Features
The most interesting feature in this iteration of the product is the SIM card slot below the battery, where users are expected to supply their own 3G SIM. This worked flawlessly in our tests, transforming the Q1 Ultra HSDPA into a go-anywhere Internet kiosk. Typically, we managed connection speeds of up to 7.2Mbps, which is pretty good for a mobile device.
If you don't want to use 3G, you can always opt for standard Wi-Fi. It uses an 802.11b/g adaptor so you can access the Web at local hotspots and possibly save yourself a few quid on your mobile tariff. The device also packs Bluetooth so you can sync it to your mobile phone, amongst other things, although why you'd want to is beyond us.
HSDPA-capability aside, there's not much difference between this and the previous Q1 Ultra. It uses an 800MHz Intel CPU, 1GB of RAM and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition -- although it's also possible to get it with Windows Vista Home Premium edition. If you opt for Vista, you might want to add an extra 1GB of memory to help things run smoothly.
Various hard disk configurations will be available, but our review sample shipped with a 60GB drive. Unfortunately, this isn't of the solid state variety so boot-up times are slow and dropping it on the floor may result in a loss of data.
The Intel 945GM chipset provides the mediocre onboard graphics adaptor. It's fine for presentations, everyday Web surfing and the like, but don't expect to play any games with it. It's also fine for watching movies. The screen runs at a relatively high native resolution of 1,024x600 pixels, so films look crisp and clear.
Performance
We didn't notice much difference in performance between this model and the original Q1. It failed to return a PCMark05 score, but if it did, we're sure it wouldn't be very impressive. Its 800MHz CPU is only really suited to basic Windows tasks. You'll need the patience of a saint, or have to be slightly masochistic to want to do anything more demanding. Battery life is more impressive than the Q1. It ran for 3 hours in our tests, although your own mileage may vary depending on how you use it.
Conclusion
It's difficult to fully recommend the Q1 Ultra HSDPA. It's better than the old Q1, but it's still flawed. The mouse and keyboard are difficult to use and it's too expensive. While it's a tremendous way of getting on the Internet or reviewing documents in the cramped confines of an aircraft, ultraportable laptops like the Sony Vaio TZ still have the edge.
Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Shannon Doubleday
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