Carla Thornton
WinBook J1 Celeron 700
One of the most affordable new budget laptops on the market, the WinBook J1 offers a 10GB hard drive, 128MB of RAM, a 12.1-inch active-matrix screen, and a Celeron-700 processor for less than $1200.The J1 suffers from a few minor drawbacks. Our biggest complaint is its battery life: only 2 hours with the J1's standard nickel-metal hydride battery. A longer-lasting lithium-ion power pack costs another $200. Audio ports reside on the back, an inconvenient location if you frequently use headphones. You can upgrade the storage yourself, but two tiny, easily stripped screws hold the hard drive in--it isn't designed for frequent removal (should you share the J1 with others). Unlike most competing vendors, which offer around-the-clock telephone support, WinBook works the phone lines only 13 hours on weekdays and 9 hours on Saturdays.
Compact for an all-in-one laptop, the two-tone J1 measures about an inch shorter and narrower than standard models; it weighs a reasonable 6.5 pounds, not including the AC adapter. The fixed floppy drive and 12X-24X CD-ROM drive are conveniently located on the front, while the volume control and Web and e-mail shortcut buttons are located above the keyboard. The keyboard sports an unusually short spacebar, but it didn't cause us any problems when we typed. Base J1 models such as the one we tested don't have a built-in network interface, so if you need a network connection, you'll have to fill this notebook's single PC Card slot with an ethernet PC Card for an extra $70. The J1 does come with all standard notebook connections, a built-in modem, and even two USB ports for extra peripherals (including WinBook's $119 USB port replicator). Unlike the hard drive, the memory rests beneath an easy-to-remove bottom panel. WinBook bundles a thorough and useful manual, marred only by the lack of an index. As with most inexpensive notebooks, you'll have to add your own productivity software. The J1's Celeron-700 chip (with Windows Me) helped it to a PC WorldBench 2000 score of 110, typical for notebooks with this class of processor.
Penny pinchers (individual users or small companies) with no need to work away from a power outlet for long periods and no network-connection requirements will be happiest with the J1, a steal at only $1168.
| Buying Information |
| WinBook J1 Celeron 700 PC WorldBench 2000 score of 110, Celeron-700, 128MB of SDRAM, 128KB L2 cache, Windows Millennium Edition, 12.1-inch active-matrix screen, Trident Cyberblade II 3D/AGP graphics chip with UMA, 10GB hard drive, 12X-24X CD-ROM drive, built-in V.90 modem, PC Card network interface, touchpad pointing device, 7.4 pounds (including AC adapter and phone cord). One-year parts and labor warranty; free unlimited toll-free technical support 13 hours on weekdays and 7 hours on Saturdays. $ 1168 PC WorldBench 2000 score of 110, Celeron-700, 128MB of SDRAM, 128KB L2 cache, Windows Millennium Edition, 12.1-inch active-matrix screen, Trident Cyberblade II 3D/AGP graphics chip with UMA, 10GB hard drive, 12X-24X CD-ROM drive, built-in V.90 modem, PC Card network interface, touchpad pointing device, 7.4 pounds (including AC adapter and phone cord). One-year parts and labor warranty; free unlimited toll-free technical support 13 hours on weekdays and 7 hours on Saturdays. http://www.winbook.com 800/965-9349 |