The modern classroom is no longer a space that is confined by its four walls. With access to the internet, online experiences and learning tools have become commonplace. However, in many learning environments and institutions, the pedagogical norms have yet to embrace these tools and experiences. This can be mainly attributed to a lack of access to the tools to bring them into the classroom. The JOI Smartboard is one tool that is available to bridge that gap and empower educators to engage students in learning more actively.
Built for Engaged, Collaborative Learning in All Spaces
The JOI Smartboard is a brand-new tool that is made to revolutionize learning spaces. It brings together the familiarity of a whiteboard and projector with the modern technology of a computer. In a space where learners are constantly being distracted by smartphones, tablets and computer screens, the JOI Smartboard allows educators to deliver lessons in a more engaging way. This will allow educators to not only prepare their lessons and sessions in a more interactive way but also deliver them while better engaging with the learners.
As Benjamin Franklin once said, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”. Engaged learners are better able to understand and appreciate lessons that are delivered. They are in the thick of it when it comes to learning. Tools like the JOI Smartboard allow educators to look beyond the page and their own capabilities to be artistic or creative and leverage the largest resource we have – the internet. With the JOI Smartboard, they are able to incorporate multimedia elements for visual and auditory learners and also interactive activities for kinesthetic learners. The ability to cater to all learners will ensure better outcomes for the learners. After all, interactive teaching styles have been shown to deliver better outcomes[1].
The JOI Smartboard is built for interactive learning. It runs on a 10th Generation Intel Core processor. This gives you the flexibility to not only use a familiar Windows interface to educate but also build robust learning experiences. With features like Wireless screenshare, you’ve got a dynamic learning surface that educators can use to deliver lessons as well as empower learners to take a more active role in their learning. Presentations and even interactive activities should be a breeze with screen sharing. Remote learning is should also be a breeze with the element microphone array and easily accessible USB ports.
High-Performance Visuals & Features for Collaborative Learning No Matter the Mode
With the integration of digital resources and activities into learning. There needs to be a rich, engaging visual experience. The JOI Smartboard is able to deliver this with up to sizes ranging from 65-inches to 86-inches with 4K UHD resolution. The large size not only allows learners at the far back of the space to see things with clarity, it also allows them to be engaged in the lessons.
The JOI Smartboard takes engagement a step further with connectivity features. It will be able to connect to the internet through an ethernet connection. This will allow educators to be able to deliver their lessons in an engaging way no matter the mode of learning. The JOI Smartboard’s feature-rich writing software allows educators to bridge the familiarity of writing on a whiteboard with the advanced technology of a touch screen and stylus. Enhanced with high-precision IR Touch technology, it also allows for interactive activities with learners.
On the smaller variants of the JOI Smartboard, educators will be able to engage over the internet with the built-in 13-megapixel camera and microphone. Using software like Google’s classroom platform or Microsoft’s Classroom tools will be as easy as using a whiteboard in the classroom. The ease of teaching online makes it easier for educators to prepare for any situation that may arise. It also makes it easier to create online repositories of classes and lessons for learners to access.
A Small Investment to Be Ahead of the Curve and Foster Learning
The JOI Smartboard isn’t just feature-packed, it’s breaking boundaries when it comes to affordability. While other brands would charge a premium for these features, the JOI Smartboard comes in as low as RM6,999. This makes the smartboard one of the most affordable on the market.
The JOI Smartboard isn’t a one-size-fits-all device either. The sizes start at 65 inches and scales go all the way to 85 inches allowing teachers and institutions to get one that fits their needs the best. SNS Network Sdn Bhd is also making it even more accessible with monthly payments that start as low as RM209* ensuring no classroom is left behind.
A Tool for Educators to Make a Lasting Impact on Learners and Foster the Love of Learning
All in all, the JOI Smartboard is a tool that not only makes an impact on how educators educate but also how learners learn. It makes engagement a non-issue both in-person and over the internet. It’s also future-proof with integrations with upcoming AI tools like Microsoft’s Copilot built-in thanks to its flexible OS and operating environments. Be ahead of the curve and head on down to the official JOI Smartboard website to find out more about the device.
