Product Listing

BenQ Joybook P41 (AMD Turion 64 X2)

By Vincent Chang - 22 Jul 2006

So it's a Notebook

So it's a Notebook

While AMD intended its Turion 64 X2 for the thin and light segment of the notebook market, the BenQ Joybook P41 fits neither criterion. Not that there is anything wrong with that. The weight is around 2.3kgs with the battery included, making it quite handy, especially with a reasonably petite 14.1-inch display that's the main determinant of its dimensions. That's still not under 2kg, unlike those truly belonging to the thin and light segment but the Joybook P41 does have its 8x, dual layer DVD burner integrated into the unit. The notebook is quite thin, varying from 2.3 to 3.6cm and depending on the few custom configurations available. In short, you can carry the BenQ Joybook P41 around quite comfortably for some time although it may not quite match the portability of the true lightweights.

The notebook itself will probably not draw too much attention as you bring it around. The standard black is matched with chrome trimmings at the side and BenQ's silvery logo is predictably displayed in the center. The surface is a smooth plastic matte and from our experience, is thankfully not a magnet for fingerprints. Overall, the appearance is rather undistinguished and simple, in fact resembling quite a few of BenQ's other Joybook designs.

Besides the host of indicator lights, there's only the microphone and audio jacks at the front of the notebook, which is the logical position for them anyway.

The DVD burner is found on the right, along with one USB 2.0 port and the power jack.

This notebook is not that really big on the connectivity options, though it does have the essentials and some. Here we see the VGA analog out, a S-Video out, a RJ11 modem jack, a RJ45 Ethernet jack, the last of the USB2.0 ports and an ExpressCard slot.

The standard inputs like Ethernet and USB ports are all present on the BenQ Joybook P41, along with an ExpressCard slot. Notable exceptions to the list however include the 'phantom' memory card reader (despite being listed in the specifications on BenQ's website) and those who do video editing may rue the lack of any IEEE 1394 FireWire ports. The good is that wireless LAN is native to the Turion 64 X2 Mobile Technology platform and our review unit came with Bluetooth, which is optional according to the website. The budget nature of this notebook is probably the reason for the less than comprehensive options.

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