14 DAY TRIAL // Over the past few months, BenQ supplied the IT market with a healthy collection of liquid crystal displays, each model meant to address the needs of a certain consumer segment. Now that this field is, more or less, covered, the company seems to have decided on a change of tune. As such, instead of bringing out a new monitor, BenQ has unveiled a laptop with a feature set big enough to satisfy a wide range of consumers.
The new mobile PC is dubbed the BenQ Joybook R48 and employs the 14-inch form factor. Measuring 340.2 x 240 x 33.5 mm, the mobile PC operates on an Intel Core i3 central processing unit, paired with up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a hard drive with a capacity of 250GB, 320GB or 500GB. There is also a 1.3-megapixel webcam, an 8x DVD writer, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, dual 2W speakers and a 4-in-1 card reader.
BenQ could have chosen to settle for Intel integrated graphics. However, since this machine is intended for multimedia enthusiasts and on-the-go gamers, the developers decided to add the ATI mobility Radeon HD 5450 discrete GPU.
This enables DirectX 11 support and provides overall video capabilities high enough to let any game run decently. Furthermore, the 1366 x 768 native resolution of the 16:9 display will be sure to allow a more than satisfactory image quality during video playback. As for battery life, a 6-cell battery will somehow be able to keep the entire personal computer running for roughly three hours.
Unfortunately, the Joybook R48 is, perhaps, not as widely available as end-users might like. For now, the model can only be purchased in China and the Asia pacific region and there is no word on when, if ever, the notebook will make it to other countries.