In the past two years, the landscape of work and health has changed with the pandemic. However, while we look at the impacts of the pandemic on our education system. Students and teachers have been forced to adapt to an environment full of uncertainties. They’ve needed to learn in an environment that is constantly changing. What’s more, in most cases, they have been ill-equipped to adapt to these changes. However, as Malcolm X once said, “Education is the passport to the future” and educational institutions and educators must adapt to a new normal, especially with the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.
Like many other institutions, educational institutions like Primary Schools, Secondary Schools and even Universities have had to adopt a hybrid approach to both teaching and learning during the pandemic. That said, the demands of hybrid learning differ vastly. Education requires creativity, finesse and a touch of ingenuity; Skills and elements that can be lost with hybrid learning. Nevertheless, these elements can be preserved and amplified when teachers and students have access to the proper equipment. It wouldn’t be surprising to see creativity unbound, collaboration flourish and productivity increase with the right empowerment.
Source: SNS Network
We’ve heard many success stories when it comes to hybrid learning throughout the pandemic. Institutions like Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) have successfully empowered their classrooms to embrace hybrid learning. They’ve done this by giving JOI a place in their classroom. The JOI suite of learning technologies is an end-to-end solution that covers everything from classroom devices to backbone technologies that allow for efficient, creative and collaborative teaching and learning.
One of the key technologies that empower distance learning is the JOI Smart Classroom. The platform allows teachers to interact with students and keep tabs on student progress. On the other hand, students get access to interactive experiences while learning seamlessly through a wireless connection. All these are enabled by SNS Network’s own JOI devices including the JOI Smartboard, JOI Books and JOI Connect. These devices unlock the flexibility needed for education to be adaptable to any circumstance.
What’s more, devices like the JOI Book and the JOI Classmate are built specifically to cater for remote learning. They’re powered by the latest Intel processors to bring the portability and processing power needed to empower remote teaching and learning. They also come with a variety of form factors with the JOI Book Touch 330 Pro able to support multimode productivity as a tablet and with a touchscreen. It also supports writing and drawing with a stylus.
Source: SNS Network
Source: SNS Network
In the classroom, JOI Smartboard and JOI Connect allow teachers to seamlessly teach both in-person and online. The Smartboard allows teachers to not only project but also annotate slides naturally with pen input or even write while teaching as they would naturally. This can seamless be integrated into platforms like Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams to be shared online. The students attending classes in person will get an uninterrupted experience like they always have. This allows teachers to bridge the current hybrid learning that is being implemented by the Ministry of Education in Malaysia across all national schools.
Of course, this brings up the question of data security and controlling access to the internet during learning hours. This is a non-issue with the JOI Classroom platform as it also allows teachers and administrators to grant and restrict access to websites outside those needed for education. They will also be able to grant or restrict access to plug and play devices via USB through this platform. The granular permissions allow them to help students focus better during learning hours while giving the students their freedoms outside learning hours.
Source: SNS Network
It’s not a question of when but how schools and their administration can empower and facilitate this transition and new normal. As we move into an endemic phase, we also need to think about the future, about how we can better adapt to a constant state of uncertainty when it comes to education. Furthermore, we also need to take into consideration the feasibility of making students own a device whether by purchase or lease to take charge of their education.
If you’re interested in futureproofing education head on down to SNS Network’s official website to get more information.
DISCLAIMER: THIS ARTICLE IS AN ADVERTORIAL COMMISSIONED BY SNS NETWORK. IT MAY NOT REPRESENT THE OPINIONS OF THE TECHENT EDITORIAL BOARD.
If there is one thing I want to complain about, when it comes to modern notebook PCs, is that we still have to rely on WiFi. We are in 2021 now, and we still have to rely on WiFi to get our work going on-the-go. We live in 2021, where the world is turning itself upside down, and where work is not just in the office anymore. We live in a world where work is mobile.
