| Performance | 9 | |
| Setup and Ease of use | 9 | |
| Service and Support | 10 | |
| Features | 8 | |
| Design | 9 | |
| Overall | 9/10 | |
Call centers, customer-service departments, and other staff-intensive (read: crowded) businesses need computers that are easy to deploy, even in cramped cubicles. Compaq's Evo D500 Ultra-Slim does a good job of fulfilling this specialized need by combining the best aspects of a notebook--a modular drive system, a wireless LAN module, and an overall efficient design--with the power and comfort of a desktop. And it looks good, too. About the size of a black, silver-accented pizza box, the $659 D500 can sit horizontally as a desktop or vertically as a tower (Compaq provides a stand for the latter position). Inside lies Intel's latest 1.3GHz Celeron, along with 128MB of SDRAM and an Intel 815e graphics chipset. A roomy 5,400rpm, 20GB hard drive completes the basic setup. Like most business systems, our evaluation unit came with just the operating system (Windows XP Pro) installed. It's also available with Windows 2000. Although integrated graphics systems tend to hobble performance, the D500's speed in mainstream applications surprisingly exceeded that of comparable systems, such as the Hewlett-Packard e-PC 40 and the Dell SmartStep 100D. It even looked pretty good compared to the iBuyPower Value XP PC, an i845/SDRAM-based 1.6GHz Pentium 4 system we tested recently; the Evo D500 was just 14 percent slower in SysMark 2001 benchmarks overall. We attribute this phenomenon to the different fabrication technologies used by the chips; the current Celerons are manufactured using .13-micron technology, while the Pentium 4 chips used in the above systems were made with a .18-micron process. A smaller process generally improves performance. The one area where the Evo D500 failed to impress was in 3D graphics--not surprising, given the Compaq's integrated i815 graphics engine, which uses 4MB of system memory. Its flabby 9.9 frames per second (fps) in Quake III Arena automatically restrict it to the mainstream business users who will make up the bulk of the Evo D500's customer base, for whom gaming is a low priority (at least in the office). Graphics pros and low-end CAD users would clearly need a different system that had a full-fledged, powerful graphics card. But the thing to remember about slim-line PCs such as the Evo D500 is that they're built to balance performance with space efficiency and ease of use. Take the D500's modular design; like its predecessor, the iPaq, it includes the same lockable MultiBay drive bay that's compatible with many of Compaq's Evo notebooks. The stock 24X CD-ROM drive can pop out to make room for a $189 DVD-ROM drive, a $249 CD-RW drive, a $99 floppy drive, or even a second $160 10GB hard drive. Sliding levers make swapping modules easy. We also appreciate the built-in speaker, which sounds good enough for business audio and eliminates the need for bulky external speakers. The D500 also sports a MultiPort socket that, in our configuration, held an 802.11b wireless LAN module (a Bluetooth option is also available). During our informal tests, the module worked like a charm. Within seconds of booting the system, Windows XP Professional detected our wireless router, and in short order, we were surfing the Web. The system also has an integrated 10/100 Ethernet adapter for wired networks. What the Evo D500 doesn't have it lots of room for expansion--which is why connectivity is even more important. The legacy-free D500 serves up five USB ports: four at the rear and one in front (alongside headphone and microphone jacks). If you need to connect older peripherals, Compaq's $49 Legacy module plugs in to provide one parallel, one serial, and two PS/2 ports. We liked the peripherals that came with the Evo D500 as much as we liked the computer. Our test unit came with Compaq's $479 TFT5015 LCD, one of numerous CRT and LCD options available at various price points. The crisp, bright, 15-inch display is a big improvement over most 17-inch CRT monitors we've seen, and it saves on space and energy as well. We also liked the springy black keyboard, with its eight programmable quick-launch buttons for applications, Web sites (Compaq presets them to some business-oriented URLs), or file access. Compaq's exemplary warranty covers parts, labor, and onsite service for three years as well as toll-free, 24/7 technical help. The company also offers a variety of service and support upgrade CarePaqs. Unfortunately, the documentation for the Evo D500 was not ready when we reviewed the system. All we can say is that we needed it, if only to figure out how to remove the plastic panels from the rear and side of the case. Loosening the pair of thumbscrews should have afforded easy access, but for some reason, it didn't work. Why would we need to get inside the system? To connect the aforementioned Legacy module and perhaps to install a larger hard drive, for example.
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The Lowdown: The Compaq Evo D500 Ultra-Slim capably juggles the charms of slim-line PCs--the slender profile and ease of use--with the inherent compromises in expandability and performance. It's faster than other slim-line models we've tested, and its modular bays and ports make it more flexible as well. If you're going to go slim, this is one of the best solutions we've seen.
ConsumerLowdown Rating:
