Wibrain shows off Atom-based i1, takes shot at Blackberry
By Donald Melanson 
posted Sep 1st 2008 12:34PM
posted Sep 1st 2008 12:34PM
We've already seen some nice and polished images of Wibrain's Atom-based i1 MID / UMPC, but the company's now finally let the device out on the trade show circuit, and the folks at Pocket-lint thankfully managed to grab a few shots of it at IFA. As we had heard, the device packs either a 1.1GHz or 1.3GHz Atom processor, along with 1GB of RAM, a 30GB or 60GB hard drive or 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB SSD (no 64GB option, it seems) and, perhaps most notably, tri-band UMTS / HSDPA and quad-band GPRS / EDGE connectivity. There's still no word on a price or release date, unfortunately, but Wibrain sure is taking a rather, um, interesting approach to marketing the device, with one of its leaflets (pictured after the break) boldly proclaiming, "Sorry, Blackberry. We provide you a real free mobile life – full browsing internet plus the complete functionality of Outlook, of course all MS Office documentation anytime, anywhere". Oh, snap.
At least they should hire a designer team.
"Yes the designer team has picked the color, and Pink is the new Black"
this is fun because it's damn true.
Well, it's true as long as you don't click the read link, and see pictures of baby-blue (the other new black) and black (the everything-old-is-new-again black?!) versions as well.
Yea, I love the specs but I just can't get over the unorthodox layout. I'll should try it out for a while before I criticize it.
Big enough? I'll pass....
I don't know what kind of crack they're smoking to think that this in any way competes with BlackBerry. First of all, it will probably be 3-4 times the price of a low-end BlackBerry, which means there isn't a manager in the world who will fill out a req for this over a BlackBerry for one of his employees, and 3/4 of all BlackBerry sales are corporate. Second of all, the thing is a brick. It isn't even close to being a mobile device. You might as well bring along your full laptop, which again rules out the corporate crowd.
Did I mention it's ugly as sin so the 10% of BlackBerry users who are fashion whores rather than cube farm convicts will also not buy it.
Sorry WiBrain, My Blackberry fits perfectly in my shirt pocket.
What I want to know is if these atom based machines can play a game like WoW or CS. I would buy one just to play some older games on it.
YES IT CAN!
IMO: This thing is massive. It aint there to compete with an iPhone, it has no relevance to the post. It's got xp, which i would say is a pocket pc? the iPhone being a pocket mac, erm... nope, how many mac application can it run? doubt you can do you video editing on the iPhone. I think you are getting ahead of yourself. It is quite an ugly MID though but quite powerful.
Who are you talking to, and what does this have to do with the iPhone?
So it's saying it's better than blackberry by saying it does what Windows Mobile does...
Wow.
While we're on the topic of Windows Mobile Office, why can't you create new documents with it? You can open a document and go into "Edit Mode" and edit the hell out of anything, but you can't start from scratch? Wtf?
I keep a blank document saved to work around this, but still shouldn't there be a new document button somewhere?
Windows Mobile Standard*
Oh. So I'm low ranked for the truth? Geez. When did this become a Mac article?
"Oh. So I'm low ranked for the truth?"
At about the point when everyone else realised that this isn't a Windows Mobile device. It's a Windows XP device.
Oh, I KNOW it's a windows XP device. I was just saying that what they're advertising is nothing new. And doesn't have to be on a device that big.
You know, I've had my Tytn II for about a year now, and I can't seem to find the complete Outlook functionality on here, nor a complete internet experience...
I don't think Wibrain understands that the Blackberry isn't about cramming as much productivity functions as possible into a portable device. The ergonomics of that keyboard is atrocious and that's only the beginning. Wibrain, hire some R&D and product designers. Or a marketing team that won't make you look like clueless fools.
I hate comparison commercial when they bring one of the the best to compete against them.
Just like iPod and Zune,
"Disreputation"
WTF is that?????
I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.........
Fair enough, but they are not mac apps, they are iPhone / iTouch apps. there is a different. dont think you could replace your macbook pro with an iPhone
Wha-?
I fail to see why they targeted BB specifically. How about taking a shot at other products that are actually IN THE SAME UMPC CATEGORY?
I guess they didn't think they could make a good comparison with something in the same class. They had to go for beating a smartphone in features.
it's as big as a game gear yet has suppposedly more features then a BB, I don't see how this thing can compare with a BB due to it's size. If they could make it smaller then yea it might stand up to a BB
Seriously, you Apple fanbois are totally killing this site for me...and I worked for Apple!