So why do we still rely on WiFi to get our work on? Sure, the easy cure is to use your smartphone as a hotspot device. That is, while a small hassle, still an extra thing to work with. Turning on hotspot on your smartphone for extended periods also means that you are draining your smartphone battery even faster. In slightly older devices, your data network cuts off the moment you pick up a call or make a call. It feels like you are going back to the Dial-Up days, but outside and wirelessly now.
Thing is, the mobile PC platform is the perfect platform to be always connected wherever you are. Your notebooks now are more essential than ever. Your work is no longer stationary. Although, with the pandemic, you are mostly stuck within the confines of your home. Still, within your home, you might move around for a change of environment, in certain parts of your home, WiFi may not be great. There is also chance that you might not even have a dedicated internet plan for home.
Welcome to what seems to be the first modern Windows device that comes with Cellular connectivity. Welcome to the JOI Book SK3000. Welcome to the future-ish.
Design
If you have not heard of JOI, do not worry. Thy are not some Chinese based OEM that sells some subpar product. However, they are also not from Taiwan, or United States, or some European country. They are, in fact, home grown. They stem from SNS Network. This is a topic for another day though. We go back to the JOI Book SK3000.
When you buy any notebook, the first thing that you see is not really the laptop. You actually see the box first, its packaging. In fact, this is true for almost any device you buy today.
The SK3000 comes in a relatively small cardboard box. To be fair, most notebooks come packaged in a cardboard box and the notebook is suspended inside with two foam inserts. The difference is that the box that this JOI Book SK3000 comes in a coloured box rather than a plain brown box that we are so used to with big brand manufacturers.
Pull the device out of the box though, and our first impression of the notebook was surprisingly a good one. They were not lying when they said that this 12.5-incher comes in an all-metal body. That partly means that the device is quite sturdy. It is also quite cold to the touch.
We were also impressed by its thickness, or lack of thereof. They say that this is less than 15mm thick, we believe them. Of course, this is mostly thanks to the fan-less design that the Qualcomm Mobile Compute platform allows.
The lack of thickness also means that you are sacrificing a few things on the Notebook though. The JOI Book SK3000 only comes with a USB Type-C port on the left and a 3.5mm AUX jack on the right side. No, the USB Type-C is not a Thunderbolt port either, that is an Intel exclusive. Still, the USB Type-C can be used with a multipurpose hub for HDMI extensions and such. The only issue now is to buy a USB Type-C hub.
There are no speaker grilles placed outside the shell of the notebook. Instead, underneath the notebook is a screwed in cap that allows you to install a SIM card and MicroSD card for cellular connectivity and memory expansion. As far as we are currently concerned, the MicroSD slot is the only way to expand the device’s internal memory. This thing is just like a smartphone in a notebook shell.
Open it up and the IPS Full HD display greets you alongside its keyboard. Top of the bottom clam is still aluminium with some cut outs for the dual top firing speakers on the unit. The display does not have super-thin bezels, but they are thin enough for its body size. Then there is the fact that the whole display panel is under a flush glass panel to complete the premium look. Hard to fathom the MYR 2,199 asking price when you look at the JOI Book SK3000. It looks and feels properly premium.
The combination of glass material and aluminium on the shell makes the notebook is a little top heavy. When you put your device on the table, while the display will not open flat parallel to the keyboard surface, it feels like the notebook is tipping to its display a little bit. You still can use the notebook at full tilt on the table though, the notebook will not actually tip over unless you push the display a little bit.
All these materials are good too. It makes for a very solid notebook with none of the display flex that we are used to from big brand notebooks. This is also true for the keyboard surface. The only thing that might give away its competitive pricing is the key caps on the keyboard itself. It feels a little hollow and cheap. We will talk about the keyboard more later.
All-aluminium metal body also means that the notebook comes in at a little bit of heft. They claim 1.05kg on this notebook. Weirdly though it feels quite a little bit heavier compared to the Acer Swift 5 that weighs just under 1kg. That notebook has a fan and touch sensitive 14-inch display mind you. The Acer is also more than double the price of the JOI Book SK3000 though.
Overall, we quite like the build quality and look of the notebook. At first glance, it does not look like something that would fit your budget of MYR 2,500 on a notebook. That is a good thing.
