Handy Computer Guide

CNET have publsihed a review of the Averatec All-in-One desktop PC. 'Averatec's new, self-describing All-in-One offers yet another Windows-based take on the iMac. Compared with similar systems from Dell and Gateway, the $1,300 All-in-One actually has the most aggressive price, as well as the largest screen. In general, and as with those others, Averatec's new PC is less compelling than the iMac. As is typical of Windows-based all-in-ones, the Averatec offers the capability to upgrade that the iMac cannot. And either the larger screen or Windows Vista may be selling points or necessities for some of you, as well. Otherwise, there's very little this Averatec can do that the iMac doesn't do better.'

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A review of the rugged Averatec Voya 6494 laptop has been posted over at ZDNet. 'Not to be confused with Averatec's GPS units of the same name, this Voya is a laptop and of the semirugged variety. With its rubber bumpers, the Averatec Voya 6494 bears a slight resemblance to Honda's original Element. Despite its clunky look, the Voya 6494 is relatively trim for a ruggedized 15-inch laptop. And when opened, it presents a surprisingly slick yet corporate look, with a silver-and-black screen bezel, and black keyboard and keyboard tray. It serves up security features that will certainly appeal to business users, including Smart Card and SIM card slots.

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A review of the Averatec AV2575 ultraportable notebook has been posted over at Notebook Review. ‘Build quality is excellent, having a very rigid chassis with minimal flex. The screen frame is very strong, although it doesn't keep away all the ripples on the screen when you try to flex it or press on the back of the cover. The screen hinges gave a good amount of tension and usually required the use of two hands to open up the notebook. The screen latching design was one element that stuck out for me, where it was the simple design that I loved. It is a latchless system that uses magnets and the hinge tension to keep the notebook lid closed. Unlike hinge tension only setups, the magnets keep the lid firmly closed, and give a satisfying click when "latched".'

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A review of the ultraportable Averatec 1579 Notebook has been posted over at ZDNet. 'The Averatec 1579 has the same subtle, sophisticated look as the slightly larger Averatec 2371, thanks in part to its dark-brown chassis. The slightly glossy finish is a bit too prone to fingerprints for our tastes, but we liked the monochromatic look of the lid, keyboard tray, and screen bezel. At 3.4 pounds, it's very light, but newer systems such as the Toshiba R400 manage to shave off even more weight. Our only real gripe with the overall design is that it's a little chunky. A mere 1.5 inches may not sound thick, but considering the 13-inch Dell XPS m1330 manages to get down below one inch (on its front edge), it's certainly possible to do better.'

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CNET have published a review of the Averatec 2371 N2371DH1E-1 - Turion 64 X2 TL-52 1.6 GHz - 12.1" TFT Notebook configuration. 'The Averatec 2371 has a subtle, sophisticated look that we chalk up to its unusual dark brown chassis. The finish is slightly glossy, and we had some trouble with fingerprints on the lid, but the one-color look for the lid, keyboard tray, and screen bezel contrasts nicely with the black keyboard. At a little more than 4 pounds, it's average for a 12-inch laptop--lighter than the bulky Dell XPS M1210, but heavier than the Toshiba R400, which omits an optical drive to save on weight.

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A review of the Averatec AV7170-EC1 "desktop-replacement" PC has been posted over at Laptop Magazine. 'Like its single-core sibling, the AV7160, the Averatec AV7170-EC1 ($1,099) is a stylish 17-inch desktop-replacement notebook with a few nice multimedia options. This time around, the system comes with an AMD dual-core processor and Nvidia graphics. Despite the upgrades, this system's performance falls way short of our expectations.

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A review of the Averatec 2300 Series ultraportable PC has been posted over at Laptop Magazine. 'The Averatec 2300 Series is a solid ultraportable at a very affordable price. Weighing only 4.1 pounds, it’s the lightest dual-core notebook here and is easy to carry. The angular, black metallic flake chassis is attractive. Averatec hasn’t stripped down the configuration to make it come in at under $1,000, either, delivering 1GB of RAM, a 100GB hard drive, an integrated dual-layer DVD burner, and Windows Media Center Edition (or Windows Vista Home Premium, depending on the build date). That said, the AMD Turion 64 X2 dual-core processor trails the others here in performance.

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The Averatec 2370 12” notebook has been reviewed over at Notebook Review. ‘Unlike earlier Averatec notebooks, the 2370 is not a re-branded MSI notebook. Instead, this particular model was built by Twinhead, the same company that manufactures the Durabook. As a result, the build quality of the 2370 defied my prejudice against the Averatec brand. The 12.1” screen features a 1280x800 resolution. Similar to many other multimedia notebooks, the 2370 has a glossy screen. The LCD for the 2370 is manufactured by AUO or SEC. I have an AUO screen, which appears to have washed-out colors but is still usable. Some may find adjusting the color settings necessary. The SEC screen would be most desirable since it’s reported to not have these problems.’

