PC Nextday Zoostorm Fizzbook Spin review

PC Nextday’s Zoostorm Fizzbook Spin is one of two tablet netbooks here, with a touchscreen that can be swivelled round to lay flat on the keyboard.

It can then be used like a notepad and controlled using a stylus instead of the keyboard and touchpad. Like the previous Fizzbook, this model is designed for use by children so it has a robust design. It can be carried using the integrated handle, and its weight of 1.3kg isn’t too heavy for a child to carry around.

Using the touchscreen to control Windows XP felt accurate and responsive. A basic handwriting-recognition program is included, but it’s not as quick or as accurate as Vista’s built-in handwriting recognition. ArtRage painting software is also included, which is fun to use for sketching diagrams and drawings. Although the 8.9in screen is bright, its 1,024×600 pixel resolution will limit your drawing space. The image was also slightly grainy and the screen has tight viewing angles.

The 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor and 1GB of RAM had no trouble handling ArtRage as well as tasks such as web browsing and word processing, but we wouldn’t recommend running more demanding graphics programs. The 60GB hard disk is cramped and will soon fill up if burdened with lots of programs and media files. The battery lasted an impressive four hours, 45 minutes in our light-usage test.

The small keyboard is designed for children’s fingers, so adults will find touch-typing difficult. The touchpad is accurate and reasonably large, although the buttons don’t give enough feedback when pressed. There are only two USB ports, while the memory card reader can only recognise SDHC and MMC cards. There’s no integrated 3G modem, but Draft-N wireless networking is built in.

If you want a netbook with a touchscreen, the Fizzbook is the one to get thanks to its long battery life. Still, we’re not convinced it’s worth the high price since you’ll have to put up with a cramped keyboard and small hard disk.