MIU's $500 HDPC takes All-in-One seriously

It's huge, no doubt. But MIU's HDPC must be to pack such a broad list of specifications. First spotted as a prototype back in 2006, the 163 x 67 x 24.5-mm / 387-gram brick is now expected to go retail in July for up to ?500,000 or a US-equivalent pricing of just $500. That's dirt cheap for what they seem to promise:

• 4-inch, 800 x 480 pixel touchscreen display which slides out and flips over for the cellphone interface
  
• Up to a 1GHz VIA C7M ULV processor and 4GB of DDR2 memory
  
• Dual, Windows XP / Linux Qplus embedded OS
• Unspecified cellphone radio
• Maximum 1.3-inch 60GB hard disk (or 4GB SSD) and miniSD/microSD expansion
  
• 7-hour battery (or 90-hours at low power)
  
• 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0
  
• 2x USB, docking port, stereo speakers, QWERTY thumbpad and mouse
  
• What looks like a 5 megapixel camera
• DMB mobile television and external GPS add-on
  

All that tech allows the HDPC to function as a portable SatNav device, handheld gaming rig, cellphone, UMPC, PMP, eBook reader, digital camera, etc. Did we already tell you that it will cost less than $500? Oh right. See the unit in-hand after the break.

[davincithought Posted Mar 24th 2008 10:11AM]

you sound like the crocodiles from pearls before swine.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 24th 2008 4:41AM]

ya know its huge but if it does everything i wont have to carry everything around in different bags or cases lol also i could use it as a self defense device lol

[Mike10010100 Posted Mar 24th 2008 5:59AM]

What? No 10 megapixel camera? I hate it.

Just kidding. That's what people would do if it was Apple made.

[frz1 Posted Mar 24th 2008 8:56AM]

Dam it, I almost spilled my tea at the OP's comment, "use it as a self defense".

[davincithought Posted Mar 24th 2008 10:12AM]

sorry, that last one was meant for a spammer, looks like it was deleted too fast, my bad carl.

[OneLove Posted Mar 24th 2008 10:37AM]

@carl: a dildo can do the same thing.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 24th 2008 4:47AM]

well if it's bluetooth enabled using it as a phone won't be too embarrassing, but if not yeah welcome back to 1990...

and if all else fails you can always use this clunker as a bludgeon much like a brick to steal the other guy's nicer phone...

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 24th 2008 9:23AM]

If that phone isn't bluetooth capable then welcome back to 2001.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 24th 2008 12:18PM]

Reminds me of the sprint commercial that featured the phone with crime deterrent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgoVrAR3YOo

[maveric101 Posted Mar 24th 2008 8:20PM]

haha this thing has more usb ports than the Air...

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 24th 2008 4:46AM]

....i believe you could NOT SPAM....like AT ALL...thanks

[quotaPop Posted Mar 24th 2008 4:48AM]

I'm sure not paying for a design team brings costs substancially lower.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 24th 2008 4:51AM]

Doesn't this device appear to be begging for a steakpunk-style modification?

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 24th 2008 5:31AM]

mmm...

steakpunk.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 24th 2008 6:55AM]

I love typos.

[abjc89 Posted Mar 25th 2008 2:24PM]

I'm surprised the battery only lasts 90 hours... I think I heard somewhere that they have batteries that last a year... or two.

[deciBels Posted Mar 24th 2008 5:00AM]

If you think of it more like a laptop (a very ugly laptop), its size isnt quite so bad.

[Taylor Yes Taylor Posted Mar 24th 2008 5:06AM]

If Mad Max had a smartphone (or any phone at all), it would be this.

Awesome.
-Taylor

[Yarnage Posted Mar 24th 2008 7:49AM]

I almost gave your comment a plus but then... you signed your post. Do you think we can't read your name at the top?

[Taylor Yes Taylor Posted Mar 24th 2008 1:46PM]

@ Kris
Yeah, i dunno, it's something i do online, like, always. It's just habit, but comes from when my display name is not my real name. I don't keep track of where it is and where it isn't, i just sign them all.
-Taylor ;)

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 24th 2008 5:16AM]

actualy yon , now that ya bring it up I seem to remember a steampunk "iPod" hmm, mayhaps a handcarved wooden case and brass buttons?, this brick just might have a future after all...

