Ordissimo laptop first look – is this ‘simple laptop’ any good?

What is Ordissimo?

Ordissimo aims to be a simple laptop for those that want the functionality of a computer without having to learn or remember complicated processes.

But with a price tag of £599 it doesn’t come cheap and costs as much as some very good laptops. And, if you’re in the market for a new laptop, we recommend reading our guide to buying the best laptop before you start.

5 things we like about the Ordissimo laptop

1. You can quickly access programs using dedicated keys
   Replacing the function keys along the top of the keyboard with dedicated keys for programs such as mail, internet and speadsheet, users can quickly access the program they want
2. Very easily zoom in and out of screens
   Special keys for zooming in and out of screens are included next to the space bar so you can easily enlarge text or whatever else you are looking at on the machine
3. Keyboard set up to be simple without dual-function keys
   By customising the keyboard, Ordissimo has removed dual-function keys so, with a few exceptions, users won’t have to resort to using buttons like Shift, Ctrl or Alt
4. Right mouse button doesn’t have a special function
   To further cut back on confusion Ordissimo has also made both mouse buttons work the same so you won’t have to learn any right click functions
5. Icons are large and clear
   The user interface is very clear and simple with large icons so finding what you are looking for is easy

Tim’s impressions of the Ordissimo laptop

The Ordissimo laptop aims to be simple and it does provide a very basic interface, but some of its simplifications will go too far for many.  For users that have never used a computer before it will provide useful shortcuts with simple instructions and buttons.

However, if you’ve had any experience using a computer before it is just as likely to confuse you as help with certain functions. Some ctrl functions will work – such as Ctrl+C for copy, even though there’s a dedicated copy button – but others – such as ctrl a for select all – don’t.

The removal of right mouse function – while keeping the actual right mouse button – will leave some stuggling to find some features, while the movement of keys in the layout of the keyboard could leave you confused even if your only previous experience using a keyboard was a typewriter.

The keyboard has also been customised using a rubbery sheet that lays over the original keyboard rather than changing the keys themselves. This isn’t glued down so it can peel off and if you lost it, it would make the laptop very difficult use.

This is part of my main gripe with the laptop, that it is simply a Toshiba laptop with new software and some Ordissimo badges stuck over the Toshiba ones. While re-purposing someone else’s product isn’t a problem with me, it seems like they’ve done the bare minimum and not taken a lot of care in what they have done.

It also doesn’t help that the original model – the Toshiba Satellite C660 – that has been modified costs almost half the price of the Ordissimo model – available for £330 at major stores – and didn’t overly impress us in our lab tests. Read our Toshiba Satellite C660 review.

It is a simple machine and will help those that don’t have much experience of using computers, but for what it is it is very expensive and the modifications feel very cheap.

More on this…

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