Keepin' it real fake, part CXXVI: Jointech's $99 JL7100 rips Eee PC in spectacular fashion
By Darren Murph 
posted Jul 27th 2008 3:46PM
posted Jul 27th 2008 3:46PM
[Thanks, Sean]
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"just north of $475"
How can you have a direction on a price? A price is a scalar quantity... maybe in your head you can see prices in 3-space. but not your casual engadget reader.
He would have made more sense if he had said "First".
You actually only need to see prices in 2d space for there to be a north/south. If your going to make a smartass remark, at least make sense.
It's a common freaking expression. One I use quite frequently myself. And if something like that bothers you, realize that you're just being a pedantic wiener and nobody with a modicum of sense gives a crap.
This thread has headed south...
Wow, I think that's probably the hardest I've ever gotten owned on the internet. You all get a coupon for one free internet. It's on me ;).
if you get owned that regularly, you should probably have your internet license revoked.
@greg, north/south actually only requires 1d space.
North/south - 1d.
North/south, east/west - 2d
North/south, east/west, up/down -3d.
Also known as the x, y and z axes of the Cartesian coordinate system.
Damn $99 sounds great!
No it doesn't. This thing sounds useless. You're giving away your $99 for repackaged obsolescence.
Cagrino, nowadays people mod and brew their systems. Obsolescence doesn't really work with today's hardware.
Edit: brew their ^own systems.
Yeah, I already had a system like this. It was called the NEC MobilePro 770, and I couldn't do anything with it other than basic word processing. That's why I bought the Asus EEE as a replacement.
"... the NEC MobilePro 770, and I couldn't do anything with it other than basic word processing. That's why I bought the Asus EEE as a replacement."
Mobilepro 770, huh ? I've had, by turns, a 780...a 790...an Intermec 6651...and a an HP Jornada 720. All of which were billed as laptop replacements, which none of them were. But I found them pretty useful as an electronic dictionary for my Japanese classes since I was in class 6 hours a day and they had 5+ hours of use per battery charge. I only had to charge them up every few days. I also used them at work. With the right wifi card they were pretty good for surveying wifi security (I was a sys admin at the time) and with an ethernet card they were all pretty useful for genereal network testing/troubleshooting. Pocket excel in a highly portable package with a qwerty keyboard (plus that 5+ hour runtime) made the quarterly property audit much simpler.
Kind of an eclectic set of uses I know, but these days I've got an NTT Docomo Sigmarion III that does all that, but also has a 400mhz ARM based processor (the others ranged from 133mhz to 206mhz), an ATI Imageon video DSP with 8mb of video RAM, and a VGA (or was it 800x480?) screen. Add an SDIO wifi card and a 16GB CF flash card and you can play music/DIVX rips and surf the web just fine.
Trouble is these things are out of production, cost at least $275 used, and have one of the most finicky of the WinCE.NET variants made (4.1).
For $99 this thing is a STEAL for me. And I honestly think it would meet many other peoples needs if they gave it a chance (which most probably won't). I mean, is WinCE really all that much more beyond the casual users ability than Linux is ? And at $99 I could afford to buy Softmaker Office ($75), an SDIO wifi card ($30), 16GB CF card ($50) for under the entry level price for EEE's and have a machine that does all the same things*, but that runs for 3 - 5 hours on a single charge and does so SILENTLY (no fan).
To each their own of course, but at $99, I'M totally in...
* - I am admittedly assuming it has both a CF slot and SDIO. It may have one, the other, or neither. I'm also relying on the user to know something about how to use the device, and where to download all the freeware require to bring the device up to Linux level EEE functionality. Out of the box the EEE will undoubtedly be a more capable machine...
you can buy an N64 for 7 dollars on ebay.
you can buy a pet rock on ebay for $7
what's your point?
64 megs, Nintendo 64, etc. Also, $7 is too much for a pet rock.
Roto, you just don't get it. Skippy is my BEST FRIEND!
Uh... Didn't the "64" in "Nintendo 64" mean 64 bit graphics...?
there are also many laptops on ebay for cheap as well...
Google: "Nintendo 64 specs" + I'm feeling lucky
source: http://www.cyberiapc.com/vgg/nintendo_n64.htm
Technical Specs:
CPU: 64-bit R4300i RISC (93.75MHz) / 64-bit data paths, registers with 5-stage pipelining
Co-processor: 64-bit RISC (62.5MHz)
RAM: 4MB (36Mb) upgradeable
Graphics: Pixel Drawing Processor (RDP) built into co-processor
Colors: 16.7 million (32,000 on screen)
Polygons: 150,000 per second
Resolution: 640x480 pixels
Sound: 16 to 24-channel 16-bit stereo (up to 100 PCM channels possible)
Mariowned!
Sounds pretty good. If you can add ram, install XP and get a USB stick for storage, this thing could actually be quite useful.
Since when has XP run on an ARM system? Can't modify that with a proprietary OS...
Yeah, and even you can (and I hope you can) shift the internal storage over to operating RAM, that's still not enough memory to run XP. BUT you could have a really sweet 128MB netbook running on Puppy, Damn Small, or TinyMe under that setup. My recommend would be Tiny.
