Netbooks too big for you?
MIDs too cramped? What you need is a super mini laptop from Korean company UMID, one of the sexiest entrants into what seems to be a burgeoning sub-netbook category (or subnet-books for the network admins out there). It weighs just 315 grams (a little over a half-pound) and, while exact dimensions weren't listed, seems to sit somewhere between
Nintendo DS and
Everun Note in terms of size (judge for yourself, more pics below). Inside it can pack a 1.33GHz Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, and up to 32GB of storage via SSD, meaning it can hold its own against the netbook hordes, and do so on the run thanks to WiBro, WiMAX, HSDPA, WiFi, and Bluetooth connectivity. It also has a 1.3 megapixel camera situated next to a 4.8-inch 1024 x 600 touchscreen and can be yours running XP, Vista, or Linux. Well, not
yours, since we don't know when or where this thing will be appearing for sale first or, for that matter, how much it will cost when it does.
[Via
jkkmobile]
posted Nov 12th 2008 8:21AM
Trackpad?
touch screen :D
Damn! Thats awsome.
I agree.
Awesomeness aside, am i the only one thats thinking that text will be too small to read?
Meh, not a complaint. The smaller these net books, uh, "super mini laptops" get, the more likely its going to find its way onto a SMALLER phone. XP in my pocket ftw!
It's super cool. But I bet that keyboard is a bitch to type on and as already said, it's going to be hard as hell to read text on that screen. As we begin to see more of these micro mini computers, Microsoft needs to develop a version of Windows which has the power of the full version while being customized for use with this form factor.
I agree with penguin. They should have redesigned the keyboard to be more thumb friendly.
I also agree with penquin. Mostl people finger are fare too fat for normal typing here.
And if no one else noticed, the keyboard looks visibly warped. Bad build, or intentional?
Great, just great.
Now i need to change my pants!
i bet this thing will cost loads, i dont know why just seems expensive 'oooh' 'aaah' maybe all those wireless conectivity options=/....seems good though:)
I'm expecting it to be at least $1000
Love it
Wow! iPhone killer! (if you hit it hard enough)
Nothing is going to kill the iPhone....why say it!
why even mention the iphone???? its a subnet book thing god lol
This WILL kill the iPhone: href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edaJP3Lp0Gg
OpenMoko will kill the iPhone...
Joke's on you, Craig. I've come to enjoy this song now. The man in black spent years develolping an immunity to iocaine powder, and I to Rick Astley.
To Craig -- Damn, you'd think I'd have memorized that youtube video code by now...
Notice the part where he says "if you hit it hard enough"...I think he means literally kill it, by hitting it.
Releases in 2009 !
I will wait and buy this puppy!
Somebody's excited!
cannot comment on "Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 reviewed on Engadget Mobile"..any idea?
They disabled the comments because you're supposed to do your commenting on the actual review at Engadget Mobile.
I'm predicting a $2000 price tag for this thing.
Now we're getting somewhere! Do need to see the price though. Over $599=meh.
There is absolutely no chance in hell of this thing coming out at Netbook prices. Just look at the loads of wireless options for proof. They didn't hold back any specs because they weren't aiming for a low price.
Yeah, this is more on par with the U820 (worse screen, better wireless) than netbooks. Definitely gonna be $1000 or more.
1200.00 price just guessing or 999.00
I would say $9001.-
$100 and "EEE PC killer" tag.
Is it just me, or is that keyboard suffering from some major bulging and uneveness?
Nonetheless, pretty sleek and good specs for those who have a use for such a thing, or techies that have enough money just to play around with it!
I want this; never understood why netbooks like my Asus 900 offer 1/3 of the keyboardspace to unpleasant-to-use touchpads. Why does no one add a mouse and a decent keyboard instead?
Where do I sign? Pretty puppy!
From the hinge it appears to take "C" batteries.
Cool!
Come on, is there any laptop that runs on C batteries? Definitely not.
At what point does it stop being a small laptop and start being an oversized PDA?
When a Chinese factory replaces Windows XP with Windows CE, which has sadly already happened far too many times.
When the go from ARM to x86
Nice, but 4.8 inch screen? Hard to really work on. I would like the 8 or 10 in netbooks. Still cool.
