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BenQ's Joybook Lite U101 delivers smileys on the lid, frownies on the keyboard


We hope you've forgiven us for being somewhat less than enthused when we got word of BenQ's Joybook Lite U101 being launched, as at the time we didn't quite see the need for another "me too" netbook. After reading Laptop Magazine's first impressions we're still not quite getting the point. While this little lappy is something of a looker, with a lid festooned with cute emoticons, on the other side of that lid is a glossy, 10.2-inch LCD that sheds 24 vertical pixels just for the sake of being 16:9 -- your average 1024 x 600 netbook doesn't exactly have any to spare. The keyboard, too, is said to be a bit cramped, but, for those who just can't leave anything stock, the U101 does have the rare distinction of being a "modder's paradise," offering easy access to RAM, storage, and an unoccupied mini PCIe slot that's just waiting for a 3G modem. Of course, HP's Mini 1000 comes with one out of the box, so again please forgive us for the lack of interest.