Everex NC1500: world's most energy-efficient laptop

Everex today claimed that it has produced a laptop with record-breaking low power consumption. The StepNote NC1500 uses a 1.5GHz VIA C7-M mobile processor, minimizing the effect of the CPU as the single largest contributor to a portable computer's overall power consumption. The result is a maximum 12 watts of power use at peak performance, Everex says. A combination of this and the use of low-energy S3 integrated graphics and a 4200RPM hard drive produces as much as 20% additional battery life while still offering a 15.4-inch display and built-in 802.11g wireless. The choice of components also helps trim costs as well, according to Everex. Despite the inclusion of a DVD rewriter, the NC1500 is shipping for $498 in a standard configuration that also includes 512MB of RAM and a 60GB hard drive. The company says its newer StepNote should be available now at Wal-Mart as well as some computer resellers.