Look at the picture above once more. Does it remind you of anything? Hint: Perhaps the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 that starts upwards of Dh4K?
However, the similarities with the Surface Pro 4 and the ZED Book II stop at the keyboard and the rear kick stand. Oh, and this device costs Dh999.
To answer the first question on everyone’s mind: what is this product and where did it come from?
The ZED Book II is the latest tablet/notebook crossover from a brand called I-Life Digital, a consumer electronics company in Middle East, CIS and Africa. The brand manufactures smartphones, smartwatches, virtual reality headsets and a lot of other affordable tech products.
Its latest product is the ZED Book II. Priced at a Dh999, it’s safe to say that this is a budget tech toy. While it looks quite good, borrowing certain elements from the Surface, I was curious to see how it performs.
What’s in the box?
Let’s start with what you’re getting in the box. You get the tablet, a Snap-On keyboard, a stylus or ‘touch pen’, user guides and documentation and a rather basic looking charger with no branding except for a sticker. Not off to a good start, but hey look at that price tag.
Around the tablet, you have two USB ports, a memory card slot, a mini HDMI slot, a micro-USB slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Tablet is
Specs:
The 11.6-inch touchscreen is quite responsive and clear with a resolution of 1920-1080. The only worry with budget laptops and tablets is that is uses a, let’s say, simpler processor. This one runs on an Intel Atom Processor (Quad Core 1.8 GHz). It also features bare-bone specs such as a 2GB DDR III of RAM, Intel HD Graphics 400 and 32GB Storage. Cameras are basic 2MP on the front and rear and the laptop runs on a 7,000mAh battery.
These stats might seem make the ZED Book II seem rather weak, however bear in mind that it’s not trying to compete with other tablets and laptops 4 to 5 times its price.
If you’re looking for a simple tablet or notebook, without breaking the bank – this is an incredibly good choice. If you’re into hard-core gaming, intense website development or Bit Coin mining, this might not be the laptop for you.
However if you’re one of those people who come home, watch a few movies, TV shows or YouTube videos on your tablet, chat, reply to emails and browse the internet, then this could be a good option.
To summarise, it’s a basic tablet that does the job without costing you a month’s rent.