The only question is will the BIOS boot from USB on this? YES=$150* netbook party . NO=ugly, oversized pda.
*includes $50 for a nice huge usb stick
That seems great from a bang for buck point of view, but there are some major data points missing. For one, what processor does this thing use? Is it moddable? Mini PCIe ports inside for modding? Upgradeable RAM or soldered? Unfortunately, this info probably won't be available until someone actually buys it...and even then, where is it available...considering I live in smalltown Canada....
If only XP ran on ARM :P
Most likely runs on a Strong ARM or MIPS processor. I'm guessing the former since it is more dominant in the portable computer/pocket PC realm.
According to the Brochuer (sic), it is a 400 MHz processor, and it runs Windows CE imbedded, so I would think an Xscale or equivalent.
I'd call it more a clone of the OLPC, not the Eee.
Talk about a cheap modders dream. Yeah the cpu is only 400mhz, but linux would be fine on this. I just wonder how expensive "built in wifi" is? i hope you can add more ram, would kinda be worth it.
Well it's running wince, so it's most likely not flashable. This is just a rehash of the old windows hpc form factor, which didn't really take off as well as ms wanted it to.
Umm, wince was completely flashable, you just had to hack through activesync. This one might not even require that what with 3 usb ports, esp if it's got a decent BIOS setup.
@maxz:
http://www.jointech.com.hk/downloads/Laptop_JL7100_Datesheet.pdf
CPU & Chipset: ARM 9 Core, Samsung
So, no you will not be able to run XP on it.
Might make a decent little Linux box if it's sufficiently hackable, but I already have enough devices which run Linux and have cramped keyboards.
The .pdf says "Linux Optional" So maybe not to hard.
Hey, wow, they've re-invented the IBM WorkPad z50, which offers a bigger screen, a 90% vintage IBM-quality keyboard, and a PC-Card slot that can support a RAM drive or even an old-school removable hard drive. It ran for 8-10 hours on a standard battery, but you could also use AA batteries in a pinch. Oh, and there's been a Free BSD build for the z50 for years....
Let's see....that device came out in...1999 or so.
for taking notes in class, this might be right up my alley, and for $99 bucks, even if it ends up being terrible i'm not going to kill myself over buying it
And I'll be sitting a row back, embarrassed for you.
Damn, a keeping it real fake I actually might get. At worst, it's a big PDA, but at $99 it's 80% off the price of a PDA. This is something I would get just for the hell of it. If it can at least run a decent browser, this is a no brainer for a spare or a third laptop.
You can probably get a browser on it, but surfing the modern web with 64MB of RAM lol good luck.
Been there and done that happily, and if it's like any other WinCE memory setup, then it should actually be 128MB RAM split 50/50 for storage and memory. Add your own storage and you're surfing quite happily with a lite OS and even Opera. I've done as much.
three words - damn small linux
Maybe not. This thing probably has an ARM processor, considering the fact that it is running Windows mobile. As far as I know, there aren't any great Linux distributions for ARM processors yet - if at all. Would be nice though :).
Dillon, search is your friend. There are at least a half dozen distros that would work on this.
Ya, but you don't know how flexible the hardware is. My x50v for example runs on an ARM processor, and there still aren't any Linux distributions for it (except one that never got finished), even though it uses a relatively common processor.
3 letters:
f g t
WinCE 5.0 ? heck, my phone runs 6.0! (and I'm still waiting for the official 6.1 upgrade)
your phone doesn't run win CE, it runs win mobile. They are not the same, not even close, which should be obvious be a desktop being shown in the pics above.
lol you vagina, Windows Mobile 6's core is Windows CE 5.2.
Windows CE will not die yet
Am I the only one that noticed the screenshot photoshopped onto the promo images is XP?
It's probably Windows CE 5, Windows XP Embedded or Windows Fundamentals.
Yes, because the rest of the world don't have eyes.
Just because it has the bliss background doesn't mean it's running Win XP...?
It also is clearly not using the Luna theme.
People are always so quick to say "0000 ehm gee itz ze fotoshoppzzz!".
well heck!!! $99.00!!! very kewl!! hell just use a s aPDA lol
Might be good for a pr0n computer. I'm sure these will sell like hotcakes in Nigeria too!
I doubt it. Most Nigerians are so rich, they give away millions just to move cash out of their country.
So true, I hear their main export is money. Apparently I have a lot of rich relatives who died there who left me money.
i don't know about you, but i have more than 64 MB of pron...
Hotcakes don't sell that well in Nigeria. It's effin' hot already.
the guy roughly 30 comments NORTH of me is a douchebag. just saying..
You fail at replying.
This would be a very cheap word processor for writers and students.
except for the fact that prolonged typing on such a small keyboard would probably make sure that your fingers would never be useable for fine-motorical skills ever again ;(
I have thin fingers, so it probably wouldn't bother me much. Poor, starving students and writers would probably be in the same boat.
If they could add some additional RAM and RIP off windows CE to supply with Linux based OS - awesome.
The Datasheet says "Win CE 5.0 (Linux optional)". Not real informative, but apparently Linux is officially supported.
