BenQ Joybook R45

By Craig Simms
Price as reviewed $1199

BenQ's Joybook R45 is a good laptop at a great price — and will be even better once you get an extra gigabyte of RAM in there.

Design
The Joybook R45 is an odd mix between premium and entry level. It's certainly built solidly enough, and when closed it paints quite the attractive picture. Even the brown vinyl surrounded by a silver trim, designed in faux-leather style gives it a nice, refined touch, if a little fake.

The standard battery extends beyond the back of the laptop, but only slightly, and given the laptop's 14.1-inch size this shouldn't cause any issues with fitting it in satchels or laptop bags.

The interior is a mix of black, silver, grey and a single red trim, along with glowing red buttons for power and wireless — giving the impression that we were typing on a Cylon, which is all types of cool. Nonetheless, the cheap silver plastic may offend some in its old-school nature, and the single bar used as a both left and right mouse buttons requires far too much pressure to activate.

Features
Being a mainstream laptop, the R45 comes with a fairly standard set of ports — four USB, HDMI, D-Sub, FireWire, headphone/microphone, Express card, SD/MS card reader, and gigabit Ethernet and modem jacks.

A DVD+-RW sits on the right-hand side, a 2-megapixel camera on the top, while internally the machine is driven by an Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 (2.1GHz), 1GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce 8400M G graphics chip, and a 160GB hard drive split equally into two partitions. Those who want to do more than just office work or internet browsing may wish to upgrade the 1GB RAM to 2GB, especially since the laptop runs the resource hungry Windows Vista Home Premium.

Crapware is kept surprisingly light, the only annoyances being the bundled Arcsoft webcam software which pesters you to register (and is also very slow to load); Trend Micro's antivirus which also harasses you to register for a 90-day trial (and although it only requires an email address; we do wonder when antivirus firms will start harvesting personal information much like the malware they're trying to stop); and BenQ's bundled "Q-MediaBar 2", an annoying program which consists of a big "Qmedia" logo, around which rotates program shortcuts in 3D. Sounds impressive, but sadly is not, and you'll be switching it off quickly.

Performance
3D performance was expectedly low considering the GeForce 8400M, scoring 1,125 in 3DMark06 — this is not a gaming laptop. In PCMark05 the R45 scored 4,397, making this more than adequate for day-to-day tasks and office usage.

Turning off all the power-saving features, setting the screen brightness and volume to maximum, we played back a DVD to stress the system. Under these conditions, the battery lasted one hour, 24 minutes and 41 seconds. Obviously under normal office conditions with power-saving features turned on it will last significantly longer.

BenQ's Joybook R45 is a good laptop at a great price — and will be even better once you get an extra gigabyte of RAM in there.

Specification
Battery

* Battery type included
* Lithium-ion

Connectivity

* Network interface
* 10/100/1000 LAN, Bluetooth, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n

* Dialup modem
* Yes

* USB ports
* 4

* Firewire ports
* 1

* Firewire type
* 400

* VGA
* Yes

* HDMI
* Yes

Display

* Natural resolution (max)
* 1,280 x 800 pixels

* Diagonal screen size
* 14.1 inch

Drives

* Primary hard drive
* 160 GB

* Optical drive
* DVD-RW

General

* Laptop type
* Midweight

Graphics

* Amt of video RAM
* 128 MB

* Graphics hardware
* GeForce 8400M G

Memory

* Amt of RAM
* 1GB

* Memory card reader
* Yes

Other

* Motherboard chipset
* Intel PM965

* Integrated webcam
* Yes

Processor

* Processor type
* Intel Core 2 Duo

* Processor speed
* 2.1 GHz

Software

* Operating system
* Windows Vista Home Premium

Sound

* Embedded stereo speakers
* Yes

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Advent 4211

by Rory Reid
Price as reviewed £279

The Advent 4211 is a re-badged alternative to the MSI Wind. Its differences are mostly cosmetic -- whereas the Wind is available in a number of colours, the 4211 is available with a black lid and silver interior only. You only get one choice of operating system, too -- Windows XP -- but there is other useful software.

It ships with Cyberlink YouCam webcam software, which facilitates easy uploading to YouTube. There's also some drive-based recovery software that'll let you reinstall Windows XP -- should the unexpected happen -- without using an optical drive.

At the time of writing, the Advent 4211 is selling for £279.99 at PC World -- £40 less than the £320 MSI Wind. Read our full MSI Wind review for more information.

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Advan G2T-55F

Price as reviewed $780
Processor :
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T5550 1.83GHz

Chipset :
Intel GM 965

Memory :
2GB DDR2

HDD :
160 GB SATA


Video Type:
Integrated

Display Size:
12.1" WXGA

Optical Drive Type:
DVDRW

Modem:
Integrated

Networking:
Integrated

Network Speed:
10 / 100 Mbps

Wireless Network Type:
Integrated

Wireless Network Protocol:
IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g

Bluetooth:
NO

Card Reader:
4 in 1

Interface:
3xUSB 2.0, VGA, LAN, Audio, FingerPrint

Webcam:
YES

Color:
Fresh Pink Glossy, Super Shine White Glossy

O/S:
Free DOS

Bonus:
Mouse Optik, Free Bag

Weight:
1,83 with battery

Warranty:
1 Year

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Acer Aspire one (Linux)

by Joanna Stern
Price as reviewed $373.83 - $410.00

Mini-notebooks are getting bigger and more elaborate by the day, but Acer enters the crowded market with a simple yet solid miniature laptop for only $379. The Aspire one sports a classic look and its Intel Atom processor gives it a decent amount of power for surfing the Web and light multimedia use. Taking a cue from ASUS’ well-received custom Linux interface, Acer packages the system with a lightweight, customized Linpus Lite Linux operating system. We just wish this netbook lasted longer on a charge.

Sleek, Small Design

The pearl white Aspire one (also available in navy blue, pink, and black) looks far from cheap. Similar to the ASUS Eee PC 901, the Aspire one’s white lid sports a glossy finish that is resistant to fingerprint smudges. Though it’s a small design addition, the neon orange plated hinge adds a little pizzazz to the overall look.

Compared with other 8.9-inch systems, such as the Eee PC 901 ($599) and HP 2133 Mini-Note PC ($729), the Aspire one is both slimmer and lighter. Measuring 9.8 x 6.7 x 1.1 inches and weighing just 2.2 pounds—4 ounces lighter than the Eee PC 901—the Aspire one’s portability alone makes it compelling. With its included pleather sleeve, the system was perfect for tossing into a shoulder bag or slim briefcase. It’s only 3 pounds with the AC adapter.

Decent Typing Experience, Cramped Touchpad

The keyboard, 89 percent of full size, is a shade smaller than those on the HP Mini-Note and the MSI Wind, but it is big enough for comfortable touch typing. It’s certainly bigger and more firm than that of the ASUS Eee PC 900/901; it had no bend or flex to it. The keys were quite responsive and offered nice tactile feedback.

Measuring 2.5 x 1.2 inches, the trackpad on the Aspire one is disappointingly small and vertically very narrow. The result is a lot of back-tracking. Similar to the trackpad on the HP Mini-Note, it is vertically straddled with the right and left mouse buttons, forcing us to use both hands to access the buttons.

The Aspire one is well equipped with ports; VGA, three USB, Ethernet, headphone, and microphone jacks surround the system. Acer includes both a 5-in-1 card reader (for transferring photos, music, and other files) and an additional SD Card slot so you can expand the measly 8GB of storage capacity on the system.

Excellent Interface, Hard to Tweak

Similar to ASUS’ customized Xandros Linux, Acer hides its Linpus Lite operating system by organizing applications into four distinct sections: Connect, Work, Fun, and Files. Under the Connect heading, you’ll find Firefox 2.014; an instant-messaging client that supports AIM, Google Talk, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger; Skype; and a few other Internet shortcuts.

Work contains the OpenOffice suite, Contacts, Calculator, Notes, and Calendar. Fun houses the Media Master multimedia player, Photo Master picture manager, and a slew of causal games. The Files section is home to the My Documents, My Music, My Pictures, My Videos, My Downloads, and My Files folders.

Though most of the essential programs come packaged with the system, adding applications is a challenge. Acer hid both the Linux terminal and add/remove programs section, so novice users will have a nearly impossible time adding open source programs to the system. We recommend the XP version of the Aspire one for those who want to run additional applications.

Decent Display and Speakers

The 8.9-inch glossy display has a native resolution of 1024 x 600. The colorful desktop looked bright, and Web pages fit to size on the screen (so you don’t have to scroll horizontally). We were even able to keep a Web page and a document in OpenOffice open side by side.

While a clip from Saturday Night Live streamed from Hulu.com looked extremely clear and detailed, tilting the screen back 45 degrees caused a distracting glare. The horizontal angles were better, but sharing the screen with another viewer to watch a YouTube clip was a struggle.

The integrated 0.3-megapixel webcam worked when we initiated a video chat over Meebo, but our face looked a bit washed out. The microphone, located to the left of the webcam, picked up a bit of background noise, but our caller could hear us quite well without having to speak up. The speakers, located on the bottom of the system, produced a loud yet tinny sound; we could hear Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida” from a 6-foot distance, but we prefer the ASUS Eee PC 901’s fuller, Dolby-powered speakers.

