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Datawind Ubisurfer smartbook review
Datawind, announced the launch of the UbiSurfer, the first smartbook to offer users free Internet access in the UK and low cost roaming in Europe and USA. Priced at £159.99, the UbiSurfer combines Wi-Fi, LAN and embedded wireless data modem and SIM to make the Internet truly ubiquitous.
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7 Positive Reviews |
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1 Negative Reviews |
Average Rating:
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Summary: Cheapest and smallest netbook with some bundled net access to boot. However, within the same price bracket as e.g. Asus Eee PC or Acer Aspire One, both boasting better specs for not much more money. Pros: Runs Linux (so should be theoretically very customisable) / Cheap / Good coverage / Powerful enough for what it’s meant for / Relatively low hassle to set up aside from the patches Cons: Slow bootup – 1 min 20 seconds / No standby mode (unacceptable given boot time — and website claims battery life of 4 days on this ficticious mode) / Slow GPRS connect time – 50 secs on initial start after boot — it’s virtually 3 minutes before anything’s good to go / UbiSurfer GPRS browser is pants. Good for websites where javascript and/or intense graphics is an absolute must, but suffers from slow scrolling (especially in long pages, e.g. BBC news or forums; Slashdot virtually unreadable) and rendering problems. No shortcut keys. It forgets bookmarks. Fortunately once GPRS is up, Firefox with ImgLikeOpera and NoScript plugins runs acceptably fast even over GPRS / Crippled Linux WM with low customisability – can’t even change fonts via UI (I’ve yet to hack the config file) / Minimally spec’ed — feels like it’s struggling to run Firefox (I’m writing this on an UbiSurfer with both patches installed.)
When I first bought the Ubisurfer, I thought it was a load of rubbish……all the faults as reported before, not a very useful unit at all. But……….Downloaded both patches from Datawind and installed them (what a great company, sends you the patches on 2GB USB Drives) and what a difference! Much better than the Windows CE version, brilliant conectivity with my WI-FI system, great coverage via the built in modem, works great with LAN, good sound, speed and graphic capabilities for a small machine. Forget about the prior reviews, buy one and ask Maplin to update in store…..well worth the money
Granted, I’ve been using Linux for years. But the UbiSurfer is a great little tool. OK, it’s not a monster PC, but you’re buying this for the web, and for that it works great. I am tweaking it a bit to run the way I like it, and I will post a step by step of how to maximize performance when I am done. A tip to traditional users: Use the connection wizard first! Then follow all the instructions. They are pretty clear. I’m just glad I can finally get the REAL internet anywhere without forking the big money. Spread the word…. The UbiSurfer rocks!
This does exactly what I purchased it for – at last! I just needed a quick, small and inexpensive notebook to take on my travels. I do not spend a great deal of time each day online so the included internet access is brilliant. However, do not try to download the patches direct to the UbiSurfer it just does not work. Either send for them or download to an SD card or memory stick on another computer, unzip the file and then transfer across. I spent a very frustrating time trying to do it directly. It is vital you download the patches straight away or secure web sites will not load as the date/time function is not correct.
Get the UbiSurfer! I devoured my 30 hours of free internet in 3 days flat as I do lot of research online but am always on the go. I ended up having to call up the support desk and upgraded to an unlimited plan. It works gr8 an it’s unlimited for 5.99/mo. Access times are excellent. I never thought of using a Linux machine before the Ubisurfer. It’s easy, fast and I don’t have to worry about seeing the blue screen of death. The Ubisurfer’s got an excellent look and feel, and working on it is fun. I use it heavily and recommend it.
Well my first impressions were on no but sudenly i was devoured in a world of free internet.
hi, first email ive ever done. think the ubisurfer is great , keep up the good work datawind . ta hutchy .
I have had many laptop computers but have, until now, shied away from netbooks, thinking that they were too limited. I have been pleasantly surprised by the functionality of this netbook. I always wanted to be able to connect to the internet from my laptop at my country home but it has been too painfully slow, but I believe I have found a solution with this device. Not only does it connect every time, but it offers a fantastic speed which I haven’t been able to get on any other 3G devices that I’ve used in the past. If you are looking for a new laptop or netbook, (It works great as a desktop replacement if you don’t like the big bulky ones and are doing basic office work) then I highly suggest you give this one a try. You will not be disappointed
I’ve just bought the windows CE version. Works fine (slowly) on wi fi. Accesses my email in less than a minute. However, the ubisurfer browser is very slow. At least a minute to load a page (Tried in many locations, all showing good signal)
About 50% of the time just freezes and loads nothing. GPRS does not work at all. It is not much better with the external aerial. If, like me, you want a cheap way to get your email on the move, it’s ok. If not I would not recommend it at all!