dont buy these cheap win ce notebooks

hi i want to warn people about these cheap win ce notebooks
got one for xmas for $50.....thought it was a bargain but ive spent a month tryin to making it work
when i gotten it would'nt startup so contacted seller and he tells me how to refresh os
it worked the notebook started up got the win ce screen
then the wifi did'nt work
contact seller again he took a week to reply and said he could'nt help
so i took the it to a computer repair store and they fixed the wifi.....cost $10
tried some web sites but they did'nt load
then i tried the youtube app......it did'nt work
these notebooks are junk
if your thinking about buying one dont
ive put mine in the trashcan

Just goes to show not all WinCE netbooks are the same...a buyer really needs to know what he/she is getting. I've spent $70+ and gotten junk also, so you are not alone...on the other hand, I've spent $30 and gotten a really great machine!

If it was the Sylvania netbook, there was a software fix for WiFi, which was mentioned here:

http://www.hpcfactor.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=16962

Theoretically, this patch could work with any WM8505 netbook.

As I recall, the YouTube app searches for mobile versions of videos, and some folks here have said that those versions are no longer available through YouTube. The workaround is to download the video on your PC and use DVD Catalyst to convert it to a viewable format for the netbook:

http://www.tools4movies.com/

People who buy these should understand that they are not a substitute for notebooks with desktop versions of Windows. They are intended for use as lighter-duty mobile devices, particularly regarding Web browsing. But you'd be surprised what you can do with them if you do some homework and search for ARM-based software. Even the Web browsing experience can be improved by using alternative mobile browsers, in particular Webkit-based ones like Opera Mini. But this does require a person with a little patience who is willing to tinker a little.

I agree with Rich and CE Geek.

Opera Mini is Webkit based? I thought Opera does their own engines.

Opera Mini for IOS incorporates Webkit I believe, but for CE devices, Opera uses their own back end for rendering pages....

You're probably right - I may be confusing terms. I was referring to the browsing engine being on the server end, if I understand it correctly.

Hey, maybe that's what we need on HPCFactor...a specialized webkit for HPC handhelds...