Acer Aspire one Performance

The Aspire one uses the same 1.6-GHz Intel Atom processor as the Eee PC 901, but it comes with a relatively small 512MB of RAM compared with the Eee PC’s 1GB. Additionally, the RAM on the system cannot be upgraded easily, since the RAM is secured to the motherboard.

Nevertheless, programs loaded relatively quickly even when we had several others running in the background. (Keep in mind that we were testing the Linux version of the Aspire one.) We were able to listen to music, surf the Web, and write a document in OpenOffice Writer all at the same time with no hang-ups.

The mini-notebook packs an 8GB solid state drive, which helps boot the system in a quick 20 seconds. However, despite the durability and speed of the SSD, we were disappointed by its limited 8GB of storage space, of which only 6.4GB is available to the end user.

By comparison, the Linux version of the Eee PC 901 comes with a 20GB SSD. To its credit, Acer does include two card slots, both of which accept SDHC Cards. Interestingly, when a card is slid into the dedicated SD Card slot, the computer treats it not as separate storage but as part of the hard drive.

During testing, the Aspire one got a bit hot on the underside of the unit on the left side (toward the exhaust), measuring about 107 degrees. The rest of the system felt only a little warm on our lap, however, with most other areas measuring 87 to 94 degrees.

Shorter Endurance, Good Wi-Fi

With its Intel Atom processor and a three-cell battery, we expected the Aspire one to last longer on a charge. We managed to squeeze about 2 hours out of the battery with Wi-Fi on. Because of its Linux operating system, we could not run any standard battery run-down tests, but with regular use, including surfing the Web, listening to music over Pandora, and word processing, the mini-notebook got 1 hour and 58 minutes of runtime. You’ll want to keep the AC charger at arms’ length. The Eee PC 901 delivered double the runtime with 4 hours and 38 minutes of battery life using a six-cell battery. Acer will offer an optional six-cell battery upgrade, which should double the endurance.

The Aspire one’s 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi radio connected easily to our WPA-protected access point. It never dipped below 92 percent signal strength in a 50-foot radius, and we experienced no dropped connections. Web pages loaded quickly on our office network; NYtimes.com loaded in 5 seconds, and Laptopmag.com in 8 seconds. We also had no problem streaming video from Hulu.com; Party of Five had minimal video pauses and audio skips.

Verdict

The Acer Aspire one isn’t the only 8.9-inch mini-notebook on the block, but at $379 it’s a pretty good bargain—if you can live with short battery life. However, prospective buyers may prefer the $399 Windows XP version, which sports a larger 120GB hard drive and 1GB of RAM, Others may prefer the longer endurance of the ASUS Eee PC 901’s six-cell battery and its 1GB of RAM, although its $599 price and cramped keyboard will give some pause.

The 8.9-inch HP 2133 Mini-Note PC has a sleeker, more durable design, but the Linux version isn’t nearly as consumer-friendly as what Acer or ASUS offers. In the ever-growing field of mini-notebooks the Aspire one is a decent buy for those on a tight budget looking for a secondary PC for getting online. It’s a better deal than the more expensive 7-inch Eee PC 4G.

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Alienware Area-51 m17x

by Todd Haselton
Price as reviewed $5,598.00

Every once in a while a system comes through our offices that obliterates the gaming performance scores of those that preceded it. Currently, that notebook is the Alienware Area-51 m17x, an overachieving beast that sliced through most games without a hitch. We love its matte black design, customizable glowing features, and killer gaming scores. If you’re pinching pennies, you may not dig its $2,199 starting price. And you may have to sell your car to buy the configuration we tested—a whopping $5,598. While the m17x’ blazing speeds got our adrenaline pumping, its flaws gave us pause.

Design

The m17x, aptly named for its 17-inch glossy display, features a full and comfortable keyboard with backlighting and a large, smooth touchpad that sits flush with the palm surface and is discernible only by a backlit square outline. The lid felt a bit chintzy, though; it doesn’t feel very sturdy and has a bit of a bounce to it. The m17x boasts a full number pad, a feature the m15x does not offer.

However, like its smaller brethren, above the keyboard the m17x offers the same touch-responsive keys for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Alienware’s AlienFX Command Center, Stealth Mode, and volume. The power button is a silver alien head with glowing eyes. The area around its gorgeous high-definition 1920 x 1200 display is a sleek, glossy black. You’ll also find a 2-megapixel camera and two microphones for videoconferencing.

On the left are the power jack, headphone/microphone jacks, optical audio, S-video, an HDTV Tuner, audio out, three USB 2.0 ports, and a Smart Bay for swapping drives. The right side of the m17x has a 7-in-1 memory card reader, an additional USB port, HDMI, FireWire A/B ports, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, and a security lock slot. The Smart Bay lets you easily switch out the m17x’ optical drive for an extra six-cell battery ($150) or a second hard drive (120GB to 500GB Smart Bay drives are available for up to $400). Or you can choose a 128GB solid state drive (a $550 upgrade) as the main drive.

Personalization

Alienware makes customizing the m17x easy. One of our favorite tweaks lets you change the color of the backlighting on the lid’s alien head, the buttons on the deck, the touchpad border, and the logo below the display.

You can choose from ten colors (or white and black) for the Alienware Command Center, blend them into each other, and create themes for applications and activities. For example, you can have the power button turn red when the m17x is plugged in and blue when it’s not, or set the keyboard to flash yellow every time a new e-mail comes in. Alienware plans to extend this feature to games, allowing a designated area to flash red every time you die, or green every time you grab an ammo box in your favorite game.

The customizing features aren’t limited to aesthetics, either. The AlienFusion power controls let you create custom energy profiles or choose one of the three basics: balanced, high performance, or power saver.

High-Quality Display and Speakers

The high-definition 1920 x 1200 display is simply gorgeous, and the colors really pop. We loved the crystal clear view while playing Call of Duty 4, World of Warcraft, and Flight Simulator X. The display was bright enough to play in the office and still make out details, and the first-level boat mission in Call of Duty 4 exhibited deep blacks. The speakers were quite good; they were crisp enough for us to hear our movements through gravel in World of Warcraft, and audio from our commanders in Call of Duty 4 came through loud and clear.

Under the Hood

The m17x has components similar to those in the m15x, and that includes the 2.8-GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme X9000 processor and 4GB of RAM. Instead of an Nvidia GeForce 8800M GTX discrete graphics card, though, the m17x has the latest-generation 9800M GT series cards in SLI (Scalable Link Interface, which lets a laptop use two discrete graphics cards together to double the graphics performance). Unfortunately, this graphics configuration isn’t available for consumers yet, though an Alienware representative said this should be an option within the next month. At the moment, the m17x is available with a pair of GeForce 8800M GTX cards in SLI, which should result in performance comparable to the m15x. The system also has an HDTV tuner for watching broadcast HD television, but you’ll have to supply your own antenna.

Benchmark Performance Results

Thanks to the brand-new 9800M GT graphics, the m17x blew right past the Area-51 m9750 in 3DMark03. The m9750 had a score of 34,585, while the m17x scored a sky-high 45,403. (The m15x was a close third with 30,196.) The m17x’ 3DMark06 scores were just as impressive, raking in a score of 12,042, compared with the m15x’ score of 9,280 and the m9750’s 8,706. The same goes for its PCMark Vantage score of 3,954, which is 270 points higher than the m15x, and 910 points higher than the desktop replacement average, where it was bested by only the Gateway P-171XL FX and P-7811FX.

The m17x took a poky 1 minute and 23 seconds to boot. We attribute that sluggishness to the 5,400-rpm hard drive; it was able to copy 4.97GB worth of files in 2 minutes and 34 seconds (a rate of 33 MBps), which is quite good, but a 7,200-rpm drive would have provided quicker speeds.

Gaming on the Area-51 m17x

During our Call of Duty 4 tests, our average frame rate on optimum settings (1024 x 768 and graphics turned up) was 161 frames per second. The m15x, by comparison, offered up 111 frames per second with the same settings. On F.E.A.R. with the settings set to maximum and a resolution of 1024 x 768, we saw 182 fps with the m17x, which bested the m15x’ score of 168 fps. Even more remarkable was the m17x’ ability to notch 128 fps with the resolution set to its native 1920 x 1200. This offered a much crisper experience: Walls were sharper and edges more clean than with the lower resolution, and it still managed a very high frame rate.

On our World of Warcraft test with a dedicated Ethernet connection, we measured frame rates while flying from Orgrimmar to Gadgetzan, about a 5-minute ride, and saw an average of 215 frames per second. By comparison, the P-7811FX, which packs a slightly slower 2.26-GHz Core 2 Duo P8400 processor and a single 9800M GTS graphics card, did the same run with an average of 61 frames per second, showing what a difference two graphics cards in an SLI configuration can make.

In Flight Simulator X, with the graphics switched to the highest-possible settings, the system managed only 9 fps during a flight over Manhattan from JFK to Newark Liberty International Airport. So while the m17x handles games better than any laptop we’ve tested, it’s not perfect.

In Crysis the m17x fared quite well. We found our favorite settings were graphics set to Medium with the game running at a native 1920 x 1200 resolution. With these settings, the system averaged 33 frames per second through hardcore fire fights; with the graphics set to 1024 x 768 and on High, 43 frames per second—a good deal better than the m15x’s average of 16 fps at those settings. The game was unplayable on High at native resolution, where we averaged 9 frames per second, and worse at Very High settings on native resolution, where we couldn’t even top a single frame per second.

