WinBook N4 Pentium 4-M 1.8GHz Notebook

Conclusion

The application speed of the 1.8GHz WinBook N4 that we got a chance to look at is unmatched by any notebook we have seen to date. Our previous record holder, the Toshiba Satellite 1905-S277, was put to shame by the 1.8GHz N4. The N4 consistently performed 20% faster than the Satellite 1905-S277 in office and content creation tasks and performed well in a field of fairly powerful desktops. This does not mean that there is no room for improvement.

Clearly one area that the WinBook N4 is weak in is 3D graphics. It was necessary for WinBook to turn to a 3rd party graphics manufacturer for the N4 due to the lack of integrated video in the 845MP chipset (look for a new integrated graphics core to enter the 845 family later this year with the introduction of the 845MZ) and the decision to go with NVIDIA was not a bad one. As long as WinBook makes it clear that the N4 is not for those wanting fast 3D acceleration, the use of the GeForce2 Go 100 graphics chip is fine. Problems will arise, however, if the uneducated buyer gets the N4 and expects to game on it because it has an NVIDIA graphics chip in it. The system will play games, but one would be much better off going for a slower CPU and higher performing graphics part if he or she thinks that the system may be used for gaming.

Another area that the WinBook N4 could use some improvement is in the software bundle. Although many companies have special site license deals with Microsoft regarding the Office suite, home users and small business would benefit from the inclusion of an office suite of some sort. Dedicated burning software would also be a welcome addition as we have found it makes the process of burning a CD much more enjoyable than using the built-in Windows XP burning tools.

WinBook set out to make a business desktop replacement system out of the N4 series notebook and there is little question that they succeeded. The N4 should prove to be a great desktop replacement system for those wanting speedy performance in office and content creation tasks. Gamers, however, should not be lured by the N4's speedy 2D performance. Their money would be better spent elsewhere.

The 1.8GHz WinBook N4 will be shipping next month and will cost about $2,800 for a model similar to the one reviewed here. Prices for the N4 series start at $1,699.