First Look: Packard Bell Easynote SB88-P-007 Limited Edition

 

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Posted on 22 Nov 2007 at 17:21

The EasyNote SB88-P-007 Limited Edition is exclusively from PC World stores. It's a 17in widescreen desktop replacement laptop so it's not particularly light at 3.23kg. Its battery only lasted one hour and 45 minutes in our light usage test, but you wouldn't be buying this to work on the move anyhow. It is powerful enough for everyday tasks thanks to its 2GB of RAM and Intel Core 2 Duo T5250 processor, although demanding tasks, such as video editing, will certainly benefit from a faster processor. The 160GB hard disk is spacious enough for most media collections however.

We liked the pearl white enclosure, although the chocolate brown highlights are a matter of taste. There's a pointless illuminated strip on the wrist rest area which can be turned off. An illuminated keyboard, such as the one found on Apple's MacBook Pro, would be more useful for working in dimly lit conditions.

The EasyNote has a impressive selection of ports. There's a HDMI connector so you can connect a high definition TV. If USB hard disks aren't fast enough for your needs, or you want to keep the four USB ports free for other peripherals, then the eSATA connector could be useful for hooking up external hard disks.

Although the keyboard has a numeric keypad for fast number entry in spreadsheets, it has a slightly cramped layout. This is a pity as there's extra width to spare in the chassis for a more spacious design. The keys themselves are comfortable to type upon, although not as responsive as some other keyboards we've used. The touch pad is accurate, but the circular design means it's too easy to run out of room while navigating around the 1440x900 resolution display. The small and stiff touch pad buttons are also uncomfortable to use.

We were also disappointed by the poor quality of the 17in widescreen display. Images looked grainy, it's not very bright, and the backlight is uneven. The gloss finish does help enrich darker shades, but can also create annoying reflections on the screen. At least there's a DVI output so you can connect a better quality display.

The EasyNote is attravailable, and has a useful selection of ports, but the poor quality screen and short battery life, which is meagre even for a desktop replacement laptop, means you should think carefully before parting with your cash. It's going to be launched any day now, and while stocks last it will cost around £700 including VAT.

Author: Alan Lu