Misc

Review: Hi-Grade Notino W760C

UK-based manufacturer Hi-Grade has released many laptops in its Notino value range, and the Notino W760C is its latest entry. There's a lot to like here, with a surprising amount of power and features packed in, although the sturdy design is more functional than exciting and we found portability limited. The plastic chassis is almost identical in size to the Mesh Discovery 16-RV and the Acer Aspire 5745PG-354G32Mn, although it's heavier at 2.8kg. The brushed-aluminium finish adds to the solid feel and there's no obvious flex. Usability is strong, thanks to a firm isolation-style keyboard and responsive touchpad, while quick-launch buttons above the keyboard allow instant and easy access to your email client and internet browser. Unfortunately, while build quality is high, the generic chassis is rather bland and unattractive. This obviously isn't a major problem, but is worth bearing in mind. Hampered portability A more serious issue is the battery life, which at 179 minutes is below our minimum expectations. Portability is limited as a result, especially considering the bulky and heavy chassis, so this is more of a desktop replacement than a mobile machine. The excellent 15.6-inch widescreen display matches the Mesh and Acer's for size and is just as bright, producing suitably crisp images. Photographs appear just as vibrant as on the Acer's display, and are also more lifelike than on the Mesh's muted screen. The display does not tilt particularly far back, however, which makes working on your lap or on a seatback table on a plane or train awkward. Features are impressive, with a full set of ports, including HDMI, eSATA and even a modem connection. The 500GB hard drive is capacious, providing ample storage for your files and applications. Hi-Grade has also included a carry case, which is a welcome bonus. With an Intel Core i3 350M processor on board, we were hoping for some impressive results in our benchmarking tests. However, the scores were much lower than those produced by the similarly specified Acer, so we ran additional benchmark tests, with vastly improved results. There's enough power for comfortably multi-tasking with office applications, and performance easily matches the Acer. 3D graphics performance is also commendable, despite the use of an integrated Intel GPU, beaten only by the dedicated graphics cards of the HP and Acer, so there's more than enough power for editing your holiday snaps or even basic home movies. The Notino W760C is a well built and dependable machine with very few faults beyond the limited portability. Only the slightly boring design may put some potential buyers off.Related LinksTechRadar Reviews GuaranteeRead more laptop reviewsRelated StoriesReview: Dell Latitude E6510Review: Asus U53F BambooReview: Asus X5DC-SX025VReview: eMachines G420Review: Acer Aspire 5745PG-354G32Mn

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