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We don’t often see a lot of variety when reviewing netbooks, as they all have similar components and near identical performance. The Vye Jolibook is a welcome change of pace; the hardware might be fairly standard but its Linux-based operating system stands out from the competition – and not just for its fun cartoon-adorned lid.
Based on Ubuntu, arguably the most user-friendly version of linux, the Jolicloud OS uses an incredibly minimal custom interface centred on multiple home screens. Each one looks more like a smartphone than a computer desktop, with each large shortcut icon linking to one of the built-in applications.
OpenOffice, VLC media player and the Chromium web browser are all pre-installed, or you can add other software using the free app store. Many of the pre-installed apps are actually web shortcuts that link to popular sites such as Facebook and Twitter. There’s also a refreshing lack of bloatware that’s usually pre-installed on Windows-based machines. An anti-virus suite isn’t included, but as the Jolibook uses Linux there’s very little chance of picking up malware while browsing. The entire operating system syncs to online storage, so you can access your shortcuts and settings from any Jolibook, or any PC using Google Chrome.
The Jolicloud interface is ideally suited to use with a touchscreen, but the Jolibook is limited to keyboard and touchpad inputs. Larger hands will find it difficult to type on the keyboard as each key is very small and they are grouped closely together. The tiny touchpad is also difficult to use and flexes dramatically when applying pressure. The typing position is surprisingly comfortable, due to the way the cylindrical six-cell battery protrudes from the back of the otherwise slim netbook body.
Like most netbooks, the Jolibook is powered by an Intel Atom processor. The dual-core Atom N550 runs at 1.5GHz and is suitable for most basic tasks, but more intensive applications will suffer with a meagre 1GB of memory. Despite this, the operating system was very responsive in everyday use, running several applications at once without slowing down. It’s also powerful enough to play high definition video, albeit only at 720p. The low-power components helped it achieve six hours in our light-use battery test, which is a respectable time for a netbook.
Image quality on the 10.1in glossy display was disappointing; brightness was decent but viewing angles are very limited. It also can feel rather cramped when browsing the internet on the 1,024×600 screen resolution. The two downward-facing speakers are very weak and tinny, so a pair of headphones is a must for watching video or listening to music.
The Jolibook is a very simple netbook that’s great for checking email and browsing the internet, but its usefulness is limited if you need to do more. Because it’s a Linux-based system you’ll have to run software designed for Windows through the WINE emulator, but compatibility with every program isn’t guaranteed. Packard Bell’s refreshed Dot S comes with Windows and costs just £20 more, letting you install the free Jolicloud OS yourself.
