eMachines EZ1601-01 18.5-inch All-In-One Nettop PC

Jan 7 2010 - Netbooks are extremely popular because of their low cost and high portability. eMachines is attempts to capture this in a desktop form with the EZ1601-01 all-in-one nettop platform. At just $400, it is certainly one of the least expensive of the all-in-one nettops on the market. Performance is similar to netbooks based on the same Atom platform but it has the advantage of a very large 18.5-inch display the portables lack. For basic web surfing and light media it does the job but a budget desktop or a slightly more expensive all-in-one have a lot more to offer.

Jan 7 2010 - Netbooks have exploded in popularity because of their low cost and portability. Many companies have attempted to offer the same low cost in a desktop platform with systems called nettops. The problem is that many of the systems either lacked features or ended up costing a fair amount more than a similarly equipped netbook. eMachines seems to have solved some of this with the EZ1601-01.

With a price tag of $399, it is not as cheap as the least expensive of the netbooks but it does come in $100 less than many all-in-one nettop systems from the likes of ASUS, Averatec and MSI. Even more surprising is that eMachines is not really skimping out on features. For example, netbooks do not come with a DVD burner drive but the EZ1601-01 comes with one built-in.

As with any system built around the Intel Atom platform, performance leaves much to be desired. The single core processor with very low clock speeds is suitable for basic computing tasks such as web browsing, email, word processing and light media playback. Don't expect to do much multitasking, gaming or any processor intensive applications. The system isn't capable of handling heavy media beyond DVD playback.

Much of the performance is restricted by the netbook licensing required in order to run the Windows XP home operating system instead of a newer Windows 7 installation. Memory is limited to a single gigabyte and the hard drive only has 160GB of space. The memory is also restricted by a single memory slot that can be swapped out for a 2GB DDR2 module by the user which can really improve performance.

The one major advantage beyond price that the eMachines EZ1601-01 has going for it is the screen. Netbooks are limited to roughly 10 to 11-inches for their compact size. The lowest cost nettop all-in-ones are using 15-inch screens. The EZ1601-01 uses a much larger 18.5-inch display screen with a 1366x768 resolution. This provides a much large display image that is easier to read than the tiny netbook screens. Of course, the integrated GMA 950 graphics really don't allow the system to be used for HD video streams or 3D gaming at all.

The real issue with nettops is the performance to price. For just a little more money, it is possible for consumers to move up to all-in-one systems that offer faster processors, more memory, larger hard drives and a more modern operating system. Those willing to go with a more traditional desktop design can also see similar performance gains albeit within a display. Then of course there is the fact that a netbook can be found for roughly $300 and be portable. At least eMachines was able to produce the system at a low cost and that may make it viable for some looking for a low cost networked system for a child or spare room.