Kogan Technologies has gone back to basics with its Agora netbook, Australia's cheapest 10-inch notebook.

The Agora features an Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor, 1GB of RAM and a 3-cell battery for $499. For an extra $40, the Pro model (our review unit) offers 2GB of RAM, a 6-cell battery and Bluetooth courtesy of a tiny USB dongle.

The Agora weighs in at 1.4 kg with the 6 cell battery and certainly looks the part with its sleek black design and minimalist markings. While the base has a slightly cheap plastic feel, the unit as a whole has a sturdy build and is supported by a strong hinge. Lift the screen and you'll find a very bright 10.1-inch, 1024x600 display with minimal glare - great for working outside. It's accompanied by a generous edge-toedge keyboard that will have a tad too much flex in it for some people's liking.

Instead of Windows, the Agora runs the user-friendly gOS <www.thinkgos.com> a Linux distribution pre-configured with a suite of Google apps and services. It's based on Ubuntu and well-suited to Linus novices. The Task Bar performs the same way it does under Windows XP, except it makes it easy to switch between multiple desktops - a handy feature when you've got so little screen real estate to play with.

The Agora also comes pre-installed with a Mac-like Application Dock which includes shortcuts to Firefox, Skype, Open Office and Pidgin along with links to a range of Google services such as Mail, Calendar and Dons. Unfortunately the Application Dock doesn't appear on top of open applications, which limits its usefulness. Other pre- installed apps include gedit for text editing, GIMP for image editing, Picasa for image management, Thunderbird for email and WINE, which lets you run some native Microsoft Windows applications. Google Gadgets lets you run tiny applications on the desktop which can be hidden with the press of a button.

When it comes to features, the Agora offers Ethernet, 802.11b/g, 160GB hard drive, three USB ports, VGA, SD/MS Pro slot, headphones jack, min jack, 1.3 megapixel webcam and an internal min. As with most netbooks, there's no optical drive or support for a 3G SIM card.

If you're looking for the basics such as web browsing and document editing then gOS will have you up and running quickly, especially if you're already a keen user of Google services. Thanks to the 2GB of RAM, the Agora Pro happily runs several applications at once - as long as they're not too graphics-intensive. Video playback is slightly jerky if any other applications are open and the image from the webcam is disappointing. Even switching between tabs on the browser can be sluggish on graphics- intensive sites. The netbook features the Intel GMA 950 graphics chipset and, when we installed Windows 7 Release Candidate 1, the performance improved considerably. You'll squeeze around 3.5 hours out of the Agora Pro's 6-cell battery running gOS, or 4 hours running Windows 7.

If you're after a cheap netbook with plenty of features, but don't need much graphics grunt under Linux, it's worth considering Kogan's Agora netbook. The combination of gOS and WINE makes the move to Linux as painless as possible, while the 160GB hard drive gives you plenty of room to dual boot if you decide you can't live without Windows.

Kogan's Agora netbook retails for $499 (Agora Pro $539). For more details call 1300 304 292 or visit www.kogan.com.au
 

Reprinted from the June 2009 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia

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