BenQ's Joybook Lite U103 packs an SSD for when you're feeling frisky, HDD for when you're not
By Tim Stevens 
posted January 4th 2010 1:01PM
posted January 4th 2010 1:01PM
If money were no issue we'd all be rocking slinky notebooks with terabytes of flash-based storage, but alas this recession means a more budget-conscious approach is warranted. BenQ's solution is to offer a bit of both with its latest Joybook Lite, the U103, offering a large (500GB max) HDD paired with an optional 32GB SSD. Install your OS and critical apps on the SSD, dump everything else to platter, and make the most of what the company advertises will be an eight hour battery. That the laptop packs what is advertised as "Intel's new Atom" processor (surely the N450) is a good sign that battery life will indeed be good, something that should also be helped by a 10-inch, LED-backlit display of indeterminate resolution. Also on the docket is pseudo-3D sound from the two integrated speakers courtesy of SRS TruSound HD, a multitouch trackpad, and a weight of just 2.4lbs. No price yet, but that should change soon enough.
I'm crossing my fingers for 800 bucks. That's going to be a pretty cool companion computer.
@Cuervo
The only special this has is the 32g SSD... y would it cost anywhere near $800...??? $400 max is reasonable
@(Unverified) This latest notebook is powered by an Intel Atom N450 processor backed by a 500GB HDD and optional 32GB SSD. Other notable features of the Joybook Lite U103 include a 10” LED backlit-display, And heyp, didn't we say it can change colors too. Details: http://bit.ly/benq-joybook-lite-u103-details
All it needs is anything other than Intel Graphic...
I'd like to see this kind of solution in full sized laptops with beefier processors.
Maybe I'm bad at Engligh, but shouldn't that read:
"...packs a SSD for...."
@inevercheckthis Isn't that type of comment a bit stupid ? I mean.. Where's your point ? It's a computer news, not an English lesson.
@ASKY
It was just an observaion, but I guess it mattered enough to you to reply to me.
@inevercheckthis
If an abbreviation follows an indefinite article, the determination of whether to use "a" or "an" generally depends on whether the abbreviation begins with a vowel or consonant sound. If the abbreviation begins with a vowel sound, "an" is used. This is consistent with the general rule to use "an" before words beginning with vowels.
Here since SSD is pronounced "Ess Ess...", the usage of "an" as opposed to "a" is proper.
@SpamEmailDepot
Geeze SpamEmailDepot,...isn't that type of comment a bit stupid? I mean.. Where's your point? It's a computer news, not an English lesson.
:P
@inevercheckthis
You are bad at English; SpamEmailDepot's post is perfectly concise.
@gerrrg
I couldn't agree with you more.
I guess you missed ASKY's post earlier?
I don't believe that kind of computers are made for graphic purposes... It's a Netbook, won't cross the $400 line I guess.
I'll decide on where to install my OS and critical apps, thank you very much
Every indication (aesthetically) is that it's a relabelled Toshiba (or Toshiba's are relabelled BenQ's?). Having been a computer tech for 23 years, and a laptop tech since the early days, Ive learned to stay away from any recent (8 years or newer) Toshiba. At any price. Heck, I got some free ones in not too long ago and parted them out.
I still remember the A135 and A106 fiascos, (gee, does the casing on that BenQ look familiar?) and the nightmare with the Qosmio G15 (bad motherboard design requiring mobo replacement that took 1 month for... guess what? A newer board design that was STILL bad!) And those weren't isolated issues... I was the laptop tech for a big CompUSA and repaired or facilitated (to the manufacturers) about 200 machines a month.
Guess which brand came in for repair the most? Now guess which brand came in more then EVERY other brand COMBINED?
Toshiba's leadership in sales (at least at that time) did not account for the large discrepency in failed machines. So... BenQ that looks like (and may be) a Toshiba... no thanks, unless it's free, shipping and all.