Red Fox Technologies recently released a new model for their Wizbook line, the Red Fox Wizbook N1020i, made available in yellow, green, pink, red, and black, as well as the full-scale Red Fox RN740J and the Red Fox RN766JU aimed towards everyday computing and gaming, respectively.

The Red Fox Wizbook N1020i is the newest addition to the brand’s growing lineup of netbooks, fitted with 10.2-inch TFT LCD displays, 1GB DDR2 667 memory, 160GB or 250GB HDD, 802.11 b/g wireless LAN, and an SD/MMC/MS multicard reader, along with the option of upgrading to 2GB of memory. The N1020i also takes advantage of Bluetooth technology by incorporating Bluetooth 3.0, which gives  data rates of up to 480 Mbits compared to 3Mbits that Bluetooth 2.0 can offer. But getting things done quickly is not the only benefit of using high-speed Bluetooth: it also reduces power consumption, which then translates to longer battery life. Versatility is enjoyed via the Express Card / 34 slot, which supports Firewire 800, SATA external disk drives, SSD drives, Wi-Fi interface cards, TV tuner cards, additional memory, memory card readers, external graphics cards and modems. The inclusion of an integrated 1.3 low-light Web cam also allows photos and videos to be taken even under low-light conditions without compromising quality.

The RN740J and RN766JU alternatively feature 14.2- and 15.4-inch TFT LCD displays, respectively, 7-in-1 multicard readers (MS/ MS Pro/ SD/ Mini SD/ MMC/ RS MMC/ MS Duo), integrated Web cameras, ATI HD audio, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, three USB ports, e-SATA ports, and HDMI ports. HDD options for the RN740J include 160GB and 320GB SATA II, while the RN766JU comes with a 320GB SATA II hard drive. Two models are available for the RN740J-the RN740J S and the RN740J T.

Red Fox Wizbook N1020i

Red Fox RN766JU

Red Fox RN740J

Big performance, small packages
Powering the Red Fox Wizbook N1020i, the Intel Atom processor is the smallest from Intel, built using the smallest transistors in the world and the company’s 45nm Hi-k Metal Gate technology for use on netbooks and nettops. The result? Intel Atom-based devices offer easy mobility with simple interfaces while providing targeted performance. Aimed at those looking for the best online experience, this processor is an affordable solution for devices used for educational purposes, video and photo viewing, VoIP, social networking, messaging, e-mail, browsing, and other Internet activities, as well as basic applications.

On the other end, tucked away inside the brand’s full-scale line is the AMD Sempron SI-40 for the RN740J S and the AMD Turion X2 RM-72 for the RN740J T, while the AMD Turion X2 Ultra ZM 80 pitches in for the RN766JU.

The AMD Sempron SI-40 allows for downloading music and sending pictures, on top of simple e-mailing, Web browsing and word processing, and being able to run more than 60,000 of the most popular software in the world, as well as featuring power-saving technology that extends battery life without sacrificing performance. The AMD Turion X2 RM-72 and the AMD Turion X2 Ultra ZM 80, on the other hand, offer significantly higher bandwidths to support PCI Express 2.0 and HyperTransport 3.0 Technology for increased system performance while their CoolCore Technology also help extend battery life, aided by Multi-Point Thermal Control to prevent too much heat in the processor. Both processors offer dynamic power management for energy efficiency and run both 32- and 64-bit applications. Enhanced virus protection is also enjoyed on all AMD processors.

In addition, the Red Fox RN766JU is equipped with the ATI Radeon HD 3200 (256MB DDRII) chipset plus the discrete ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470 (256MB DDRII) for top-notch gaming on-the-go, many thanks to ATI’s Hybrid Technology. This means as the RN766JU’s onboard and discrete GPUs work together, users are provided with more crystal-clear graphics and more vibrant colors, along with DirectX 10 support so the latest 3D games can be accommodated.

According to Abijane Mulgada, product manager for Red Fox, “Mobility these days is more than just about convenience-it’s become a need that a growing number of people are coming to realize. But besides simple mobility, our laptops aim to address specific needs to ensure great experiences every time, which then allows users to truly enjoy what mobility can offer. The addition of new colors for our Wizbooks? Laptops are already personal. We just wanted to make things more fun for everyone.”