Hardware
Under the svelte Aluminium body you will find none of the regular notebook components that you are used to. For one, you will not find a dan underneath the hood You will not even find a dedicated GPU. Instead, you will what seems to be smartphone board components. Then again, not much difference between a smartphone and notebook in terms of components.
You will find a Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 Mobile Compute platform sitting under the hood to run the PC though. There is no Intel or NVIDIA trickery in the notebook. Thanks to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform though, fan-less design is possible. Which also means that this notebook is as quiet as your smartphone.
If there is one thing I want to complain about, when it comes to modern notebook PCs, is that we still have to rely on WiFi. We are in 2021 now, and we still have to rely on WiFi to get our work going on-the-go. We live in 2021, where the world is turning itself upside down, and where work is not just in the office anymore. We live in a world where work is mobile.
So why do we still rely on WiFi to get our work on? Sure, the easy cure is to use your smartphone as a hotspot device. That is, while a small hassle, still an extra thing to work with. Turning on hotspot on your smartphone for extended periods also means that you are draining your smartphone battery even faster. In slightly older devices, your data network cuts off the moment you pick up a call or make a call. It feels like you are going back to the Dial-Up days, but outside and wirelessly now.
Thing is, the mobile PC platform is the perfect platform to be always connected wherever you are. Your notebooks now are more essential than ever. Your work is no longer stationary. Although, with the pandemic, you are mostly stuck within the confines of your home. Still, within your home, you might move around for a change of environment, in certain parts of your home, WiFi may not be great. There is also chance that you might not even have a dedicated internet plan for home.
Welcome to what seems to be the first modern Windows device that comes with Cellular connectivity. Welcome to the JOI Book SK3000. Welcome to the future-ish.
Design
If you have not heard of JOI, do not worry. Thy are not some Chinese based OEM that sells some subpar product. However, they are also not from Taiwan, or United States, or some European country. They are, in fact, home grown. They stem from SNS Network. This is a topic for another day though. We go back to the JOI Book SK3000.
When you buy any notebook, the first thing that you see is not really the laptop. You actually see the box first, its packaging. In fact, this is true for almost any device you buy today.
The SK3000 comes in a relatively small cardboard box. To be fair, most notebooks come packaged in a cardboard box and the notebook is suspended inside with two foam inserts. The difference is that the box that this JOI Book SK3000 comes in a coloured box rather than a plain brown box that we are so used to with big brand manufacturers.
Pull the device out of the box though, and our first impression of the notebook was surprisingly a good one. They were not lying when they said that this 12.5-incher comes in an all-metal body. That partly means that the device is quite sturdy. It is also quite cold to the touch.
We were also impressed by its thickness, or lack of thereof. They say that this is less than 15mm thick, we believe them. Of course, this is mostly thanks to the fan-less design that the Qualcomm Mobile Compute platform allows.
Features
At MYR 2,199, the JOI Book SK3000 seems like a basic notebook PC. It does not look like it has anything more to offer compared to its competitors. Just take a look at the ASUS VivoBook variants for example. For a little bit more money, you get a larger display, and a little more in terms of I/O ports.
The JOI Book SK3000 though is not just a basic, Plain Jane notebook PC though. There is more underneath the skin that should make it more attractive to anyone looking for an ultra-portable workhorse. Just do not expect it to perform miracles for you, and you should be fine.
Ma Look, No Fans
Like we said earlier, the JOI Book SK3000 features no fans inside the all-metal chassis. While this might seem odd when you put it beside a regular PC, it is not for the platform that the device works with. It does not have any fans mostly thanks to the Processor, or rather the System on a Chip (SoC) that this device is based on.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 SoC is not technically a new flagship class SoC for the smartphone market. It is no slouch either though. While it is a few generations out of the current smartphone market, it is still a very powerful platform. Powerful enough to power Windows 10 Pro on a 12.5-inch display in the case of the JOI Book SK3000.
