Sharp MV1214

Lots of connectivity options and good battery life make this a capable portable.

Price: £1299

Manufacturer: Sharp

Ratings

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Verdict

Pros:

Connectivity; battery life.

Cons:
No software bundle; one Type II PC Card slot; graphics.

Verdict:
The MV1214 is a good-value notebook computer with plenty going for it.

Scott Colvey, Personal Computer World 14 Jan 2004

Another page, another review of a new notebook - a sign of the mobility trend currently pervading all things computing. Indeed, this latest portable PC from Sharp - the uninspiringly named MV1214 - sports an Intel Centrino badge, marking it out as a machine designed specifically with mobile-working in mind.

Centrino is an umbrella brand for a number of technologies and design specifications intended to improve the portability of notebook computers. Principal among these innovations is the integration of Wifi as standard. The idea is that any notebook bearing the Centrino badge is able fresh from box to hook up to a Wifi network, and so it is with the MV1214. Flip open the 12.1in XGA, 1,024 x 748 resolution screen and, assuming there's an 802.11b access point in range, the MV1214 will communicate with it, though obviously, you'll need the appropriate network settings.

Next on Intel's list of Centrino requirements is 'breakthrough mobile performance'. While this might sound fancy it is an essentially meaningless phrase, as the MV1214's performance bears testament. A Sysmark score of 148 is by no means poor for a notebook, but nor does it represent a breakthrough in mobile computing power. Indeed, once the slack graphics performance - a result of Sharp's reliance on low-rent integrated graphics hardware - is factored in, the MV1214's test showing appears decidedly average for a machine with a 1.4GHz processor and 256MB of memory. In short, there are much faster notebooks on sale.

Third on Intel's Centrino-badge-earning crib sheet is 'extended battery life'. This again is a hollow expression - extended when compared to what? Some notebook batteries are capable of powering their host machines for an entire working day, while others will give up the ghost after little over an hour. Sharp claims that the MV1214's lithium-ion battery will power the notebook for up to five hours when away from a mains electricity socket. However, as is so often the case, our exacting tests proved this boast to be more than a little optimistic. Pressed to run a variety of real-world applications and processes, the power cell conked out after two hours, 59 minutes. Considered in the context of the wider notebook market, a minute short of three hours is good for a machine of this size and weight, but - Centrino badge or not - the discrepancy serves to highlight the take-with-a-pinch-of-salt nature of manufacturers' battery-life bragging.

The final condition Intel lays down for entry into the Centrino club is 'thinner, lighter designs'. Sharp's interpretation of this is a machine measuring 28.2 x 23.9 x 2.9cm and weighing 1.9kg. Not that thin then, but reasonably lightweight considering it packs an integrated CD/DVD-RW combination drive. Assisting the operation of this device is the Sharp-FX DVD-optimisation application, which supposedly improves the look of images when playing movie discs. That's all well and good, but we suspect potential buyers would prefer software that would allow them to be more productive. As it is, the only other software pre-installed on the MV1214's 40GB hard disk drive is the operating system - Windows XP Home.

Physically, the notebook feels pretty sturdy, though the limp-wristed dust flaps covering the network and VGA connectors let the side down a little. In addition to these connectors, the MV1214 has a pair of USB2 sockets and a Firewire port on its rear side. On the left-hand side is a solitary Type II PC Card slot, headphone and microphone sockets and a volume dial (the machine's built-in speaker is suitable for little more than functional audio).

The case's silver-and-black colour scheme is easy on the eye and when open and in use the machine looks good. The keyboard feels good under the fingers, though the elongated, half-height Enter key is annoying. Below resides an expansive touchpad, with the requisite left and right buttons which all function just fine, while the XGA screen is bright and clear to all corners. In summary, it's a lovely machine to use, so long as 3D-game playing isn't on your agenda.

Contact: Sharp 0800 056 5732
www.sharp.co.uk

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