This thing looks really impressive. It won the 2006 best of the best red dot design award. Here are some links:

product page from LG

Recent digg story (claim "World's slimmest laptop")

A review from NotebookReview !

I think the design and size probably caters to people who frequent these forums, but in particular, NotebookReview said this about it - "If you want thin, light, quiet and cool, this is the notebook for you."

I wish SPCR could review this thing and put it under some more rigorous tests! And since this site usually has a great eye for quality, I'd like to see what they think about its construction.

Apparently it's already on sale in Canada.

I like the LG notebooks. You should go to a local pc store, and check some out. There a computer stores, that specialize in laptops only.
Thanks

I've read nothing but good things about this notebook, and I actually just ordered one for myself.

I don't have a way to objectively measure the noise it makes, but I'll give you my opinion of it within the next week or so.
As of now, I can just say what looks promising, beyond the reports of a smooth, quiet fan:
1) The case is slim, and well built, so it may dissipate heat better than some of the cheap, plastic notebooks (hopefully without becoming a stove like the Macbook Pro )
2) The graphics are integrated and the processor is entry level core duo, probably the best option right now.
3) The hard drive is a 4200 RPM 1.8 inch drive. Ironically, this is what the reviewers of this notebook usually complain about, but I'm optimistic that it will be as quiet as the drives in most portable media players.

Unfortunately, what I probably won't be able to tell much about is the embedded TPM chip. LG states that its only purpose is to make the fingerprint reader operate at a hardware level for security reasons, but I don't trust it. I'll check if it can be disabled in BIOS, anyway.

Well, I received the T1 this morning.

As I said, I can't give accurate noise measurements, but I will say that it's a very quiet notebook. The noise character in idle is very smooth, and hard to hear without putting one's ear next to the exhaust vent. Its pitch is only slightly higher than that of air turbulence from a larger desktop fan. However, there is a slight, but quite muffled, clicking sound that picks up when the HDD is in use. This type of noise does't bother me, and it's still quite quiet, but it's something to be aware of for those who hate seek noise in any form.

The BIOS menus don't offer any voltage options, but there are different settings for fan control (cool, normal and quiet). I'm running in normal mode, because I think the notebook is quiet enough, honestly. Cetainly, I can leave it on when I'm sleeping in the same room (I'll be in a dorm next year). Fortunately, the cool option probably isn't necessary in most environments (even the normal mode might be overkill): the T1 is never hot. Only one small section of the bottom gets luke warm under heavy usage. I'll get exact numbers later if anyone needs them.

Please, ask me if you have any other questions about the T1. I think it's a fabulous notebook for non-gaming users who don't need a lot of storage. It has an aesthetic that many SPCR members will appreciate.

So does that mean the fan is always running? Or does it shut off from time to time?

What's the battery life like during normal usage? Does it seem easy to potentially change the hard drive (for those who may want more space)? Other than that, I've got nothing.

The fan can be either always on or thermally controlled. On default settings the fan is always on when using AC and temperature controlled when using battery power. I think the three modes (cool, normal, quiet) control either the constant fan speed or the temperature thresholds, respectively.

I don't really know how to accurately measure battery life. I think I can get at least 4 hours of regular browsing/office tasks off of the battery, but so much of battery life depends on the usage. Just your preference of screen brightness has a huge effect (I'm used to full desktop monitors, so my screen is usually kept at 6/8 brightness during the day.)

I don't know if the hard drive can be removed easily, but you would have to open the notebook up. In any case, there may not be reason to do so in the near future. I haven't heard of any 1.8 inch drives being released with more than 60gb. Seagate is going to release a 60 gb 1.8 inch drive soon, which may be quieter, but if it's plagued with the loud seeks of their other recent drives it won't be much better.

The LG site says it's an 1.5 GHz LV processor but notebookreview has an 1.66 GHz version. Guess it's still an LV ? (if not that would probably impact on the noise).

Which one do you got?

Any comments on the this sound? (from the notebookreview.com review)


Or is perhaps the noise seeks you described?

I'm a bit puzzled by the battery. Theres talk about a 6cel battery but isn't that one included to start with?
Or is it bigger? (poking out of the laptops case)

Other than the size (I think it's a bit too big with a 14.1" screen but haven't found a good laptop (worth it's price) with a smaller screen (I'm also quite picky )) is that the (excellent) finish might wear of and spoiling the looks completely after some time.
Of course hard to comment on when it's new.

