14 DAY TRIAL // It looks like netbooks are still going strong, even despite all the talk about how tablets are eroding their sales, and Hercules decided now was a good time for its eCAFE duo to debut and take the market by storm.
As far as netbooks go, Hercules eCAFE can very well be said to be unusual, even though, outwardly, they don't seem that unique, measuring the same 10 inches as all their siblings. What differs is the hardware and software.
For one, the central piece is not an Intel Atom CPU or an AMD Fusion APU, but an ARM Cortex-A8 processor which, though less mighty, has a much higher energy efficiency.
They also lack high-capacity hard disk drives or solid state drives, settling for iNAND storage, 8 GB on eCAFE Slim HD and 16 GB for eCAFE EX HD.
The latter capacity is achieved by supplementing the 8 GB Flash iNand with a SDHC memory extension card included in the bundle. Fortunately, up to 72 extra GB can be added, plus another 50 GB (available online).
In addition to all this, there is mention of 512 MB of DDR2, Ethernet, WiFi, three USB 2.0 ports, webcam, a mini USB and an external card reader (SD, MMC, SDHC), plus an internal one. Linux is the chosen OS.
What's more, their screens have LED backlights and a native resolution of 1,024 x 600 pixel.
Finally, all the parts are crammed inside a package with a thickness of 0.8 inches (1.1 inches for EX HD) and a weight of 1.9 lbs (2.4 lbs EX HD), while the battery can keep everything running for up to 13 hours on a single charge.
Today, new mobile devices are part of everyday life and users have come to appreciate the advantages they offer: smartphones for their small size and immediacy, pocket multimedia players for their entertainment value, and netbooks for their comfort of use,” says the company.
“With its two new eCAFÉ models, Hercules has incorporated all of these features, and even taken things a step further.”