You could do a search for the world's cheapest laptop and you'll see it's exactly what you want.
If I could get it for a 100 bucks I´ll surely buy it and see what it can be done with it.
Cannibalize some pentium 3 or maybe 4, look between the cushions for some ram, install wifi in a usb port (not for browsing, just to get files from the NAS), of course get rid of CE in a heartbeat... ya know...things.
If then it's gonna burn down I''l still have the monitor to mod into a digital frame, or something else maybe.
Yeah; I´ll pay a 100 bucks. Sure.
For $99 this would make a nice replacement for an aging MobilPro 780 or 900. It's about the same size and weight, has a better screen, less batter life, but still, I'm interested.
I had a ibm workpad in the day, still the best battery life of any device I have ever used.
If they can replicate the 8-10 hour battery life (16 with extended) then they have a sure winner.
sometimes all you need is a glorified typewriter that will actually last you for a full day on a charge.
yeah...65k colors lcd screen. that's not something you want to stare at for a long period of time...
I have to disagree. I used a similar quality screen on my MP780 for years (actually at only 640x240). It really wasn't a problem at all.
I find it odd how people are saying you can't run xp on this. The XDA guys have full fledge installs of Windows 98, 2000 and even XP running on their phones(most of them via an emulator) on sd or cf cards.
EPIC FAIL! lol
Imagine putting Google Android Linux on this.
This is the future of laptops.
ARM based laptops cost less then half the cost of X86 based laptops, they consume less then half the power, take up less then half the size and weight.
hmmm i have a hp jornada 720, but this would be a cool replacement.
where do i get this outside of hongkong? or can i order it somewhere? doesn't look bad at all...
To no surprise, this is a better deal than the Palm Folio! Heck, maybe Palm should sell re-badged versions of these for a laugh. :)
64 Megs of storage....Really... Looks more like an oversized mp3 player to me.. You know, with keys for easy navigation. On second thought i'll just stick to my ipod. More space :-p
Congratulations on completely and absolutely missing the point of this device.
I don't know if anyone bothered to double check, but I'm pretty sure this DOESN'T have wifi so I guess you'll have to use one of those USB ports for a dongle.
It says WIFI is available but at an extra cost. I think the real question is where the hell can I order one of these?
If you read the data sheet pdf someone else linked, you'll see 99 bucks is the price if you order 1000 pieces. Sample price (which i assume would be the price for one) is 250 (without wifi). So unless you need 1000 dirt cheap laptops, it's not enough cheaper than the eee surf 2 gig.
What the hell? Page 2 and no iPhone comments! This must be a terrible product if no one is comparing it to the iPhone.
haha so true.
quote of the day
A product so terrible that nobody compares it to the iphone.
ahahaha way to go hong kong
The price-point is the killer here. Win CE 5.0 isn't Windows XP, but it's a better fit for this device. And I bet the battery outperforms XP when it comes to using Word, Excel, etc. because CE versions are stripped.
I think this is going to sell very well. But I can't help but wonder how much better this would have sold if it had a touch-screen and swivel? How much could those things cost? $50? If these guys made this into a tablet and threw some PointUI / TouchFlo on here I think it'd be awesome. Maybe that'll be the $200 version.
$99 is still a ripoff when there is potential for $0 worth of useful productivity out of it. Could those specs even play Doom?
Laptop's sole purpose isn't to play games...
If you can understand that...
Someone call Zürich's "European Fecal Standards & Measurements Institute", I think we have a record breaker.
**$99 is still a ripoff when there is potential for $0 worth of useful productivity out of it. Could those specs even play Doom?**
Oh, I see that playing doom is productive now...
Put an email client on there, and a better web browser and you've got a nice little browsing device.
You can put Maemo (nokia n810 OS)on those without problem, and it will be a very good web surfer.
I agree. With maemo.org getting some separation from Nokia, it should be easier to do than any other distro.
64mb? i bet i can run vista and crysis.
As it states on microsoft's ebsite, its quite possible to run a copy of win 98 on the thing : D
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/182751
win98 must've gotten some new cpu support lately ;)
what is wrong with CE?
idk. good question. i just don't like things to be stock. lol.
also, if people want more storage, its almost the exact same chassis as the 701, so im quite sure there is plenty of room for all the mods people do on 701s.
uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
it's $99, if and only if you buy 1000 of them,
and...
$249, if you buy only 1...........................
RIPOFF
Um... source?
Anyway, I was really into Pocket PC and WinCE devices between 2000 and 2006. From where I stand, even $250 for a machine like this is a good deal. I'm sort of embarrassed to say that I spent $750 on the Jornada 720 when it came out--but I daresay I got $750 worth of use out of it.
Don't dis embedded, ARM-based computing solutions until you've tried 'em. The worst thing about them was the price, and this one seems to have taken care of that handily.
Plus shipping and handling from China, its easily exceeding $300, the price of a 2G EEEPC. With $100 more you can get an Aspire One with 120GB HDD, WiFi, Bluetooth, Windows XP, Atom 1.6GHz ...
Its a rip off!
Does Win CE know what to do with a USB port?