As well as its consumer es a range of top Medion produc laptops, desk om full-sized as electronics, fr r devices such to smalle t-nav TFT monitors PCs and rders and sa as, HD camco e E1210, digital camer tbook was th n's rst ne stems. Medio odel of MSI's sy ed m ely a re-brand and was mer successor, netbook. Its cellent Wind ex as it is one of more notable, wever, is far ho with Packard ooks along the rst netb use an (page 72) to Bell's Dot MA er than r, rath AMD processo an Intel chip.
TBOOK ne NEsmall selection ofS tbooks,

MEDION Akoya Mini E1210

any manufacturers have taken MSIs excellent Wind netbook and rebadged it under a range of names to great effect. The latest manufacturer to take this route is Medion, with its affordably priced Akoya Mini E1210 (240 inc. VAT). The compact 1.2kg chassis uses a combination of black and silver plastics, to provide a functional yet staid appearance. The tough plastics used make it a resilient choice for frequent

PRICE 240 (inc. VAT)

IN BRIEF: It may be bettered by many other netbooks on the market, but its low price and ample storage still make it a compelling choice
travel and the rounded edges make it easy to carry and slip into hand luggage. The excellent keyboard is one of the best you can nd on any netbook. Its large enough to type comfortably for long periods, although some punctuation keys are small and awkward to access. The same is true of the tiny touchpad and mouse buttons. Where the E1210 deviates from other re-branded MSI Wind netbooks is its
slightly dull 10-inch screen. While the Wind U115 (page 68) has one of the brightest netbook screens around, the Medions panel is far less bright, and colour and contrast suffer as a result.

Poor battery life

Despite the low-powered components, the E1210 also has a poor battery life compared to rival netbooks. Running for just 148 minutes, its fails to match the
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GROUP TEST NETBOOKS

IFE BATTERY L 148 mins

MEDION NETBOOKS

The Akoya Mini E1210 has a poor battery life compared to its rivals. Running for just 148 minutes, it fails to match the three-hour minimum generally seen on mini-laptops
three-hour standard generally seen on mini-laptops, so bear this in mind if you plan to regularly work on the move Storage is excellent, however, and the 160GB hard drive provides ample space for carrying all of your les. High-speed wireless connectivity is also in place, thanks to the built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi. Three USB ports adorn the sides of the unit, allowing you to attach various peripherals, and a VGA-out port lets you connect an analogue monitor when in the ofce. First-time buyers will also appreciate the included Corel WordPerfect Ofce software. Although the Medion Akoya Mini E1210 is bettered by many other netbooks on the market, its low price, great storage and software make it a compelling choice nonetheless. As long as you dont need the brightest screen or maximum mobility, you could do a lot worse.
SUPPLIER WWW.MEDIONSHOP.CO.UK TELEPHONE 6003 DELIVERY CHARGE 5 PROCESSOR INTEL 1.6GHZ ATOM N270 MEMORY 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM HARD DRIVE 160GB (4200RPM) SCREEN SIZE AND TYPE 10-INCH TFT WIRELESS 802.11N DIMENSIONS 260 X 180 X 31MM WEIGHT 1.2KG STANDARD WARRANTY 1 YR C&R P&L

RATING

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MEDION Akoya Mini E1312

he Akoya Mini E1312 (340 inc. VAT) is Medions largest netbook and features the rare but increasingly popular 11.6-inch screen size. This makes it a very comfortable netbook to use and it is certainly worth a look for those in the market for a larger machine. The 11.6-inch screen size is increasing in popularity, as it strikes a good balance between 8.9 and 12-inch panels. The screen here provides great colour

PRICE 340 (inc. VAT)

IN BRIEF: An excellent netbook with an increasingly popular 11.6-inch screen and a host of features, but a poor keyboard sadly lets it down
reproduction and the most detailed image available on a netbook thanks to the 1366 x 768-pixel resolution. The thin bezel allows the panel to stretch almost the entire width of the machine. The keyboard is sunk far into the chassis and this makes some keys difcult to strike. This is especially the case with the spacebar and we repeatedly brushed the touchpad attempting to hit it. The keyboard isnt
well-mounted either, and the typing action is very spongy as a result. Like the keyboard, the case is a little imsy. It is built from matt-black plastic and provides basic protection, but we cant see it surviving a serious bump. Instead of the usual Intel Atom processor, the E1312 boasts an AMD chip. Ofce performance is good, and basic multi-tasking is not a problem, but as soon as more resource-intensive applications
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IFE BATTERY L 180 mins

The E1312 boasts an AMD processor. Basic multi-tasking is not a problem, but as soon as more resourceintensive applications are launched, it slows down signicantly
are launched, it slows down signicantly. Mobility is reasonable, with its 1.5kg weight proving easy to carry around regularly, although the 180-minute battery life means it may be necessary to take the charger with you. when in range of hotspots. Three USB ports provide plenty of room to add peripherals. An ExpressCard slot lets you add extra enhancements internally and, alongside the analogue VGA-out, theres an HDMI port for connecting to high-denition monitors. While the Akoya E1312 has one fault in its keyboard, which takes a while to get used to, this is an otherwise excellent netbook with a host of useful features.

SUPPLIER ALDI (IN-STORE ONLY) TELEPHONE 1020 DELIVERY CHARGE N/A PROCESSOR AMD 1.51GHZ SEMPRON 21OU MEMORY 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM HARD DRIVE 160GB (4200RPM) SCREEN SIZE AND TYPE 11.6-INCH TFT WIRELESS 802.11N DIMENSIONS 297 X 191 X 33MM WEIGHT 1.5KG STANDARD WARRANTY 3 YR RTB P&L

Good connectivity

Wireless connectivity is great, with 802.11n Wi-Fi providing the fastest wireless connections currently available
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