable balance of features and performance, but it’s far from being the best business laptop or even a decent multimedia workstation - mainly thanks to the basic Intel Graphics Media Accelerator. The 15-inch SXGA+ (1400x1050-pixel) display is bright enough for most duties and a battery life of around 3 hours makes it reasonably well suited to professionals on the move. At just 2.5kg (333x276x33mm), the Pegasus 550N is also light on the shoulders.

Technical specifications of the base model include an Intel Core Duo T2400 (1.83GHz) processor, 512MB DDR2 SDRAM (supports up to 2GB), 60GB 5400rpm HDD (upgradable to 120GB), and 8x DL DVD±RW burner. Connectivity options are also relatively impressive considering the size of the machine, comprising a single 4-pin FireWire port, three USB 2.0 ports, Express Card Slot, Gigabit LAN, headphone and microphone ports, 56K modem, VGA-out, S-Video out, S/PDIF, and 3-in-1 memory card reader (SD/MMC/Memory Stick). Rock even offers an optional USB DVB-T TV tuner, although these can be purchased by a number of third-party manufactures.

Unlike most ThinkPads (still our favourite business laptops), which have both trackpad and trackpoint, the Pegasus 550N has only the former. Touch typists, however, will like the spacious keyboard layout and light keystroke, and the two mouse buttons are quiet and far enough away from the keyboard to be comfortable. Plus, there is a nice extra - three dedicated buttons under the screen can be programmed to launch dedicated applications. Less impressive is the lack of a fingerprint reader to bypass password entry, any media controls, or even a dedicated on/off switch to toggle Wi-Fi. You can forget about Bluetooth too!

We really liked the built-in Web camera, which is useful for Web conferencing and IM sessions with friends and family, but the lack of a ThinkPad-like keyboard light may be an issue if you spend a lot of time taking notes in dark places like conference halls or on flights. Rock doesn’t offer a docking station either, a device which clips to the bottom of a laptop and replicates ports.

While you needn’t be a suit to appreciate a business laptop like the Pegasus 550N, there are better systems if you need a more productive and secure mobile workhorse. For those who don’t do much aside from Web surfing and editing Microsoft Office documents, though, the Pegasus 550N has more than enough processing power - it’s still significantly faster than a single-core system. If you’re concerned with Vista compatibility down the line, upgrade to at least 1GB of RAM. [6.5]

[Best Laptop Pricing UK]
[Best Laptop Pricing US]

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