The M100 belongs to Neoware's line of thin-client computers, which are boxes with minimal hardware that rely on a network for their applications and storage. Advantages over their fatter, standard PC brethren include better security, almost complete control over what users can have or not have, and cheaper, greener operating costs.

Recognising that some thin-client-shod computer people might need to move around while they work, Neoware, which has just been bought by Hewlett-Packard, put together the M100.

Here is one simple notebook. It has no moving parts, so no hard drive, no cooling fan and no optical drive. With nothing moving inside except bits around circuits, there's a lot less to go wrong than with a conventional laptop, and the M100 will probably do well in the school of hard knocks that is the lot of a travelling notebook.

The single-core, fanless, 800MHz Via Eden x86 compatible processor is designed for simplicity and low-power operation rather than grunt, and the design expectation is that the M100 would mostly rely on a server to do the computational heavy lifting.

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The notebook's operating system - either the embedded version of Windows XP or Linux - sits on either 512MB or 1GB of flash ROM with either 256MB or 512MB of DDR2 RAM. Neoware recommends at least the 512MB/512MB version for XPe, although the review machine came with XPe and 512MB/256MB, which may have explained why it kept running low on memory during standalone operations.

For those times when a network connection is not available, such as airline travel, the M100 can run as a standalone machine if the user has been given the required system privileges - mainly the right to access USB flash drives.

Running its own game, the M100's performance was OK for basic apps such as web browsing and desktop productivity suites, but don't expect it to play games beyond the likes of solitaire.

Unfortunately, while the Neoware notebook is technically a thin client, at 2.5kg it weighs a lot more than many fully featured conventional notebooks.

The M100's pork was annoying, even for a notebook with a 15.1in screen, although more svelte creations are said to be coming from Neoware later this year.

As well as being heavy for a bare bones notebook, the M100 has a fat footprint, measuring 318mm by 277mm by 36.7mm. It wears a simple black and brushed-silver finish and a basic keyboard.

There's a PCMCIA slot, headphone and microphone sockets, modem and ethernet ports and a VGA out. Hanging mice, memory sticks, broadband adaptors, extra keyboards and other USB goodies off the M100 won't be a problem as it sports five USB ports. However, annoyingly, there's no Bluetooth networking.

SPECIFICATIONS
Features: Thin client notebook with no moving parts. Windows XP embedded version, fi ve USB ports, Via Eden 800MHz processor, 512MB flash ROM, Wi-Fi b/g, 15in LCD screen
Maker: Neoware
Price: $1249
More at:www.neoware.com
Rating: 6/10

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Conclusion

SIMPLE, secure, low-power notebooks such as the M100 are likely to become more and more attractive for business travel and educational use, especially as wireless broadband networks grow and data access charges drop.

The Neoware M100 is a fair first attempt at creating a robust, thin-client-style notebook, but it's just too big and heavy for a machine with no moving parts, and its $1249 price tag also seems a tad weighty for a machine with such simple specifications.

It will be interesting to see what Neoware comes up with for its next generation of mobile thin clients.

Originally published asNeoware notebook for data lockdown