A Word of Caution

The 9800M series cards from Nvidia support PhysX technology, which allows for objects to act according to real-life physics: Think water spilling out of a glass or a window shattering. However, Nvidia has not turned on this support in the mobile version of its graphics cards yet and will not do so “for months,” according to a company spokesman.

During an Unreal Tournament 3 session, our m17x locked up completely, and when we restarted, it would not boot into Windows. After opening the system’s RAID configuration panel during the boot process, we found that our RAID 0 array was no longer recognized by the computer. Alienware says this is a Vista issue, but we didn’t appreciate losing all of our data and having to reconfigure the RAID array and reinstall Windows. Microsoft had no comment before press time.

Adding insult to injury, when we loaded the restore disc, the Alienware Command Center software no longer offered support for the backlit keyboard. In the m17x’ defense, we didn’t have any trouble with Call of Duty, Flight Simulator X, or World of Warcraft. After we reimaged our system, created a new RAID 0 array, and reinstalled the graphics drivers, we played the same level in Unreal Tournament 3 two more times with no problems at all.

Wireless and Battery Life

Wireless scores were decent at 15 feet, where the m17x managed 19.5 Mbps of throughput, but at 50 feet the system mustered just 8.4 Mbps. For online gaming, you’ll want to sit near the router or use the Ethernet jack.

The m17x lasted 1 hour and 6 minutes on our own battery-life test, which browses Web sites until the battery drains. Under gaming conditions, that time would be far less.

Software

We love that Alienware didn’t pack the m17x full of garbage software or free trials. Instead, it came with CyberLink software for playing Blu-ray discs and Nero 7 for burning files. The desktop was clutter free and, in fact, only had a trash can icon on it when we first powered up. Alienware includes a one-year warranty, which can be extended to three years, and 24/7 toll-free phone support. The company also offers customer support forums, as well as an online knowledge base and the option to chat with an Alienware representative using its chat system.

Wireless and Battery Life

Wireless scores were decent at 15 feet, where the m17x managed 19.5 Mbps of throughput, but at 50 feet the system mustered just 8.4 Mbps. For online gaming, you’ll want to sit near the router or use the Ethernet jack.

The m17x lasted 1 hour and 6 minutes on our own battery-life test, which browses Web sites until the battery drains. Under gaming conditions, that time would be far less.

Software

We love that Alienware didn’t pack the m17x full of garbage software or free trials. Instead, it came with CyberLink software for playing Blu-ray discs and Nero 7 for burning files. The desktop was clutter free and, in fact, only had a trash can icon on it when we first powered up. Alienware includes a one-year warranty, which can be extended to three years, and 24/7 toll-free phone support. The company also offers customer support forums, as well as an online knowledge base and the option to chat with an Alienware representative using its chat system.

Alienware Area-51 m17x Verdict

Gamers with deep pockets will love the Alienware Area-51 m17x. It’s the fastest gaming rig on the market, and competitors won’t likely surpass it anytime soon. It’s super sexy, and its customization features will make you the envy of fellow gamers at LAN parties. However, for $5,598, it shouldn’t crash under the stress of a game, even if it may be Vista’s fault.

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ASUS Eee Box

by Avram Piltch
Price as reviewed $349.99

When ASUS released the original Eee PC back in October 2007, the lilliputian laptop surprised the tech industry by spawning its own product category, the mini-notebook. Now, nearly a dozen Eee PC notebooks later comes the Eee Box, a diminuitive desktop version with a sleek design that’s sure to turn a few heads and a unique instant-on environment that lets you surf the Web, make Skype calls, and more without having to boot into Windows.

ASUS touts the Eee Box as “a home entertainment hub.” However, our testing revealed a physically attractive system that’s adequate for Web surfing, but doesn’t offer much in the way of performance compared to similarly priced full-sized desktops.

Sleek Design

The shiny plastic chassis, available in black or white, gives the system a clean design, while a blue power light and an attractive door which covers the front ports add to the minimalist look. Throw in a matching keyboard and an optical mouse with an orange light that shines through its buttons and the Eee Box is ready to show off to house guests or visitors to your dorm room.

At a size of 8.5 x 7.0 x 1.0 inches, the Eee Box might be the smallest desktop computer ever mass-produced. Attaching the system’s stand increases its width to 3 inches (the instruction manual warns not to place the chassis flat on the desk), but, to save more space, you can use an included bracket to mount it on the back of your monitor. If you need to move the Eee Box, its 2.2-pound weight—2.8 with the stand attached—certainly won’t break your back.

Odd-Angled Keyboard, Tiny Mouse

The sparse keyboard saves space in its own way by avoiding any empty spaces between keys and eschewing quick launch buttons. It offers excellent tactile feedback, but its flip stands don’t angle the body enough. Because of this low elevation, we were unable to use our wrist rest, which was actually higher than the space bar. Even though the tiny mouse looks like it was built for a child’s hand, we found it highly responsive and comfortable, even after extended use.

Just Enough Ports

The Eee Box offers a basic array of connections. The front panel features two USB ports, a card reader that takes SD/SDHC, MMC/MMC Plus, and MS/MS Pro Cards, and headphone and microphone jacks. On the back are two more USB ports, an additional audio out jack, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and a DVI interface for your monitor. An antenna provides 802.11n Wi-Fi connectivity. Conspicuously absent is an optical drive, which means that users will have to buy an external device to install software or watch DVD movies.

ExpressGate OS

The most unique feature of the Eee Box is the ExpressGate “instant on” operating system that comes preinstalled, along with Windows XP Home. Users are offered the choice of booting into Windows XP or opening one of five ExpressGate applications: Splashtop Browser, Pidgin IM client, Skype, Photo Manager, and Splashtop Games.

For those who haven’t heard of it, Splashtop is the OEM name of the fast, but feature-limited Linux operating system that computer manufacturers can customize for their respective products. ASUS customizes and rebrands their version of Splashtop as ExpressGate. For more information, see our Splashtop FAQ.

The promise of ExpressGate is that it allows users to do a few basic tasks: surf the Web, view photos, or call a friend, without having to wait for Windows to start. Because the miniature operating system is made to stand alone, you can’t install applications, nor can you update or customize the few that come preloaded (though some users have developed a hack). Only one of the ExpressGate programs, Photo Manager, can access files and folders on the hard drive.

The most useful ExpressGate application, Splashtop Browser, is a stripped-down version of Firefox 2 that comes with Adobe Flash Player 9 installed. While it is capable of storing bookmarks, passwords, and cookies, you can’t add plug-ins or save downloaded files to the hard drive (you can save them to a flash drive, though).

While the Photo Manager, Skype, and Pidgin IM client are all competent programs that deliver as promised, the Splashtop Games application offers nothing more than a directory of the same free online Flash games you can find on hundreds of sites around the Web. Our favorites are the ludicrous Saberman, a stick-figured Star Wars rip-off, and Bathroom Fight, a two-player game where the object is to beat up your friend for the chance to use the facilities first.

We also found that, unlike Windows XP on the Eee Box, ExpressGate was unable to deliver the native resolutions of monitors 20 inches and larger. The maximum setting offered by the control panel is 1440 x 1050, while 20- and 22-inch widescreen monitors typically come with 1680 x 1050 resolutions. The result is a desktop that seems slightly distorted, as if it has been blown up.

In a world where some Vista systems take as long as two minutes to boot, Splashtop makes a lot of sense. However, on the Eee Box, it took us 23 seconds to launch the Splashtop Browser, while booting into Windows XP took only around 35 seconds. Most users will want to wait the few extra seconds to get a fully functional operating system.

Eee Box Performance

While the Eee Box system boots into Windows very quickly, performance overall was a mixed bag. Using the Eee Box to surf the Web or download large files was a pleasant experience. While typical applications like IE and the bundled copy of StarOffice opened quickly, the Eee Box’s internal hard drive, an 80GB, 5,400-rpm Seagate Momentus, performed poorly on our tests. In our real-world file transfer test, the Eee Box took 10:43 to copy 5GB of mixed media files from one folder to another on the C drive, a rate of 7.7 MBps.

By way of comparison, the Gigabyte M912V netbook completed our file transfer test in 4:04 (21 MBps) while the MSI Wind took 8:32 (9.7 MBps). To be fair, the ASUS Eee PC 1000H, a mini-notebook from ASUS that also has an Atom processor and Seagate Momentus hard drive, completed the test in a nearly identical 10:41. This poor file system performance begs the question: is it acceptable for a desktop, even a small one, to perform like a netbook? The system’s 802.11n card (slower 802.11g is typical in this price range) produced impressive transfer rates of 17.3 Mbps and 12.8 Mbps from 15 and 50 feet, respectively.

Graphics and Multimedia

At the low resolution of 1024 x 768, less than the native resolution of even a 15-inch monitor, the Eee Box returned a pedestrian 3DMark03 score of 406, one of the lowest we’ve ever seen and even less than the Eee PC 1000H netbook, which got 739. At 1900x1200, the Eee Box faired even worse, returning a mere 268.

When we pointed our Web browser to YouTube or Hulu.com, video playback was less than smooth in windowed play and downright jerky at full screen when in 1024 x 768 resolution and even worse at 1900 x 1200. To ensure that the playback problems were not bandwidth-related, we installed iTunes and downloaded an episode of the television series Primeval. Again, action sequences appeared a little unsteady, but were watchable in windowed mode. Full screen iTunes video showed significant banding at 1024 x 768 resolution, and become unwatchable at 1900 x 1200 full screen. Clips shown in any application at any resolution became extremely jerky when we tried to do anything outside the video window, even click on the desktop, during playback.

