NetPliance I-Opener Reviewed
By: Editor

These units were out of stock for sometime, so we finally acquired one of these
units for review.

Its called the I-Opener and it is made by Netpliance, it is a $99 Internet Appliance
which makes it possible for virtually anyone to get on the Internet.

Initial impression:  Coolness, We got the "black" model, which would probably
look cooler with a black keyboard, but none-the-less very sheik.

It comes very compacted, but with a twist and bend the screen locks into place,
we noticed the stand could probably be unscrewed for a real "lap" top.
(Just don't do anything to void your warranty)

Anyway, we fired it up, and like the screen says - Out of the box and into
the net - Nothing but net.  Which is very true for this unit.

Their are speakers and an easy to access volume control on the front panel,
as well as a contrast control; which comes in very handy.

The system took about 5 seconds to go from OFF to dialing into the Internet.

Note: Some people may live outside of a local dialing area, so you may want to
check for local access.

The unit comes will a full 30 day liberal return policy, so if you find you live outside
of a local dialing area, you could return it if you wish to.

The Big Picture
The screen uses high contrast color schemes, so we had little trouble viewing
the buttons on the screen.

The keyboard is a "mini" version of a Windows style keyboard and was comfortable
to type on.

The integrated mouse on the keyboard is a nice feature, but we found it to be a little
slow. Although it was comfortable to use. 

We also had trouble with the audio not being loud enough. 

This unit is definitely cooler than a "WebTV", and it is small enough to work just
about anywhere you want to put it.

For those of you wanting to buy one for its "hack-ability" then you will be disappointed,
because they fixed it to be secure.

In conclusion - If you or someone you know would like to get on the Internet with
No Muss and No Fuss, then we HIGHLY recommend snatching up one of these.
There is a $22 a month ISP fee, and the first month is billed up front, but we believe
it is worth it.

You can buy one at: Circuit City,  Comp USA or Netpliance.

Now I am off to send this to my uncle in Kentucky, this is what we have been
needing to get him for a while.