DELL ZINO HD BETTER THAN YOUR TYPICAL NETTOP

The Dell Zino HD is finally available for pre-order in the US. In the UK it is already available. We have been hearing about this device for a while now. The Zino HD looks much like other nettops, but it is not a typical nettop. While nettops usually run on low power Intel Atom processors, the Zino HD comes with an AMD processor and ATI graphics. The machine is also fairly configurable with the base version starting at as little as $229.

Whether you configure the model with integrated graphics or Radeon discrete GPU, the AMD/ATI nettop will offer better graphics performance than Intel Atom nettops with GMA 950 graphics. Another cool feature is that the customizable lid comes in a variety of colors and patterns.

THE AOPEN XC MINI SMARTER THAN A TYPICAL NETTOP

In form factor, the AOpen XC Mini isn’t much different from other nettops currently available, but it is certainly more powerful. On the flip side it is pricier than most nettops.

Inside the glossy black shell, it packs an Intel Mobile Core 2 Duo (Penryn) processor which is significantly more powerful than the Atom processors found in most nettops. The Penryn processor also provides reasonably good gaming performance.

The nettop comes with an optical drive. It has the regular array of ports and slots. There are 6 USB 2.0ports, a 2.5 inch SATA hard drive slot, an HDMI output port, an eSATA port, gigabit LAN and Nvidia ION graphics port.

The XC Mini delivers impressive performance in benchmark tests. You can’t term it as an entry level gaming machine, but it isn’t quite a high-end nettop either.