The
onboard stereo speakers definitely sound good compared to
some other products on the market; their placement is quite
good too considering it points right in front of you resulting
in a richer audio experience.
The
built in camera is a feature that highlights this product
from other systems, taking off the need of carrying an external
web cam, and this will be without any doubt a very handy feature
for some people using video conferencing on a regular basis.
Quite a creative and smart move from CICERO. While most of
us won’t really use it, it is a cool marketing feature by
CICERO. The camera implantation is a pretty inexpensive one
and will end up attracting a lot of people when displayed
in stores with a live video feed. It got me!
The
120C comes pretty well equipped for as an on road companion.
The video is powered by the Intel Extreme Graphics 2M video
card, not the top but definitely a good mobile solution. The
Ethernet is powered by the Realtek RTL8139 chip. The Wireless
connection is supplied from the Intel PRO Wireless 2200BG
and last but not least a SmartLink 56K V90 modem is present.
The 12.1” XGA screen is pretty crisp and clear at its top
resolution of 1024x768. The battery life of the 120C is decent,
while I would have expected about 3 – 4 hours of life, the
battery test did two and half hours playing a DVD movie, I
would estimate another 30 minutes extra without using the
DVD drive or Wireless connection.
In
the package you find the charger, the essential restore system
restore CDs and as an addition Cicero included a handy leather
carrying case, while not real letter it definitely looks good.
Summation
 I
found the Cicero to be a pretty interesting laptop, especially
considering its price. The unit itself comes with good features
such as the DVD Drive/CDRW combo, wireless network and the
built in cam is without a doubt a cool and unique addition.
I was a bit disappointed of lack of any external volume controls
on the unit itself or a video output, but then again not everybody
will require these. For my field of work they weren’t much
of a big deal. All in all, this notebook is quite an excellent
compact product and should definitely be an interesting solution
for any traveler seeking for a small and sleek laptop.
Oleg Mitskaniouk
11.09.04
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