Dialogue Technology Flybook A33i review

No matter how powerful PDAs become, there are times when only a proper PC will do.

But what if you don't want to carry a big laptop with you wherever you go? The answer may lie in the Dialogue Technology Flybook - a fully featured notebook in a pint-sized package.

A MINI ADVENTURE

Miniaturised laptops aren't a new idea - Toshiba launched one in the mid 1990s called the Libretto - but the constraints imposed by cramming all that technology into a tiny package usually results in a system with more cons than pros. Given that it's about the size of a hardback novel, the Flybook A33i has a surprisingly high specification - a 40GB hard disk, 512MB of memory and plenty of ports. The processor, however, isn't what you might expect.

The Flybook's Transmeta Crusoe is a mobile processor designed specifically to wring as much performance from as little battery power as possible. It does this by working out ways to run programs more efficiently once they've been used a few times. Unfortunately, this trick tends to get missed by our benchmarks, which partly explains the Flybook's terrible test results, and it feels nowhere near as slow in use as the benchmarks suggest. Despite this low-power processor, though, its battery only lasted for a disappointing one hour and 36 minutes in our tests.

DESIGN AND ERGONOMICS

Whether or not you'll be comfortable using the Flybook for such work is another matter altogether. Its small size may not have adversely affected its internal specification, but it does mean that there's only room for a tiny keyboard. The keys are about two thirds the width of those on a normal laptop, but only about half as tall. Touch typing isn't really viable, but you can develop a fair turn of speed with a little practice, although you will sometimes find yourself pressing two keys instead of one.

The Trackpoint pointing device is more a traditional feature, though it sits at the top-right of the keyboard rather than in the middle of it, with two sets of mouse buttons at either side of the case.

The case itself seems very solid, despite being made from plastic. There isn't a lot of protection for the screen though, and it's possible to distort the display by exerting just a little pressure on the lid.

Despite measuring a mere 8.9in from corner to corner, the Flybook's screen is crisp, thanks to its 1,024x800 resolution. It could be clearer though, as a result of the ever-so-slightly grainy plastic film that turns it from a mere screen into a touch-sensitive pad. With the screen rotated and folded back on itself, the Flybook can be used in tablet mode, but it's no Tablet PC. It doesn't use the Tablet Edition of Windows XP and the only tablet-specific feature on offer is an application-independent handwriting recognition tool that works with the short, stubby stylus.

EXPANSION

There's no internal optical drive on the Flybook, but there is Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPRS, the latter for use with a mobile phone SIM card that you slot into the side of the case. This makes the Flybook fit for wireless connection to whatever network or device you have available and would also make it a very versatile device for use on the move, if not for the battery life.

BUYING DECISIONS

Unfortunately, at £1,399, the Flybook faces some stiff competition from other ultra-portables, most notably the Toshiba Portege M300. This metal-clad Pentium M laptop may be larger, but it's only 33mm thick and weighs just 400g more. (However, it's not the smallest laptop ever...)