The Qualcomm Mobile Compute platform is largely based on their smartphone counterparts anyway, which also means that a fan is hardly necessary. The platform has been tested time and time again and is optimised for a smartphone platform that is usually void of any sort of active cooling solutions. All you need is a couple of copper heat pipes that spreads the heat around and you have yourself a running SoC.
While the Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 does heat up a little bit in certain workloads on your smartphone, it hardly ever does on the JOI Book SK3000. Then again, you have to remember that you cannot expect the JOI Book SK3000 to be your main gaming PC. Then again, the PC runs on S mode by default, so you technically cannot install apps from sources other than the Windows Marketplace. More on that later.
The major benefit when you have a device with no fans though is its quietness. You do not need to be wary of the device’s fan suddenly spooling when you sit in a library or in a quiet café somewhere. You do not need to worry about being the one that spoils the peace in a quiet environment. If you leave your Windows Pro on S mode, you never really have to worry about getting the heat up too much on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 850.
Always Connected with 4G LTE
Another benefit of using Qualcomm’s Mobile Compute platform like the Snapdragon 850 SoC is its integrated modem that is ready to take on cellular network bands. That benefit translates to a state of readiness of the JOI Book SK3000. Wherever you are, as long as you have a SIM card pushed into the SIM slot with an active data plan, you are going to have internet no matter where you go.
According to SNS network, the SIM tray can take on SIM cards from any of the major carriers in Malaysia. We have only tested the JOI Book SK3000 with YES 4G LTE network and we are happy to report that it works. That also means that where signal is available, the notebook becomes our core work PC and even a hotspot device if needed.
Of course, the device still features WiFi connectivity. But it also switches out of WiFi into cellular very seamlessly. The moment WiFi signals are too weak or cuts, cellular network cuts in immediately, very much like your smartphone. This is kudos not only to the manufacturer though, but this is also thanks to the current iteration of Windows 10 Pro that is ready for mobile usage.
This also means that you do not necessarily have to turn on your smartphone’s hotspot and drain its battery in the process. You save time, and battery. It adds a layer of convenience at work with less battery anxiety and more productivity. Of course, you might still want to think about the JOI Book SK3000’s battery.
The only thing you cannot do with the JOI Book SK3000 is make a phone call directly from your notebook. But why would you make a phone call from your notebook? You have a smartphone for that.
Another downside is that you have no excuse to not work even if there are no WiFi available now. If your boss tells you to check your email while you are out and about, you cannot tell your boss that you do not have an active internet connection for your laptop. You can tell your boss that your battery has ran out. But if your boss provides the data plan for your JOI Book SK3000, you cannot tell him that you have no internet connection, especially at home.
MicroSD Expansion
Like a smartphone too, the JOI Book SK3000 uses a MicroSD slot for its memory expansion. That also means that upgrading the storage on the device is cheaper and easier than you expect. Rather than taking out the whole notebook bottom case to lift its hood to install an SSD, you only need to unscrew a very small door on the underside of the notebook to reveal a SIM slot and a MicroSD slot.
You might want to consider getting a MicroSD card to expand your JOI Book SK3000’s small 128GB memory though. Technically 128GB is not small when you put it in a smartphone context. It is small for a Windows notebook PC though. You might want to think about getting another 128GB of MicroSD card or go up all the way to 512GB in that case.
Given that the notebook only comes in one configuration, having that extra expansion slot is always great. While the slot is a hot swap slot, unless you leave the protective door open, you are not going to access the MicroSD card in anyway. We do think that there is another space for MicroSD cards too for the PC though. Still, you can add that capability via a USB Type-C hub anyway.
Windows 10 Pro
This is a notebook PC, so it runs on Windows 10. It is no regular Windows 10 that we have here though. This is Windows 10 Pro that we are getting here. That also means that you get a few extra features that is missing from the Windows 10 Home you get on your regular notebooks.
You can set password protected partition on your hard disk if you want to. It is also technically more secure than regular Windows 10 Home. But as far as usage is concerned, they technically make nearly zero difference. They are all Windows 10 after all.
This also means that you get a regular Windows 10 experience from the JOI Book SK3000. What surprises us though is how smooth Windows is running on top of a smartphone processor. It feels like a regular PC and probably better than some entry-level stuff in the market.
