Is this WiBrain's Atom-based M1 MID?

For those who've had a really tough time warming to WiBrain's design schemes, maybe this one will finally be the device you're able to fall for. This much shorter (albeit chubbier) device is said to be the elusive M1 MID, which was spotted chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool at IDF 2008. Initial specifications include a 4.8-inch 1,024 x 600 resolution display, an Atom processor, 512MB to 1GB of RAM, an 8GB / 16GB SSD, WiFi / Bluetooth, HSDPA, mobile TV and "Linux or Windows XP" as OS options. So, WiBrain haters -- would you give this a shot at winning you over?

[Via Pocketables, thanks techiefan77]

[idiot @ Aug 21st 2008 10:10AM]

still looks like sh--SHUT YO MOUTH! I'm only talking about WiBrain. THEN WE CAN DIG IT!

[JamesM @ Aug 21st 2008 10:30AM]

Idiot indeed.

[schmitty338 @ Aug 21st 2008 10:22AM]

Wow...those are some pretty decent stats...looks like it would be kinda awkward to type on, but the screen resolution is quite impressive for such a small screen.

Still don't really see a big use for devices like this given the cheap price that devices like the EEE and AspireOne can be had. But to each their own.

[dervheid @ Aug 21st 2008 10:29AM]

Eh.........
.............
No.

[ne @ Aug 21st 2008 10:31AM]

Wow! How are we supposed to read the text on that screen!?

[Benhur @ Aug 22nd 2008 5:54AM]

Well, with the seperatly sold, atom infused magnifying glass, of course.

[Minilap @ Aug 21st 2008 10:32AM]

A bit tick but that's exactly the device I have been waiting to come out for two years.

[kjb434 @ Aug 21st 2008 10:33AM]

So this is a Sidekick on steroids?

[Dan Halen @ Aug 21st 2008 11:45AM]

It's an OQO 02 on ugly.

[dcny @ Aug 21st 2008 9:52PM]

It's a OQO/sidekick/brick on steroids beat with the ugly branch

[Josh @ Aug 21st 2008 10:33AM]

good stats, but pretty ugly and awkward looking

[Reece @ Aug 21st 2008 10:35AM]

It looks really thick and uncomfortable to hold

That might just be the camera angle though.

I'm not a hater, and I'd give it a try.

[gylman @ Aug 21st 2008 10:36AM]

It's very similar to the Sony UX models. Those were very hard to use due to the small screen. Part of the problem with the Sony series was their ridiculous cost (before they went on 50% markdown because no one bought them).

If this is reasonably priced, and has a usable keyboard and pointer interface, it might be more worthwhile.

But I think it will be trumped by devices like the Gigabyte M528 which have better screen to overall size ratio and are probably significantly lighter.

[Doyle @ Aug 21st 2008 10:37AM]

T-Mobile hire WiBrain for Sidekick Slide 2.0?

[Tom @ Aug 21st 2008 10:40AM]

Did Ben Keck manage the ultimate hack and somehow fuse a Sinclair ZX81 with a DVD player? If so, then this is the happiest day of my life!

[sandra @ Aug 21st 2008 10:50AM]

You had me right up untill only 8/16GB of hard drive space, i'm having space issues with my Sony UX380 which has a 40GB, even a 32GB SSD drive wouldn't fly, let alone 8 or 16, aside from that it's really nice though, very similar to the Sony UMPC which IMO is the best one out there.

[raul @ Aug 21st 2008 10:51AM]

When will Intel invent small stickers to put on these machines... I never liked the stickers but now they are out of proportion...

[bioadam @ Aug 21st 2008 10:51AM]

"So, WiBrain haters -- would you give this a shot at winning you over?"

No!

[gordo @ Aug 21st 2008 10:55AM]

So....is that just a skin on it to make XP look like vista or is it just a picture they took after and stuck it over top of the existing photo to make it look like its running vista? what is the deal wit dat

[Ken @ Aug 21st 2008 10:58AM]

... shoot'n some b'ball outside of school. When a couple of guys who were up to no good started making trouble in my neighborhood...

[Richard Lai @ Aug 21st 2008 11:00AM]

Please tell me that is a Photoshopped device! It is proper fugly!

[Bleck @ Aug 21st 2008 11:02AM]

Price has always been the significant factor here.. I doubt anyone has been really that disappointed with the specifications. However, if this is anymore than $400 then you might as well just get a netbook to be honest...

[chlettn @ Aug 21st 2008 11:05AM]

Nice screen! Ugly design!

[BlackCoffeeNoSugar @ Aug 21st 2008 11:39AM]

Yeah. My first generation Game Boy looks better than this.

