With wave after wave of Netbooks hitting the market, it's becoming harder for vendors to differentiate their products. Asus tried going the fashion route with its Eee PC S101, while Lenovo threw in more functionality like one-touch backup and an ExpressCard slot in the IdeaPad S10. NEC's first Netbook's claim to fame seems to be its ability to withstand up to 150kgf on its chassis. But will this be enough to separate the Versa N1100 from the onslaught of Atom-based Netbooks in the market?
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Read first take of the NEC Versa N1100 »

By Darius Chang, CNET Asia
Nov 11, 2008

With wave after wave of Netbooks hitting the market, it's becoming harder for vendors to differentiate their products. Asus tried going the fashion route with its Eee PC S101, while Lenovo threw in more functionality like one-touch backup and an ExpressCard slot in the IdeaPad S10. NEC's first Netbook's claim to fame seems to be its ability to withstand up to 150kgf on its chassis. But will this be enough to separate the Versa N1100 from the onslaught of Atom-based Netbooks in the market?

Upside: With a claimed tolerance of up to 150kgf of pressure, the Versa N1100 is even more resilient than Panasonic's semi-rugged ToughBooks though the NEC did not undergo any drop test or possess water-resistant features. So the question is: If this Versa is not a semi-rugged mini-laptop, why put in the investment to make it crush-resistant?

The answer lies in its domestic market. As most Japanese take the train instead of driving to work, during peak hours the crush of human bodies in public transport system has become legendary. As such, a laptop which can survive being packed into a bag and pressed against a hard object for extended periods is a must for most Japanese users.

Another interesting feature of this 8.9-inch Netbook is its USB ports. Even while the machine is turned off, the USB continues to provide power for juicing up your mobile phone or music player. This cuts down on another power adapter which you need to carry, which is a good thing because at 1.17kg the Versa N1100 is a little hefty for its screen size.

Like the Asus Netbook series since the Eee PC 901 model, the Versa N1100's trackpad is compatible with multitouch gestures. This makes it easy to scroll Web pages as well as edit images. The keyboard also looks comfortable to type on, with a 17mm key pitch and 2mm key stroke (a standard desktop keyboard has 19mm pitch and 2.5mm stroke).

Downside: Though the glossy-black top cover is contemporary, the interior is best described as retro (and not in a good way, either). Resembling early IBM ThinkPads, the blocky chassis and large screen bezel take us back to the early Pentium II era. Moreover, like the HP Compaq Mini-Note, the touchpad buttons flank the trackpad instead of gracing the bottom, and this requires some getting used to. Last, but not least, this 8.9-inch model does not have an SSD option and uses a conventional magnetic platter instead.

Outlook: Though it can withstand more punishment than the average Netbook, the NEC Versa N1100 loses some points in the design department. But with a retail price of S$899 (US$644.68), this is one tough and cheap mini-laptop.

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