Averatec N3440TH1E-1 13.3-inch Ultraportable Laptop PC

Nov 3 2009 - Avertec's N3400 is the company's most recent ultraportable laptop and the 13.3-inch, 1-inch thick body has a very attractice appearance with its metal accents. Performance is above what many low cost ultraportables offer but it sacrifices the battery life. Inclusion of the external USB burner drive is also a nice touch for travelers who might want to load software or watch a movie. The only real problem is that since its release, the Intel CULV platform has been released with many low cost highly portable systems that battery life on the order of three times what the N3400 can provide.

Nov 3 2009 - Averatec's N3400 ultraportable has been on the market for a while now and its features are somewhat diminished since the release of the Intel's CULV platform. This system uses an Intel Pentium Dual-Core T3400 processor that provides it with a higher level of performance for those looking at multitasking compared to what the Core 2 Solo CULV processors can provide.

In terms of the design, Averatec has some nice elements and some questionable ones. The brushed metal lid cover is a very stylish touch that contrasts well with the black keyboard and screen. One problem is that this design is marred slightly by the inclusion of the Ethernet and VGA ports behind a plastic door on the right hand side.

Many of the ultraportables on the market lack internal DVD burners, and the N3400 is no different. What Averatec does differently than many other companies is including an external USB 2.0 powered DVD burner. This allows users to have a drive available if they care to either load software or watch a DVD movie while on the road. It is a nice touch that can save consumers from having to spend anywhere from $50 to $100 to add one after a purchase.

The biggest problem with the Averatec N3400 is the battery life. During my DVD playback battery drain test, the system was only able to run for one and a half hours. This is below average for standard ultraportables but it is extremely far behind the newer CULV platforms that can achieve nearly three times as a long or more.

The other issue is the price. At $800, the Averatec N3400 isn't too expensive but compared to the new Intel CULV options from the likes of Acer and ASUS, it costs a bit more and doesn't provide as long of battery life. Essentially, users will have to decide if the performance matters to them much more than battery life.