BenQ Joybook Lite U121 Eco netbook launches

Get the low-down on the latest netbook before it hits our shores

20 July 2009 13:27 GMT / By Lars-Göran Nilsson

BenQ is yet to become a major player in the notebook/netbook market, but judging by the kind of products the company is starting to make, they have a good chance of gaining some attention.

The latest addition to their range of netbooks, the Joybook Lite U121 Eco has some interesting features on offer, let alone the fact that 25% of the materials are recycled.

Even the packaging materials are environmentally friendly, as it too relies on recycled materials while the ink used is soy based.

But enough about the environmental aspects, the Joybook Lite U121 Eco offers a few other interesting features that makes it very appealing, especially for those that only have access to a power socket for short periods at a time, as it features BenQ's "Q-Charge" or quick charge technology, which means that 1-hour of charging (while it's turned off) gives you up to 6-hours of usage. The 6-cell battery is meant to last up to 8-hours on a full charge.

The Joybook Lite U121 Eco features an 11.6-inch display with 1366 x 768 resolution which means that you could watch 720p video in full screen on it. The display is also unusually thin compared to most netbooks.

The larger physical size of the netbook also means a better keyboard and BenQ claims that the keyboard is the same size as those found on many 13.3-inch notebooks and having had a quick play with it, we don't doubt them.

For those interested in the technical aspects, the Joybook Lite U121 Eco features an Atom Z-series processor, takes up to 2GB of RAM and can be offered with hybrid storage, so an SSD and a hard drive.

It is also available with a built in 3.75G HSDPA/HSUPA modem as an option. It does of course also come with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as standard as well as a 1.3-megapixel webcam.

Currently the Joybook Lite U121 Eco is only available in a few selected countries in Asia with a starting price of about £330, but BenQ is considering launching it in Europe in the near future.