Surprisingly, the Eee Box can be used for low-powered gaming. We were able to play World of Warcraft at an acceptable 29 frames per second when we lowered our screen resolution to 800 x 600.

Power Consumption

Largely because of its Atom processor, the Eee Box drew a mere 20 watts of power from our outlet. Even when you factor in a monitor (our 17-inch monitor drew 36 watts), you’re still using less electricity than a standard business desktop. The Dell OptiPlex 755, which features a much more powerful dual core processor, drew 71 watts. Even compared to another small system, the Eee Box is a power miser; the Dell Studio Hybrid drew an average of 47 watts. An Eee PC 1000H, which combines an Atom processor with a 10-inch screen, drew only 41 watts.

How much money would you actually save on your monthly electricity bill if you swapped a power-hungry tower like the Dell OptiPlex 755 for the Eee Box? Assuming 8 hours of daily use in a 30-day month at a rate of 10.5 cents per kilowatt hour (the national average in March 2008), you would save only $1.29 per month, hardly enough to make a dent in your bank account. On the other hand, if you ran an Internet café with 30 computers running for 16 hours a day, you would see a significant savings.

Verdict

The Eee Box offers solid Web surfing, e-mail, and document processing in sleek, space-efficient package. But is it worth $349? It depends on your priorities.

At the time of this writing, Dell was selling an Inspiron 530s with a 2.0-GHz Intel Celeron processor, a 250GB 7,200 rpm hard drive, and a 16X DVD+/-RW drive for just $279. Adding 802.11g Wi-Fi (which is perfectly acceptable for web surfing) brings the Inspiron’s price up to $309. The Eee Box costs $40 more and offers less processing power, much less storage, and no optical drive. On the other hand, the Dell has a much larger footprint. The Eee Box is a tempting choice for students and home users who like the idea of saving space, but other desktops offer better bang for the buck.

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Acer Aspire one (Windows XP)

by Jeffrey L. Wilson
Price as reviewed $419.99 - $481.26

Acer became a member of the ever-expanding mini-notebook club with the Linpus Linux Lite version of the Aspire one, which we praised for its intuitive interface, fast boot time, and comfortable keyboard. The company follows up that Linux-based machine with the Windows XP–powered Acer Aspire one, a netbook with a nearly identical design that runs Microsoft’s most popular operating system. This model sees a bump in RAM from 512MB to 1GB and swaps a small 8GB solid-state drive for a traditional 120GB hard drive and costs only $20 more than the Linux model at a very affordable $349. We wish it lasted longer on a charge, but you can always pick up the Aspire one with a higher-capacity six-cell battery (AOA150-1447) for $50 more.

Sleek, Small Design

The Sapphire Blue Aspire one (also available in Coral Pink, Golden Brown, and Seashell White) looks far from cheap, despite its $349 price tag. Similar to the ASUS Eee PC 901, the Aspire one’s lid sports a glossy finish that attracts light fingerprints and smudges. Though it’s a small design addition, the neon orange–plated hinge adds a little pizzazz to the overall look.

Compared with other 8.9-inch mini-notebooks, such as the Eee PC 901 ($599) and the HP 2133 Mini-Note ($729), the Aspire one is both slimmer and lighter. Measuring 9.8 x 6.7 x 1.4 inches and weighing just 2.4 pounds—2 ounces lighter than the Eee PC 901—the Aspire one’s portability alone makes it compelling. With a total weight of only 3 pounds with the AC adapter, it’s a system that you can just toss into a bag and take with you.

Decent Typing Experience, Cramped Touchpad

The keyboard, 89 percent of full size, is a hair smaller than those on the HP 2133 Mini-Note and the MSI Wind, but it’s big enough for comfortable touch typing. We had no problems quickly entering URLs into Internet Explorer or replying to e-mail. The keys are certainly bigger and more firm than those on the ASUS Eee PC 900/901; the layout had very little flex to it. The keys were quite responsive and offered nice tactile feedback.

Measuring 2.5 x 1.2 inches, the trackpad on the Acer Aspire one is disappointingly small and very narrow vertically: At times our fingers would slip off the touchpad and hit the space bar. Twin vertical mouse buttons flank the touchpad, and they’re far too narrow. We frequently had to press a button twice because our fingers were half on and half off.

Ports and Storage

The Acer Aspire one is well equipped with ports; three USB, plus VGA, Ethernet, headphone, and microphone jacks surround the system. Acer includes a 5-in-1 card reader (for transferring photos, music, and other files) on the right side of the unit, and an additional SD Card slot on the left. The latter was a vital port in the Linpus Linux Lite version of the Acer Aspire one, as any card inserted into it added to the capacity of the skimpy 8GB SSD, and was recognized as one disk. This model’s 120GB HDD effectively eliminates the need for additional storage, but the slot acts as a traditional secondary card slot for loading content. On our LAPTOP File Transfer test, we were able to copy a 5GB folder of mixed media (photos, video, music, and documents) in 5 minutes and 23 seconds-a rate of 15.8 MBps, which is just a tad slower than the Gigabyte M912V’s speed of 21 MBps.

Familiar, Comfortable Interface

Equipped with Windows XP Home (with Service Pack 3), the Aspire one packs on the software, including several Windows staples such as McAfee Internet Security Suite, Microsoft Office 2007 (60-day trial), Windows Media Player, and Outlook Express 6. Best of all, it’s infinitely simple to install additional programs, unlike with the Linpus Linux Lite OS, which required us to tinker with the command line.

Display, Webcam, and Speakers

The 8.9-inch glossy, backlit LED display has a native resolution of 1024 x 600. The colorful desktop looked bright, and Web pages fit to size on the screen (so you don’t have to scroll horizontally). We were even able to keep a Web page and a document in OpenOffice open side by side. A video clip streamed from YouTube looked extremely clear and detailed, but tilting the screen back 45 degrees kicked up a distracting glare. The horizontal angles were better, but sharing the screen with another person can prove a struggle as there isn’t much viewing room.

The integrated 0.3-megapixel webcam worked when we initiated a video chat over Meebo, but visuals were a bit washed out. The microphone, located to the left of the webcam, picked up some background noise, but our caller could hear us just fine without us having to speak up. The speakers, located on the bottom of the system, produced loud but tinny sound when we cranked Little Jackie’s “Cryin’ For the Queen.” Although adequate, we still prefer the ASUS Eee PC 901’s fuller, Dolby-powered speakers.

Acer Aspire one Performance

The Aspire one is powered by the 1.6-GHz Intel Atom processor that’s become the engine of choice for mini-notebook manufacturers. Although we couldn’t run our PCMark05 test because it doesn’t meet the minimum screen resolution, the processor, paired with 1GB of on-board memory, let us stream music from Slacker, work in documents, and check e-mail without a hint of slowdown.

The Intel GMA 950 integrated chipset notched a 691 3DMark03 score, which was second only to the ASUS Eee PC 1000H’s 739 mark in terms of graphics muscle. On our 3DMark06 test, the Aspire one posted a score of 122, which is on a par with the Gigabyte M912V’s score of 126. These numbers don’t sound too impressive, but we were able to run World of Warcraft at a relatively smooth 23.9 frames per second (albeit at a low 800 x 600-pixel resolution).

Short Endurance, Good Wi-Fi

On our LAPTOP Battery Test, which puts the PC on auto-pilot as it surfs it surfs the Web, the machine’s three-cell battery lasted 2 hours and 22 minutes before needing a charge. That was even shorter than the 2 hours and 31 minutes of endurance found in the Gigabyte M912V. You can buy a separate six-cell battery for $129, which should offer up to 7 hours of life, but it would make much more sense to opt for an Aspire one with a six-cell battery preinstalled, which is only a $50 premium.

The Acer Aspire one’s 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi radio demonstrated some impressive power. On our Wi-Fi tests, it pushed data along at a rate of 20.5 Mbps at 15 feet away from our access point, and 17.0 Mbps at 50 feet. This translated into a snappy Web-surfing experience: The photo-heavy Cracked.com loaded in 9 seconds, as did NYTimes.com. We also had no problem streaming video from Hulu.com; an episode of The Outer Limits played smoothly, with only the occasional stutter.

Verdict

Since the prices of mini-notebooks have seemingly been escalating with each new model, we’re pleased to see one for just $349, adhering to the idea of the “low-cost PC.” The 9-inch Asus Eee PC 901 XP ($520 with rebate at Newegg.com, as of this writing) has a faster solid state drive, but the Aspire one offers much more capacity (120GB vs. 12GB) and costs $171 less. And even if you opt for the Aspire one with the 6-cell battery, you’ll still be paying $121 less. The touchpad is small and the vertical buttons are awkward, but we prefer the Aspire one overall because it offers a superior keyboard and much better bang for your buck. In the suddenly crowded field of mini-notebooks, the XP version of the Aspire one offers the best value.

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ASUS Eee PC 901 20G (8.9" Display, 1.6 GHz Intel ATOM Processor, 1 GB RAM, 20 GB Solid State Drive, Linux, 6 Cell Battery) Fine Ebony

Price as reviewed $599.00

This Eee PC 901 offers even more options to users for unique user experiences. With its shockproof Solid State Drive (SSD) design, users will be able to enjoy stable and reliable computing on-the-go; while high speed 802.11n connectivity makes it the ideal traveling companion for outdoor activities.