EPIC want!
The UMID is eerily reminding me of the Psion palmtops of old...
sweet! this reminds me of my old school Toshiba Libretto I used to carry around with me, just updated an fancier! This is just what I've been looking for, a mini pc to carry in my backpack for fun use. Tether it to the iphone and wallah! Hopefully this hot piece of goodness isn't too expensive, under $600 would be nice =) Definitely plan on checking this hot piece of pc when it becomes available.
Why bother tethering when it's got 3G data built in?
Keep dreaming on the price, this thing clearly isn't competing with the Eee, it's a high-end product.
I'm glad to see more competition in the high-end sub-netbook category...Fujitsu and Sony are about the only players there at the moment.
Wow that looks awesome. Get rid of a bit of the bezel, and you have a buyer!
I don't think there is anything better for carrying around school than that!
What I would like to know is how hard it is going to be to type something out on a laptop that small.
Depends on how small your hands are. I have long thin hands/fingers so this would be no problem for me. I used to own an HP Jornada 728 handtop and it was freakin' AWESOME! I used it all the time to type out papers for class. But it used WIndows CE which is ridiculous nowadays.
This having XP would be the PERFECT upgrade. I like netbooks, but this is closer to what I'm used to.
Said already above but this might be a thumb-typer.
May I request that engadget specify when they mention the atom if it's the old one or the new dual one, that little details makes quite the difference for the user.
Pro tip: If it doesn't say, it's not dual core
Well it has Bluetooth. If you don't like the keyboard (I agree it looks funky) then you could hook up any BT keyboard and mouse. I use my fold-up ThinkOutside BT keyboard and mouse now on my retro PPC HP hx4700 as well as my Dell lappy. So why don't they just ditch the keyboard so you can connect the BT device of your choice. Naw, then it would look too much like an old PDA. That is too scary for most folks.
Battery life?
The specs list a 2000mAh battery, with an optional 6000mAh battery. No idea what that would give for battery life, and _really_ no idea what that 6000mAh battery would look like on a device this small..
I did some searching on korean sites, and I stumbled along to what appears to be the (incomplete, but) official UMID website. The link is, quite obviously, www.umid.co.kr.
The most interesting part is that it lists a device with similar wireless options, but not one time does it show a keyboard or the like. Makes me think that they might have more than one device coming out, one being a typical PMP-style device you see everywhere here in Korea, but then running on Windows XP, and the other being the one you see in this post. Curious to see what's what, and I'll definitely keep an eye out while browsing the gadget stores here! :)
The keyboard seems a bit cramped, though. It elicits feelings of the nokia communicator machines.
having normally sized letter keys is all well and good, but you need appropriately sized special keys (spacebar, enter, backspace, etc) to get a usable experience.
Can't argue with full-sized spacebar button.
The real question though, is will it blend?
42 Models of eeepc that couldnt do what this lil thing can. I love the obvious portability and looks of this, $1000-$1500 usd I would happily accept to add a peice of kit like this to my collection. The screen and keyboard probably wont get along with my fat fingers though.
Sweet! Sweet spot, they need to come in all sizes
choose the size you want and go with it
i would love a 6 inch super mini laptop
with a blackberry keyboard
and an apple on the inside
for 3g surfing, for life
for movies and music
can communicate with my iphone for file transfers
and has a video alarm clock
takers?
Since when Apple makes phone hardware?...
The whole Atom 1.33 ghz package in one DS sized machine that fits in your pocket? That's fantastic. They'll probably be very expensive and eat batteries like crazy, but i want one.
Anyway expect this size to go off big later. When clones of these come out and it becomes cheaper, everyone will want one and theyll probably be hotter then the netbooks are now.
4.8 inch screen size and weight of 3 phones make it look not too pocketable to me.
It's just like the old Sony PictureBook series. They were really ahead of their time. I had several including a C1VN model that had the webcam, ran XP and worked great.
If the width is narrow enough say 4" or less to enable it to fit into a typical suit inside jacket pocket that would be a great computer!!!!!! Can you post the dimensions when they are available?
Best of all it supports WiMAX.
http://www.WiMAXED.com
perfect! well almost... does it have a USB port?????????????????? gotta have a USB port !!!!!!!!