Advent Milano

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Review

We’re going to have to wait until next year for netbooks with specifications that are appreciably different from those that have been available for the last two years — that’s when Intel is scheduled to launch its new Pine Trail netbook platform, with dual-core Atom processors and all manner of other improvements.

If you can’t wait that long — or are looking for a cheap ultraportable in time for Xmas, then there are still options available and this new netbook from Advent (sold through branches of PC World — you can’t buy online) looks like it might prove a popular stocking filler.

Although it does nothing to advance the idea of what constitutes a netbook, the Advent Milano does have one very important thing going for it — the price. At just £230, it’s one of the cheapest 10” netbooks available at the moment.

Since it is just one of many very similar Atom-powered netbooks, there really isn’t that much else to say about the Advent Milano, but we will give it the once-over to allay any fears that the cut-price means cut corners.

The Milano’s build quality is easily on a par with other more expensive netbooks and, if anything, it’s a bit better looking than many models. The glossy black lid is decorated with a pattern of fine concentric circles and this repeated on the plastic that surrounds the keyboard, only in silver. At 1.2kg, the Milano weighs much the same as every other 10” netbook and it’s pretty much the same size, too.

The 10.1” screen sits on two stiff, wobble-free hinges and while it sticks with the usual 1024 x 600 resolution, it displays a crisp, bright image and the matte finish means that you don’t have to worry about reflections under bright lights. If we have one complaint, it’s that the hinges don’t let the screen fold back far enough to get the best viewing angle when sitting upright with the Milano on your lap, but the display is still perfectly clear in this position.

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