Olidata JumPC review

Netbooks -cheap, compact laptop PCs - are everywhere you look these days.

Since Asus opened the floodgates with its Eee PC last year, almost every major laptop maker has followed suit with its own moderately powered budget model. The trouble is that they're getting quite hard to differentiate from one another; few have a unique selling point to make them stand out from the crowd. The JumPC does just that, however, and not only because it's bright orange, but because it's targeted specifically at children.

While many netbooks come with a customised version of Linux as their operating system, this one has Windows XP, with an unusual twist. Layered on top of the standard installation is the MagicDesktop package from EasyBits. This software acts as a cartoony buffer between your child and the workings of the system, offering simplified and colourful icons for applications. Unfortunately, running the relatively bloated Windows XP has the effect, as with other netbooks, of giving rather sluggish performance.

Accompanying MagicDesktop are several applications aimed at younger users, including an easy-to-use mail package and an Internet browser that comes equipped with all the security tools you'd expect to help avoid children visiting unsuitable websites. As well as making life easier for kids, the software makes things simpler for parents by restricting access to any settings that could screw up the system. Even the most inquisitive child is unlikely to do the JumPC much harm from within MagicDesktop.

The software's colourful, child-friendly theme is reflected in the laptop's exterior design. The chunky chassis is modeled on Intel's Classmate PC, but is clad in an orange faux-leather cover that also acts as a handle - for some reason a hallmark of 'education' laptops ever since Apple's eMate, though in reality you'd probably encourage kids to use a bag. The edges of the case are well built and nicely rounded, and seem capable of standing up to reasonably rough treatment, which is just as well, considering the target audience.

On the inside of the case, the specification is not what you could call impressive. The 2GB solid state drive (SSD), essentially a chunk of flash memory used in place of a hard disk, makes even the tiniest hard drive look gigantic, though it's a lot less susceptible to damage if the machine gets knocked or dropped. The installed 512MB of RAM is the bare minimum you need for Windows XP, and the Intel Celeron M processor offers just enough power to keep the operating system, MagicDesktop and applications running.

The screen is also rather limiting, with just 800x400 pixels on a 7 inch display; a lot of websites won't fit this either horizontally or vertically without the need to scroll. However, MagicDesktop and its bundled applications are fully usable at this size. The keyboard, too, is smaller even than those of many netbooks we've seen, but you could argue that it's designed for young fingers.

At a likely UK price of £230, the JumPC isn't dirt cheap by today's standards; there are netbooks that are at least as capable and cost less. The price premium isn't entirely justified by MagicDesktop, since it can be bought separately for around £30, but at least you avoid the hassle of installing it, and using it should prevent kids creating tech support nightmares on a daily basis. The slightly ruggedised case, with that undeniably handy handle, does make the machine a more attractive choice than average for the 6 to 10-year-old age range that the JumPC targets, though you should bear in mind that neither the styling nor MagicDesktop would impress older children.