Performance
We do not really expect big things from the Qualcomm powered JOI Book. Thing is, the Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 850 is a powerful piece of kit. We are just not sure if it is optimised for Microsoft Windows or vice versa.
All You Need in an Aluminium Chassis
We are not saying that the Qualcomm based notebook is not good. Windows 10 Pro technically runs fine on the platform. Because Windows knows that it is running atop of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 Mobile Compute though, there are certain limitations to it.
Microsoft Office, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Google Chrome is not one of those limitations though. You still can enjoy Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Spotify, and Tidal on this notebook too. It is not all that bad.
On those programs though, the JOI Book SK3000 works well. Then again, the apps listed are quite basic for any PC. The only app you might want to avoid using in the list is Google Chrome. Google Chrome is a huge RAM hog, which also means it will slow down other things too.
We have always said that you need at least 8GB in RAM to get Windows 10 to run properly. The JOI Book SK3000 is a prove that we are quite wrong. At least on the listed apps, you can have multiple windows open and still work on it with no issues at all. Sure, there might be some lags and stutters from time to time, but they are not so bad that they are irksome.
If you are going to install third party apps like Steam and Adobe Creative Cloud Suite though, be sure to opt out of ‘S Mode’. ‘S Mode’ will not allow you to install any third-party apps to keep Windows streamlined, secure and smooth. if you are content with running apps from the Microsoft app marketplace though, you should be fine in ‘S Mode’.
Gaming – Sort Of
We installed Left 4 Dead 2 and Dota2 to the JOI Book SK3000. We are happy to report that they run though. Obviously, we had to try gaming on the JOI Book SK3000. We are not going to let Full HD 1080p IPS goodness go to waste despite the Adreno based GPU on the Snapdragon 850 SoC.
Left 4 Dead 2 is not exactly a current title. It was not even a AAA title at launch. That also means that its graphical requirements should not be too taxing for modern PCs or even modern processing chips, including a smartphone optimised chip. We managed to get about 24 fps out of the JOI Book SK3000 on the game too, just to prove a point. But there are quite a few shocks and bumps that sends the frame rates crashing down.
We are quite confident that the game could low-key run titles like The Sims 4, and even Two Point Hospital. Cities: Skylines? Forget it. Windows will not allow you to install Minecraft: Dungeons via Microsoft app store though. That also means that Windows think that the JOI Book SK3000 does not even meet the minimum required specifications of the game. We are quite confident still that the JOI Book SK3000 might be able to run Minecraft Dungeons with little issues at about 24fps though. Again, we do not know because we could not even install the game.
If you are planning to play Dota2 competitively on this JOI Book SK3000, you might want to forget it. Yes, Dota2 runs. But it does not run as smooth as you want it to run. You do not want your team mates to rely on you while you are gaming with the JOI Book SK3000.
The good thing is that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 works the same on battery and while you plug it in. That also means that if you are planning to game on battery, you can. You just have to keep in mind that the battery might run out before you finish a session.
Only Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Creative Cloud can be installed on the JOI Book SK3000. There is only one app that is available for this platform though. As per the subheading suggests, you can only work with Adobe Lightroom in full.
If you go on Microsoft’s app marketplace though, you can get Photoshop Express to work with the JOI Book SK3000 too. It is no Photoshop for desktop, but it works. None of the regular video editing apps would install correctly on the JOI Book SK3000 too. Even Adobe’s Premiere Pro refuses to download. Nope, no Adobe Acrobat Reader to download too, sadly.
Keyboard Love Hate
To be fair, the typing experience is not half as bad as plenty of the entry level notebook PCs you can find in the market. There is enough key travel on the keyboard that you feel like you are actually hitting buttons rather than punching a wall with your fingers. There is enough feedback from the keyboard too to make your typing experience a smooth and comfortable one.
What we are not sure of is the plastic finish and material quality that comes with the JOI Book SK3000. The plastic buttons do feel a little hollow to the touch. The textured caps, while does provide a little extra grip, feels a little old school.
