BenQ Joybook U101 launches, gives almost no joy

The BenQ Joybook Lite U101 we spied back when it was announced in September has just launched, and though there's nothing incredibly exciting here, we thought we'd give you a quick rundown, because we're just cool like that. The U101 boasts completely standard netbook fair -- an Atom N270 CPU, Intel 945GSE chipset, 1GB of DDR2 memory, with 80-160GB mechanical drives and 4-16GB SSD options. It's also got a 16:9 display with a 1024 x 576 resolution (rare for a netbook), a 1.3 megapixel webcam, and three USB 2.0 ports. The sassy little number comes in blue, pink, white and black, and it can be yours for €398 ($503) in Taiwan right now, but we've got no word on when it will be available elsewhere. Dip this puppy in gold or something and then maybe, just maybe we'll bite.

[Via Fudzilla]

[holycow @ Dec 1st 2008 12:38PM]

The colours used in the UI look quite joyful.

[Flashpoint @ Dec 1st 2008 12:51PM]

...yes it looks joyful but, how am I supposed to see my wallpaper?

[JARS @ Dec 2nd 2008 1:13AM]

"I'm in a weird position, because I like rainbows, but I'm not gay. So whenever I go out wearing a rainbow shirt, I have to put "Not gay." But I'm not against gays, so under that I'll have to put "... but supportive." It's weird how one group of people took refracted light. That's very greedy, gays."
-Demetri Martin

[superhobo @ Dec 2nd 2008 4:54AM]

BenQ, lol

Also:
Apple, HAHA

[thazlett @ Dec 1st 2008 12:39PM]

looks remarkably like an ao1. I thought it was at first glance!

[thazlett @ Dec 1st 2008 12:52PM]

aspire one my bad.

[scootinger @ Dec 2nd 2008 12:36AM]

Isn't BenQ part of Acer? (or the other way around?)

[madgic987 @ Dec 2nd 2008 1:38AM]

BenQ was a part of Acer but I think they split from the company right around the time Acer bought Gateway (maybe before). I might be wrong though.

[Jarhead2012 @ Dec 1st 2008 12:42PM]

Meh, like the article said, nothing special. Nothing that I'm going to run out and buy right now, but it is still has decent specs.

[crsh @ Dec 1st 2008 1:06PM]

It'd help if every netbook that comes out didn't have exactly the same specs, even the case design varies very little from one brand to the other (save for that sporadic bubblegum pink netbook that pops up every now and then).

[Oli D @ Dec 1st 2008 1:38PM]

yet mouse button configuration varies massively apparently,

Acer One has them on the sides,
Most have them where they should be
This Joybook has only ONE!



How will anyone ever cope with ONE mouse button?

"Well actually if you hold control and click...."

"Shut up windows using alter-ego"

[rock99rock @ Dec 1st 2008 1:07PM]

You know, gimme one of these with an integrated HD OTA tuner, maybe route the antenna through the bezel or something, then have h.264/(x264) hardware acceleration for HD movies, and Id bite in a second.

[ArcticFox @ Dec 1st 2008 1:11PM]

That would be nice but it kind of defeats the whole object of what a netbook is about.

[telepheedian @ Dec 1st 2008 4:23PM]

How so? As long as they can do it cheaply, I see no problem with it, Widescreen video looks great on my Eee, and HD support would be a killer app.

[Ma2T @ Dec 1st 2008 5:28PM]

The Asus N10J http://www.reviewquest.com/netbook/asus-n10j/ has NVIDIA GEFORCE 9300M GS (256MB) graphics, with h.264/(x264) acceleration, and HDMI output.

I saw a video on you tube with someone playing Iron Man blu-ray rip (orginal encoding) with it, without any problem.

[AVG @ Dec 1st 2008 1:25PM]

16:9? This thing actually IS unique, then. I like the idea of a 16:9 netbook. I'd take a look at this if I was in the market for one and not completely broke.

[Chin-Poh @ Dec 1st 2008 1:29PM]

Why reduce the 1024x600 resolution of most netbooks to 1024x576? Just for 16:9? I think most would rather have the vertical space and whats so bad about watching your movies with bars?

In fact, a lot of movies are not pure 16:9 and still have bars on 16:9 displays.

