iGO 3491 Review

iGO 3491 What a Deal

Yes, it does look like an iBook, open or closed. Even the name Igo 3491 is similar.
This notebook has a 14.1in screen, with a native resolution of 1,024 x 768.

Driven by an ATI graphics chip, it can hook up to an external monitor, which will either replace or supplement the integrated panel - great for web developers on the move.

This can draw on 32MB of memory, robbed from the 256MB of system resources. For mobile use this should be more than enough.

Storage is handled by a 30MB hard drive, DVD/CD-RW combo and floppy. The latter two are integrated, which is impressive for such a compact chassis.

A tour of the edges reveals a plethora of ports, including headphone, mic, mini Firewire and rotary volume control to the front, beside which sit integrated speakers, while at the back there's Ethernet, modem, and a collection of legacy and legacy-free data connectors.

There are dedicated control buttons for music playback and others for email and internet access. None of these were working on our review system so you'll have to set them up when you get the notebook home.

The AMD Athlon XP Mobile 1900+ processor (a 1.6GHz chip) kept cool throughout our testing, and even by the time we'd finished the system was still not too hot to support on a lap.

Small fold-out feet on the base of the case tilt the body, making typing far more pleasant. Shame the same can't be said for the truncated backspace key - we hit Home pretty much every time we tried to delete a character.

If you've always fancied an iBook but would rather not cut your ties with Windows this could be what you need.

iGO 3491 Small price tag, big features
At such an attractive price, you wouldn’t expect to find features such as a 14.1-inch TFT display, DDR-RAM, AGP graphics, the choice of a DVD or combo DVD/CD-RW drive, an integrated 56K V92 modem and an integrated 10/100 LAN connector. But the igo 4000 delivers all this AND four USB connectors, a PC Card slot and a complete software offer. Not bad for your first notebook.

iGO 3491 Uses power wisely
Powered by the latest Mobile Intel® Celeron processor or Mobile Pentium® 4-M processor featuring SpeedStep™ technology, DDR-RAM and a long-lasting Lithium Ion battery, the Packard Bell igo 4000 notebook delivers excellent performance without sacrificing battery life—and all at the right price.

iGO 3491 Plug into your world
The igo 4000 includes a complete collection of connectors, including 4 USB ports, so you can hook up all your favourite peripherals. And for those of us who can’t do without the Internet, the integrated modem and LAN connectors are ideal for on-the-road connectivity or broadband Internet hook-up.

iGO 3491 New design, new simplicity
The igo 4000 features a sleek new form factor. Besides being good looking, it also features enhanced ergonomics, thanks to its conveniently located media control buttons, Internet quick access keys and side-mounted jacks and connectors.

Packard Bell systems are New Factory Refurbished

1 What does "Factory Refurbished" really mean?
2 Does a Refurbished PC look 2nd hand? Absolutely not!
3What warranty terms will I receive with a Refurbished PC?
4 An extended 3 year warranty

What does "Factory Refurbished" really mean?
All systems will have been manufactured within the past 4 months (please note, this only refers to Packard Bell PCs and Laptops) and sold through one of the UK’s largest chain of PC stores. If for any reason the product is returned to the manufacture from the store, it cannot be re-sold as "New & Boxed" and it therefore goes through a Re-Manufacturing process where by this time normally out of date. It is then sold as "Factory Refurbished". End of line, clearence stock, but still as new with full warr

: Does a Refurbished PC look 2nd hand?

Absolutely not!

In fact we take so much thought over the condition of the packaging, let alone the PC itself, that we are convinced you will think these systems are New & Boxed.

: Are Factory Refurbished Systems as reliable as a "New" PC?
Whatever the reason for return, all systems follow the same Refurbishment programme. To give you an idea of the thorough tests and checks that each machine undertakes, we have summarised the process as follows:

1. All machines that arrive at the Refurbishment Facility are powered on and tested to check for any faults. If no faults are found the Hard Drive is reformatted and the Windows 98/ Windows ME Operating System is installed. The unit is then "soak tested" for 4 hours.

2. Any faulty units are passed through to the Engineering section where the faulty parts are replaced. The unit then goes back through to point 1 above.

3. The serial number is then updated with a new serial number, which identifies it as a Factory Refurbished product and a clean label is produced outlining the Model Number, Specification, Description and Serial Number.

4. The System is then placed in new packaging and the new label is fixed to the box.

5. Prior to despatch each System is transferred to the Quality Assurance Department where all units are re-checked both technically and aesthetically. The condition of the packaging is as important as the condition of the machine. We want you to receive your Refurbished PC and think that the machine is actually New & Boxed.

6. All components of the machine are individually checked at this point. The keyboard and mouse supplied with the unit are used in the process, together with all USB ports both front and back. Our QA Engineers even run a DVD movie with headsets to ensure the sound and graphics cards are 100% tested and functioning prior to despatch.

7. The QA Engineer then signs off the QA Checklist for each PC and the System is then ready for despatch.

: What warranty terms will I receive with a Refurbished PC?
All our Factory Refurbished Laptops are supplied with a 3rd Party 12-month RTB warranty, covering all parts and labour. Our warranty is one of the best available with a guaranteed first time repair.

Specifications may be subject to change without notice. All Trademarks acknowledged. E & OE. Photographs are for illustration purposes only. Intel, Intel Inside and the Mobile Intel Pentium 4 Processor - M Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Intel Corporation or it’s subsiduaries in the United States and other countries. All models shown are subject to stock availability. Iridium will replace/repair any one of its notebooks/LCD Monitor if it has more than 5 bad pixels during the first 12 months from its date of purchase.