[jesusss @ Aug 21st 2008 11:51AM]

why vista?? it could barely run that well on my hp pavillion dv6000.. thats basically why i switched to a mac. (trust me im not a fanboy at all i have it dualbooted with xp professional which i use a lot more than osx!)

[john @ Aug 21st 2008 1:55PM]

Vista? looks like OS-X to me. Or is this another case of MS stealing their look and feel from Apple? (I honestly don't know, I haven't looked at Vista at all, no need/desire to)

[jesusss @ Aug 21st 2008 2:58PM]

i was wrong by reading the description it comes with linux or xp (hopefully the linux version is cheaper)

[ada @ Aug 21st 2008 11:56AM]

add GPRS and a T-Mo logo...

[Blayed @ Aug 21st 2008 12:08PM]

I can honestly see a 5 year old kid holding a device that looks exactly like this playing some crude game which shows man similarities to Tetris...

[Jason @ Aug 21st 2008 12:21PM]

"For those who've had a really tough time warming to WiBrain's design schemes, maybe this one will [even make you vomit]."

[rav97 @ Aug 21st 2008 1:26PM]

Only a WiZombie would be attracted to something this ugly. Which I am not.

[john @ Aug 21st 2008 1:57PM]

I've been advocating that the Nokia NIT's go to this type of form factor for a while. Maybe not to fat, and maybe a different layout for the buttons on the shoulders.


But, that said, if it has a comfortable feel for the keyboard, an HSPA modem option, ubuntu mobile, and decent battery life... I'd probably buy it.

[john @ Aug 21st 2008 2:00PM]

Oh, and, a tilt screen.

[andy @ Aug 21st 2008 2:02PM]

oh hell yes, that keyboard looks so much fun to type on! I cant wait!

[substance90 @ Aug 21st 2008 2:52PM]

Finally a MID that I actually kinda like, though it seems too bulky.

[Pc_Madness @ Aug 21st 2008 8:19PM]

I dunno, it looks to be an alright thickness. I've got a Samsung Q1 Ultra and with the normal battery, its damn thing, but kinda hard to hold, even with my small hands, but when you chuck on the extended battery, its just right. So abit of thickness doesn't do any harm, and it can add so much more to a device (ie room for a larger battery or whatever). That was the problem with alot of other devices like the HTC Shift, they tried to be thin, but ended up having crappy battery life due to the size of the battery. :p

[Mr. Picklesworth @ Aug 21st 2008 3:46PM]

"Mobile", but doesn't actually fit in a pocket, thus necessitating a bag. Thus, it may as well be a small notebook. It would probably do better being that since it would save the screen being scratched to bits.
Lame.

Screen is only .7 inches larger than a Nokia N810, which does fit in a pocket. (And anyone who has VNCed into Vista from that will realize that running an OS designed for desktops is not fun on such a screen).

Not that the power isn't there, but I too really don't see the point. This is not what an MID should be, yet it seems to be all we're getting.
What the hell is going on here?!

[Benson @ Aug 22nd 2008 11:55AM]

Well, I've only done serious RDP/VNC work with my N800 and XP, not Vista, but I don't know why it should be any worse. "Not fun" is rather subjective, I guess.

The main thing to note about this is that the 4.7" screen is 1024x600, a bump up in resolution. I'd like that quite well, and I _think_ this is still pants-pocket size.

It looks like a clean scale-up of the N800 as far as bezel/speaker/dpad region, so the whole thing should be about an inch longer, maybe 2x thickness, and a smidgen wider. Pocketable, if I'm right.

My big issue is guaranteed to be the battery life. But go ahead and prove me wrong, WiBrain. Please!

[Max @ Aug 21st 2008 6:20PM]

What OS is on that screen? I thought it might be vista. But I wanted to know what menu bar/program it running on the bottom of the screen. Looks like Object dock or rocket dock? is there a different one for vista?

[Benson @ Aug 22nd 2008 11:57AM]

I'd guess it's Linux. You can run approximately any UI on Linux, and there's a handful that do dockish things.

They did say XP/Linux, I don't know of such a thing for Linux, and it's hard to imagine they're running Vista on it for no good reason.

[Benson @ Aug 22nd 2008 11:58AM]

s/for Linux/for XP\/Vista/

[loosely_coupled @ Aug 22nd 2008 2:04AM]

Thats a beautiful screen. 4.8-inch and 1,024 x 600 would make for a great Apple multi-touch mini-tablet!

[wyszkow @ Sep 25th 2008 2:36AM]

Better keyboard
http://digg.com/design/Any_languages_keyboard