Introduction

ECS i-Buddie XP Desknote Review

This content was originally featured on Amdmb.com and has been converted to PC Perspective’s website. Some color changes and flaws may appear.

Only recently has Amdmb.com begun to look into the world of the mobile market of AMD processors. Warren’s recent review of the Compaq Presario 722US notebook showed how the AMD mobile market was performing. Many of you wrote in to me about the lack of AMD mobile processor systems available in the retail outlets. I can assure you, you are not alone in noticing this. Only over this past summer have we been seeing the Athlon XP processors based systems enter the world of the mass-market consumer.

And by entering that kind of market the cost of these laptops is pretty high – especially when compared to a similarly spec’ed out desktop computer. Paying $2000 for a Athlon XP 1700+ system in a Compaq laptop is not uncommon but still leaves many users who might want a more mobile computing solution out in the dark. ECS is one of a few companies that are trying to lower the cost of entering the mobile desktop market by introducing “desknote” computers. Desknote computers are those made to be desktop replacement computers and at lower prices than the top of the line notebook computers.

ECS is able to accomplish this by offering standard desktop parts in a mobile form factor. You will see as the review progresses that the majority of the parts in this machine are the exact same items you may find in your own desktop computer. There are trade-offs that had to be made to get the i-Buddie XP down to the laptop size and we will compare them to what advantages you get on it.

Here is a quick feature list of the ECS i-Buddie XP system:

  • Desktop Athlon CPU support
  • PC2100 DDR Support
  • SiS 740 Athlon Chipset
  • IEEE 1394 (Fire Wire)
  • USB 2.0
  • Modem
  • Network Interface
  • 14″ TFT LCD
  • 3D / 2D Graphics supplied by the SiS 740 on-board video
  • TV output
  • Stereo speakers
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