More S-XGen details emerge

Full-fledged UMPC it ain't, but now that we've got some more info on this flip-and-fold S-XGen handheld from Seamless WiFi, we're liking where this one is headed. Sure, the design is pretty frumpy, and we could do with a better screen-to-device ratio, but the Windows CE 5.0 unit runs a 520MHz Xscale processor, a 20GB HDD, 128MB of SDRAM, and a 4.25-inch screen at 470 x 270 pixels. As for connectivity, there's plenty to love, since the unit can handle 802.11b WiFi, tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900MHz), Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB OTG and even IrDA. There's also an SD card slot inside the 6.5 x 3.8 x 1.1-inch form factor and a purported 8 hours of battery life. The low screen res might make the rest of the frills a bit less exciting to work with, and Seamless WiFi claims that specifications might change without notice, but we're still looking forward to spying this one at CES and seeing just how close it comes to its all-inclusive dreams.

[Via SlashGear]

[Chris Luby @ Sep 20th 2006 5:10PM]

they had something like this in 1993 on seaquest
I wish I had a picture but it was called a seaPoc (personal onboard computer)

folded out etc looked very simular.

[Dp462090 @ Sep 20th 2006 5:16PM]

They really need a new designer.

[rockintom99 @ Sep 20th 2006 5:22PM]

If they could pull something like that on a UMPC, I would get it in a heartbeat. Scratching the screen is one of the big things worrying me about those (another reason the DS kick the PSP to the curb, with its protected screens).

[bluemonq @ Sep 20th 2006 5:23PM]

Geez, I wish that they'd learn to keep the freakin' screen centered. I mean, have the keyboard connection be in the center axis (that allows the keyboard to fold in half) and allow the screen to slide over to the center. All of those off-center boards are annoying to use.

[Raider @ Sep 20th 2006 5:40PM]

still UGLY

[Jonathan Keim @ Sep 20th 2006 5:41PM]

Why do you need 20 gigs on a windows CE computer? The only thing that comes to mind is music and photos.
Actually only music because the screen is so bad quality

[LS @ Sep 20th 2006 5:46PM]

i think the inclusion of the HDD is a big mistake. we know from experience from the Nokia N91 (and I'm only going by reports I've read here) that HDD's are slow and not suited to mobile phones.

Surely a better idea would be to use some chunky flash instead?

[Jeff @ Sep 20th 2006 5:49PM]

Sounds pretty awesome. 470x270 isn't bad for a screen that small, though I'd prever at least VGA.

[Robert @ Sep 20th 2006 6:52PM]

Nice, but I'll stick with my Dell XPS M2010 for on the subway.

http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/17/manhattan-adventures-with-a-20-inch-laptop/

[seamonkey420 @ Sep 20th 2006 9:23PM]

hmm.. too bad they couldn't have made it more symmetrical and added a 2nd lcd, up the cpu to a amd mobile 64 and load up xp and voila!

portable multi-monitor pc.. :P atleast, thats what i would have done if i could have my way.. hehe..

[sfeng1 @ Sep 20th 2006 10:29PM]

people have seem to forgotten the hpc entirely. the jornada 720 has a decent qwerty-keyboard, 320x640 resolution (albeit a crappy DSTN lcd screen that doesnt support animation very well). i slapped a 2gb CF card on it, and a pcmcia wifi card, and its the best it can ever get. if only the industry would revive the idea, it would be so sweet.

[Oddmanout @ Sep 21st 2006 3:35AM]

"people have seem to forgotten the hpc entirely."

Tell me about it. I've owned all three breeds of HPC (Jornada 720, NEC Mobilepro 780+790, Intermec 6651), and they were all great...for various different reasons. It is such a travesty that the they weren't more popular. When you get down to it, all the UMPC is is an HPC with no keyboard.

Heck, upgrade the CPU in the Intermec to an ARM cpu at about 520mhz - 624mhz and even if you left the rest exactly the same I'd drop $500 on it easy. 800x600 transflective screen, video subsystem, long battery life, PCMCIA, CFII, touch typeable KB (if just barely), built in modem, double hinge design lets it convert to a tablet..."uber machine" man, I'm tellin' ya.

Course, Windows mobile 5.0 and built in wifi would be nice additions as well...

[AlanJC @ Sep 21st 2006 9:12AM]

I'll stick to my HTC Universal.

Sure, I don't have as much storage space, but I have a UMTS device with BT, WiFi, IrDA, SDIO slot, 640x480 display, qwerty keyboard, and can be used in landscape or portrait mode, and running WM5, it has more software available for it than this thing will.

Totally pointless running CE5, should have put Linux on it so at least some good apps could easily be ported reasonably easily.

[DavidB @ Oct 22nd 2006 8:48PM]

>Totally pointless running CE5, should have put Linux on it so at least some good apps >could easily be ported reasonably easily.

Vercel did the early R&D on the unit and they had Linux running on the units. Vercel didn't ship the units, and I guess they did a deal with Seamless to push the units out into the market.