Top Nettop PCs

Just as netbooks gave people low-cost, low-spec alternatives to laptops, nettops are here to push desktop PC prices down to a new level. The performance might not be all that hot, but a lot of people don’t need to run the Gigahertz race. For those who use their PCs for only simple tasks such as data entry and web surfing, a nettop will look better, save a lot of space, consume less power, and make less noise.

You usually have one-liter and three-liter nettops, which are both really tiny. However, quite a few companies build nettop-class components into full-sized desktop cabinets to save on costs, so be careful while buying one—it’s really not what it seems! You also need to decide whether you’re OK without an optical drive and the ability to add expansion cards or more hard drives in the future.

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In addition to being more affordable for first-time users, nettops can be secondary PCs in a family setting. One can easily sit in a bedroom or kitchen, and serve as an Internet access device, media hub for a home entertainment center, or even just a cheap second PC.

Quite a few big brands and smaller system integrators are coming up with nettop designs at prices ranging from Rs 8,000 to Rs 30,000 and with packages varying from absolute bare-bones boxes to stuffed multimedia bundles for people with different needs.
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Acer Aspire Revo R3600

The Aspire Revo was the only Nvidia Ion-based nettop in our roundup. Its tilting design is quite eye-catching, and it can stand upright on a plastic base or be screwed on to the back of any LCD monitor. On the inside, you get a single-core Intel Atom 230 CPU running at 1.6 GHz, 2 GB of DDR2 RAM, a 160 GB hard drive, and of course the Nvidia Ion chipset. Connectivity options include a healthy six USB 2.0 ports, eSATA, VGA, HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, a 4-in-1 card reader, and 7.1-channel audio. The retail package includes a wireless keyboard and mouse set , USB speakers, a webcam, mousepad, and the VESA mounting plate. The webcam comes with a stalk and swiveling head.

Performance was a mixed bag, with the CPU proving to be quite a bottleneck in several of our tests. The GPU can handle HD video playback without stuttering, and can accelerate certain tasks like audio and video encoding, but the single-core Atom is still low-end, which really limits what you can do. The benchmark results table below doesn’t really reflect the graphics capabilities, since we don’t use heavy visual or gaming tests for nettops anyway.

Verdict: We got the feeling that Windows Vista wasn’t really suited to this kind of hardware, and that scores might have been better with a lighter OS.

Specs:

• Size (W x H x D): 3.8 x 20.5 x 19.6 cm
• Weight: 850 g; CPU: Intel Atom 230
• RAM: 2 GB DDR2
• OS: Windows Vista Home Premium
• Price: Rs 22,999

Good: Design, great graphics, accessories
Bad: Crippled by a weak CPU
Rating: 4 out of 5

Panache Office Value

At first glance, the Office Value looks plain and boring, but inside it lurks the fastest CPU of the bunch. It had the only dual-core Atom of the lot, giving it an immediate advantage. The Office Value won our Best Performance prize, but still might not be the best choice for some because of its relative lack of features and accessories. The case is a 3-litre design, i.e. three times the size of the Asus and Acer models. This allows it to use a standard microITX motherboard, at the cost of its competitors’ sleek looks.

The box we received came with basically nothing other than the stand and power adapter: not even a keyboard and mouse were included. You get Linux preinstalled, so you’ll have to pay more for Windows if you want it. You’ll also be without Wi-Fi, a card reader, and other such conveniences. It’s definitely more for getting work done than multimedia or entertainment, making it far more suitable for an office desk than a home.

We were pleasantly surprised to see benchmark scores nearly double those of the competition, which of course can only be attributed to the dual-core CPU. It’s still an Atom though, so it isn’t up for any serious number crunching.

Verdict: If you’re looking for reasonable power at a reasonable price in a small and quiet form factor, then this is clearly the best option.