Averatec 1050

Averatec might be a relatively unknown computer manufacturer, but its ultra-light notebooks will raise an eyebrow or two.

Looking like something straight from the Apple store, the 1050 is a traveller’s delight for under a grand.

To give you some idea of its size, the widescreen display is 10.6in. It weighs 1.35kg and, when folded together, sits just 3cm high.

Within the white cladding is an Intel Pentium M ULV 733 (1.1GHz) processor, which gives battery life a boost. It managed a Sysmark 2004 SE result of 102 and a PCmark05 score of 1,297 - certainly nothing special in either case.

However, for using Office and Internet applications on the go, it’s perfectly acceptable. The 80GB hard disk will store a good number of applications and files too.

Gaming is obviously not really an option - it scored a pathetic 5.03fps in Far Cry and wouldn’t run 3Dmark05 at all.

However, this isn’t a games machine. More relevant is its battery life, which is very impressive. Our Mobile Mark tests scored the Averatec 1050 at three hours, 46 minutes in productivity and two hours, 51 minutes when watching a DVD.

The 1,280 x 768 resolution display with Averabrite technology offers a sharp image, although you may have to up the font size of documents and web pages to read them without squinting.

The shallow keyboard and small trackpad can make extended periods of typing awkward, but there are two USB2 ports for adding an external keyboard and mouse.

There’s also a VGA socket, mini-Firewire, 4-in-1 memory card reader, 802.11g wireless adapter and a built-in DVD combo drive.

The only other downside is the heat generated from the notebook. It’s not going to burn legs but could prove uncomfortable with extended periods of use.

Considering the components we expected the price to be a little lower, but it’s still a decent notebook for work on the move.