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Paul Cesarini

I recently wrote an article comparing the new iBooks to various Wintel-based laptops, in terms of price/performance, weight, and features. Overall, the iBook handily bested the competition, with perhaps the Sony Vaio All-in-One coming in a distant second. Basically, there simply weren't any Wintel laptops under 4.9 pounds, with a 12.1" XGA display, a built-in optical drive, and the usual host of built-in ports (ethernet, USB, modem, video-out, FireWire, etc.), for under $1500. Laptops in that price range typically weighed-in between 6.5 - 7.2 pounds, and required add-on PC cards for ethernet and related ports. Well, that was last week. NEC just introduced a new Versa line that appears to stack-up well against the new iBooks in all categories but one.

The new TXi Versa has a laundry list of iBook-like features. It is a full pound lighter when equipped with the 24x CD-ROM drive, and weighs just slightly more with the optional CD-RW / DVD combo drive. As Apple hasn't yet published any weight difference between iBooks with different optical drives, it's not possible to determine the exact weight difference between higher-end iBook and Versa TXi models. NEC actually claims their Versa weighs 3.5 pounds, but that's with the special weight-saving "VersaBay Modular Slot" installed, and no optical drive. The Versa would weigh even more if the included USB floppy drive was factored-in. However, since the iBook doesn't come with one, it didn't seem fair. [As for the whole "Is a floppy drive even necessary?" argument, let's not go there.]

The Versa sheds this extra pound through an entirely magnesium case, unlike the combination polycarbonate case / magnesium frame of the iBook. Dimensions are also similar, at: 11.1" x 1.3" x 9.4", compared to the 11.2" x 9.1" x 1.35" of the iBook.

The Versa TXi also sports a 12.1" XGA (1024x768) screen, and a seemingly identical 8mb Rage Mobility M1 graphics processor. Video-out, USB, ethernet, modem, and even FireWire are all built-in. The included battery is LiON, though the exact watt hours is unknown.

The base model Versa TXi raises the bar against the base model iBook for both ram and hard drive. It ships with 128mb standard (which Apple should really do with the iBooks), and a 20gb hard drive, also standard.

As for processors, the versa TXi ships with a 750mhz Pentium III. I've received numerous emails from both hardcore Mac fanatics and diehard Wintel users debating comparable processor speeds. Yes, I realize that Apple claims PowerPC processors are twice as fast as similar mhz Wintel processors. I also realize that many of these claims are based on the G4 Velocity engine, which the iBook, of course, doesn't have. To be fair, the mobile version of the 750mhz Pentium III doesn't compare to the regular version used in desktop computers. Sacrifices have been made to reduce heat and extend battery life. For the sake of argument, I'm going to say a 500mhz G3 is roughly equivalent to a 750mhz Pentium III for most day-to-day uses. Let the email fly...

So why am I writing this? Why, in an unabashedly pro-Mac forum, am I extolling the virtues of a new Wintel laptop? Admittedly, I do think this new Versa is one of the better choices out there if you had to buy a Windows-based portable. It compares favorably against just about any other 12.1" laptop around. There is, however, a catch -- and it is also the reason why I'm writing this. This new NEC Versa TXi compares extremely well against the new iBooks, and even beats them hands-down on the whole weight issue, but it costs over a $1000 more.

Apple iBook	NEC Versa TXi
500mhz PPC G3 12.1" XGA screen 8mb Rage Mobility 4.9 pounds 24x CD-ROM 128mb ram (added) 20gb hard drive (added) LiON battery ethernet, modem, USB, FireWire, video-out 3-year warranty (added) Cost: $1798	750mhz Pentium III 12.1" XGA screen 8mb Rage Mobility 3.9 pounds (w/CD-ROM drive) 24x CD-ROM 128mb ram 20gb hard drive LiON battery ethernet, modem, USB, FireWire, video-out 3-year warranty Cost: $2799

Do the math: One pound lighter = $1000 more. Is it worth it? My $1000 figure is not based comparing base model to base model. To get a fairly even comparison, I had to beef-up the ram, hard drive, and warranty of the base model iBook. And, no, I haven't yet looked at comparing the higher-end configurations of these two systems, though I'm guessing the cost is at least as disproportionate.

You could argue, perhaps with some success, that the Versa and the iBook are targeted toward different demographics, with different needs, and different budgets. The Versa TXi appears squarely aimed at the upscale executive crowd and will likely compete head-to-head with the Sony Vaio line. The iBook is, of course, geared toward students. Executives and businesses generally have more money to spend than do students and schools, right? Yet, the question remains: even though the iBooks are geared toward the education market, if their features stack-up so well against business-class Wintel laptops that cost $1000 more just to maintain feature parity, why wouldn't the iBooks be great for the business market, as well?