March 15, 2009

The Wizbook Gets An Atomic Upgrade
By Luis Anthony G. Oliveros
Published in the December 2008-January 2009 print edition of PC World Philippines

Redfox WizBook1020i
P19,999
www.redfoxtechnology.com

So here we are again, another notebook PC rising from the continuously evolving netbook mist. Industry giants have gone far and wide to deliver the next big netbook to conquer the low-cost ultraportable segment for themselves; each one bringing its own brand of sleekness for maximum portability, while others barely rally around the netbook form factor fringes as they put utmost value on squeezing in better specs. Caught squarely in the middle is RedFox and their Wizbook line of low-cost notebooks unveiled during the third quarter of the year. And now, even before the year ends entirely, the IT manufacturing brand has released the line’s second generation with the Wizbook800lx that features an eight-inch LCD display and the 10.2-incher Wizbook1020i which we got to test drive this month.

For starters, we have been desensitized by the entire netbook movement, so we’ve practically seen pretty much what they have to offer as far as exteriors are concerned. The Wizbook1020i is no different, presenting a matte and glossy hard plastic body, slim at 254x189x39mm and available in white, red and a black-red combo. Needless to say, you won’t really find anything distinct outside of its softly tapered edges, rounded corners and the logo stamped on the middle of the lid.

The only thing we didn’t like about it, which also goes for netbooks in general, is that it’s housed in a rather plasticky shell, a little disconcerting if you plan for this netbook to be a long-term machine. Despite this, it’s solidly built, with no dubious reaking or rattling sounds during handling and even when propping it open.

A Web cam is positioned right at the very top of the unit’s upper half with the 10.2-inch LCD display right below. It offers a 1024×600 resolution which is good for presenting contrasts in your basic word processing applications and pretty decent for viewing colored images, videos and Web pages, although you’d immediately notice the lines that separate the various hues whenever you come across pages and photos with colors in gradient schemes. Under the screen is the built-in speaker that churns out 2W of audio which isn’t really the best out there in terms of bass fullness and sound detailing, plus the quality heads south whenever you turn up the volume. Utilizing the 3.5 audio port on its left side panel to connect to a set of good quality external speakers or a pair of headphones would be a better option.

The keyboard is bigger and a lot spacious compared to the cramped one in the seminal EeePC’s, but not as expansive and as comfortable as the MSI Wind’s (reviewed in last month’s issue) or HP’s Mini Note. This is not to say that you’d have a hard time getting your inputs across the machine, it just means that you’d have a slightly longer period getting used to it before typing starts feeling natural and comfortable. This, in our case, was about a day or two. However, just like the Wind’s keyboard, the function keys here can also be used to adjust some of the settings like the volume, screen brightness and for enabling and disabling the Web cam and the Wi-Fi connectivity. This lessens unnecessary clutter like volume controls and switches which leaves only the essential ports to the side panels, including an RJ45 outlet for wired Ethernet connectivity, three USB 2.0 ports, two audio jacks and an SD/MMC/MC card reader slot.

As borderline dull as its exterior make it appear, it’s really no slouch with fine inner workings helmed by an Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor. RedFox’s clients in the past may actually be surprised with this as they have been known in the past for carrying AMD processors, but as the brand has expressed, they have no exclusivity deals with AMD and the decision to include an Atom chip is a highly ingenious strategic move in our opinion, bringing the Wizbook line up to par with its more familiar peers. An 80GB hard drive is built into the machine which is fairly more than enough for your personal files and additional applications, considering the primary functions netbooks have been set out to accomplish, for communication and content consumption rather than content creation.

The Wizbook1020i comes preloaded with Linux Linpus Lite that comes with a handful of open-source goodies like the Open Office word processing suite, Mozilla Firefox Web browser, Skype for IM and VoIP, and an entire slew of productivity applications for work, study and games. As it was in the past, this operating system offers two types of user interfaces; a tab-based one that organizes each application in tabs tagged as Internet, Work, Learn, Play and Settings, and one that emulates the traditional Windows desktop. Navigation on both interfaces are a cinch to use, employing a completely user-friendly environment even for the common Windows or Mac user, letting you get to your desired application or setting in as few clicks as possible. And with the Linux OS comes a very fast startup and good operation speeds even during multitasking, propped up by a gigabyte of memory. In addition, you can also shell out an extra couple of thousand bucks if you want Windows XP running the show instead.

Sure we may have seen it all before when it comes to its physical attributes, but with a good spec and features list, an array of connectivity options, the Wizbook1020i is easily a good netbook you can rely on for your daily needs and basic multimedia playback. We can easily see this as a good secondary notebook road warriors and students can lug around and probably even as a dependable kitchen communication and computing device for the homemaker.