Everex StepNote VA2001T Budget Notebook PC

The Bottom Line
The Everex StepNote VA2001T is certainly a very affordable notebook computer system with fairly average setup. It does have the advantage of a higher than average resolution for its 15.4" display, but the lack of expansion ports and the Vista Basic operating system really limit what one can do with this laptop.

Pros

* Inexpensive
* Higher Resolution Display

Cons

* Only Uses Vista Home Basic Operating System
* Lacks FireWire Port And Card Expansion Slot

Description

* Intel Pentium Dual Core T2080 Mobile Processor
* 1GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Memory
* 80GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
* 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
* 15.4" WXGA+ (1440x900) LCD Display and VIA Chrome9 Integrated Graphics
* v.92 56Kbps Modem, 10/100 Ethernet and 802.11b/g
* Three USB 2.0
* 14.1" x 10.7" x 1.5" @ 5.3 lbs.
* Vista Home Basic, Cyberlink DVD, Norton Internet Security

Guide Review - Everex StepNote VA2001T Budget Notebook PC

10/12/07 – At first glance, the Everex StepNote VA2001T looks like a really strong budget notebook. The problem is that it lacks a number of key features that actually put it behind most other budget notebooks.

Powering the Everex StepNote VA2001T is the Intel Pentium Dual Core T2080 mobile processor. This is an older processor design that was common is budget notebooks, but many companies are moving to more power and efficient Core 2 Duo models. This puts the system behind most budget notebooks in terms of performance. The 1GB of PC2-5300 DDR2 memory is average and should let it use the Vista OS alright.

Storage is pretty much what you would expect for notebooks in this price range. The 80GB hard drive isn't large but meets the needs for most consumers. It also comes with a dual layer DVD burner for playing or recording DVDs and CDs.

One area that looks good is the StepNote's VA2001T display. Most 15.4” notebooks tend to have a 1280x800 resolution. Everex has managed to put a 1440x900 display that gives it more graphical workspace. The problem though is that they have linked this display up with the VIA Chrome9 integrated graphics. This is fine for 2D displays, but lacks any real 3D graphics performance or even features to improve video playback.

The big problem though is the lack of peripheral ports. The VA2001T lacks any FireWire, Type II PC Card or ExpressCard slots. This limits it to just a few USB peripherals. It also doesn't come with any form of media card reader.

All of this plus the Vista Home Basic software means that it really is only fit for a purpose looking for a low cost general purpose computer. After all, there are other laptops with more features for just a little more money.