Index
Review: Sharp looks, yesterday's tech under the bonnet
Taking a break from reviewing Intel Atom-based ultraportables and hybrids, we decided to try out something a bit different – the 13.3-inch Martian A8 notebook, based on a Core processor.
If you are tempted to Google the manufacturer’s website and check it out, don’t bother, because the website does not exist. This is a very small brand, and this particular product is just one of many “whitebox” notebooks showing up on the market.
We’ve seen this trend before, especially with tablets and budget phones, but this year we are also seeing a flood of “whitebox” laptops, which probably has something to do with the fact that the tablet market is tanking, and that manufacturers need a new way of shifting their budget gear.
The Martian A8 notebook is available in a few different SKUs, with different Intel Core CPUs, ranging from i3 and i5 parts to Core i7 processors. Different RAM configurations are available as well. Our example is powered by the venerable Intel Core i3-4030U CPU, with 4GB DDR3 RAM and a 128GB SSD. We will get back to the spec later.