Launched in the late 2008, BenQ Joybook Lite U101 is the first to offer a 16:9 display on a netbook with the price around $499. Are you interested in this netbook, let us have a brief review of it:

Features:
BenQ Joybook U101features an Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz CPU, 1GB or DDR2 RAM, Intel 945GSE chipset, and a choice of either 80-160GB hard disk drive, or 4-16GB of the SSD drive type. There is a 1.3 megapixel webcam, three USB 2.0 ports, and is available in either blue, white, pink or black color options. The BenQ Joybook Lite U101 weight 1.1kg with a footprint of 258 x 189 x 32mm.

Design
The top cover of JoyBook Lite U101 is decorated with an emoticon design and protected by BenQ’s Insert Mold Roller Technology which provides a scratch-resistant layer. And what makes this model special is that BenQ has taken special care to ensure the unit can endure the daily knocks and bumps of the urban jungle. The JoyBook Lite U101 has been tested to survive drops of up to 30cm and 50kg of crushing force. Slipping this Netbook into your daily bag for commute should prove to be no issue for this JoyBook.
According to BenQ, the keyboard is 90 percent of the size of a standard QWERTY version. Considering that the smaller Acer Aspire One offers 95 percent of a full-size keyboard and keeping in mind the excellent version on HP Netbooks, we feel BenQ could have done better in this respect. But don’t get us wrong. The JoyBook Lite still offers a decent typing experience and producing long emails or documents will not be an issue with most users.

LCD screen and backlight
The glossy screen of the BenQ Joybook Lite U101 has an LED back light and it can be easily viewed in direct sunlight. We wish it had a resolution of 1024×600 instead of 1024×576, because every vertical line counts when you are browsing Web pages and the more you can see the better.

Battery
Using a three-cell battery, this netbook held up for exactly three hours before surrendering to the MobileMark 2005 battery test. Considering that the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios were turned off during the benchmark run, expect shorter uptimes if you engage in regular internet surfing and downloads. An optional six-cell battery is also available and should provide significantly longer unplug times, though it will be available only in the middle of March.

The pros: Hardy and distinctive chassis; available in four colors; 16:9 aspect ratio bright widescreen; optional HSUPA radio. excellent razorsharp display, well priced, easily upgradeable, very good windows integration
The cons: Keyboard could be better, noticeable vibration, loud hard drive, comparably short battery life, loud mouse button.

Tip: It’s the upgradeability of the BenQ Joybook Lite U101 that is it biggest selling point. There is 1GB of DDR2 memory built in to the netbook, but if you remove the bottom panel you can install 1GB in the vacant SO-DIMM slot. Memory upgrades are allowed by BenQ, but if you try and replace the hard drive, or if you open the SSD compartment, you will void the warranty. If this doesn’t concern you, you can easily upgrade the storage capacity of the Joybook Lite U101, or even splurge on a 2.5in solid-state drive to make the netbook almost silent and definitely vibration free.