- Strong CPU and Hard Drive Performance
- Long Battery Life
- Dedicated Graphics Processor
- No Productivity Software
- Poor DVD Speeds
- Intel Pentium M 1.6 GHz Processor
- 512MB PC2100 DDR Memory
- 60 Gigabyte Hard Drive
- DVD-R/RW Burner Optical Drive
- Realtek AC'97 Audio
- 15.2" WXGA (1280x854) Wide LCD Display and NVIDIA GeForce FX go5200 Graphics with 64MB Memory
- 10/100 Ethernet, v.92 56Kbps Modem and Intel 802.11b Wireless Networking
- Three USB 2.0 Ports, One FireWire Port and One Type II PC Card Slot
- 13.6" x 10.2" x 1.2" @ 6.4 pounds
- Windows XP Professional, WinDVD Version 4 and B's Recorder Gold 5 Software
3/15/04 - WinBook was a bit late in bringing an Intel Centrino notebook to market, but they are hoping to change that with the release of the W series of laptops.
The WinBook W is their first protable to offer the Intel Centrino package. This includes a Pentium M 1.6 GHz CPU and the Intel 802.11b wireless package. It also comes equipped with 512MB of PC2100 DDR memory. This gives the WinBook W solid performance in all applications.
Storage is provided through a very speedy 60GB hard drive and a single speed DVD-RW burner. While the DVD burner can burn to DVD-R/RW media, the single speed can try the patience of many users. Many competing models offer higher speed burners. CD performance was very close to the specifications for the system.
Another first for WinBook with the W series is the 15.2" wide aspect ratio LCD panel. It provides a very good 1280x854 resolution. WinBook opted to use a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce FX go5200 graphics processor. While this won't break any speed records, it provides much better performance in 3D graphics over integrated solutions that many competing systems use. It is even powerful enough to do light DirectX 8.1 3D gaming.
Overall, the WinBook W is a very strong system that offers a lot of style and good all around performance. This allows it to be used as a primary computer for many individuals without the bulk of the larger desktop replacements. It is disappointing that no productivity software is included.
