Medion Akoya E2005D
In the past year, netbooks have become exceedingly popular primarily due to their low prices and small dimensions. Nettops such as Medion's Akoya E2005D share these characteristics. They aren't as powerful as full sized desktop PCs, but they're ideal for the basic tasks such as email, web browsing and office applications.
The E2005D is approximately the size of a DVD player and arrives with Windows XP pre-installed. It isn't the smallest nettop on the mareket, but it is still impressively small. A Logitech optical mouse and a laptop-style keyboard, with no numerical keypad, is included. There's no monitor, although you can purchase a model with a 19in widescreen display for around £349 including VAT.
The E2005D comes fitted with a DVD writer so you can install software from discs, back up files to DVDs or watch movies. The 160GB hard disk should be more than aadequate for office documents, but you may want more if you have an extensive music and photo library. The hard disk and DVD writer are standard desktop models, so replacements are cheap and readily available to upgrade the system.Replacing the internal storage components is trickier than it should be. It required an alarming degree of force to remove the assembly containing both the hard disk and DVD writer. Not surprising is the fact there's no space for adding extra hard disks or optical drives. Neither are there any expansion card slots for adding an internal TV tuner or dedicated graphics card. However, wireless networking, Gigabit Ethernet and a memory card reader are already present.
The E2005D is compact and inexpensive. It is a PC that's ideal for everyday computing tasks. There are slightly better deals around, though. If you want an even smaller nettop, the updated Eee Box B202 has a 160GB hard disk but costs £87 less from www.oyyy.co.uk. This unit doesn't come with an optical drive or a keyboard and mouse, but they can be added fairly cheaply. It's easy to upgrade the hard disk on the B202 if necessary, but as it uses 2" laptop hard disks this would be more expensive than the same upgrade for the E2005D.
If you want a complete nettop system, my pick is Novatech's Ion. It's pretty much the same specifications as the E2005D, but lacks the built-in WiFi. However, there is a PCI slot for upgrades and its storage devices are simpler to replace. Best of all, it includes a 17in widescreen display, yet costs £20 less. It's a better, even though it is a less attractive choice.