[Student Driver Posted Mar 24th 2008 12:45PM]

Yeah, that would be brilliant. Cover it in copper and brass, with a lot of tacks. Then, when the battery blows it can be a nice grenade. Sweet.

Nice phone, but I don't think it needs more armament. :-)

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 24th 2008 5:14AM]

Much better than an iphone anyday.

[raybiker73 Posted Mar 24th 2008 5:17AM]

it's horrible....yet, I can't look away.

[BarryBee Posted Mar 24th 2008 5:18AM]

Now can I get the model in a style other than 'ass ugly'? I'll pay a few bucks more, pleeeaaase.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 24th 2008 6:07AM]

agreed, if they just used some common sense in their design i think it would be a much more appealing unit.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 24th 2008 5:33AM]

Great! But why did they have to make the cell phone side of it so damn ugly. It looks like an industrial instrument for measuring radiation levels.

[bstump Posted Mar 24th 2008 8:25AM]

That would be called a "geiger counter."

[FueledByPez Posted Mar 24th 2008 5:47AM]

How am I going to fit this beast in the pocket of my skinny jeans?

This device might just single-handedly bring back the fanny pack. Then perhaps mullets.

[CT A Posted Mar 24th 2008 11:05AM]

Considering how it's shaped, This could be a huge advantage to you if you put this in your skinny jeans.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 24th 2008 11:35AM]

BURN ALMIGHTY!!!!!

[8r13n Posted Mar 24th 2008 6:57AM]

Hey! I think there's a virus on the other end of your link. WTF!

[DaveBG Posted Mar 24th 2008 5:46AM]

This is the ultimate thing!

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 24th 2008 6:06AM]

i hear you man, it sure is ugly but daammmnn it's loaded.

[bstump Posted Mar 24th 2008 8:26AM]

Yeah, what a thing!

[highjumpman Posted Mar 24th 2008 5:50AM]

4 GB of RAM? So it runs XP 64bit? With the appropriate drivers?

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 24th 2008 6:04AM]

don't be silly, there's no such thing as a windows xp 64 bit driver.

[highjumpman Posted Mar 25th 2008 3:32PM]

Description of 64 bit Windows drivers: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896333

[sinjinn Posted Mar 24th 2008 5:54AM]

victim of convergance, but someone somewhere has been waiting for this.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 24th 2008 6:05AM]

what can i say, i have a creepy fetish for BIG gadgets

[Mike10010100 Posted Mar 24th 2008 5:57AM]

Really? Then why do all of your posts have to do with that website that you pasted?

[Mike10010100 Posted Mar 25th 2008 6:06AM]

That was a reply to a no longer existing spammer. Hopefully he got banned.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 24th 2008 6:08AM]

i think this is what every geek has been waiting for.. except half it's size and not ugly.

I'll take windows mobile over xp anyday(anyway)

[Taylor Tay Posted Mar 24th 2008 6:17AM]

I'd like to think that you're Russian, just because reading your comments in a Russian accent sounds hilaarious.
However, I think it's more likely that you're Chinese.

[sinai Posted Mar 24th 2008 6:44AM]

wait, how much is an iphone?

[bondsbw Posted Mar 24th 2008 8:34AM]

wait, how big and ugly is this thing?

(Different users, different markets... it sounds like a really great device for the price, but powerful != usable.)

[Jesse S Posted Mar 24th 2008 12:34PM]

Yes bonds, different users. A device like this is meant for people who work, that is, they need to do work on the go. The iPhone is for users that like to be stylish, watch videos at an odd resolution, hate buttons, and listen to music out of a mediocre DAC and internal amp on crappy headphones.

I think you illustrated that perfectly.

[howdarestthou Posted Mar 24th 2008 6:46AM]

Umm...The Matrix?

[refractured Posted Mar 24th 2008 12:07PM]

no no son. not far enough back... try bladerunner.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 25th 2008 1:24AM]

I don't think it will blend.