ECS i-Buddie XP Athlon XP 2100+

Features - Software

From our i-Buddie 4 review:

Unlike any other prepackaged notebook we have seen, the i-Buddie XP comes from the factory with no operating system or applications installed. In fact, the only software the i-Buddie 4 comes with is a driver and utility CD. The CD contains drivers for Windows 9x/ME, Windows 2000, and Windows XP, making all those operating systems a viable option for the system. Also included are a few applications, most notably PC-cillin 2000 and WinDVD. The lack of operating system is a big drawback for the i-Buddie XP, as it quickly adds to the cost of the system and adds to the time required to get the desknote up and running.

Sadly, one of the more powerful features in the i-Buddie 4 did not find its way into the i-Buddie XP. When we entered the BIOS in our i-Buddie 4, we were pleased to find a slew of desktop like options. Perhaps the most impressive of these options was the ability to overclock the i-Buddie 4 by changing the FSB speed (100MHz to 200MHz) and memory clock speed of the system (133MHz to 255MHz). Unfortunately, this overclocking functionality was left out of the i-Buddie XP. No longer can the front side bus speed be set in one megahertz increments. The i-Buddie XP is limited to either a 100MHz front side bus or a 133MHz front side bus speed and can be modified depending on what CPU is in the system. There is no adjustment for the memory clock speed, although the CAS latency settings are still user selectable (automatic, 2.5T or 3T).