Review of the Notemagix M10 Netbook from Velocity Micro

Computer company Velocity Micro, known for their gaming computers and home theater systems, also makes a line of netbooks. I recently purchased a Notemagix M10 netbook from them and have given it a spin. Here are my impressions:

Fit and finish: While unimportant to some, there are those out there(myself included) that like their tech products to look at least moderately cool. On this count the M10 fares decently. I chose the black color, as my wife already owns a red one, and I found the color of the exterior to be shiny and beautiful but prone to fingerprints. The keyboard, while it works fine, does have a VERY slight but noticeable rise to it. This gives the impression that one side of the keyboard is actually a few millimeters above the other. It takes a close look to notice this at all, but it is there.

Computing power: This netbook comes standard with the Intel Atom N270 processor which runs at 1.6 GHz. The video processing is handled by the Intel GMA 950 Dynamic Video Memory Technology 3.0. If you are familiar with netbooks, you will quickly realize that this is a very common processor/graphics combination. It performs well for most online applications but does give a noticeable "netbook flicker" when watching video files or TV.

Hard Drive: The M10 has a 160 GB hard drive running at 5,400 rpm. It performs well but is a bit loud.

Battery Life: The battery life is reasonable since the M10 comes with a 6-cell battery. The Notemagix V10 is a virtually identical netbook to the M10 but only comes standard with a 3-cell battery. The V10 does come in a different color, though(champagne). The M10's battery lasts around 5 or 6 hours depending on what you're using the computer for.

Webcam: A 1.3 mega pixel webcam is standard on the M 10 and performs well. There is even a quick button on the keyboard that you can press that turns it on at any time, saving you from finding the right program and option to click on to operate it.

Memory: Standard for the M10 is 1 GB of ram that can be upgraded to 2 GB. Since the netbook comes with Windows XP as the operating system, this is a reasonable amount. I upgraded my wife's netbook to 2 GB because she wanted to improve the frame rate of videos she watched online, and it only made a minor difference. However, if you are going to try to push the limit of the netbook, you definitely need to upgrade the ram.

Sound: The internal speakers are nothing to get excited about, but they perform reasonably well. They are not powerful though, even on full volume.

Video: The screen is a 10.2" VGA screen that is pretty crisp and handles color well. It is bright and a bit better than average for a netbook.

Service: This is the main reason I purchased the M10. Velocity Micro does not send their support calls overseas. This might not seem like a big deal, but having owned a Compaq laptop that was total junk and calling HP for service was an absolute nightmare. The support person barely understood English, and I was put on hold for hours at a time. When I first received the M10, I required a little assistance to get it up and running. The support people at Velocity Micro were knowledgeable, helpful, polite, and fast. I had it up and running in no time.

Extras: The M10 comes with a foam carrying pouch and a one-year warranty.

Conclusion: This netbook is quite average in every respect, and I would recommend purchasing it only at a discounted price. I got mine for $299 at velocitymicro.com with free shipping, which represented a pretty good deal. If you value excellent customer service as much as I do, you might even consider it a VERY good deal.