EMTEC bringing 10-inch Gdium netbook to America for $400

While EMTEC clearly knows how to have a good time, it's getting back to business with the Gdium. If you'll recall, we heard about this here netbook eons ago, but since then, we've been too overwhelmed by countless Eee models and various changes in Wind direction to even give this fellow a second thought. Now, however, we're told that the firm will be debuting the 10-inch netbook at CES in preparation for a US release. The Linux-based machine will come loaded with loads of open source software as well as a G-Key, which is described as "a bootable USB key on which the Linux operating system, applications, and personal data are stored." Expect it to ship in white, black and pink sometime between January and the end of time for $400.

[Boarderwoot @ Dec 30th 2008 5:17PM]

Hey, where'd the article on giant glowing balls go?

[Tayklor @ Dec 30th 2008 5:20PM]

That's what I thought... I don't know.

[Jase @ Dec 30th 2008 5:21PM]

they deleted it because they realized it was year old.

[Brian @ Dec 30th 2008 5:26PM]

giant glowing balls? sounds like an article for a mens health site.

[Superevil @ Dec 30th 2008 5:34PM]

Still no ECS G10IL though. Oh Well.

[Les @ Dec 30th 2008 5:37PM]

Having the 'g-key'(aka a thumb drive) is a pretty neat idea, if It's form factor allows it to slide in and effectively disappear.
I have Ubuntu boot on a thumb drive, and it's nice to run on friends computers when they take poor care of them and are slow as anything.

[Les @ Dec 30th 2008 5:39PM]

Looking at the picture again the 'key' is that big bulge on the front. Any coolness it has, is now gone.

[finite_rings @ Dec 30th 2008 6:27PM]

the bootable thumb drive is a cool feature. i wonder if i could slide in my own bootable key with xp pro though.

[DarkLight @ Dec 30th 2008 7:13PM]

I still prefer cheap thumbdrives over integrated SSDs... I'm not rich enough to replace my stuff when it dies, I'm still using my 2003 PC with Linux. With thumb drives you have all the benefits of SSD (except speed, but that's not needed on a netbook), and if for some reason it dies, or you need more storage, you can easily and cheaply replace it with something better... Or, if you have to leave your netbook in a place somewhere else might use it, you just take the drive with you and it's unbreakably locked.

[DarkLight @ Dec 30th 2008 7:16PM]

Er, someone else.

Also, you can have several OSes without messing with partitions.

[Adam Williamson @ Dec 30th 2008 9:26PM]

Les: the perspective on the frontal shot is a bit deceptive unless you know what's going on. Actually the underside of the front of the keyboard is sharply bezeled, and the key is slotted in there; it's basically flush with the front of the system. You don't notice it in normal use. You can kinda see it a little better here:

http://www.gdium.com/en/product/liberty1000

the g-key is basically underneath the trackpad, it doesn't stick out of the front.

[E. Leigh @ Dec 30th 2008 5:48PM]

I feel like netbooks won't really be interesting again anytime soon unless we get to see something at CES. I'm holding off on a purchase until an nVidia chip and a higher resolution (you know, one that can handle those programs that run at a res of 1024x768 - like 1280x800 or something). I'm still really interested in the market to see what comes.

BTW, haven't seen any blue comments lately - is something wrong with the commenting system?

[finite_rings @ Dec 30th 2008 6:25PM]

blue comments... that was before we all started having brand wars.

nobody agrees these days.

[Joshua Walters @ Dec 30th 2008 6:58PM]

1024x600 is very usable, even on my U90 (yes, the U90 is lame, but it was also $150 cheaper).

I think the 2133 had a higher res, but it also doesnt have the Atom.

I do however hope we see a netbook tablet type device, as well as something from nVidia. Both would be good contributions to the market.

[Jon Nelson @ Dec 30th 2008 6:16PM]

Gdium?

Giddyup.

[AVG @ Dec 30th 2008 6:33PM]

The G-Key. You have to position your finger juuuust right, but it's there...

[KilgoreTrout @ Dec 30th 2008 8:53PM]

My finger?

[LloydChiro @ Dec 30th 2008 7:04PM]

Look at that viewing angle! It's not a TN screen.

[BlindKarma @ Dec 30th 2008 10:50PM]

So will the boot drive keep the laptop from being bricked up?
I've stayed away from open source os just because I don't want to try and be adventurous and d/l the wrong thing.

[cb88 @ Dec 31st 2008 7:59PM]

you are HIGHLY unlikely to brick your PC ever unless you ae doing a BIOS update which is like ... never and even then many bioes are replaceable (you can even swap out the BIOS on some PCs to a Linux based BIOS ala coreboot)


that said you should try slitaz if you want a neat livecd/usb drive or ubuntu if you have a newer PC and wanna have more stuff to poke around with.... contrary to popular belief if you computer doesn't boot it probably isn't bricked and you can boot any old linux livecd (like slitaz or DSL or puppylinux) and get your precious files right of and later reinstall windows if you want (linux will not do that for you .... although you can boot windows from the linux bootmenu aka Grub aka grand unified bootloader)

KTHXBYE :-) happy new year engadget!

[cb88 @ Dec 31st 2008 8:09PM]

you are HIGHLY unlikely to brick your PC ever unless you ae doing a BIOS update which is like ... never and even then many bioes are replaceable (you can even swap out the BIOS on some PCs to a Linux based BIOS ala coreboot)


that said you should try slitaz if you want a neat livecd/usb drive or ubuntu if you have a newer PC and wanna have more stuff to poke around with.... contrary to popular belief if you computer doesn't boot it probably isn't bricked and you can boot any old linux livecd (like slitaz or DSL or puppylinux) and get your precious files right of and later reinstall windows if you want (linux will not do that for you .... although you can boot windows from the linux bootmenu aka Grub aka grand unified bootloader)

KTHXBYE :-) happy new year engadget!