Back in late 2014, I bear in mind Brett reviewing the HP Stream 11-inch laptop computer for $200. At the time, it was a terrific little machine, providing all you could do primary workflow and get on-line with a dual-core Atom and a low-resolution show. Fast ahead to 2019, and I picked up a 1080p IPS 13-inch clamshell laptop computer, with Win 10 Home and storage growth, for simply $100. On paper, this factor is epic for the worth. But is it really price it?
The Coda Spirit: A Cheap Chinese Atom
Just a few issues have modified since Brett’s evaluation. Higher-resolution panels are less expensive, the entire design idea of clamshell gadgets has developed, and the businesses within the laptop computer ecosystem that present parts are actually in a position to provide 4th and fifth technology variations of their controllers for peanuts, whereas the most recent gadgets play a number of generations on. As a outcome, we now have numerous ‘third tier’ corporations pushing out low cost programs.
Most of those programs are constructed right down to a worth for positive. And reality be informed, the Coda Spirit I’m testing right now wasn’t absolutely the least expensive system supplied. There was a staggered providing with all of the programs providing the identical design, similar ports, similar expandability, aside from stuff that may’t be modified:
| Stream 11 vs Coda Lineup | |||||
| AnandTech | HP Stream 11 |
Coda Zest |
Coda Spark |
Coda Spirit |
Coda Wave |
| Type | Clamshell | Tablet 2-in-1 | Clamshell | Clamshell | 180-hinge |
| Size | 11.6-inch | 10.1-inch | 11.6-inch | 13.3-inch | 11.6-inch |
| Display | 1366×768 TN |
1200×800 IPS |
1920×1080 IPS |
1920×1080 IPS |
1920×1080 IPS |
| CPU | Celeron N2840 |
Celeron N3350 |
Celeron N3350 |
Celeron N3350 |
Celeron N3350 |
| Memory | 2 GB DDR3L 1333 1-Channel |
2 GB LPDDR4 1600 2-Channel |
2 GB LPDDR4 1600 1-Channel |
four GB LPDDR4 1600 1-Channel |
four GB LPDDR4 1600 2-Channel |
| Internal Storage |
32 GB eMMC |
32 GB eMMC 5.1 |
32 GB eMMC 5.0 |
32 GB eMMC 5.0 |
32 GB eMMC 5.1 |
| Optional Storage |
– | – | M.2 2280 > 1 TB |
M.2 2280 > 1 TB |
M.2 2242 > 512 GB |
| microSD | > 64 GB | > 128 GB | > 128 GB | > 128 GB | > 128 GB |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11n Realtek 8223BE |
802.11ac Intel 3125AC |
802.11n Realtek 8273BU |
802.11ac Intel 3125AC |
802.11ac Intel 3125AC |
| Battery | 37 Wh | ? | ? | 38 Wh | ? |
| Weight | 1.23 kg | 0.61 kg | 0.98 kg | 1.22 kg | 0.98 kg |
| Price | $200 (2014) |
$80 on sale $150 MSRP |
$90 on sale $140 MSRP |
$100 on sale $242 MSRP |
$375 as seen $375 MSRP |
$80 for a 10-inch 1200×800 IPS show and 2GB LPDDR3, $90 for an 11-inch 1920×1080 show however nonetheless 2 GB reminiscence, and this Spirit we’re testing right now with a 1080p show however four GB reminiscence. I felt the additional $25 was price it, particularly on the reminiscence entrance, however the entire unit was nonetheless $100 within the sale. I posted a teaser on Twitter and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than somebody requested if it was an affordable Chinese machine with an Atom processor.
For the worth, as talked about, the specs appear actually spectacular. At the top of the day, the guts is a dual-core Apollo Lake processor, particularly the N3350, which is not breaking any efficiency information any time quickly with its 1.1 GHz base frequency and a couple of.four GHz turbo. This is paired with four GB of LPDDR4-1866 C15, which once more is not dangerous contemplating at this worth folks normally get 2 GB, which to be sincere will not be sufficient for Windows 10. Storage is maybe a weak level, with solely 32 GB of eMMC, which implies after a full set up of Windows 10 Home there’s…
