This chart shows the total power consumed during our workload test, and therefore provides an indication of the systems that deliver the best combination of performance and power consumption — at least with the mix of tasks we selected. So although the Aleutia E1 is a relatively low-power system, its poor performance means that it takes so long to complete the test that it ends up consuming more power overall than the Lenovo ThinkCentre A61e, which is the most power-hungry of the eight systems on test.
At the other end of the scale, the ASUS Eee and Intel Classmate — both very similarly specified 900MHz notebooks — emerge as the most power-efficient systems, consuming around a quarter of the power racked up by the Aleutia E1. The OLPC XO, although the most power-frugal design on test, was penalised by its slower speed, especially when playing back video, and emerged on a par with the mini-desktop Inveneo Computing Station rather than its notebook brethren.
As mentioned earlier, the NComputing products are very dependent on the host PC/monitor/terminal loading combination, and it's probably fair to say that the figures reported here could be improved upon with a different configuration. Also, a simpler workload test with less emphasis on video playback would show the Aleutia E1 and OLPC XO in a better light.
We examine a number of low-power desktops, thin clients and notebooks to find out which platforms are most suitable for deployment in developing countries... more
The Aleutia E1 is a creditable effort at creating a compact, low-power desktop computer. However, the current hardware platform seems a little underpowered for anything other than the most basic tasks... more
The Inveneo Computing Station delivers reasonably good performance for a low-power PC. It's small, but an untidy assembly means it could be more convenient to handle... more
NComputing's L230 thin client is an option if you need to add a group of low-impact users to an existing Ethernet LAN. However, you'll need to ensure that the host PC is adequately specified to deliver acceptable performance to the terminals attached to it... more
NComputing's X300 provides a cost-effective way to hang up to six terminals off a single desktop PC using low-power, secure, easy to administer and quiet access terminals. It's not for power users, but is well suited to schools, business workgroups, libraries, internet cafés and suchlike... more
The Asus Eee PC 701 is a great notebook. It's extremely affordable, attractively designed and highly portable. If you're looking for an ultraportable travelling companion or a cheap second computer, there are few better options... more
Aimed at students in developing countries, the Intel Classmate PC is an intriguing attempt at a low-cost notebook. We love the rugged design, but the small 2GB solid-state hard drive doesn't leave a lot of room for growth... more
A work in progress rather than a finished product, the XO has much to recommend it. However, there are substantive issues to address if it's to live up to its creators' lofty ideals in practice... more
The MacBook Air is not quite an ultraportable, but it is exceptionally thin. Retaining the same 13.3in. display as the current MacBook line, it tapers from 1.94cm thick to just 0.4cm. Apple calls it the 'world's thinnest notebook'.
The Time Capsule's hybrid 802.11n wireless router/networked hard drive offers some powerful data-backup features for Mac owners, as well as Apple's typically pleasing design
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