Foxconn, an established technology company best known for producing components such as motherboards and graphics cards for other manufacturers but now they have launched their first costumer product – the Qbook.
A compact netbook at 7″ the QBook is much lighter than many other netbooks at just 650 grams and could well be the perfect solution for those who want a compact and reliable netbook at a budget price.
Unlike most netbooks the QBook uses an ARM processor rather than the Intel Atom and has a 128MB memory, as opposed to 1GB which is common elsewhere. This mobile computer also employs a 2GB Flash memory rather than a traditional mechanical drive, which is restrictive in terms of storage capacity but less susceptible to damage from being accidentally knocked or dropped.
The Operating System is Windows CE which is a compact system designed especially for devices with limited storage. Ultimately this means you’ll be restricted in what you can do as opposed to a regular XP or Windows 7 machine but at such a competitive price you will have to accept there will be compromises somewhere.
Overall, the QBook is an interesting development and may force the main manufacturers to rethink their strategies? However, given that you can buy a much more competent machine from Samsung or HP for a little over £200 we’ll be surprised if the Qbook gains many followers in a very competitive marketplace.
- Available from Amazon.co.uk for £124.99
Specification:
- Processor: VIA ARM VT8500 32bit CPU
- Clock Speed: 300M Hz
- RAM: 128M
- Display: 7″ TFT HD
- Max Resolution: 800×480
- Hard Drive Capacity: 2GB Flash Drive
- Expansion: 1x SDCard slot
- Connections: 3x USB 2.0,1x SDCard slot,1×RJ45
- Audio/Video: Integrated Speakers, 3.5mm Headphone Jack; Microphone Input and Integrated Microphone
- Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g
- Dimensions: 255mm x 167mm x 38mm
- Net Weight: 0.65kg