Medion Akoya E1312

The distinction between full-size notebook computers and mini-notebooks is a fine one, and Medion’s Akoya E1312, available exclusively from Aldi shops from 12 July, is more confusing than most.

It has an 11.6in widescreen display, uses an AMD Sempron processor, but runs Windows XP Home. That puts it in-between the two camps: it’s a touch more powerful than other 10in mini-notebook computers, but it’s still fairly light and portable and, like those computers, it can’t handle video-editing or big-name games.

It’s a thin unit with a glossy black case and a rounded hinge at the rear which gives it a stylish look. There is an Expresscard slot for expansion, along with three USB ports, headphone and microphone sockets, a memory card reader and both VGA and HDMI ports for connecting to either a computer monitor or a flat-panel TV.

It can connect to both wired and wireless networks (even the newest 802.11n networks) as well as Bluetooth devices such as phones.

The screen was clear and very bright – it was turned down by default but there are buttons on the keyboard to turn it up.

At 11.6in it was easy to read text on the screen and the keyboard stretches across the full width of the case so it’s easy to type on without making errors. It was a bit shallow, though, so keyboard-bashers might be in for some pain, and the trackpad below was a little smaller than we’d have liked.

As with all Aldi’s Medion computers, this one is likely to be highly sought-after once it goes on sale on Sunday 12 July, so if you’re after one it’s worth getting down to your local shop early. The battery lasted for a little over three hours.

Comparing the E1312 with the similarly priced Acer Aspire One D250 it’s not much bigger, and offers a larger, more useful screen along with a larger and more comfortable keyboard.

Performance-wise there’s not much in it between this and Intel Atom-powered mini-notebooks, but the E1312 is otherwise impressive.