· Batteries Included: 1 · Binding: Personal Computers · Brand: Asus · Color: Ebony Black · CPU Manufacturer: Intel · CPU Speed (Units: MHz): 1000 · CPU Type: Intel Celeron · Display Size (Units: inches): 8.9 · EAN: 0884840266716 · Feature: Easy to learn, work and play | Excellent mobile Internet device | Exciting multimedia enjoyment | shock proof | Excellent on the go · Floppy Disk Drive Description: None · Hard Disk Size (Units: GB): 20 · Label: Asus · Manufacturer: Asus · Model: EEEPC901-BK001 · Modem Description: None · MPN: EEEPC901-BK001 · Processor Count: 1 · Product Group: Personal Computer · Publisher: Asus · Special Features: nv:Condition^New|Operating Systems^LINUX|Platform^Notebook PC|Expansion Ports^N/A|PS/2 Keyboard Connectors^N/A|PS/2 Mouse Connectors^N/A|Serial Communication Ports^N/A|Parallel Ports^N/A|USB Ports^3|FireWire Ports^N/A|Fast Infrared Ports (FIR)^N/A|LAN Ports^1|Modem Ports^N/A|Audio Out Jacks^1|Line In Jacks^N/A|Microphone Jacks^1|VGA Ports^1|S-Video Connectors^N/A|DVI Video^N/A|Port Replicator/Connector^N/A|Processor Brand^Intel|Processor Class^Atom Processor|Memory Type^DDR2 · Studio: Asus · System Memory Size (Units: MB): 1000 · System Memory Type: DDR2 SDRAM · UPC: 884840266716 · Warranty: 1 year warranty

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ASUS Eee PC 901 12G (8.9" Display, 1.6 GHz Intel ATOM Processor, 1 GB RAM, 12 GB Solid State Drive, XP Home, 6 Cell Battery) Fine Ebony

Price as reviewed less then $599

This Eee PC by Asus comes in Fine Ebony style that is created with cutting-edge Infusion casing technology. The Infusion surface provides a new level of resilience; scratch resistance and beautiful style while you're out and about. The Eee PC has a sturdy display with a high-resolution screen. At 1024 x 600 pixels, images are clear and sharp, making it more comfortable on the eyes reading and editing documents. On the top of this screen is the 1.3 Megapixel Webcamera that works synchronously with the 802.11n wireless to provide web conferencing anywhere, anytime for easier web communications and increased work efficiency. 12GB of storage allows you to easily manage photos, music and data files more efficiently. The quiet 12GB solid-state drive consumes less power, allows the device to boot quickly, produces less heat and is less susceptible to shock damage. The exclusive Super Hyper Engine, technology found only in the Eee PC, is incredibly efficient and saves up to 15% of power. Combined with SSD, which consumes less power, allows between 4 to 8 hours of battery life. Preinstalled on the Eee PC to provide you a familiar interface is Microsoft's Windows XP Home, Windows Live Messenger and Works for numerous office applications, that allows anyone to learn, work and play. With all of these features the Asus Eee PC makes for a fantastic purchase as a well-equipped second notebook or a Web access tool, so beat the crowds, and get yours today before they sell out! Intel UMA Graphics Card 1.3 Megapixel Webcamera WiFi 802.11b/g/n Wireless Bluetooth 10/100Mbps LAN Hi-Definition Audio Speakers and Microphone Memory Card Slot - MultiMedia Card (MMC), Secure Digital (SD) Card, SDHC Connections - 3 x USB, VGA, Headphone, Microphone, RJ-45 (LAN) Approximate Unit Dimensions - 8.86? (W) x 6.90? (D) x 0.89? ~ 1.54? (H) Approximate Unit Weight - 2.43 Pounds

· Batteries Included: 1 · Binding: Personal Computers · Brand: Asus · Color: Fine Ebony · CPU Manufacturer: Intel · CPU Speed (Units: MHz): 1000 · CPU Type: Intel Celeron · Display Size (Units: inches): 8.9 · EAN: 0884840266754 · Feature: Easy to learn, work and play | Excellent mobile Internet device | Exciting multimedia enjoyment | shock proof | Excellent on the go · Hard Disk Size (Units: GB): 12 · Label: Asus · Manufacturer: Asus · Model: EEEPC901-BK002X · MPN: EEEPC901-BK002X · Processor Count: 1 · Product Group: Personal Computer · Publisher: Asus · Special Features: nv:Condition^New|Operating Systems^Microsoft® Windows® XP Home|Platform^Notebook PC|Expansion Ports^N/A|PS/2 Keyboard Connectors^N/A|PS/2 Mouse Connectors^N/A|Serial Communication Ports^N/A|Parallel Ports^N/A|USB Ports^3|FireWire Ports^N/A|Fast Infrared Ports (FIR)^N/A|LAN Ports^1|Modem Ports^N/A|Audio Out Jacks^1|Line In Jacks^N/A|Microphone Jacks^1|VGA Ports^1|S-Video Connectors^N/A|DVI Video^N/A|Port Replicator/Connector^N/A|Processor Brand^Intel · Studio: Asus · System Memory Size (Units: MB): 1000 · System Memory Type: DDR2 SDRAM · UPC: 884840266754

bad battery
I purchased the XP 901 asus eee and charged it for 18 hours. I was able to surf the net for ~3 hours. I then charged the computer for about 14 hours. I only got 30 minutes of net surfing. I had been expecting 5-6 hours of internet use. I was able to return the product to amazon with the above explanation. Wonderful size but I purchased a lemon.

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ASUS Eee PC 900 16G (8.9" Display, Intel Mobile CPU, 1 GB RAM, 16 GB Solid State Drive, Linux) Pearl White

Price as reviewed $363,26

· Batteries Included: 1 · Binding: Electronics · Brand: Asus · Clothing Size: 8.9" screen · Color: Pearl White · CPU Manufacturer: Intel · CPU Speed (Units: MHz): 1000 · CPU Type: Intel Celeron · Display Size (Units: inches): 8.9 · EAN: 0884840272809 · Feature: Easy to learn, work and play | Excellent mobile Internet device | Exciting multimedia enjoyment | shock proof | Excellent on the go · Hard Disk Size (Units: GB): 16 · Label: Asus · Manufacturer: Asus · Model: EEEPC900-W047 · MPN: EEEPC900-W047 · Processor Count: 1 · Product Group: Personal Computer · Publisher: Asus · Size: 8.9" screen · Special Features: nv:Condition^New|Operating Systems^LINUX|Platform^Notebook PC|PS/2 Keyboard Connectors^N/A|PS/2 Mouse Connectors^N/A|Serial Communication Ports^N/A|Parallel Ports^N/A|USB Ports^3|FireWire Ports^N/A|Fast Infrared Ports (FIR)^N/A|LAN Ports^1|Modem Ports^N/A|Audio Out Jacks^1|Line In Jacks^N/A|Microphone Jacks^1|VGA Ports^1|S-Video Connectors^N/A|DVI Video^N/A|Port Replicator/Connector^N/A|Processor Brand^Intel|Processor Class^Mobile CPU|Memory Type^DDR2|Memory Size^1GB · Studio: Asus · System Memory Size (Units: MB): 1000 · System Memory Type: DDR2 SDRAM · UPC: 884840272809

The new Eee PC 900 offers you more options for your mobile computing needs. Incorporating a shockproof design and weighing 2.18 pounds, you will find it "Easy to learn, work and play" - making it your best outdoor companion anywhere, anytime. The large 8.9? screen size allows for more screen space - making it more comfortable on the eyes reading and editing documents when viewing a single A4 page without the need to scroll left or right. On the top of this screen is the 1.3 Megapixel Webcamera that works synchronously with the 802.11b/g wireless to provide web conferencing anywhere, anytime for easier web communications and increased work efficiency. Another great feature is the built-in 16GB Solid State Disk (SSD) which offers 15 seconds boot times that makes for a quiet, energy saving, shock proof design, which is ideal for reporters, wildlife photographers and other like-minded outdoor enthusiasts. Preinstalled on the Eee PC is the Linux operating system, and Open Office for numerous office applications. Lastly the special FingerGlide makes operating the Eee PC easy and convenient through simple finger movements on the touch pad that allows for scrolling horizontally and vertically through documents by swiping two fingers up or down across the surface of the trackpad, or zoom in or zoom out of pictures by making pinching or stretching movement with your fingers. With all of these features the Asus Eee PC makes for a fantastic purchase as a well-equipped second PC or a Web access tool so beat the crowds, and get yours today before they sell out! Intel UMA Graphics Card 1.3 Megapixel Webcamera WiFi 802.11b/g Wireless 10/100Mbps LAN Hi-Definition Audio Speakers and Microphone Memory Card Slot - MultiMedia Card (MMC), Secure Digital (SD) Card, SDHC Connections - 3 x USB, VGA, Headphone, Microphone, RJ-45 (LAN) Approximate Unit Dimensions - 8.85? (W) x 6.69? (D) x 0.78? ~ 1.33? (H) Approximate

Acceptable as a Limited Use PC.
ll the features as advertised function properly, e.g. wifi, SD port,
& Ethernet. It starts up about as fast as my MAC mini (Core 2 Duo, 1G),
hardy an instant-on PC. The suite of apps are adequate for a limited needs
user. The screen size is definitely an improvement over the previous 7"
screen. The screen size would have been more useful at 1024X800 versus
the 1024x600. The screen brightness and sharpness are very good, though.

