iiView A2 (Atom N270 Processor 1.6GHz, 2GB RAM)
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CNET Asia Review
The good:
Sleek Netbook at affordable price; large 12.1-inch display; comes with Vista Home Premium license for upgrade to Windows 7; generous two-year international warranty.
The bad:
Mini-HDMI port requires adapters; shared headphone and microphone jack; built-in battery with short uptime; run-of-the-mill Atom chipset.
The bottom line: The iiView makes no bones about being the MacBook Air of the Netbook world and impresses with its sleek profile and low price. However, at the end of the day, it's still just a Netbook.
Review:
For a small startup, Singapore-based iiView's first foray into the Netbook arena is surprisingly not another uninspired "me-too" minilaptop. From the get go, the iiView A2's design took a page (more like the entire book) from Apple's MacBook Air. The sleek form factor and generous 12.1-inch display sets it apart from the competition, though its Atom guts means it performs just as well as (or as poorly as) the next Netbook. However, at under
Design
At first glance, the iiView A2 looks like a smaller, plastic version of the MacBook Air. In fact, the similarities even extend to the flip-down slot which hides a mini-HDMI and USB port on the left. The main departure is an additional USB slot on the right. Despite its matte plastic chassis, the iiView A2 is surprisingly well-built with no flex or creaking. One small gripe we have is that this Netbook is available only in white. As a result, stains and scratches tend to be pronounced and difficult to hide.| Price as reviewed | S$750 (US$583.84) |
| Processor | 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 |
| Memory | 2GB, 533MHz DDR2 |
| Hard drive | 320GB HDD |
| Chipset | Intel 945 |
| Graphics | Intel GMA 950 (integrated) |
| Operating system | Windows 7 RC1 |
| Dimensions (WD) | 305 x 218mm |
| Height | 27mm |
| Screen size (resolution) | 12.1 inches (1,280 x 800 pixels) |
| System weight (Weight with AC adapter) | 1.37kg (1.59kg) |
| Category | Netbook |
Though we like the sleek profile, we could have done away with one imitation--the non-replaceable battery. As we will explain later, the iiView's uptime is nothing close to Apple's premium ultraportable, and not being able to carry multiple cells could be a deal-breaker for some.
The keyboard could have been bigger to facilitate touch typing.
At the base of the unit, a single panel hides the upgradeable components of the Netbook. If you wish, the single RAM slot, SATA harddisk and wireless module can all be changed for better hardware. The rubber stubs at the bottom increase the height a little, but in return provide a stable platform for typing.
The keyboard is one of the better ones for a Netbook, and the typing experience is generally satisfactory. However, touch-typing tends to result in a few more typos than we would have liked. In fact, we feel the iiView could have made better use of the bigger footprint and put in larger keys. The touchpad is generously sized and quite responsive.
Features
As a result of its sleek profile, the iiView A2 gives up some common conveniences such as a memory card reader, Bluetooth connectivity and VGA output. In fact, like the HP Mini 1000 and Mini 110 even the headphone and microphone jacks have been combined into a single port. However, in return the standard bundle comes with the memory maxed out at 2GB and a large 320GB harddisk.| iiView A2 | Average for category (netbook) | |
| Video | Mini-HDMI | VGA |
| Audio | Headphone and microphone combo jack | Headphone/microphone jacks |
| Data | Two USB 2.0 | Two USB 2.0, SD card reader |
| Expansion | None | None |
| Networking | Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi | Ethernet, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Optical drive | None | None |
| Other features | Built-in Webcam | Built-in Webcam |
The mini-HDMI port requires an adapter for linking to common external displays.
The 12.1-inch display's resolution is on par with traditional ultraportables, giving a similar experience for Internet surfing and productivity applications. The problem here is really the mini-HDMI port. Though an adapter is included for connecting to VGA monitors, it's another component which can get lost in a gear bag. We suspect the mini-HDMI to HDMI cables used for certain camcorders and digital cameras could be compatible with the iiView A2. We are still waiting for ours to arrive and will update this review when we get the cable.
Performance And Battery Life
The iiView A2 costs S$750 (US$583.84) (inclusive of worldwide delivery via DHL) from its online store. The unit comes with a 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, 2GB memory, 320GB HDD and an integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics chipset under the hood. Windows 7 RC1 is preinstalled as the company believes that Windows Vista cannot provide a comfortable computing environment on its Netbook. To its credit, the A2 includes a Vista Home Premium license that is eligible for a free upgrade to the full version of Windows 7 Home Premium when it launches on October 22.Despite the fact that the system is running on a pre-release version of the operating system, the performance is quite snappy, thanks to the 2GB RAM. Like all Atom machines, standard surfing and productivity tools are not an issue for this minilaptop, though running high-bitrate videos or even HD versions of YouTube clips result in stuttering performances.
For unknown reasons, the display brightness is fixed at maximum brightness. For 1 hour 39 minutes, we managed to watch a streaming video with the wireless on before the Netbook gave up the ghost. Turning the Wi-Fi off will certainly result in battery savings, but this is one machine which should not be kept away from an AC outlet for long.
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