These days it takes a lot to create a netbook unlike any other on the market. And yet Emtec, a manufacturer of notebook and computer accessories, does just that with the Gdium Liberty 1000. Straying from the typical Intel Atom, Windows XP, and 160GB hard drive netbook formula, the Gdium Liberty 1000 ($349) uses a MIPS processor and boots into an attractive Linux environment off the included 16GB flash drive, called the G-Key, which connects to the front of the netbook. The concept allows for the netbook to be shared by multiple users—each can have his or her own G-Key on which to store personal data. But straying from the typical netbook paradigm in this case has serious drawbacks: the Liberty 1000’s performance is slow and its battery life is too short, making this machine not much more than a curiosity.
Editor's Note: The Emtec Gdium reviewed below was a near close to final production unit. According to Emtec the company will be making tweaks to the fan to lower the hot temperatures we experience as well as updating the software to extend battery life. When the Gdium hits the market we will be updating this review with our tests of the final production level unit.
Flavorless, Black Design
While the black Gdium Liberty 1000 has a solid build, it’s not particularly stylish. The plastic chassis has a black matte lid adorned with a large silver G that looks like a superhero logo. The edges of the rounded system are clad in white, which is a nice touch.
The Liberty 1000 is average size for a 10-inch system. At 9.8 x 7.2 x 1.2 inches, it has similar dimensions to the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 and MSI Wind U120 and tips the scales at a light 2.8 pounds. With a travel weight of 3.2 pounds with its compact AC adapter, the system fit comfortably in the included G-Sleeve, a black spandex sleeve that has a colored border.
Decent Keyboard, Unusable Touchpad
The keyboard on the Gdium Liberty 1000 isn’t as spacious as those found on the Samsung N110, ASUS Eee PC 1000HE or HP Mini 2140, but it’s not as cramped as that of the Archos 10. The touch and feel of the black matte keys are solid, but the panel has a bit of flex. Thankfully, the keyboard has no key-placement problems; the right Shift key is full size and directly below the Enter key.
While Emtec did a stand-up job on the keyboard, the touchpad is another story. At 1.8 x 1.5 inches, not only is it one of the smallest touchpads we have ever seen on a 10-inch netbook, but it was unresponsive to our finger movements. A light touch worked slightly better than exerting more force, but we preferred an external mouse. Additionally, the mouse buttons that flank the pad are awkward and very stiff.
Ports
The Gdium Liberty 1000 has a standard selection of ports for a netbook: Three USB 2.0 (including the one for the bootable G-Key), VGA, Ethernet, an SD Card reader, headphone and mic ports, and a Kensington lock slot.