Negatives:

As mentioned by others, the in-use battery life is very poor. What hasn't
been mentioned, though, is the power-off (non-use) battery life which is
very very poor and is about 5 days. This negative feature shortens the
Lithium-Ion battery's overall useful life significantly, especially when
the battery becomes fully discharged from non-use multiple times.
There's no option to change how the battery life is affected whether
in-use or during power-off and no main power switch which would have
solved this problem.

The O/S (KDE) lacks the overall capabilities and usefulness of a
Ubuntu Linux which would have been a better install and more
comparative to a WIN X/P O/S which was the other O/S option for this
PC. Most who are more of an WIN/MAC power user would probably
prefer Ubuntu, or just select the WIN X/P version of this PC.

Summary:

If it weren't for the very poor battery life, I'd again buy this PC
and would recommend it for others. Therefore, if I had known this
problem prior to my purchase, I would have considered other
sub-notebook PC options.

its a good li'l puppy laptop
I am writing this review on my new asus eee pc after using it for 4 hours now. Takes a bit of time to get used to typing on this thing. But its good, I tried to get the xandros advanced desktop on it but didn't work the first time.. Have to try later. But overall I am more than happy to have this tiny laptop. BTW it comes with its own pouch, I couldn't figure it before I bought it, bought another from amazon.

I tried some files of 150 KB text files on openoffice calc, works reasonably, movies songs, youtube works just fine.

My verdict its a puppy, and is ultra portable with good battery life

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ASUS Eee PC 1000H 80G (10" Display, 1.6 GHz Intel ATOM Processor, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, XP Home, 6 Cell Battery) Fine Ebony

Price as reviewed $549.00

· Batteries Included: 1 · Binding: Personal Computers · Brand: Asus · Color: Fine Ebony · CPU Manufacturer: Intel · CPU Speed (Units: MHz): 1000 · CPU Type: Intel Celeron · Display Size (Units: inches): 10 · EAN: 0884840272526 · Feature: Easy to learn, work and play | Excellent mobile Internet device | Exciting multimedia enjoyment | Excellent Internet Experience | Unique design to fit your individual personality · Floppy Disk Drive Description: None · Hard Disk Size (Units: GB): 80 · Label: Asus · Manufacturer: Asus · Model: EEEPC1000H-BK009X · MPN: EEEPC1000H-BK009X · Processor Count: 1 · Product Group: Personal Computer · Publisher: Asus · Special Features: nv:Condition^New|Operating Systems^Microsoft® Windows® XP Home|Platform^Notebook PC|PS/2 Keyboard Connectors^N/A|PS/2 Mouse Connectors^N/A|Serial Communication Ports^N/A|Parallel Ports^N/A|USB Ports^3|FireWire Ports^N/A|Fast Infrared Ports (FIR)^N/A|LAN Ports^1|Modem Ports^N/A|Audio Out Jacks^1|Line In Jacks^N/A|Microphone Jacks^1|VGA Ports^1|S-Video Connectors^N/A|DVI Video^N/A|Port Replicator/Connector^N/A|Processor Brand^Intel|Processor Class^Atom Processor · Studio: Asus · System Memory Size (Units: MB): 1000 · System Memory Type: DDR2 SDRAM · UPC: 884840272526

This Eee PC by Asus comes in Fine Ebony style that is created with cutting-edge Infusion casing technology. Inlaid within the chassis itself, the motifs are an integral part of the entire laptop and will not fade with time. The Infusion surface also provides a new level of resilience; scratch resistance and beautiful style while you're out and about. The Eee PC has a sturdy display with a high-resolution screen. At 1024 x 600 pixels, images are clear and sharp, making it more comfortable on the eyes reading and editing documents. On the top of this screen is the 1.3 Megapixel Webcamera that works synchronously with the 802.11n wireless to provide web conferencing anywhere, anytime for easier web communications and increased work efficiency. Preinstalled on the Eee PC to provide you a familiar interface is Microsoft's Windows XP Home, Windows Live Messenger and Works for numerous office applications, that allows anyone to learn, work and play. With all of these features the Asus Eee PC makes for a fantastic purchase as a well-equipped second notebook or a Web access tool, so beat the crowds, and get yours today before they sell out! Intel UMA Graphics Card 1.3 Megapixel Webcamera WiFi 802.11b/g/n Wireless Bluetooth 10/100Mbps LAN Hi-Definition Audio Speakers and Microphone Memory Card Slot - MultiMedia Card (MMC), Secure Digital (SD) Card, SDHC Connections - 3 x USB, VGA, Headphone, Microphone, RJ-45 (LAN) Approximate Unit Dimensions - 10.47? (W) x 7.53? (D) x 1.12? ~ 1.50? (H) Approximate Unit Weight - 3.2 Pounds

Portable and Usable
The Asus EEE PC 1000h really lives up to the hype as usable well designed netbook. I have been using it at the office on the road and even in bed with for a week now. It has a really wonderful keyboard that I can actually type on comfortably. Seriously, I'm not the greatest typist but it's nice not to have to look at you fingers while you're typing an email. Generally the key are in the right place including the FN key. The battery life is also most satisfactory. I get about 3-4 hours surfing the net with the screen turned down to a low but readable level and the power saver on. With the screen down, the wireless off and the power saver on, the meter was reporting about 6.5 hours of use which is great! If get a better hard drive, it might get up to 8 hours. It also sips power when in sleep mode so I don't mind leaving it running when I walk away from it.

The screen is very readable for a 40+ person and gets more than sufficiently bright for indoor use. I have it set to just above 1/2 way most of the time. Admittedly I'm not crazy about the 1240x600 screen dimensions considering many web pages are designed for 1240x800. On the plus side, it is very easy to view from many angles and the contrast is surprising for such a budget computer. I haven't tried editing photographs on it yet, but am betting that it would do as well as any other lap top I've owned to date.

One of the great things about this budget computer is the access door on the bottom. Turning 2 screws gives you access to both the RAM and the hard drive Assembly. I replaced the memory with a 2gb OZC chip and it made a huge difference! A freeware benchmark program jumped from an 80 to 135 putting it in line with the full size $1000+ Toshiba that I purchased less than a year ago. Honestly, they perform tasks about equally as well even thought the Asus is nearly 2 LB lighter and runs 1-3 hours longer on battery that the Toshiba. I will probably upgrade the drive within a month or two once I decide on the new Hitachi hard drive or the OCZ solid state drive. Ether way, it's only a matter of a couple 4 screws and the just slipping it in; no cables, no adapters, no jumpers, no fuss! Last, is the touch pad which is a bit of a disappointment. It works great as a mouse pointer but is not very good for scrolling. The touch pad on my Toshiba is far superior with the scrolling on the right and bottom - way easier to use. For extended periods I use a Kennsington Slimblade mouse which worked within seconds of first being plugged in. Overall I'm very satisfied with the computer and will probably end up selling the Toshiba on eBay.

PROS
* 3.5-6 hour battery life in the real world
* Portable
* Light weight
* Great keyboard for size, touch typing capable
* Nice screen, viewable from lots of angles
* small power adapter
* Windows XP optimized from the start
* easily upgradable
* Plenty of hard drive space for a netbook
* built in SDHC card reader
* includes neoprene zipper pouch
* Generally runs cooler than previous models
* Large touch pad
* Runs cooler than previous models

CONS (mostly minor)
* Loud fan
* Slow hard drive, but OK for a 5400rpm
* So-so 1gb factory memory
* Left USB port is tight
* 1240x600 screen not great for a lot of web sights
* Hard drive gets a little warm on extended use but not uncomfortably
* 2 finger scrolling doesn't work well, especially on low power
* The case shows fingerprints and smudges

True Mobility
Now I'll give you a little more insight on it. The screen is just right once you place it in 1024 x 768 compressed resolution. However, It can handle up to 1920 x 1080 if you don't mind scrolling your desktop and it isn't recommended.

Overall it's performance is adequate. I have not tested it for any games, but it isn't designed for that. It also seems to be easy to upgrade as the back panel reveals the hard drive and memory.

The only reason I have given it 4 out 5 stars is because its battery life is 4-4.5 hours and not 7 hours as advertised. Perhaps they are referring to the solid state drive version. One may be able to squeeze a little more by lowering screen brightness and playing with other settings but realistically most people plug their laptops in so it may prove not to be an issue for you. The other slight draw back is that you need to purchase an external CD/DVD drive. However, this is not a requirement.

My final thoughts is that Asus has managed to squeeze alot of computer into a small package. Make no mistake this mini is no toy. Of course it would be easy for die-hard enthusiast to pick on this mini-laptop apart. but over all , "They done good" and the price is just right.

