- Anti-Reflective LCD Coating
- Very Low Overall Weight
- Can Use MSI Wind Batteries
- Very Limited Battery Life
- Mouse Buttons Can Be Difficult to Use
- Entire Case Bottom Must Be Removed for Memory Upgrades
- Intel Atom N270 Mobile Processor
- 1GB DDR2 Memory (2GB Maximum)
- 160GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
- 10.2-inch WSVGA (1024x600) Wide LCD Display With 1.3 Megapixel Webcam
- Intel GMA 950 Integrated Graphics
- Fast Ethernet, 802.11b/g Wireless
- Three USB 2.0, VGA, 4-in-1 Card Reader
- 10.2” x 7.1” x 1.2” @ 2.3 lbs.
- Windows XP Home
Feb 23 2009 - The Averatec Buddy is essentially a clone of the MSI Wind U100 netbook. For the most part, this is good because the Wind is one of the better rated netbook computers in terms of performance and function. In particular it has a relatively large and well laid out keyboard that is very good to use for extended periods of time. The trackpad is also one of the larger in the netbook market, but it uses the same single mouse button that requires clicking on one side or the other that can be confusing to use for some people.
Probably the best overall feature of the Averatec Buddy is the 10.2-inch display. While this is a typical size now for the netbook market, the screen uses an anti-reflective coating on it. This greatly reduces the amount of glare on the screen especially in outdoor usage compared to many of the other netbooks that are using glossy screens for increased brightness.
The biggest problem with the Averatec Buddy is the small 3-cell battery that comes with the unit. This battery only gives the netbook a functional battery life of between 2 to three hours depending upon usage. Many new netbooks are coming equipped with larger batteries for much longer running times. The one nice thing is that the Averatec Buddy can use the same after market batteries that fit the MSI Wind U100. Use them at your own risk though as this can void your warranty.
Because MSI now has newer versions of the MSI Wind available that feature larger batteries and their overclocking BIOS, the Averatec Buddy falls behind in overall appeal. It is a good alternative though for those that can't find the MSI unit in stock.
