| In the growing sea of inspiron 6400 battery, the | | | | the unit, and an antenna for better 3G reception |
| $797 Viliv S10 Blade stands out for both positive and | | | | extends out of the lower right corner of the display. |
| negative reasons. While its design and touchscreen | | | | The screen's swivel hinge feels sturdy enough to |
| will tempt users with a sleek form factor and | | | | withstand repeated flipping between tablet and |
| keyboard, good looks only get the S10 Blade so far. | | | | netbook modes of noticeably wiggled back and |
| Its long battery life still can't make up for a number | | | | forth, making us less confident about the design's |
| of problems—sluggish performance, hot | | | | longevity. |
| temperatures, and a high —that make it all but | | | | The 10.2 x 7.3 x 1-inch S10 Blade lives up to Viliv's |
| unusable as a tablet. | | | | promise of a slim, sleek netbook. The system felt |
| After seeing demos of the Viliv S10 Blade, both at | | | | good in our hands, and while at 2.8 pounds it weighs |
| the Developer's Forum and at 2010 International CES, | | | | as much as most other netbooks, our arms didn't tire |
| we were impressed with the notebook's slim form | | | | too quickly while |
| factor, bright high-res screen, and promise of long | | | | Heat |
| battery life. The system had so much potential, in | | | | While using the S10 in tablet mode, we noticed that |
| fact, that we honored it with a XPS M1730 Battery. | | | | the bottom of the device became extremely hot. |
| Unfortunately, the combination of a slow 1.6-GHz | | | | After playing a Hulu video of at full screen for 15 |
| Atom Z530 CPU, a glacial PATA SSD, and inadequate | | | | minutes, we measured temperatures at the center |
| cooling on our review unit make it difficult to | | | | of the underside at 106 degrees Fahrenheit, and a |
| recommend. | | | | dangerous 138 degrees on the left side near the |
| Design | | | | back. The touchpad only reached 87 degrees, and |
| Though we're not fans of the S10's glossy | | | | the space between the G and H keys measured an |
| fingerprint-prone lid, we do appreciate the gray matte | | | | acceptable 95 degrees. However, for a device that's |
| deck, keyboard, and bezel surrounding the 10.1 inch | | | | meant to be held, the heat emanating from the |
| display. Rounded corners and tapered edges also | | | | bottom is problematic. Viliv intends to mitigate this |
| contribute to the Blade's slim look. As discreetly | | | | problem in the final production run, but without a fan |
| stowed in the chassis on the left near the front of | | | | we suspect users will still find the heat uncomfortable. |