Dialogue Flybook V33i Broadband HSDPA review

We've seen the Flybook a few times now, most recently as the plain V33i, and we're still impressed that a full-on Windows system manages to squeeze into such a tiny package. The laptop weighs just 1.25kg and is only 237mm wide.

There are no specification changes between this model and the one we saw a few months ago - a 1.1GHz Intel Pentium M and 1GB of RAM mean an unchanged benchmark score of 0.53, which may sound low but is ample for the kind of on-the-go jobs the Flybook is designed for.

The reason for the stiff price increase (this model is a substantial £580 more expensive than its predecessor - plus VAT) is entirely due to the internal HSDPA wireless card. It's a mini-PCI card and, once you've become used to the speed and convenience of HSDPA, at least in a well-covered city, you'll find it hard to go back. Speeds of up to 1.8Mb/sec mean that you can browse the internet much as you would with wired broadband and, for a system as small as the Flybook, it's a massive plus.

Unfortunately, our complaints about the chassis remain. Dialogue markets the Flybook as a hybrid notebook/cellular device, but you can almost forget about using it as the former. The keyboard is exceptionally small and makes typing with any degree of accuracy or speed next to impossible. This is offset only slightly by the responsive touchscreen, which you can scribble notes on with the included stylus.

We also remain unconvinced by the screen and its build quality - the Flybook's natural habitat is on the move and, as such, isn't always likely to be treated with loving care. The screen is poorly protected, and we'd be worried about its chances of surviving day-to-day knocks. Battery life is also below par for a notebook designed to remove you from the office - 2hs 10mins under light use and 1hr 42mins under intensive use isn't what we'd hoped for.

If you're looking specifically for a tiny notebook - and the Flybook is almost pocketable - this system is well worth considering. It's incredibly light and portable, and for those working in the field it could be just the ticket. Those with more normal working habits will get vastly superior value from a machine like the similarly HSDPA-equipped Dell D420, currently available for £1,149.

Author: Dave Stevenson