Clevo TN121R Tablet PC Review

The Clevo TN121R is an interesting tablet. It came customized from AVA Direct, with its 2.5GHz Core 2 Duo processor and 200GB hard drive. This 12.1" tablet is a tiny powerhouse, great for college students or business professionals who need a travel companion.

Customized Clevo TN121R Tablet PC specs:

* Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 2.5GHz processor
* Intel GMA X3100 Graphics
* 12.1" 1280x800 WXGA Glossy LCD with touchscreen
* Corsair, 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 667MHz SDRAM SODIMM
* Seagate, 200GB Momentus 7200 RPM, hard drive
* Optical drive, Super-Multi DVD±RW (Built-in)
* Built-in 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet, LAN Card
* Bluetooth
* 7-in-1 Card Reader
* 3x USB port
* Headphone and microphone ports
* VGA-15 pin
* Weight: 4.7lbs. with battery
* 56K V90/92 Fax/Modem (Integrated)
* Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit Edition OS

Design and Build

The Clevo TN121R is a solid tablet. The chassis feels sturdy and there is no flex in the body. The casing underneath feels a little cheap, but this isn't a huge problem. It weighs in around 4.7lbs. and is the perfect size for traveling. It does look a little odd though since it doesn't have any branding. It is a Clevo, but it came customized from AVA Direct so the badges are gone.

It has a black glossy finish, which is a fingerprint magnet. I mean the entire tablet is glossy even the palm rest area, so it doesn't hide dirt and smudges at all. It looks fancy and appealing, but you need to have a cloth handy to keep it clean. I wasn't impressed with the hinge for the screen because it wasn't sturdy at all. When I shook the tablet lightly the screen would fall backwards. The screen rotates fine, but the hinge needs to be more sturdy.

Display

The 12.1" (1280x800) WXGA glossy LCD touchscreen and passive digitizer is nice. The touchscreen is really accurate and I didn't have any problems navigating with my finger. The pen was not so great it reminded me of a stylus from a PDA. Taking notes is fine, but the passive screen is a little delayed.

The screen gets plenty bright and does have a little glare, but this didn't bother me much. The viewing angles weren't that great though. As you can see from the pictures above at certain angles the colors get that weird reflection look. Looking straight at the screen is great and there is no color bleed. So no worries because most users don't push their screens that far back. In tablet mode the screen doesn't automatically change orientation, which is a pain because then you have to keep pushing the button to get the screen the way you need it.

Performance and Benchmarks

The TN121R was surprisingly fast. It booted-up in seconds and I had no problems surfing the Web or running benchmarks. It sports a 2.5GHz processor and a 200GB, 7200 rpm hard drive. The graphics aren't the best, but gaming is possible, not like on a upgraded notebook though. For college students or professionals on-the-go, you will have no problem doing work, taking notes, checking email or even photo editing your pictures.

Clevo TN121R (2.5GHz Core 2 Duo, GMA X3100 graphics)
3DMark 05 Results : 778 3DMarks
PCMark05 Score : 4,697 PCMarks

Keyboard/Touchpad/Pen

The TN121R has a great keyboard. I was impressed. It is better then some HP and Fujitsu models I have reviewed. The keyboard is solid and has no flex. The keys are easy to push and give the perfect amount of feedback. The only problem with the keyboard is it is small and the keys are the size of my fingertips, so if you have bigger hands you might have some type-OS. For as much space as there is inside, I would think the keyboard wouldn't be as cramped.

The touchpad is your basic touchpad. Nothing fancy it is indented into the palm rest so your finger doesn't lose its place and it is accurate like a mouse. The right and left click buttons have a chrome finish, which is another fingerprint magnet, but they work as expected. Just like the keyboard though the touchpad buttons are a little small.

The pen is a solid piece of plastic that I could only use for a few hours of work. If you plan on taking notes or writing a lot, I recommend getting another pen. The Clevo pen is small and just like the stylus from a Palm Treo. There is no eraser, no buttons or anything. It's a very basic pen, but it does work for navigating and is responsive with the screen.

Heat and Noise

The TN121R didn't get hot. In fact it barely got warm. This tablet ran at a normal temperature even when running the benchmarks and multiple applications. The left side by the fan got a little warm, but that is expected. I was never uncomfortable typing on it or holding it in tablet mode.

It wasn't loud either. The TN121R ran quietly. The fan kicked on during benchmarks, but it wasn't that noticeable and it definitely wasn't annoying. This tablet is safe to bring to presentations or class.

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