Subscribe

Review: Mecer JW6-i5-3317 Ultrabook

By Rayhaan Joseph
Johannesburg, 13 Dec 2012
The Mecer JW6-i5-3317 Ultrabook is very affordable, but does not lack in quality.
The Mecer JW6-i5-3317 Ultrabook is very affordable, but does not lack in quality.

Mecer's JW6-i5-3317 Ultrabook is ideal for the businessman on the move, who wants a powerful laptop but does not want to spend too much money to get one.

The JW6 is no Apple Macbook Air, in that it is not the most aesthetically pleasing, thinnest or lightest notebook around. This device favours function over form.

Look and feel

The JW6 is rather large, with dimensions of 344 x 240 x 21mm. In a world of tablets and ultra-small and ultra-thin notebooks, one would be forgiven for thinking the JW6 is a bit old fashioned, a blast from the past (the late nineties come to mind).

The touch and feel of the JW6 is one of quality. It is simple, stylish and understated. The pieces of silver situated next to the arm that the screen rotates off add a stylish and welcome break to the black mass in front of the user's eyes.

Although by no means light, the JW6 is not heavy either. However, due its size, it is not easy to cart around.

Technical features and usability

Connectivity features on the JW6 include two USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 port and an HDMI port. The JW6 also features wireless LAN 802 and Bluetooth 3.0 options.

In summary

Pros: Affordable, powerful Cons: Sticky touch pad, poor battery life Processor: Intel Core i5-3317U OS: Windows 7 Home Basic Processor speed: 1.7GHz RAM: 2GB Screen: 14 inches Battery: Li-Polymer (six-cell / 3000 mAh) Web cam: 1.0MP Price: R6 999 Rating: 7/10

The JW6 runs on Windows 7 Home Basic. Windows is familiar to most and is, therefore, easy and functional enough to use. Microsoft Security Essentials anti-virus is also installed.

The multi-gesture touch pad, although large, is quite difficult to use. It feels sticky and the pointer does not always move to where you drag your finger the first time, which is irritating, especially if one is doing something in a rush.

The HD display is sufficiently large, at 14 inches, and has a resolution of 1 366 x 768 pixels. It is great for watching videos and movies. The picture that is delivered is clear and of a high quality.

The JW6 also features Intel 3D HD audio and built-in speakers and microphone. The audio quality is not too bad and produces clear sound when listening to deep house music. However, when the volume was increased, the sound quality was compromised.

The built-in 1.0MP Web cam, situated above the screen, in the middle, takes decent, but not excellent, quality photos. For the person who uses the JW6 mostly for business, though, the Web cam is more than sufficient.

The Chiclet keyboard was very responsive and the keys are large and well spaced out, which made typing a breeze. There is, on this model, no DVD drive, which means all movies and series need to be directly stored, for which there is more than enough storage capacity.

Battery life on the JW6 was a disappointment, barely lasting three hours. Boot-up time was impressive and actually surprised me, as I left the room for a short bit in anticipation - as with past experiences - that it would take an age to boot up. When I returned after 40 seconds or so, the JW6 had already fully booted up.

Under the hood

The JW6 has 2GB of RAM - upgradeable to 16GB - and makes use of an Intel Core i5-3317U 1.7GHz processor. This ensures that any task that needs to be completed is done so quickly, efficiently and without hassles.

The unit also sports a 32GB mSATA SSD, which is upgradeable to 1TB, and a 500GB hard drive, providing ample storage space. The JW6 also features a built-in 4-in-1 card reader as well as an embedded Intel HM77 DirectX 11 Graphics Controller.

In a nutshell

Mecer's JW6-i5-3317 Ultrabook is a relatively inexpensive notebook compared to some other notebooks on the market, retailing for R6 999. It is also less aesthetically pleasing than more expensive devices, and is bulkier.

This is a laptop that will most likely be a workhorse for those who own them. It will likely go through the wars and be thoroughly put through its paces. It is not pretty, but it is functional and powerful and does what is required of it.

There are a few downfalls, namely the battery life and the touch pad, but for what you get, for what you pay, the JW6 represents value.

Share