[E. Leigh @ Dec 1st 2008 10:32PM]

That 1024x576 is something that the netbook market may need to get used to. I've read around (some rumors, really) that the Lenovo S10e (you know, the one with the Linux splashtop OS available in Europe) is sporting a glossy 1024x576. I agree with you about wanting a little more vertical real estate with a better res. My dream netbook is a resolution better than 1024x600 (just better than 600! [looking at you, HP 2133]), 6-cell battery, good size trackpad, livable keyboard, and bluetooth. Is that so much to ask? (Really, I just want an S10 with the better resolution).

[Oli D @ Dec 1st 2008 1:32PM]

I like it, im in the market for a netbook and this seems to be exactly what i want, mid range, linux, more than one usb port...

Little pricey, but if that comes down, this thing will be filling me with joy.

[Oli D @ Dec 1st 2008 1:36PM]

I like this obviously poorly translated sentence:

"Falling in love with Joybook Lite U101, fell in love with the insistence of 101 percent!"

[CosterMonger @ Dec 1st 2008 1:54PM]

come now it's just Google translate, and yes it is funny:

New listing
U101 expression of love machine
Joybook Lite to the 101 non-love you can not reason!

From the appearance of special emoticons totem, the size of the keyboard, the top body wear, care about the weight of personalized design the appearance of symbols ... ..., to 10.1-inch LED backlit screen, perfect 16:9 aspect ratio, 8 ms screen Reaction time, HDD and SSD hard drives support dual, ultra-low power long-lasting battery life, BenQ all do, you never adhere to the experience of the perfect mini-laptop. Falling in love with Joybook Lite U101, fell in love with the insistence of 101 percent!

* Intel ® Atom ™ processor
* Genuine Windows ® XP Home
* 10.1-inch 16:9 LED screen / 8ms response time
* 1.1kg Mini light 1.1kg
* HDD and SSD hard drives support double
* 90% of the full-size keyboard

[Oli D @ Dec 1st 2008 1:58PM]

All these great services from a company that's worth a megre $26 Billion!

[CosterMonger @ Dec 1st 2008 1:47PM]

with similar specs, netbooks have to win on: extra features (like bluetooth), good design, or price.

BENQ is coming in with nothing new, hopefully the keyboard and pad 'feel' nice

[Oli D @ Dec 1st 2008 2:04PM]

Please oh please embed the music video!
Someone get translating, i would love to hear the lyrics.

You see the laptop for about 30secs in the whole video, then it goes on to product place (the band?) Ska Venger, the Mini Cabriolet and what can only be assumed to be the Taiwanese equivalent of Morrisons...

I've actually downloaded this, and will use it to lul me to sleep tonight, leaving me with pleasant dreams of cute blue haired asian girls and cute blue asian netbooks.

[gad get @ Dec 1st 2008 2:08PM]

"Joybook"?! Excuse me while I barf....

*Barfing sounds*

...OK, I'm back. No, wait....

*More barfing sounds*

[rock99rock @ Dec 1st 2008 2:09PM]

@ArcticFox

Not MY version of a netbook :)

Seriously though, it might add $200 to the already low $300 base netbook. $500 for a portable HDTV/laptop might not appeal to the masses granted, but its something i would get froggy about.

[Fernando G. @ Dec 1st 2008 2:12PM]

yay a touch screen xylophone


what? oh.. :(

[gad get @ Dec 1st 2008 2:57PM]

Comment of the day!

[Tex @ Dec 1st 2008 2:27PM]

Let me know how low the price goes. It would be interesting under$300

[bs @ Dec 1st 2008 5:22PM]

real world speed tests on these things would be helpful. how easy is it to really watch a movie on this machine?

[Mark @ Dec 1st 2008 6:14PM]

Only 576 pixels vertically? Are they nuts? I want MORE pixels vertically, not less.

I'd be happy with going to a square 1024x768 screen and getting rid of the stupid large bezel at the top as well. That would make it a ton more usable. But noo.... can't have people being able to choose! Its always "take what we give you"... glossy, wide displays that are useless for anything but watching movies in the dark.

*grumble grumble*

[wunch @ Dec 1st 2008 8:37PM]

If the picture is accurate, it looks like it has the same crappy right-shift key arrangement that people hate about the Asus eee.

[superhobo @ Dec 2nd 2008 5:08AM]

Definitely better than Apple.