While the typing experience borders excellence, the JOI Book SK3000’s keyboard feels a little cheap and hollow. It is not loud. No, it is quite far from that. The keyboard is quite silent to work with. It is technically the loudest thing on the notebook apart from its speakers though.
It is not the fitment of the keyboard as well, because that is actually quite excellent. There is no play on each of the island key caps. They feel secure and nicely fitting. From a glance too, they look like they belong.
Then again, we are sort of nit picking on the keyboard when we say that it feels less premium. It is a perfectly fine keyboard for a notebook. Keys are big and defined too, so any hands can get comfortable with the keyboard. We are just a little irked by the material choice.
Battery Life
One of the biggest benefits, other than quietness, from the Qualcomm Mobile compute platform is its battery life. You only get 4,500mAh in the sleek body of the JOI Book SK3000. While that means about 8 hours of battery life from a regular Intel or AMD mobile processor, it can mean days of battery life for the Qualcomm processor.
True enough, even if you leave the notebook on standby, the JOI Book SK3000 can last you a whole week without charging. Of course, it will not go on forever while remaining always on. But that is definitely more than plenty of notebooks in the same price range.
The beauty of a smartphone optimised computing platform is the application of the Big Small architecture in their processing chips. That also means that the SoC can call for more power when it needs it, and sips energy when it does not. That translates to up to 10 hours of continuous usage of the JOI Book SK3000, and even longer run time while on standby.
Of course, if you do game and run other heavy application on the JOI Book SK3000, you can expect a shorter battery life. If you plan to run Adobe Lightroom for extended periods or even game for extended periods, you might want to consider finding a charging point.
This notebook charges its 4,500mAh battery quite quickly too though. Thanks to Qualcomm’s Fast Charging know how, the notebook can charge at up to 30W. That means you are up and running again within 2 hours of charging your JOI Book SK3000. Because the included charger is also a USB Type-C charger with fast charging capabilities, you can use it to charge your smartphones as well. That, or any other USB Type-C device you might find in your gear bag. In other words, you may not need to carry any other chargers with you.
The only issue with have with the charging though is that not all USB Type-C chargers can work with the JOI Book SK3000. We tried plugging it to the 65W charging brick from Lenovo and it refuses to charge.
Display and Speakers
We have grouped these two categories into one because there is nothing really to shout about with the speakers. The speakers may not be the JOI Book’s greatest strength. We want to say that it could be the JOI Book SK3000’s worst trait too.
The dual speakers on the JOI Book SK3000 sounds super tinny with no clear definition at all. Bass is virtually non-existent on the JOI Book SK3000 too. Thank goodness you can either plug in your earphones into the 3.5mm jack or connect other earphones and headphones via Bluetooth. You are better off using earphones or headphones even for video calls with your team, or friends.
The display is quite gorgeous though. It is an IPS panel displaying at Full HD 1080p. You also get somewhat narrow bezels. Though we do think that they could make a 13-inch fit in this body if they cut down the bezels even more. They did not mention its colour accuracy specifications though.
Still, colours pop on IPS displays and this 12.5-incher is no exception. It is an excellent display to use for entertainment avenues like Netflix and Amazon Video Prime, even YouTube. Again, plug in your earphones for better audio experience. As we have said, you can sort of game on it too.
It may not be the most accurate IPS panel you can get on a notebook, but if you are not too fussy, you technically can use it to colour correct on Adobe Lightroom. You cannot install Adobe Premiere pro or Photoshop, so you can only work with Adobe Lightroom at this point. IPS panels are not typically found in notebooks that costs just above MYR 2,000 too. That also makes this a little bit of a steal.
The JOI Book SK3000 – The Best Compromise
SNS Network says that this particular notebook should appeal to students more than others. At MYR 2,199, the JOI Book SK3000 would definitely be placed in any student’s consideration. But the JOI Book SK3000 has more potential than that.
We think that anyone can benefit from the JOI Book SK3000. It is not exactly expensive to own or to run. For example, if all you need from your PC is to get through your emails, type out a few emails, access your company server remotely from time to time, create excel sheets and powerpoint slides, or even just simple internet browsing for research, this does all of those just as well as any other PC would.
