First off, I think everyone is being a little critical of this machine. I recently picked it up at a local retailer in Dallas for less than two benjamins, so maybe if some of those people had gotten it at THAT price point, they might have a different tune. But I digress. First the weak points.
Cons:
1. Yes, the keyboard is awful. 1/3 size right shift key is certainly a deal-breaker for some: I know personally it's how I capitalize and it's nearly impossible on this unit without training yourself not to hit the 'end' key instead. It's also flimsy and overall cheap feeling, they certainly didn't put much thought into it, but it works for short data entry. Wouldn't want to type something this long on it though.
2. There's no blank dummy card for the media reader. Better keep your dust and spills to a minimum, it's certainly exposed.
3. There is no LCD latch. Say goodbye to securely closed lid, and hope to god the hinges never start to get loose.
4. It ships /w Open Office. I don't consider this bloatware, and I love open source, but this suite will NEVER replace good ol Office. EVER. It should have just been an option to install from CD or whatever.
5. The battery life isn't what is claimed. In my tests, I could get to 4 hours and some change of straight use, but that's with wifi OFF, no ethernet, no multimedia, minimal multitasking, and letting it go into standby if I had to go to the bathroom or got distracted by something else. You will NOT EVER get 6 hours out of these batteries. They should have just come clean on this. Maybe I really need to fully charge/discharge it a few more times, but I get the feeling what other people say about this is true. Also, charging three hours just to get three hours (or so)? That's pretty lame.
6. Velocity. Why is it a con? Because who knows them? No one. Will they honor the warranty? Who knows. Will the battery erupt in hell flames? Could happen. Will the thing crack and break in half in less than a month? A possibility. I simply don't know what to expect in the future of this device.
7. As expected, BIOS options are practically non-existent. That's to be expected, but still disappointing. If you like being able to change your date and time, you'll be in heaven. Anything else... well.....nope.
8. Included documentation is kind of a joke. Beyond teaching the basics of what a touchpad IS, they also tell you such helpful things as what the Fn keys does, and how to turn your laptop on and off. That's about it.
9. Speakers. At max volume it's tinny and shallow. I didn't expect them to be fantastic, but they are no more than glorified earbuds embedded in the side of the case.
Pros:
1. It ships with -ZERO- bloatware! Thank god, no spending an hour or two removing crappy trials of software you never wanted.
2. It's quick as all get out. With no bloatware to slow it down, and 'adjusting for best performance' /w visual effects (keeping the theme of course) this little machine is extra snappy, even with spreadsheets, webpages, hamachi, VPN, outlook, virus protection, and other stuff running. I'm still thrilled such modest specs can produce such surprising speed.
3. Stable wireless. Alot of netbooks are plagued by somewhat flaky WLAN, this unit has been solid, picking up access points further away than my other computers can, and having more bars in more places (where did that come from?)
4. It's not NEARLY as thick and bulky as it looks in the marketing photos. When I went out ot look at this, I was really expecting a sub-notebook, kind of clunky and bigger than most netbooks. It's not. For whatever reason most of the photos of it make it look about 30-40% larger than it is. It's very light and very small.
5. VGA PORT! Some netbooks are leaving this out now. Give me a break. You have to have this, and this does.
6. I think this is clever but some people might find it annoying. In a bid to save battery life, the laptop, upon reboot, always shuts the WIFI OFF. That way, unless you need it, it's not on, sucking juice. It did, of course, confuse me the first time I rebooted and my wireless wasn't working anymore.
7. The included case. Some might think it's cheesy, but I think it's a good admission on their part. They know this is a fragile product, and you should not treat it like a toy. Keeping the overall price point low by including a case, however cheap, is a good marketing strategy if you ask me. Now if they had included a little mouse too, I would really been impressed. And it may be cheap, but it still looks nice and will offer decent protection from scratches and scuffs.
In-betweens:
1. Webcam. It's been a looonnnggg time since I've actually used one. I think my first was a logitech quickcam, you know the one. This one has a MUCH better one, at least in terms of still images. There is still alot of ghosting during motion.
Overall, in terms of value, this netbook is incredible. It's got some quirks, but I can overlook them, and maybe you can too. Hope this helps.
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Velocity Micro Notemagix M10 Gx 10.2-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home, 6 Cell Battery) Blue.
