The Nokia Booklet 3G Netbook and the Gateway NV5207U Laptop

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Today we will take a gander at two devices that could possibly serve your portable computing needs: the ultra-compact Nokia Booklet 3G Netbook and the mid-sized Gateway NV5207U laptop.

Nokia Booklet 3G Netbook

Usually, when most people hear the Nokia name they think of cellular phones. It's time to change that train of thought now, as Nokia is getting into the Netbook game with the Booklet 3G.

While many love the portability that a Netbook provides, the down side is that it often comes with sluggish performance when compared to a regular laptop. Such is the case with the Nokia Booklet 3 G, which has great design, yet is lacking in the performance department.

That said, if you are in the market for a Netbook, then keep reading, as you may want to put the Booklet 3G on your list of possible candidates. The Booklet 3G sells for $299 with a two-year service agreement from AT&T. Now, that price point is in line with many other Netbook competitors, but there is the down side of being tied into a contract that costs around $60 per month as well as the cancellation penalties that could come into play if you are not satisfied with service.

Without the contract, the Booklet 3G sells for $599, which is quite pricey for a Netbook. The Booklet 3G comes with a standard one-year warranty on parts and labor. You can also get tech support online through the company's website or through a toll-free line during certain hours on Monday through Friday.

The Nokia Booklet 3G comes with a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom Z530 processor and 1 GB of DDR2 SDRAM. Unfortunately, Nokia chose the Z530 CPU, which is slower than the N270 or N280 versions found in many other Netbooks. This, combined with the only 1 GB of RAM, means that even simple things such as multitasking could become frustrating.

If you like having several Internet sites open at once, or are running an instant messaging application simultaneously as you surf the web, for example, you could experience a lot of lag. In short, if you lack patience and want a machine with snappy performance, then the Booklet 3G will leave you hanging.

On the other hand, the battery life is excellent. Nokia claims that you can get 12 hours of usage thanks to the included 16-cell battery, which is definitely a plus for those who travel a lot and value longevity with battery performance. As far as storage goes, you get a 120 GB hard drive.

The Booklet comes with a built-in 3G modem that will connect you to the Internet automatically if you are subscribed to AT&T's mobile broadband service. If you don't have the service, you can also connect to available wireless networks through the Netbook's integrated Wi-Fi.

Another handy feature is built-in GPS to help you find local data and directions when away from home. Bluetooth is onboard to allow you to connect wirelessly to other devices. You also get a built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam and microphone, so you can do video chat with others. The Booklet 3G comes with Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium as the operating system.

Next: Nokia Design >>
 

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