It is not the lightest PC in the market, so you might say. But it is not exactly heavy either. Its charging package is just a little larger as your regular smartphone charger that it makes no difference. The JOI Book SK3000 itself is so compact that you can just get a small sling bag to work with. If you have a larger bag, good, you have more space for other stuff. The notebook will also last more than a full working day, that means your charger can be stuffed deep down in your bag and you will still be okay through the day.
The best part is that you are constantly connected to the internet no matter where you go. Well, technically wherever there is 4G network signal. While constant connectivity could be a bane for work, it could be bliss too.
For students, it will be a bliss for them when they need to get their work going anyway. Especially if you live in a house with no WiFi connection, you will rely on your smartphone for internet. You could, however go on YES 4G Kasi Up plan and work with up to 100GB of internet a month at not very much money. It is a possibility. This works the same even if you are not a student. You may not need to pay more than MYR 100 to get internet working for you.
In short, if you are looking for a PC that sits between the MYR 2,000 to MYR 2,500 price range, this should at least be in your consideration. For that money, you are getting a well-built product that is truly mobile. You do not even need to think about using your smartphone as a hotspot device anymore. It still does all your basic stuff too, what more do you need? Oh wait, product support.
At the end of last year, we saw a major shift in the world of personal and portable computing. We saw Apple launching their new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air with a confusing architecture style. They brought out the new notebooks that comes packing a processor that seems to be made for a smartphone. They call it their M1 chip. Whatever it is, it runs a full class Operating System made for modern day PCs.
A little later after that, Qualcomm also announced that they are going to delve into the mobile computing platform. They are going to get their Qualcomm 800 series System on a Chip (SoC) platforms into a notebook PC in 2021. Today, that dream is made a reality with JOI.
Source: JOI
Welcome to the Qualcomm PC experience with the JOI Book SK3000. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 SoC. We admit, it is not the most updated SoC in Qualcomm’s books. We also admit, it is not a 5G supporting chipset. But it is still a reasonably powerful chipset.
You still get 4G connectivity out of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 850. In this day and age, where 5G is still not available, you are going to get the best connectivity experience with 4G still. It supports any of Malaysia’s network too, so you can get away with just about any data plan. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 is also more powerful than the entry level Processors from both AMD and Intel. In that case, it makes plenty of sense in a notebook.
Unlike the older generation Qualcomm based PCs, the JOI Book SK3000 is not running on some toned-down version of Windows though. It runs on Windows 10 Pro with Bitlocker tools. It is the real deal.
Source: JOI
The small caveat here is that the JOI Book SK3000 only packs 4GB of RAM. We know that Windows can be a little memory hungry at times too, especially if you rely on Google Chrome as your browser. The new Microsoft Edge is a good Chromium based browser though, that does not require a large amount of RAM to work with. Still, we would have loved to see an 8GB RAM size.
It also comes with a 128GB internal SSD which can be expanded via MicroSD card that is hidden with the SIM card tray. We are not entirely sure if you can upgrade the SSD or the RAM at all at this point. We do know that the JOI Book SK3000 is a full aluminium notebook PC though. In that regards, you can expect some nice heft and a high build quality to it.
Still, it is not all that hefty at 1.05kg though. Within that 1.05kg is a 12.5-inch Full HD IPS display. Within the 1.05kg package is also a 4,500mAh battery that with a quoted 10 hours of battery life. Not quite all-day battery life at this point, but 10 hours is still plenty. Obviously because it is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 850, it stays on standby when you do not use it to continue receiving emails and other notifications when it is sleeping. In that mode, the battery should last you much longer.
Source: JOI
Source: JOI
Source: JOI
Source: JOI
The JOI Book SK3000 is now available on JOI and GLOO Official stores on Shopee and Lazada. You can also get your pre-order done on GLOO Official website. Of course, you can get your hands on one via SNS Network stores and authorised resellers across Malaysia. The JOI Book will be priced at MYR 2,199 and comes with a 30-day free trial of Microsoft Office.
