Inside, the W5Fe has a pretty powerful set of components. The laptop uses an Intel Core 2 Duo T7400 processor clocked at 2.16GHz -- which is only a couple of rungs off the top-spec 2.33GHz chip. You also get 1.5GB of RAM -- 1GB on a standard SODIMM module and half a gigabyte soldered directly on to the motherboard.
Games with 3D graphics are a no-no because of the integrated Intel graphics card, but the W5Fe is definitely more powerful and well kitted-out than most laptops its size.
The 160GB hard drive is generous considering the W5Fe's bias towards business users. It's big enough to stash a couple of hundred DivX movies should you be that way inclined, or to hoard over 45,000 audio tracks. Unsurprisingly, the laptop has an integrated DVD burner -- this is the dual-layer variety so you can burn up to 8.5GB of data to compatible DVD-R media. You also get a multimedia card reader supporting most popular formats.
One of our least favourite things about the W5Fe is its screen. It's big enough at 12.1 inches, and its 1,280x800-pixel widescreen resolution provides a good blend of screen real-estate and visibility. But it's not quite bright enough, the contrast level is a tad low, and the vertical viewing angle is limited. You'll need to have the screen at just the right angle or you won't be able to see a thing.
There's nothing exciting bundled with the laptop software-wise -- basically, you're stuck with Windows Vista Home Premium.
Performance
Don't be fooled by the W5Fe's size. It packs a potent CPU and enough RAM to put it in line with most high-end laptops. It racked up a strong PCMark 2006 score of 2,318 -- which indicates it'll cope happily with any current piece of consumer-oriented software.
It's less impressive in gaming terms, however. Its 3DMark 2006 tally of 199 makes it useless for modern 3D shooters, although you can get away with playing older titles like the original Quake and less graphics-intensive games such as Football Manager.
A far more important issue is battery life. The W5Fe's stick-like 3-cell battery doesn't look as if it could hold much charge, and indeed it cannot. The laptop lasted 1 hour 48 minutes in our tests, which is okay for watching a movie on your travels, but we'd recommend buying an extra battery if you're away from a power outlet for any length of time.
Conclusion
The W5Fe is a good laptop. It looks a tad dull, but let's not forget the SideShow screen that lifts it way above the ordinary. If you reckon you can make use of this auxiliary display, perhaps when some better gadgets have been written, then its worth picking up. If not, we'd go for something like a Dell Latitude D420, which is more portable, has better battery life and integrated HSDPA wireless Web access.
Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Nick Hide
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