Tech-Tonic: Price is the key

KATHMANDU, AUG 25 - 

At a time when laptops are getting bigger, better, and pricier, China has yet again surprised one and all with its Rs. 6,500 laptop targeted at the masses. This netbook, roughly the size of a diary, was the highlight at the ICT Trade Fair last month and has already found a solid place in the market. It may not be the best of choice for the more-serious user who wants much more than basic functionality, but it has no doubt made portable computers accessible to many inside Nepal.

Sagar InfoSys and Inktech are distributing these unbranded netbooks in Nepal and both have christened the netbook with their own names: Baleyo and Inktech respectively.  However, what’s inside remains the same on both the laptops: a Windows CE OS running on an ARM VT8505 processor, 128 MB RAM and a 2GB SSD hard drive. For basic functions such as light web-browsing and word processing, this wouldn’t be any problem, but it would be disappointing for those who were planning to get it for anything more. With storage of just 2GB, you can only carry around minimal data and programs, especially with Office taking up almost a quarter of your space. The keyboard and the track pad are small and tricky, so typing and navigation isn’t all too pleasing. Furthermore, with Windows CE as the operating system, you cannot expect XP programs to run perfectly in CE. The battery life isn’t too impressive either at less than two hours and bound to get lesser.  

Limitations aside, it does seem to be a very good bargain. For Rs. 6,500, one gets a netbook with a 7-inch screen, a card reader, 3 USB ports, and Wi-Fi support. For those needing a bit more space, you might need a dedicated memory card. For those wanting even more, Sagar InfoSys is offering an upgraded version with 512MB RAM and 4GB storage for about Rs. 10,000. 

However, there are complaints. These range from poor battery performance to manufacturing defects. The dealers do offer a one-year limited service warranty and about a month’s warranty for the battery. In any case, spare parts are quite cheap. The battery is priced at about Rs. 1,500, and the most-expensive component is the LCD, priced at Rs. 2,000. 

All in all, this netbook isn’t for you if you need to replace your current laptop. The functions are too limited and the machine itself not reliable enough to be put to tasks your previous laptop could perform. Nevertheless, if you wish to buy a secondary portable, then this may just be the right thing for you.