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Sylvania GNET13001 7" Netbook PC (1.2 GHz Via C7-M Processor, 1 GB RAM, 30 GB Hard Drive, gOS Escape Pod 2.9M OS)

List Price: $349.99
Amazon Price: $329.00

Personal Computers: 1.2 GHz Via C7-M Processor with 1 GB DDR 533MHz memory and 30 GB hard disk drive, 7-Inch WVGA TFT display with 800 x 480 resolution LCD screen with VIA UniChrome Pro IGP graphics, 4-in-1 media card reader, 10/100 Ethernet port, built in WiFi, 1 x DVI port, 2 x USB port, Includes integrated webcam and 1 x headphone/line out port, 1 x microphone/line in port and stereo speakers, gOS Escape Pod 2.9M Operation System

Free yourself from clumsy electronics and enjoy uncompromising mobility with the G netbook. Smaller and lighter than a laptop, the G netbook was meant to be used anywhere life takes you. At just under two pounds, the G netbook by Sylvania brings you ultra light portability and wireless Internet connectivity built right in. Using reliable architecture and gOS's innovative operating system, the G netbook is a lifestyle solution keeping you connected and mobile. Using Google and Web 2.0, gOS utilizes Linux-based software to provide a robust and diverse set of applications simple enough for users to dive right in. Next generation Google applications optimize productivity with office tools, email, and web-linked favorites like Myspace and YouTube on the desktop. These features combined with its superior battery life provide a truly portable and effortless net-computing experience at a price to fit anyone's lifestyle. Built-in Webcamera VIA UniChrome Pro IGP Graphics Card 802.11b/g Wireless 10/100 Ethernet 4-in-1 Media Card Reader 2 x USB 2.0, Headphone out; Microphone-in, DVI, RJ-45 LAN Approximate Unit Dimensions - 9.1? (W) x 6.7? (D) x 1.2?(H) Approximate Unit Weight - 1.87 Pounds

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Sylvania GNET28001SN Meso 8.9" Netbook PC (1.6 GHz Intel Atom Processor, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, Ubuntu OS)

Price as reviewed $449.99

Free yourself from clumsy electronics and enjoy uncompromising mobility with the G netbook Meso. Smaller and lighter than a laptop, the G netbook Meso was meant to be used anywhere life takes you. Flexing Intel's new Atom processor, enjoy powerful computing without the weight: only 2.2 lbs. Access pictures, music, movies and the web without the bulk of a laptop. Discover the netbook -- the next generation in personal productivity. Indulge in portable, lightweight connectivity at an affordable price. 8.9? diagonal (1024 x 600) Backlit LED Display Integrated Webcamera Intel 945 Express Graphics Chipset 802.11b/g Wireless 10/100 Ethernet Multi Card Reader 3 x USB 2.0, Headphone out; Microphone-in, VGA, RJ-45 LAN Approximate Unit Dimensions - 9? (L) x 7? (W) x 1.25?(H) Approximate Unit Weight - 2.2 Pounds

I bought this PC from J&R (great service!!!) as it had more of what I desire in a micr-notebook than any of the others out there. The fact that it is much less expensive was just an added plus.

I loved everything about this computer save one drawback which I'll address momentarily. It is fast, stable, adequate connectivity, superior portability, and a decent touchpad. The preloaded software is decent too. I have used Open Office (pre-loaded software) for years now on several other machines and have found it to be the equal to and superior to MS Office on several levels.

All in all, a great deal, a great machine, with great potential; save the drawback I mentioned: Poor WEP Wireless Network connectivity.

It will not connect to any WEP encrypted wireless network I have attempted to connect to, nor have I been successful in connecting to unsecured networks. I spent an entire day at home with tech support for my internet provider, from the router manufacturer (Buffalo Technology-Excellent wireless router!), and of course the Sylvania people.

Per Sylvania Tech Support, I was told:

"Oh yes, that is a widely known issue. Just reconfigure your security settings on your router using either No security encryption, or set it to WPA encryption."

I tried reconfiguring my home systems wireless security for over 5 hours, 2 of which was spent with the fine people of Buffalo Technology who very patiently walked me through every possible security configuration and still no connection!

Even were I able to get it to work on my system, I guess I'll persuade every business who provides wireless service to customers to change their security from WEP just for me too, eh?

Spectacular idea with great potential, perhaps a different Linux OS variant or replace the wireless technology within the notebook would remedy the issue, perhaps even a software fix???

No machine in this class currently on the market gives you 80GB HDD, 1 GB RAM for any where near $500. Fix the wireless issue and this pc will rock...For the moment, it is of no use to me; J&R provided immediate Return Authorization.

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Dell XPS M1330

Price as reviewed $899.00

This configuration of the Dell XPS M1330 is a 4-pound, mainstream consumer notebook computer.Compared to other mainstream notebooks on the market, it is relatively inexpensive at around $905.Has Wi-Fi (wireless connectivity) built-in.

Description: This configuration of the Dell XPS M1330 is a 4-pound, mainstream consumer notebook computer.Compared to other mainstream notebooks on the market, it is relatively inexpensive at around $905.Has Wi-Fi (wireless connectivity) built-in.

Pros: Has only a 4-pound weight, which is considerably lighter than some similarly priced notebooks.In fact, the typical cost of a product with this light a weight is $1,690.

Cons: Has only a 13.3-inch screen size, which is considerably smaller than some similarly priced notebooks.For example, the Dell Inspiron 1525, a -pound notebook at around $950, has a 15.4 screen size.The Dell XPS M1330 comes with no-frills word processing software ? if you often create complex documents you will likely need to upgrade to a full-fledged office suite.Shared video memory has a negative impact on system performance which may be okay for users with more modest graphics needs.Users with more demanding needs should look to a graphics solution that brings its own muscle.

Suitability: Suited for those who just need a basic notebook.Preserve home movies for future generations by saving them onto DVD with this computer's DVD writer.If you have a wireless network at home, wirelessly browse the Internet from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled laptop.

Value: In view of its relatively inexpensive price, this notebook has great features for the money.Generally, this economy-class model lacks curb appeal, but budget-minded consumers will like the low price.

Suggestions: (1) Given this device's Wi-Fi capability, you may want to get a wireless access point for your home, so that you can browse the Internet more conveniently from any room.(2) Using this PC's Firewire (1394) port, you can connect to many digital videocameras and other equipment to rapidly upload data to the laptop hard drive.

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Gateway T-6836

by Michelle Thatcher
Price as reviewed $799.99

Most budget-friendly midsize laptops feature 15.4-inch screens that, while good for watching movies, can be a burden to schlep around campus. For the truly mobile student, a system with a 14.1-inch screen will be slightly more portable but is still big enough to use as a primary computer. The 14.1-inch Gateway T-6836, available in a fixed configuration at Best Buy, is one of our favorite budget-friendly midsize systems for the back-to-school season. Its sleek, colorful case design looks more expensive than its $799 price tag, and it comes stocked with components that helped it outperform similarly priced systems on CNET Labs' tests. Our complaints about the T-6836 are minor: its key travel feels a bit shallow, and its speakers produce tinny sound. Those quibbles aside, the Gateway T-6836 represents an excellent value proposition for students headed to campus this fall.

The laptops in Gateway's T series come in multiple colors, depending on where they're sold. Our Gateway T-6836, currently available at Best Buy, features a gray-blue lid and wrist rest (Gateway calls it "Pacific Blue") with a black display bezel and silver keyboard. The color is subdued, but it also provides a distinctive look that will stand out among a sea of black systems. Our only criticism is that the glossy case finish is particularly prone to fingerprints; after handling the laptop a few times the lovely lid was marred with plenty of smudges.

Aesthetics aside, the T-6836 feels sturdy, and we like that the lid attaches to the base via two extra-wide hinges. Its case is also a hair smaller than similar systems, such as the Dell Inspiron 1420-123B and the HP Pavilion dv2915nr. The Gateway T-6836's 14.1-inch screen also gives you a weight advantage over such 15.4-inch mainstream models as the Dell Inspiron 1525-122b and HP Pavilion dv6915nr. In exchange for sacrificing an inch (but no pixels) of screen size with the Gateway T-6836, you'll save a half-pound of weight.

We really like the displays on Gateway's budget systems, and the T-6836's 14.1-inch screen is no exception. It features a typical 1,280x800-pixel native resolution, and it displays such rich colors that movies and photos look great. The slightly glossy finish strikes a great balance between making colors pop and keeping reflections to a minimum. (Because this is a fixed configuration for sale in retail stores, there is not a matte-screen finish option.) It all adds up to a better media experience than we'd usually expect from a laptop that costs $799.

We're slightly less enthusiastic about the keyboard on the Gateway T-6836. It is full-size, and we were able to type without errors, but the key travel was a bit too shallow for our tastes. Typing comfort can be subjective, so we strongly suggest giving the keyboard a try before deciding to buy the T-6836. The keyboard is framed in brushed aluminum; above the keyboard are a button to launch Windows Media Center, a row of keys to control disc playback that are cut into the brushed aluminum, and a touch-sensitive slider to control volume. Handy but unobtrusive port labels on the keyboard deck let you know where to plug in peripherals.

Gateway keeps things simple with the T-6836, offering just the basics when it comes to ports and connections. Some users might miss the mini FireWire port we've come to expect on laptops of this size, but there is a multiformat memory-card reader for transferring photos and video. Unsurprising for a laptop at this price level, the T-6836's built-in speakers produce grating, tinny sound.

The retail-only Gateway T-6836's fixed configuration is built around a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 CPU, which is typical for a mainstream budget system (and also found in the Dell Inspiron 1420-123B). What's not typical for a mainstream budget system is the Gateway's 4GB of 667MHz RAM, plus the 64-bit version of Vista to take advantage of the full RAM allotment. Those features were enough to carry the Gateway T-6836 to the head of the class on all of CNET Labs' performance benchmarks, making it the highest performer among back-to-school laptops in the $730 to $800 price range.

