Packard Bell Dot S (DOT-S-018) review

Like many other netbooks, the Dot S has an Intel Atom N450 processor; performance was predictably average. An overall score of 17 in our multimedia benchmarks is exactly what we’d expect from a netbook, but with only 1GB of memory, it suffered in our multitasking test. Serious web users that like to have many tabs open at once will notice slowdown.

Unusually for an inexpensive netbook, the Dot S comes with a six-cell battery that should help extend the time spent between trips to a plug socket. In our light-use test, it managed over ten and a half hours, which is at the very top end of netbook battery life. It was also whisper quiet during normal use, only becoming audible after the processor was at 100 per cent load. The disadvantage is that the underside became very hot after several hours’ use, although the wrist rest was much cooler.

We like the Dot S a lot. Usability is very good thanks to the sharp screen and decent keyboard, but the disappointing audio means it’s more suited to work than entertainment. Despite this, for working on the move, there are few other netbooks that last as long between charges.