Judging from the pics, that's one sweet looking laptop . I recall hearing that a while back, LG used to work with IBM in producing notebooks, and that they still have some ex-IBM engineers on teams that make the high end models for LG. Could you echo in on the build quality (ie if the screen is flimsy or not, keyboard tactileness)?

There are different versions of the T1 (I think the only difference is the processor, but I could be wrong), but at this point you're likely to find either the 1.66 GHz or the 1.83 GHz versions. Those are the two that are available in Canada anyway.

Thanks for the quote about the plunking sound. I wondered what that was. It's infrequent enough, and dull enough that I find it more endearing than annoying, but it's a subjective sort of thing.

As far as the build quality, I think it's wonderful. However, my only experience has been with my brothers dell laptop from 4-5 years ago and the notebooks on display at the apple store. Needless to say, the T1 is much sturdier than the Dell, and on par with the apples (more compact, though). The screen does ripple if you press on the back, and there is some flex if you bend at opposite corners, but this is yet to be an issue during any normal usage, and I can't imagine how it would be.

The keyboard is surprisingly nice. The keys do have a clicky sound, but that's to be expected. All in all, they feel quite solid. Also, I don't know if this is a standard feature or not, but the keuyboard tray can be pried out after removing some screws in the back. I'm yet to try it because of warranty concerns, but it's nice to know that I'll be able to stop excessive dust/grime buildup. Just the thought...ewww.


After having spent some more time with the notebook, I realize it may not be for every silencer. Seattle is feeling some serious heat right now, by which I mean high 80's (it's a lot for me anyway), and if I use CPU intensive applications in the early afternoon the fan ramps up quickly. The fan is pretty pleasent even then, but combined with the hard drive it's no longer the quietest option available.
However, as I'm typing right now when it's a bit cooler out, the notebook is dead silent. The fan is off, and the hard drive isn't being used, so really think about your usage patterns and climate before choosing this notebook. It has the potential to be an ideal quiet notebook, but it can also be pretty average in that respect.

Hi folks

I was wondering if the LG T1 Notebook would meet some of my requirements. So I hope some of you would be kind enough to help me out )

I am very hysterical about designs, so obviously I've fallen in love with the T1.

I am looking for a new notebook for my studies and home use. So it has to be silent, so it can run in an auditorium without disturbing the people sitting around me.

I often have a bunch of applications running simultainiously, such as:

Severel browser windows, Photoshop, misc text editors, graphing tools as Origin Pro, music, instant messaging and so on.. Yes on the same time.

And it must be strong enough to be able to handle some Molecular Dynamics simulations. My current 3 years old laptop dies when running these simulations.

I also wish to watch some movies.

So my question for you guys/girls is:
"Will the T1 from LG be sufficient to meet my requirements?"

I appreciate any help and please excuse me for any spelling or grammar errors; I'm not english ;o)

Thx guys

From

Tissie

Thanks for the feedback. I guess few (non-passive) notebooks are silent when stressed. And for me thats OK, it's not that often that you stress a laptop and when you do noise doesn't have high priority.

I have found a 2 GHz model as well. The price difference isn't that steep (compared to the other versions) but I have only found that one in non-reliable stores.

What makes me wonder is that the T1 uses a low voltage CPU. And according to the intel site (assuming it is up to date?) the fastest Low Voltage CPU available is the L2400 (1.66 GHz).

The 1.5 and 1.66 GHz has the same power requirements (15W - accoring to intel, probably a TDP value around ~80% or something).

But that means that the 2 GHz version isn't a low voltage CPU, and the power requirements for that CPU is 31W.

That would probably spoil both the noise and the battery life. Certainly not worth it for me atleast. Anyone knows anything that confirms this?

The TDP for that CPU is 31W. It will likely draw less than half that at idle, due to a Speedstep implementation which allows independent, dynamic clock scaling and voltage adjustments of the Core Duo.

Of course, but the TDP for the Low Voltage CPUs are 15W. They also will likelty draw less than half than that at idle...

That's not true actually. Since they are already optimised up to their eyeballs for low power, the downclocking and downvolting does not produce such a great reduction in power (% wise). Law of diminishing returns.