EMTEC's sub-$400 10-inch Gdium netbook gets specced

Here it is folks, the next netbook that you'll soon be forgetting. As we'd heard, EMTEC has officially launched the Gdium Mobile Netbook here in the desert, and now we've got the specs that we've been so anxiously waiting for. Under the hood you'll find an elusive CPU based on the MIPS-64 architecture, which is being provided by ST Microelectronics. Alongside that, you'll find a 10-inch 1,024 x 600 resolution panel, a 2.6 pound frame, a Mandriva Linux OS specifically designed for the 64-bit processor and oodles of open source software to toy around with. As for pricing, we're simply told it'll be under $400, so yeah, you're looking at $399.

[Verythrax @ Jan 7th 2009 11:23AM]

I dig EMTEC, I just hope it's windows x64 compatible.

[Ravnos @ Jan 7th 2009 11:29AM]

It won't be. MIPS uses a completely different instruction set than x86(_64). Wanting a PC-based Windows on this thing is like wanting Vista on an ARM-based PDA. FYI, the PSP uses a MIPS-based CPU.

I'm pretty interested in this, though. I'm very happy with Mandriva on my two EEEs, and I'd love to have a MIPS machine to play around with, in addition to my hacked PSP.

[Matthew Hilario @ Jan 7th 2009 11:24AM]

looks G.

[STINK @ Jan 7th 2009 11:41AM]

I'm going out on a limb here, but I think the tech industry wants us to buy netbooks.

[Crayola @ Jan 7th 2009 11:41AM]

Yup, too many choices already, these Johnny-Come-Latelies netbooks have to offer more; price, design or performance.

[Prince Muyo @ Jan 7th 2009 11:46AM]

I don't see the point of this. Only 4-hours of battery life, you have to store everything and boot off of an external USB key, and yet it's still $400? The Eee PC 1000 at the same price absolutely destroys this in terms of value.

[Prince Muyo @ Jan 7th 2009 12:03PM]

Although they do seem to be gearing the laptop towards "hackers". It certainly isn't a "netbook" (can you stop using that since it's trademarked?), but it might be useful for people who want a machine they can easily code in assembly for. It's not cut out for everyday use, though.

[Michael @ Jan 7th 2009 11:52AM]

I agree with Prince Muyo. I can't load my own OS, I get 16GB of storage on a USB key and I pay the same price as netbooks that give me much more? No thanks!

[spam_from_engadget @ Jan 7th 2009 12:10PM]

The only storage is a USB flash drive?! FAIL.

More here BTW:
http://www.emtecelectronics.com/products/product.cfm?product=gdium

[DarkLight @ Jan 7th 2009 2:36PM]

No, it's a WIN. (Well, a relative WIN anyway)

Cheaply upgradeable "internal" storage! :-D

The USB drive is not any slower than the ultracheap SSDs they would use if they were to.. Might as well have more GBs for the same $

And I agree that this is overall a bad deal.. If it was more like sub-$200, I'd buy it in a heartbeat, even if just to hack around, but for the price of an x86 netbook? No thanks

[superhobo @ Jan 7th 2009 12:57PM]

Yep, the biggest fail in the (so far) short history of netbooks.

[superhobo @ Jan 7th 2009 12:58PM]

Which is too bad really, because this one has one of the best designs.

[Mariano @ Jan 7th 2009 1:17PM]

Richard Stallman's pick. He mentioned he was trying a MIPS netbook in a conference a couple of months ago.

[Ravnos @ Jan 7th 2009 2:35PM]

The more I look at this, the more I agree with the complaints against it. I still want one, but it's really not a good value for $400. At that price it should have at least 1GB of RAM and better battery life, if not more storage as well. I'd buy one for sure at $300-325, and still consider it at $350 if the RAM was easy to replace, but $400 is a bit much for what you're getting. Would have been a great deal if it had come out at that price 8-10 months ago, though.

[Superevil @ Jan 7th 2009 2:55PM]

Is this a joke?

[Bobby21 @ Jan 20th 2009 12:20PM]

This is a pretty useless netbook that doesn't even deserve an article from Engadget, expensive and poor performance. You must be really stupid to buy it while you can buy a netbook/laptop for cheaper and with way more performance. Good luck guys at EMTEC and we hope you are not the next casualty of the financial crisis!

[Sertis @ Mar 8th 2009 8:45AM]

I saw this netbook 2 weeks ago. Nothing was working properly: the mousepad didn't work, the webcam didn't work, the netbook froze once in 15 minutes use... That's a poorly developed product with not much hope at such a price level.
In addition, the person working for Dexxon who showed me that netbook told me their management in France is discussing about killing the product. If you get hold of one, keep it preciously, you can sell it for collectors!

[wolfe @ Apr 2nd 2009 1:33PM]

Not a good value at $400. 900 MHz might not be too bad if it was multi-core CPU. More battery life, more ram, larger USB stick and more horse power, and 25% or more off the price. Then YES.