Acer Review, Asus Review – Netbook 10

Gigabyte’s M1022 Booktop is a standard spec 10” netbook with a twist. It can be docked and you can use it as a CPU and plug in a monitor, keyboard and mouse.  Large screen at-home computing meets on-the-go computing… with the M1022,  you’ll always have the right file on you, not to mention your entire music collection.  It’s only available in select countries (not yet in the US) for the equivalent of $600, but should be more widespread in a few months. It’s available at Amazon for  $450.

Rating: 5.7/7 [rating:5.5/7]

Features

• Booktop, use as your desk workstation, save space - Using a netbook as a CPU is a relatively simple concept, yet no netbook makers seem to be capitalizing on it. Until Gigabyte’s M1022 that is. Using the dock, you can store the M1022 in a vertical position much like the Nintendo Wii. Plug in a monitor, keyboard and a mouse, and you have yourself a home work station. You would probably need to buy an external DVD player to play movies, if you aren’t getting them from Hulu or iTunes.The M1022 costs around $600, so factor in the costs of the peripherals. A wireless or bluetooth mouse will be handy on the go, but the monitor, keyboard, speakers, DVD player etc. will probably stay on your desk. I’d recommend you stick to a traditional high-power CPU or notebook if you’re looking to run heavy software like Photoshop or to play games like World of Warcraft. If you only need a computer to edit documents and play audio and video files though, the M1022 could very well be your primary and secondary computer all in one.You’ll never have to worry about having left your latest document at home, or lugging around an external hard drive in addition to your portable device.
• Optional 3.5G - If you buy a subscription with a 3G network provider you could probably use it at home and on the go. This netbook reeks of portability! And looks pretty sleek too :)

Drawbacks

• Mouse buttons located on sides – I hate it when netbooks come with the mouse buttons on the side! It takes a while to get used to, and it’s just plain annoying. If you’re using the M1022 at home, or you intend on carrying a wireless mouse around, this probably won’t annoy you as much though. Go to a store and play around with this type of track pad if you’re unsure about it.

So far, there really don’t seem to be any significant drawbacks to this netbook. It comes with standard specs like most netbook… apart from the price, it seems to be a sound buy.

Rating – 5.7/7

• Value for Money – 0.8
• Speed and Performance –0.7
• Screen – 0.8
• Keyboard – 0.8
• Portability & Battery Life – 1
• Looks and Design – 1
• Extensibility & connectivity – 0.6

M1022 Specs

Processor – Atom 270 / N280

Chipset – Intel 945GSE/GN40

OS – Windows XP

Memory – 1GB / 2GB RAM

Storage – 160/250/320/500 GB HDD

Display – 10.1” (1024×600 or 1366×768)

Connectivity –Built in Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11 b/g/n by mini card, optional 3.5G by mini card

Ports – 3 USB, 4 in 1 card reader, optional e-SATA

Battery – 6 cell

Dimensions – 1” – 1.2” thick

Weight – 2.9lbs with 6cell battery

Bottomline

Simple decision, really. Need a netbook that will dual up as your home computer? Don’t mind the standard netbook specs? If you’re willing to spend about $600, this could be the netbook for you. For more details on where to buy it, check out the Gigabyte website.

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Filed under: Gigabyte Netbooks