Why You Can Trust CNET WinBook X610 review: WinBook X610
WinBook takes a big step forward with the X610, whose performance and features rival those of ultraportables that cost hundreds of dollars more. Its two-hour battery life is disappointing, though.
Long a maker of low-price laptops without much style, WinBook turns over a new leaf with its ultraportable X610. The X610 is light and attractive, and it's powerful enough to give more expensive machines from Dell and Lenovo a run for their money. Still, it's slightly heavier than its competitors and can't muster more than two hours of battery life--clearly not enough if you're looking for the ultimate in mobile computing. But at $1,399, the WinBook X610 is a good choice for those on a tight budget who want a machine that's highly portable, though not necessarily long-lasting away from the socket.
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
For those used to the WinBook's frumpy, functional designs, the X610's black-and-charcoal case is like a breath of fresh air. Weighing 3.4 pounds and measuring 10.8 inches wide, 9.2 inches deep, and 1.3 inches thick, the WinBook is slightly larger and heaver than the Dell Latitude X1 and similar in size to the ThinkPad X41; it's worth noting that like the Sony VAIO VGN-TX670P, the WinBook manages to squeeze an optical drive into its compact case, while the Dell and ThinkPad models rely on external drives. With its three-prong AC adapter, the WinBook hits the road at 4.2 pounds.
As with most ultraportables, the WinBook X610's 12.1-inch standard-aspect XGA display is just big enough to accommodate two side-by-side application windows. (By contrast, the Dell Latitude X1's 12.1-inch WXGA screen can more comfortably accommodate two or three open windows.) The compact X610 has room for an adequate keyboard, although the Ctrl, arrow, and Shift keys are uncomfortably small. The system's amply sized touch pad, made of the same material as the surrounding case, offers a bit too much resistance and lacks a scrolling feature like the one on the ThinkPad X41. Above the keyboard is a handy Wi-Fi on/off switch, and below the keyboard are battery and system-status LEDs that are visible even when the cover is closed.
The WinBook X610 includes an impressive assortment of ports and connections, including headphone and microphone jacks, four-pin FireWire, VGA, and three USB 2.0 ports, along with modem, Ethernet (though not the Gigabit Ethernet many corporate buyers demand), and 802.11a/b/g. There's a Type II PC Card slot--though the X610 lacks a slot for the latest ExpressCards--as well as a double-layer DVD burner and a three-in-one flash-card reader that supports Memory Stick, Secure Digital, and MultiMediaCard formats. Security-conscious businesses should note that the WinBook X610 lacks both a fingerprint reader and a Trusted Platform Module. Along with Windows XP Pro, the X610's minimal software package includes only disc viewing and burning apps.
The $1,399 WinBook X610 features a mix of midrange components, including a 1.6GHz Pentium M processor, 512MB of 400MHz RAM (upgradable to only 768MB), an 80GB hard drive spinning at a slow 4,200rpm, and an integrated Intel graphics chip that borrows up to 128MB of main RAM. The WinBook's performance on CNET Labs' mobile benchmarks was nearly identical to that of the $2,099 ThinkPad X41 and the $1,866 Latitude X1, both of which have slower processors. When compared to the nearly identically configured thin-and-light Gateway M210X ($1,436), the WinBook comes up a bit short. However, the WinBook's performance should be good enough for basic productivity tasks, such as typing documents, sending e-mail, and surfing the Web.
On the downside, the WinBook X610's battery lasted just 2 hours, 6 minutes, an hour less than the Latitude X1 and nowhere near the ThinkPad X41's 5 hours. WinBook has announced that it will soon include a larger standard battery with the X610, which will likely increase the laptop's battery life and weight.
While the more expensive Latitude X1 and ThinkPad X41 come with three-year warranties, WinBook backs the X610 with a mere one-year warranty; upping the coverage to a more sensible three years costs $159. The WinBook support site provides specs, tech articles, drivers, and manual downloads; there's no option to chat live with a technician, though you can post questions to the user forum. A toll-free hotline is staffed with knowledgeable technicians, but it's open only Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET. You can also e-mail the support team; the company promises a response within 24 hours.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
 | BAPCo's MobileMark 2005 performance rating |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
| BAPCo's MobileMark 2005 battery-life minutes |
Find out more about how we test Windows notebooks.
System configurations:
Dell Latitude X1
Windows XP Professional; 1.1GHz Intel Pentium M 733; 512MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; Intel 915GM/GMS, 910GML Express 128MB; Toshiba MK6006GAH 60GB 4,200rpm
Gateway M210X
Windows XP Professional; 1.6GHz Intel Pentium M 725; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM PC2700 333MHz; Intel Extreme Graphics 2 for Mobile 64MB; Fujitsu MHT2060AT 60GB 4,200rpm
Lenovo ThinkPad X41
Windows XP Professional; 1.5GHz Intel Pentium M 715; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM; Intel 915GM/GMS 910GML Express 128MB; Hitachi Travelstar C4K60 40GB 4,200rpm
WinBook X610
Windows XP Professional; 1.6GHz Intel Pentium M 725; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM PC3200 333MHz; Mobile Intel 915GM/GMS, 910GML Express 128MB; Hitachi Travelstar 80GN 80GB 4,200rpm