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A review of the lightweight Averatec 1100 Ultra-Portable Notebook PC has been posted over at Laptop Magazine. ‘At 10.4 x 7.9 x 1.1 inches, the Averatec 1100 is smaller than a standard sheet of paper, and at 3.4 pounds, feels almost as light. The slim but sturdy body is accented with an appealing black-and-silver color scheme. Opening the notebook reveals a gorgeous, 10.6-inch, 1280 x 768-pixel widescreen display. Web pages and images were especially sharp and colorful. DVDs looked good with the screen’s wide viewing angles, but the sound was less than spectacular.

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The "affordable" Averatec 3360 laptop has been reviewed over at CNET 'With a bargain-bin price of $649, the Averatec 3360 is nothing fancy: its silver plastic case and standard-aspect display won't turn any heads, and its previous-generation components and mediocre performance won't have any user jumping for joy. But it does have a few nice perks we're not used to seeing in this price range, including a built-in DVD burner. If you just want an incredibly cheap laptop to surf the Web and spit out some e-mail while on the road, the Averatec 3360 will get the job done. If you want to use your laptop for anything more than basic computing, buy a slightly more expensive system with a dual-core processor, such as the Lenovo 3000 V100.'

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New launches.com previews the new Averatec Voya 350 UMPC. 'With the Voya 350, Averatec has made an attempt to create a new milestone in the lucrative GPS arena. The slim, lightweight Voya 350 is an ideal solution for all types of mobile users, including: personal, business and vacation travelers, cyclists, hikers, taxi and limousine drivers. The Voya 350 automatically computes the best route, based on user preferences, to reach a specific destination, and audible voice prompts enable drivers to safely maintain their eyes on the road. Its automatic route recalculation capability gives motorists suggestions for alternate routes if they take a wrong turn or miss an exit.'

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The Averatec AV7160-EC1 laptop certainly has no pretensions of wanting to compete with the "dual-core" competition but the configurations available especially combined with the wireless facility should more than satisfy the needs of the average user. 'Most of the 17-inch wide-screen laptops we've seen have been high-end configurations tailored to gamers or multimedia enthusiasts. The $1,199 Averatec AV7160-EC1, the top model in the company's 7100 series, eschews pricey, powerful graphics and TiVo-like DVR functionality for a simple design, a thin profile, and a light weight. It also affirms Averatec's reputation for aggressive pricing; though it lacks the performance and the features found on other desktop replacement laptops, it's about the cheapest 17-inch model you'll find.

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The Averatec AV2260-EK1 notebook is a competitively priced computer which offers decent components and mobile performance in a nice sleek design. 'At 4.2 pounds, the AV2260-EK1 is a borderline ultraportable. It resembles the Lenovo 3000 V100 in design; both are built around plastic casings. It's not as thin as the Apple MacBook 13-inch nor as rugged-looking as the Dell XPS M1210. The 12.1-inch screen is transflective, so color saturation on photos and videos will look better than on a matte screen. The 95 percent keyboard is a little cramped for my tastes compared with the full-size ones offered by Dell, Lenovo, and Apple. The keys toward the bottom, such as the arrow keys and the Windows key, are almost half the size. The mouse buttons click silently, which is a definite plus. The touchpad did feel a little warm after a period of Web surfing, but the base stays cool enough for some serious lap-based work.'

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Notebook Review.com reviews the reasonably priced Averatec 2150-EH1 notebook PC. 'Like many other budget notebooks in this class, the case of AV2150-EH1 is built entirely out of plastic. Although it is not strengthened by fancy carbon fiber or magnesium alloy, the notebook feels fairly solid. I did not see any rippling when pressure was applied to the lid. The screen does not wobble because of the metal hinges under the plastic cover. Twisting is definitely possible, but I don't see how I will even attempt to twist my screen under daily uses, so no big deal there. The two latches used to keep the lid closed are made from plastic and are very fragile, although the "stronger" metal hinges should keep the lid closed even without the latches. Overall, the AV2150-EH1 isn't bullet-proof like the IBM ThinkPads or the Panasonic ToughBooks, but it should withstand some minor bumps.'

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BIOS Magazine previews the new, "colorful" 4360 notebook from Avertec which comes packed with features to satisfy the demands of the mobile professional. 'The Averatec 4360 is powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo-Processor. With dimensions of just 316x224x32mm, the 4360 is scarcely bigger than a standard A4 pad and should fit into any briefcase. The machine is also solidly built and the high quality of engineering should be obvious as soon as you pick it up. With the standard battery its weight is only 2kg and it gives up to 3 hours running time, according to the company. Averatec remains true to its original pledge to provide excellent price/performance and ‘Business Features for the Consumer at a fair price’. Along with the premium design and full technical set-up, the notebook also has a complete software package.’

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