CTL IL1A PC

Buyer beware: You can do better in a netbook

CTL WENT FOR A MINIMALIST DESIGN on the IL1A—but not in a good way. At 1.7x9.6x6.8 inches (14WD) and 2.7 pounds, it's lightet than the 3.2-pound Asus Eee PC 1000H, but you pay for that with discomfort while typing. Much like the keyboards on older-generation netbooks, the IL1A's keyboard is cramped and makes touch-typing nearly impossible. The touch pad is too small, as are the loud touch buttons below.

The 8.9-inch LED-backlit display is bright, though its 1,024x600 resolution causes some windows and dialog boxes to extend off the screen. You'll find a VGA and two USB ports, a 3-in-1 card reader, as well as headphone, mic, modem, and Ethernet jacks. A 1.3-Megapixel Webcam, a mic, and speakers are available for video chats.

The system is painfully slow. Its 1.2G1-17. VIA C7-M processor, 1GB of RAM, and integrated VIA Chrome9 HC3 IGP graphics with 64MB of video memory couldn't handle even basic tasks. Booting up Windows XP Home Edition took 1 minute and 27 seconds, and surfing the Web taxed our patience. Also, the
system crashed mote than once and lost all ability to find wireless networks.


The IL1A needed 1 hour and 4 minutes for our WME test and 48 minutes and 6 seconds to convert 11 iTunes files. Likewise, its Cinebench 10 score of 319 was very disappointing. Battery life was less than impressive at 2 hours and 48 minutes, well below the 3:35 average. Even the 60GB hard drive is a letdown;
other netbooks offer up to 160GB of storage. The CTL system comes with the company's one-year No Hassle Warranty.

The bright screen and light weight are the only redeeming qualities. With a relatively high price, a cramped keyboard, slow performance, and screen-resolution issues, the IL1A just isn't a good choice considering the competition. -Sarah E. Anderson


Computer Shopper January 2009