Tech Review – Unboxing W21CU

Last April, my five year-old laptop, a Neo eXplore X2, finally gave up the ghost. One morning, I was in the middle of typing some important stuff when the monitor sudden flashed what every computer geek fears: the Blue Screen of Death. 

 

I tried to remedy the situation by the way I usually do: I flipped the computer over, removed a plastic panel on the bottom, and tried to tighten the connection between the motherboard and the hard disk. After several failed attempts, I have come to the inevitable conclusion: I must buy a new laptop. 

That afternoon, I went to SM City Dasmariñas. I was still hanging to the hope of having my laptop repaired. I tried to take my laptop to a couple of laptop repair shops but they said they do not have the flex that connects the hard disk to the motherboard. (A recent expedition to Gilmore Avenue revealed to me that that tiny flex is worth more than a thousand pesos!) Since my laptop couldn't be repaired at the moment, I decided to do something I have been delaying for a long time: Buy a new laptop. 

Again, being the tightwad that I am, I wanted a laptop in the Php 15,000 and below range (preferably, in the “below” range, hehe). I have been canvassing for laptops for some time and I didn't want can't shell out twenty thousand to thirty thousand pesos. Even if I look at the price tag before looking at the specs, I still wanted the best value for my money. 

While walking around SM Dasma's Cyberzone, I happened upon Octagon Computer Superstore and realized my prayers have been answered. On display was a ten-inch notebook computer. Just like my defunct computer, it was also a Neo. And the price was right: Just under Php 11,000(!!!). 

The specs were decent enough: It has 294 gigabytes of available hard disk space (a bit low considering that the current standard is double that; but it was HUGE compared to my old 40 GB hard drive!), 2 gigs of RAM, and a 1.60 GHz Intel Atom processor. It also comes with a licensed copy of the Windows 7 operating system. Good enough for me!

Unboxing:  

The Neo W21CU comes in a study cardboard box with a handle on top. The box was sealed with wide tapes emblazoned with “OCTAGON” upon the consummation of the purchase. The notebook comes with a free pouch and a laptop cooler (which was not available at that time). The pouch was taped on the box itself. 

 

The box opens on the top.

 

The packaging is very spartan: The computer is wrapped in plastic and cushioned by foam on either side. It comes with two CD's of installers, the power brick and power cord, and a NOT-so informative instructions sheet. (By contrast, my first laptop's instructions booklet had troubleshooting tips in it).

 

 

The package also comes with a soft lint-free cloth for cleaning the screen.

The back of the monitor is protected by a thin gray plastic sheet held in place by adhesive tapes.

 It took just a few minutes to unbox and the computer is up and running. 

 

I've had this notebook for three months and so far it has been serving me faithfully. Just like with my first laptop, I'll probably be able to write a full tech review when it retires. By that time, it is no longer a tech review. It'll be a tribute.