If given the opportunity, I would much rather use a desktop over a laptop or phone. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I have my Android, but typing on phones has never been easy for me. I like touch typing and I’m very good at it (I should be, given how much I write).
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On the few occasions I have had to actually write and edit on a phone, it was horrible, so I avoid it at all costs. But what do I do when I’m on the go and I don’t have room in my bag for a full-sized laptop?
I go mini. Or, shall I say, tiny.
I’ve experienced this before, so know that it’s very common for such tiny devices. You simply cannot cram a full-sized keyboard onto an eight-inch frame. Because of that, I see the layout as a clever work-around to keep the majority of the keys full size. If the keys themselves were bite-sized, it would be far worse.
As far as the rest of the hardware, the display is much nicer than I would have imagined for this form factor, and it has a solid build despite its miniature stature. The only thing (and this is to be expected) is that the sound is very small and tinny — but at least it’s clear.
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During my testing, I installed the Ollama/Msty combo to see how the N150 would handle local AI and I was surprised it performed pretty well. It wasn’t nearly as fast as my System76 Thelio, but that’s comparing apples to oranges. Even so, queries were answered quickly and I only heard the fan kick on briefly.
I didn’t benchmark this tiny laptop but that’s not really of concern for such a small device. You don’t buy a laptop of this size for its performance, you buy it for its portability and convenience. That the N150 was able to run Linux to perfection was a major bonus for me.
ZDNET’s buying advice
Laptops of this size aren’t for everyone. If your fingers can adapt to the keyboard layout, it would be a great device to carry with you in your purse or bag, so you could write your novel while traveling on the bus or even work on some code.