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WHAT'S HOT: Like its predecessor the R32, the ThinkPad R40 stuffs so many great features into a lightweight unit that you'd never know it's supposed to be a bargain-line notebook. The modular bay and easy-to-use keyboard are just the beginning: The 6.3-pound (not including power adapter) R40 is the first two-spindle ThinkPad you can order with a 15-inch screen and dual pointing devices (previously available only with the ThinkPad T series). It's also the first of any of IBM's ThinkPads to have USB 2.0 ports (two of them), and the first with built-in antennas that support both Wi-Fi (802.11b) wireless networking and the faster 802.11a standard. (Our test machine wasn't completely wireless ready--like some configurations, it lacked the necessary wireless mini-PCI card, which costs about another $50 for Wi-Fi. And the 11a/11b card that makes full use of the dual antennas was not available in time for our review.)
The R40 bundles three swappable caps for the eraserhead pointing device, including the new Soft Rim...