Nuggets: NEC notebook is nifty but noisy

Slim's definitely in and they don't get much more anorexic than the Versa Lite FX. So if looking 'The Dude' on the plane or the train is your thing, you'll dig this silver clad looker... Coupled with that all-important aesthetic is the Versa's performance, which really is rather good.

There's a Celeron 400MHz processor running the show with 64Mb SDRAM and 4Mb SDRAM video memory, giving ample speed even when you're running memory intensive apps like games or database software.

In the top left hand corner there's one of those handy pop-out adapters to get you going on the Net. All the built-in extras work fine but the choice of mouse -- it uses a finger-tip pad -- is questionable...

Peripherals attach via various cables that live under concealed hoods around the edges of the unit... Roll on Bluetooth then. The external CD-Rom drive is 24-speed and although it does the job admirably it really must be one of the noisiest drives in the world!

NEC sort it out, nothing more annoying on a plane than a suit-clad exec running some whirring motor while the rest of us are trying to get some zzzzzs.

So what's this £1,129 (+VAT) little beauty like to work with?

NEC has done a great job putting the Versa together without going over 2Kg but it's the screen that steals the limelight... No matter what you're viewing, it's 12.1in viewable TFT with rich colours and clarity.

Keypad does the job but could be a bit quieter (what with the CD-Rom whirring and the buttons tapping it sounds like a Mini Minor that's just lost its big end!). There's also plenty of expansion room with three USB ports, although getting a typical PDA to synch is a nightmare because it doesn't have a female com port.

The Versa is a top of the range glamour model that'll make you look the part and certainly won't let you down when you need power and speed... just don't start it up while anyone's sleeping!

Specification:

I love gadgets so take me to the Nuggets Special page NOW!