Not sure what this really has to do with Blackberry or iphone but, if you're interested, it was at IDF a few weeks ago and I did a quick video.
http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/08/wibrain-i1-intel-atom-based-umpc-video-overview/
Should have one for testing in a few weeks. Chippy.
I guess it could all depend on what you use your pc for. You make fair points. Respect. I'm not saying the iPhone isn't good, cuz it is, my brother has it and an iTouch. Don't really think you have been low ranked there are you wrote a fair piece that was not Fanboyism. Nice.
Did I miss something?
Your brother has an iPhone and an iPod Touch? Why would he have both?
I doubt you want to do video editing on this either... At least the iPhone can do h264 properly.
@Phoenix
He had the touch first, his last creative broke. Also was still on contract, then got the iPhone 3G at the end of the minimum term.
You posted your videos once in this article already. At least wait for another story that is unrelated to the iPhone before you spam again, please.
brick???
The iPhone can't edit video, it can't play any decent games (well those it can are extremely difficult to control with a touch interface), you can't use Java, you can't process or download large amounts of data. The iPhone will never be a reasonable replacement for a laptop, at least in my eyes the screen is too small to use regularly for web browsing, it's missing way too many basic features (If Apple didn't manage copy+paste in the multitude of firmware updates so far what makes you think it's coming?) and generally is you know... meant to be a smartphone... a phone that does a lot but can't really replace a proper computer.
Stop trying to compare completely different products, this is a small ATOM based portable computer that looks terrible and you're trying to compare it to a smartphone that looks terrible and that likely costs at least twice as much money.
You can't take a shot at Blackberry when your device runs Windows...
I'd take XP over BB OS anyday, thank you.
yeah, i kinda sorta fucking hate the BB OS, with a passion.
Screw them both.
don't feed the trolls
Big and just too bloody fugly. Ya know, if they shrank the whole thing, rounded the edges, put a camera on the back, put the screen above a full keyboard....that'd be awesome. Just like my Blackberry. Mopes.
The iPhone costs $200? That's news to me, you know since it costs $30 a month on a 2 year contract means overall it costs over $900.
If you had a phone without a contract it wouldn't do a whole lot.
So saying something is expensive because of a mandatory service fee in ridiculous.
@ Phanbuoy
How exactly am I trolling? I'm not saying the iPhone is bad because it isn't, I've used it and rather liked it (though I personally preferred the HTC I also had a quick flick around with) however I'm simply pointing out that you cannot compare a smartphone that costs over $900 with what is effectively a netbook.
huh? relax, i meant the serial poster who was deleted going on about replacing a laptop with an iphone
Oh right, ops :P Sorry.
The deletion thing confused me, threw all the posts out of order.
Ha ha ha! I knew there was something going on here. All these posts that had nothing to do with anything were replies to other posts that had nothing to do with anything.
Engadget, delete the now-obsolete replies while you're at it.
The one change I'd like is a switch to UMTS quad-band; since I'd put pretty good money on the tri-band not including 1700 (T-Mo USA).
Yes, I have a Wibrain and I can tell you it rocks! Its the ultimate sofa browser while watching TV or in bed while you have sex.
Um, okaaaaay...
Nice name, BTW.
The name wibrain is too similiar to Wii. I smell a lawsuit.
Wi as in WiFi
Has Nintendo sued over WiFi yet?
Has Nintendo sued the english language over "we" yet? Which was what it was intending to sound like anyway ;)
Will there be a Linux version?
(You can get MS Office running in Linux by the way, check appdb.winehq.org)
I can't wait for KOffice 2.0. It's going to rock.
OpenOffice and Microsoft Office are both ugly hacks.
Apple Fanboys are Gay.
OMG!!! Am I being punked???? I know Aston Kucher is about to jump out because the only "shot" that thing is taking is at the trash can!!!
Yes that thing can play wow!!!!!!go to this video : and this guy is playing wow on it and he has the old slower model with via c7
What a shame too read this and hear a large portion of convictions about it's "appearance". I remember when function over-ruled any aesthetic displeasure and when intelligent people would buy things just based on use. I like my Blackberry and it is only a few months old, but as soon as I can get my hands on this I will. I just dislike "users" who would buy a piece of scrap technology because it looks nicer. That is to say the people who base there decision on buying a car over whether or not it has cup holders placed where they want. I wish more people were hackers and we could just allow curiosity and innovation to drive us. People who would not buy this because it "looks like a brick" drive consumer based markets to cater to retards to make sales; just bothers me.