Tech Review - Neo eXplore X2 Classmate computer

Internet + Adobo na binalot = ENLIGHTENMENT

This tech review is a tribute to my first ever laptop: the Neo eXplore X2. Back when I was in college (in the early to mid-2000’s), laptops can only be afforded by the rich. I was able to get by college using desktop computers. It was only when I began teaching five years ago (when I had the money and laptops became more affordable) when I was able to purchase my first laptop.

LIKE A BOSS: Have laptop, will Starbucks.

In choosing my first laptop, I opted for a smaller-sized unit—those in the “notebook” or “netbook” category. My co-workers bought huge and heavy 14-inch units that they have to lug around. Meanwhile, my nine-inch computer was smaller and lighter (and, not to mention, about two to three times cheaper). 

Me with my Neo Classmate computer. Note the huge laptops my co-workers have!

Specifications (from Asianic.com):

Processor	Intel Celeron M ULV 353 (900 Mhz., 400 Mhz FSB)
Chipset	Mobile Intel GMS915 + ICH6-M Chipset
Memory	512MB DDR2
Display Screen	9" WXGA TFT LCD (800 x 480 pixel resolution)
Hard Disk	30 GB HDD
Optical Drive	None
Weight	1.45 kg
Operating System	Windows XP Starter Edition
Network Interface	Built in 10/100 LAN
Wireless LAN	802.11 b/g
Card Reader	SD/MMC
WebCam	.3 Mega Pixel
Battery	4 Cells (3.0 Hours battery life)

Photo courtesy of user "austinmoore" at pbnation.net

The Neo eXplore X2 is made of sturdy white plastic with gray rubber padding.A unique feature of this laptop is that its “cover” is part of the laptop itself: A gray leather cover is attached to the lid and the bottom with Velcro. This computer has a rubber handle at the back. Folded, the laptop can be carried like a bag.Open, it looks like something which gave my laptop its nickname: a waffle maker.

My mother using the "Waffle Maker".

I soon discovered that this computer was built for children (says so in the instructions manual), which explains why it was built small and rugged. It is this ruggedness is perfect for a clumsy person like me.I have never dropped this unit; but I may have bumped it a few times while carrying it on my bag. Once my grandmother mistakenly used my laptop bag as a pillow(!) but my notebook survived unscathed.

This computer is for kids: My godson playing "Plants vs. Zombies" on my notebook.

The Neo eXplore X2 is about half the size of the other laptops. In order to be more compact, there are certain design trade-offs or compromises: The nine-inch monitor is adequate for most instances (like word processing, surfing the Internet, and gaming); but there are certain websites (like Yahoo! Mail) which are so big, I have to switch to “pan mode” (using Display Switcher) in order to view it properly.

 

Photos courtesy of CD-R King.

The laptop’s keyboard is so small (about the same size as a miniature keyboard from CD-R King), that I could not use all of my fingers to type the correct way (I suddenly remember my typing teacher in college). But I had to type with my pointer fingers, which would sometimes give me painful repetitive stress injury. >.<It also does not have a numeric keypad so I had to buy a USB keypad (also from CD-R King) I use when inputting students’ grades.

Photo courtesy of CD-R King.

 Another design trade-off is the lack of certain features that are standard to other laptops. The X2 does not have a built-in CD/DVD drive. So I had to salvage a CD-ROM drive from old desktop and house it in a 5.25” external hard disk/CD-ROMdrive enclosure (again, from CD-R King) so I can install programs (like Starcraft—yes, that 1998 game!).It also does not have built-in Bluetooth, so I had to buy a USB Bluetooth dongle to transfer files to and from mobile phones and other laptops.

I'm Terran.

The insides are not too exciting either. It only has 512 MB of RAM when the standard at that time is one GB. It also only has 30 gigs of hard disk space when the standard was twice or thrice the size (as of this writing, there are flashdrives that are bigger than this!).

My notebook computer served me faithfully for five years. There are perhaps only two times I had to bring it in for repairs. One time it ran out of batteries because I was not able to plug it to the wall socket. The sudden shutdown caused a problem with the hard disk. Good thing the guys at the IT department of our school were able to rescue my hard disk but I had to lose all my data. T.T

Finally, its obsolescence has caught up with it. The hard disk became almost full of data. It was prone to overheating. Once, I was working on the secretariat in our annual conference when my computer would bog down because of the heat. I would flip the computer over, open the bottom, and fan the insides. Sometimes, in the middle of work, I would get the bane of computer users everywhere: the Blue Screen of Death:

At the sight of this, computer geeks let out an anguished "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

 I would have to open my computer and check the bus connecting the hard disk to the motherboard and that usually solves it.

As of this writing, I have yet to have this laptop repaired. The main difficultly is the miniature PATA connector between the hard disk and the motherboard—so far, this part is unavailable in all the repair shops I’ve gone to. Perhaps when I go to the Neo service center at SM Megamall they’ll have it fixed to give my first laptop a new lease on life.