The Gateway T-6836's included six-cell battery ran for 2 hours and 58 minutes on our video playback battery drain test. That's an impressive score for a mainstream system, especially one priced this low. Among similar back-to-school laptops you'll find at Best Buy this season, only the Dell Inspiron 1420-123B outlasted the Gateway, while the rest of the systems failed to make it past the 2.5-hour mark. Our battery drain test is especially grueling, so you can expect longer life from casual Web surfing and office use.

Gateway backs the T-6836 with an industry-standard one-year parts-and-labor warranty, with 24-7 phone support during the warranty period. The company's Web site includes the expected driver downloads and FAQs, as well as the opportunity to send e-mail to a technician. Every T series laptop also comes preloaded with Gateway's BigFix diagnostic software.

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Aigo P8860 MID

by Chris Davies
Price as reviewed $5228

As expected, aigo held a press launch for their P8860 MID today in Hong Kong, at the Mongkok MK1 Super Digital Mall. Sadly SlashGear wouldn’t pay for me to fly there, but UMPC Fever stopped by to watch aigo execs take the wraps off of the 4.8-inch touchscreen Silverthorne device. They also managed to score some time with an exclusive Windows XP version; check out the video demo after the cut.

The P8860 uses an Intel Atom Z500 processor and usually runs the Midinux Linux-based OS with 512MB of RAM and a 4GB SSD for storage. Connectivity includes WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, GPS and WWAN. The touchscreen is 4.8-inches and WVGA (800×480) resolution, and the whole thing weighs just 350g.

All of the P8860 units aigo announced today will ship with Midinux, but that didn’t stop aigo (or perhaps UMPC Fever!) slapping an HSDPA dongle into the XP version. No word on when or if the P8860 will make it to the US or Europe, but Hong Kong buyers will be looking at a HK$5228 (US$670) tag.

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Raon Digital Everun

By Darius Chang
Price as reviewed $1068

When we first set eyes on the Everun, honestly, we weren't impressed. Looking like an ungainly, elongated Treo PDA-phone, we preferred the simplicity of the slate ASUS R2H, slider Sony UX series and even the clamshell Kohjisha SA1F00 and Fujitsu LifeBook U1010. TrendsMobile, the distributor bringing the Everun to the Singapore market, passed us a unit for review and though we still did not really go gaga over the design, we could appreciate its inner beauty. After all, with a battery life of close to 6 hours and a whole slew of upgrade options, the Everun has come closest to fulfilling the UMPC promise of mobile connectivity and all-day computing.

Design

Though the images of the Everun make it look rather huge, the elongated 170 x 83 x 25mm form actually fits into the hands very nicely and resembles a portable gaming console. But unlike a Sony PSP, this UMPC is a full-fledged computing system running on Windows XP Home. We like the fact that the battery, keyboard and sides have a rubberized finish that is non-slip and perfect for those with sweaty palms. Not so hot are the silver borders which, unfortunately, displayed signs of paint dropping despite our utmost care keeping the unit in its included cloth bag when not in use. For a unit that is meant to be used on-the-go, this lack of attention to the exterior hardiness is a little disappointing. Fortunately, the manufacturer is aware of this issue and offers to fix any units which have this problem free. It assured us that future units will not exhibit this symptom.

The Everun weighs a mere 490g. Though the pre-production unit had a charger which resembled those used to replenish handphone cells, the final unit came with a more conventional two-piece device that increased the traveling weight to 802g. The Everun compares favorably with the 580g Fujitsu LifeBook U1010 which has a similar display size and quite a bit lighter than the 7-inch Kohjinsha SA1F00 which is almost 1kg.

There is no lack of dedicated buttons on this machine. Besides the 56-key keyboard and 12 function keys, there is a directional pad, right/left click and scroll buttons as well as two sets of shift, Fn, Alt and Ctrl controls (for use when the unit is in portrait or landscape mode). The top of the unit (in landscape view) contains the audio jacks, mini-USB, USB as well as additional keys to change CPU speeds, resolution and volume mute. The right side holds the volume control and power button. The latter is recessed enough to prevent accidental power ups while still being easy to press. A SIM card slot (for use with the optional HSDPA radio) and proprietary expansion jack are found on the bottom.

Frankly, we would have preferred if the direction pad was switched with the right/left click and scroll keys as this makes navigation a lot more intuitive. The reason for the current layout, however, is for the feature which changes the input from standard to gamepad mode for gaming. Though a laudable effort, we do not think this is necessary as a UMPC is less a gaming device than a productivity tool. There is a slot at the back for the stylus so that it can be used as a stand. However, it is so flimsy that we do not advise doing so.

This UMPC can be used as an external storage device when switched off, allowing you to access the contents without draining the battery. Unfortunately, the mini-USB and charging port are paired too close to allow both to be used simultaneously. Hence, you can either replenish the battery or access the harddisk, but not both.

Features

As mentioned, one of our favorite party tricks with the Everun is its ability to be used as an external harddisk while switched off. Despite its size, this is a full-fledged computer capable of running most Windows XP-compatible programs. Despite its seemingly underpowered AMD Geode 600MHz, we were quite surprised that applications opened rather promptly with acceptable video performance. It may also be the first device to use an optical sensor as a mouse which we found to be intuitive as well as conducive to one-hand operations. An internal accelerometer detects the orientation of the device and automatically rotates the screen to an upright position.

The keyboard letters are tilted so they can be used in either landscape or portrait positions. Though a useful feature for quick password inputs and Web surfing, the smaller keys are terrible if you intend to write anything longer than a short email or phrase. We suggest pairing it with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse if you need serious work to be done.

We lament the omission of an Ethernet port as some hotels and offices still use the faster wired networks for Internet connection. Nevertheless, with the increase of wireless hotspots, most users will make full use of the 802.11b/g radio under the hood. Short-range Bluetooth connectivity is included as well. One particular quirk we found is that you cannot disable only one radio. So we either had both wireless and Bluetooth up and running, or none at all. This is quite a pity as some may want to use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse but with the power-draining Wi-Fi component turned off. An optional 3G/HSDPA module for mobile broadband users can be added for an additional S$450 (US$330.88).

A singule USB port is all you get for hooking up external devices, so we suggest investing in a powered USB hub if you have many peripherals. Using an included VGA adapter, an external display of up to 1,920 x 1,440-pixel resolution can be used to extend the 4.8-inch wide-aspect touchscreen. The latter's native resolution is 800 x 480, hence you may need to scroll the screen for certain applications and Web sites. To be honest, the small display is not really meant for extended use as the fonts, though sharp, are more than a little straining on the eyes. Surfing and emailing are not a problem, but for longer usage go for an external display instead. The underlying graphics engine can be tweaked to use from 0MB to 254MB of the system RAM for graphics rendering. Considering the rather anemic 512MB soldered on, we suggest reducing the video RAM to boost application performance.

We were surprised to find stereo speakers as we expected only a single mono output in a device this size. There is also a built-in microphone for quick recordings. But for better sound and voice capture, we suggest using the integrated audio jacks at the top of the unit. We were not too keen about the positioning of the jacks as the wires obscure the screen while in use which is a bad thing if you are trying to watch a movie or video.

Performance And Battery Life

Our S$1,638 (US$1,204.41) review unit held a AMD Geode LX900 processor clocked at 600MHz with 512MB of memory and 60GB harddisk. The memory is soldered on and cannot be upgraded. A cheaper variant with a 500MHz chip and 30GB storage is also available at S$1,288 (US$947.06). Later in the month, a version with a 6GB solid state drive (SSD) will turn up and will tentatively retail for S$1,488 (US$1,094.12). According to the distributor TrendsMobile, the 6GB SSD comes with an adapter which allows CompactFlash cards to use the 1.8-inch harddisk slot for more storage space.

In an era where most processors are measured by the number of cores which clock in at over 1GHz, having a single 600MHz sounds like a recipe for disaster. But remember that Windows XP was released at the turn of the millennium when some PCs were running at 233MHz with 128MB memory. During our tests we found that the operating system was quite responsive and most applications had no problems running on the Everun. Trying to run Photoshop or Microsoft Office 2007 would, however, be pushing it. Fortunately, the distributor's Web site provides a list of programs which run quite well on this UMPC. Windows Vista is, of course, a big no-no on this machine.

One of the best uses for this machine is video playback. Capable of running up to 4Mbps 720 x 400 DivX videos, the graphics was smooth with minimal frame skips. WMV videos, however, did not fare too well and for YouTube clips the quality had to be set at low to prevent jerky playback. Some users even claim to be able to run older games like StarCraft on the Everun.

The battery life is where the Everun impresses. We looped a series of MPEG-1 and DivX videos on the included GOM player with the screen at half brightness and switched Wi-Fi off. From the CPU indicator light, it was screaming its 600MHz head off and yet still squeezed out over 5 hours of uptime. The unit did not heat up too much despite the stress we put it through. Using the machine in normal Web surfing mode with wireless radios on, we averaged about 4 hours. There is a high-capacity cell which adds 100g to the weight but claims up to 12 hours of running time, according to the manufacturer. Leaving the charger at home is definitely an option with this UMPC.

Service And Support

When it comes to support, Raon Digital's Web site provides only the manual for download. The device drivers have to be obtained via the distributor's Web site. There is a recovery partition on the device which will reset the Everun to its factory default setting, after which one can install the bundled programs stored in the second data partition. Suffice to say, any issues--software or hardware--will have to be handled via the local distributor, which offers a one-year local warranty for this device. Email and telephone support are available via the distributor as well.

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