The Altro has pretty good wireless capabilities. It incorporates 802.11b and 802.11g Wi-Fi as well as high-speed 802.11n, meaning it can connect to your existing 802.11n infrastructure and transfer files at up to 300Mbps. It also packs an Ethernet output port -- via the aforementioned dongle -- but, sadly, there's no SIM card reader for go-anywhere Internet access, despite the presence of a dummy SIM card slot below the battery.
Pedestrian performance
We weren't expecting the Altro to be a performance powerhouse, and we were proved right. Its 1.2GHz Intel Celeron 723 CPU is best suited to undemanding office productivity tasks, such as word processing, using spreadsheets and browsing the Internet. Likewise, its integrated Intel graphics chip is slightly shy when it comes to polygons, so you'll be disappointed if you try to run 3D games. The laptop failed to run our PCMark05 and 3DMark06 benchmark tests, but anecdotal use revealed it to be quicker than a netbook but slower than your average laptop. Its saving grace is the fact that it's capable of running high-definition videos.
Battery life isn't very impressive either. The Altro lasted a less-than-spectacular 1 hour and 45 minutes in Battery Eater's intensive Classic test, which runs the CPU at full tilt until the battery expires. In the less demanding Reader's test, the Altro lasted a slightly more respectable 2 hours and 15 minutes, but even this is poor by today's standards.
Conclusion
The Advent Altro fails to live up to the MacBook Air. It might look like Apple's machine from a distance, but, up close, it comes across as cheap and rather tacky. Buy one if you want a cheap Air rip-off, but consider alternatives such as the MSI X340 and Asus UX30 before you whip out your wallet.
Edited by Charles Kloet
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