Print
Discuss
Send to friend
All indications are that the new The Hi-Grade Notino M4400-1800 is more impressive than its slightly disappointing predecessor, the AS8200.
Hi-Grade has equipped the new Notino with Intel's 1.8GHz Mobile Pentium 4 processor, one of the latest notebook processors to arrive on the market.
This is a mixed blessing. The mobile processors lack the raw power possessed by desktop processors of the same speed but mobile versions are designed to work using the minimum of power.
This allows the computer to run for longer while away from the mains although at 3.2kg, the Notino will probably spend most of its time stationary.
The 256Mb of DDR memory is average for a notebook of this price and should handle tasks and applications without much fuss.
However, the on-board graphics chip will share 64MB of that memory, leaving 192MB for programs. This should be enough for most users though.
If the sum total of your computer use is squirting off the odd email, surfing the web and doing the odd office task, the 20GB hard disk capacity is unlikely to worry you.
It would have been nice to see Hi-Grade pack the Notino with a bigger hard disk than 20GB, because with digital photography and suchlike this can be quickly eaten up.
Although relatively small for today's notebooks, the 14.1in TFT screen is very clear and has a 1024 x 768 resolution.
The CD-RW/DVD-Rom combo drive is a nice option. This allows you to watch DVD movies, back up files or create compilation music CDs as you would with a desktop PC. A floppy disk drive is also added for those with data to transfer.
The Notino is quite easy on the eye. The charcoal casing complements the keys, while the simple, angular design feels chunky and robust.
However, it is a big boy and being such a large notebook (32.5 x 27 x 4cm), we'd fully expect it to be bought as a desktop replacement, which makes the decision to fit a mobile processor a little mystifying.
A desktop chip would have lowered the price of the machine and upped performance.
On the back of the machine is the usual collection of sockets, including an S-Video port for hooking up a television.
Mini FireWire is at hand should you want to hook up a digital video camera or high-speed external device, while the infrared port can be used to beam contacts or files to other notebooks, handheld computers or mobile phones.
Finally, you can use the Notino's integrated network socket to connect any existing computers in the house to share printers, files or an internet connection.
Bundled software consists of Microsoft Works 7, anti-virus software and Windows XP Home.
The Notino is a good all-round notebook and its appeal is helped no end by the two-year, international collect-and-return warranty that includes accidental damage.
Although this doesn't cover fire, theft and perils, it does mean that any breakages inside the first two years would result in a speedy repair or replacement.
DETAILS
Price: £9998
Contact: Hi-Grade 020 8532 6111
www.higrade.com
See also:
It looks like a Mac but it runs like a PC. Is this the notebook you've been waiting for? 18 Nov 2002All Notebooks & Tablets PCs
del.icio.us
Digg this
reddit!
