Yee-haw? Workhorse PC, a Texas-based company that manufactures PCs for governments and educational institutions, is looking to get a little more recognition by hopping on the netbook bandwagon with its Certeza MC10. The MC10, which sports many of the same specs as other netbooks, isn’t the prettiest netbook in the corral and, at $539, is overpriced for its functionality. However, its customization options and the company’s plans to sell a barebones unit may be ideal for the user looking to build a very specific netbook.
Black Boxy Design
The black, glossy Workhorse PC Certeza MC10 looks good from afar, but up close it doesn’t have the same lustre as its competitors. Sporting a boxy plastic chassis, the Certeza doesn’t look like a finished product, which is partially due to its customizability. The lid, which is a fingerprint magnet, has a small indented, rectangular-shaped slot which is blank at the moment, but can be customized with a label of a company’s name or school. Similarly, a blank plastic strip waiting to be personalized runs along the top of the keyboard. While there is a Workhorse logo beneath the screen, the overall impression is that this is a netbook in progress.
Still, the Certeza MC10 is quite compact for a 10-inch system. At 10.4 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches, it has the same dimensions as the very svelte Dell Inspiron Mini 10, but tips the scales at a slightly heavier 3 pounds. Nevertheless, with a travel weight of 3.6 pounds with its AC adapter, the system fit comfortably in our portable DVD carrying case and didn’t weigh down our shoulder on our walk home from work.
Ports
The Certeza MC10 is surrounded by two USB ports, a 4-in-1 card reader, mic and headphone jacks, a VGA port, and an Ethernet jack. While most netbooks have three USB ports, Workhorse used the space for an ExpressCard/34 slot, perfect for adding a mobile broadband card. (Workhorse plans on offering integrated mobile broadband as an option in the future).
Comfortable Keyboard, Cramped Touchpad
The keyboard on the Certeza MC10 is very similar to those on the MSI Wind U100 and U120, which is a good thing. The black matte keys offered a good amount of springy feedback when typing, and we like that the right Shift key (located to the left of the up arrow) and Backspace key are relatively large. While the HP Mini 2140 and the Samsung NC10 have slightly better keyboards, touch typists should have no problems using the Certeza MC10 for extended periods. Above the keyboard are three shortcut buttons that launch the webcam utility, e-mail, and Web browser.
In order to make room for the spacious keyboard, Workhorse had to sacrifice some of the trackpad’s size. Similar to the touchpad on the MSI Wind U120, the 2.1 x 1.4-inch trackpad is disappointingly small. However, we liked the dedicated right and left mouse buttons, even if they make a distracting clicking sound when pressed. Unlike the ASUS Eee PC 1000HE and Samsung N110, the touchpad does not support multitouch gestures, but it has a smooth, almost leatheresque feel.
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