Price as Reviewed: $399.99
- Attractive design
- Large hard drive and online storage
- OpenOffice.org software included
- Two-year warranty
- Tiny mouse buttons
- Shorter battery life than competition
- SD Cards stick out when inserted
CPU: 1.6-GHz Intel Atom N270
Operating System: Windows 7 Starter Edition (32-bit)
RAM/Expandable to: 1GB/3GB
Hard Drive Size/Speed: 250GB/5,400 rpm
Display Size/Resolution: 10.1/1024 x 600
Price as Reviewed: $399.99
Hercules, a brand better known for its speakers, Wi-Fi routers, and other PC hardware and accessories, is expanding its reach into the netbook category with the eCAFÉ EC-1000W. A follow-up to the EC-900 series, the 10-inch eCAFÉ features a distinct look and a sleek island-style keyboard. This Windows 7 Starter Edition netbook also comes with OpenOffice.org 3—making it easy for users to work on Office documents out of the box—and a generous 50GB of online storage (though you have to pay after the first year). Other machines in this class offer longer battery life, but the EC-1000W is worth a look.
Design
The 10.8 x 7.7 x 1.3-inch eCAFÉ EC1000-W blends design flourishes reminiscent of other popular netbooks into its design. The squared-off lid with rounded corners evokes the body of the original Lenovo IdeaPad S10, as does the hinge. Taking a cue from the Samsung NC10, Hercules integrated the power button into the hinge, but on the left side. Under the lid we found a chiclet keyboard that aesthetically recalls the Toshiba mini NB205.
There are a few singular touches on the EC-1000W: The lid features an “in-mold” design that reflects metallic-like swirls of color when you look at it from different angles. The serene blue color and bamboo silhouette add a stylish touch that users of all genders will appreciate. We’re also fans of the eCAFÉ’s speaker placement; they adorn the left and right edges of the deck, and are tucked close to the hinges.
While slightly heavier than most 10-inch netbooks (3.0 pounds instead of the typical 2.8), this system felt sturdy in our hands. It comes across as a bit bulky, but not inelegant.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The EC-1000W’s keyboard sits in a recessed area on the deck, so it doesn’t extend all the way to the edge. 88 percent of full size, the layout is a bit undersized but not uncomfortable or difficult to use. However, it took us a while to get accustomed to typing on it; even after some practice we scored 18 percent below our normal speed on the Ten Thumbs typing test. The keys weren’t as springy as we’d like, but they were decently responsive (with the exception of the smallish space bar, which dropped our keystrokes often enough to be noticeable and frustrating).
The 2.8 x 1.5-inch touchpad had just enough friction to provide decent accuracy. Thanks to its width, we didn’t have to pick up our fingers much when moving the cursor around the desktop. It doesn’t feature mutitouch, but does support side-scrolling. We’re definitely not fans of the mouse buttons; in fact, they almost caused us to stop using the EC-1000W’s touchpad in favor of an external mouse. Not only are they far too narrow for normal-sized fingers, but we also found them stiff and difficult to press.
Display and Audio
The EC-1000W’s 10.1-inch, 1024 x 600-pixel display delivered bright, rich colors and deep blacks. The glossy screen threw back reflections of varying degrees when viewing content under bright lights. While watching an episode of Forever Knight on Hulu in dim light, the reflections weren’t as big of an issue. The inch-thick bezel that surrounds the screen is also glossy to the point of distraction, reflecting flickers of light as we typed this review.
Colors seemed a bit washed out with the display angled at just over 90 degrees, but they improved as we pushed it back a bit more, and only became distorted at extreme angles. Horizontal viewing angles were satisfactory. Three people can easily watch video or read text with the eCAFÉ between them.
The top-mounted speakers produced tinny sound, not out of the ordinary for netbooks. We were pleased that the distinct bass lines in Superchick’s “One Girl Revolution” and “Battle Without Honor or Humanity” from the “Kill Bill: Vol. 1” soundtrack were both present and surprisingly strong. At 75 percent volume the sound filled a small room.
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق