Packard Bell Dot S2: Inexpensive, Highly Portable, and Very Sleek

Packard Bell’s latest netbook – the ten-inch Dot S2 – is a true design wonder. The slick and stylish netbook is available in a range of different colours and offers one of the most aesthetically pleasing mobile computing enclosures we’ve seen in years, equal parts Macbook Pro and slim Sony Vaio.

It’s also a surprisingly usable netbook. Weighing in at just 1.2 kilograms and boasting one of the best batteries we’ve seen in an ultra-portable computer, the Dot S2 is an inexpensive option for those in need of a portable workstation. While its performance leaves a little to be desired, the computer’s beautiful case and enduring battery make it one of our favourite netbooks of 2010.

As a subsidiary of netbook powerhouse Acer, it’s far from surprising that Packard Bell have produced one of our favourite recent netbooks. The Dot S2 shares numerous features with its Acer branded counterparts, including a smart battery system and some interesting software additions.

But at its heart, the Dot S2 is quite a different beast. The design is refreshingly industrial, sharing aluminium and brushed black plastic in equal quantities. The keyboard is compact and comfortable, using the isolated key system found on Apple’s Macbook Pro line and HP’s Envy series. Touchpad control is excellent, with a lightly textured surface giving users greater precision and usability.

The Dot S2‘s display is equally impressive. Packard Bell have opted to use a glossy display similar to that found on the Macbook Pro, exchanging the glare-friendly matte display for something more aesthetically pleasing. While the Dot S2 loses a small amount of its go-anywhere appeal, the screen remains bright and clear in almost all settings – certainly a welcome feature on a netbook.

System performance is slightly less impressive. The Dot S2 uses an Intel Atom processor, though it shares little in common with those found in more expensive high-end netbooks. Most applications run smoothly, although specialist graphic suites and demanding 3D applications will be held back by the system’s limited processing power and 3D graphics capabilities.

The inclusion of Packard Bell’s XSync USB file sharing system is a huge bonus for users. The Dot S2 can be connected to another personal computer via USB, allowing users to transfer files without the need to set up a local network or wireless connection. While most users will leave XSync as an untouched feature, we found ourselves using it between local laptops quite often.

The Packard Bell Dot S2 makes no pretensions about what it is – an inexpensive, underpowered and relatively limited netbook computer. But despite pulling few punches and offering little in the way of mobile performance, it’s one of our favourite netbooks.

The low price certainly helps make it so, along with the Dot S2‘s incredibly slick design; at just £299 it’s one of the most affordable ten-inch netbooks out there. For a system that’s equal parts industrial style and portable usability, the Packard Bell Dot S2 is very hard to fault.

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