Nova Mobile debuts rugged SideArm 2 UMPC
Nova Mobile seems to have been churning out a series of incremental upgrades to its original SideArm UMPC for a good long while now, but the company looks to be making a fresh start at CES, where it is set to debut the all new Side Arm 2. Like the original, this one is a fully ruggedized device, and includes a 7-inch touchscreen display, a full QWERTY keypad, an unspecified Atom processor, built-in GPS, a promised 10+ hours of battery life, and a wide range of configuration options, including SSD drives up to 64GB and optional 3G connectivity, to name a couple (WiMAX is apparently also on tap for Q2). No word on a price just yet, but you can be sure that Nova Mobile isn't going after a piece of the netbook market with this one.
Filed under: Handhelds
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Derk Kooi @ Jan 7th 2009 1:16PM
64MB, lol wut?
Soulsaber @ Jan 7th 2009 1:21PM
It's GB....engadget is having troubles knowing the difference.
ScrapMaker @ Jan 7th 2009 1:29PM
I think we are going back in time to 1997, and I am looking at my LG Phenom Ultra.
OneLove @ Jan 7th 2009 2:52PM
"Anytime, Anywhere, Any Environment"...My girlfriend is the same way. :)
justin @ Jan 7th 2009 1:17PM
fail....
Christian Walters @ Jan 7th 2009 1:17PM
I hope those 64MB SSDs are SCSI compliant in this day and age!
Jonathan @ Jan 7th 2009 1:19PM
Whoa. I saw "nova" and got excited.
Is it 2pm Thursday yet?
a ham sandwich @ Jan 7th 2009 2:03PM
me too :(
Charles Knight @ Jan 7th 2009 1:20PM
It wasn't just me, who looked and thought for a minute this was the new palm nova... :-)
Jacob @ Jan 7th 2009 1:23PM
64 MB? damn. Can Windows Mobile 6.0 even run on that?
ScrapMaker @ Jan 7th 2009 1:31PM
Storage-wise, yes, with a stripped-down ROM. If that is the RAM amount, then yes, again, but it would be tough. The Mogul is a perfect example of how badly a device can suck on WM.
Christian Walters @ Jan 7th 2009 1:34PM
64MB of RAM works really well with Windows Mobile. What are you talking about?
Sarig @ Jan 7th 2009 1:35PM
Why are you even talking about Windows Mobile?
Arkenklo @ Jan 7th 2009 1:47PM
That's one high-res screen you've got there, that sure looks like 1680*1050!
michaelportent @ Jan 7th 2009 3:21PM
Is it just me or has nobody made a UMPC worth buying? I've seen a bunch of them now and none of them look as appealing as a good Smart Phone or a loaded Netbook.
Sarig @ Jan 7th 2009 6:38PM
It's a niche market, not aimed at the mainstream consumer, so that sounds like the right reaction really :)
npChaos @ Jan 7th 2009 3:53PM
A sidearm? Will this come with a holster, or do I have to continue to tuck it under my waistband and hope it doesn't fall inside my pants.
joe blow @ Jan 7th 2009 5:26PM
Cool, the iNova. Seriously, this form factor has no niche to speak of. People want/need something they can put in their pocket. Barring that, or if a larger screen is needed, they want something comfortable to type on with an easy interface. This falls in between, and will fail. There is no market between the smartphone and netbooks except maybe UPS guys and industry specific uses.
kam @ Jan 8th 2009 12:00AM
@joe I don't know if it's really geared for someone who wants to put it in his pocket. Just looking at the marketing and noticing how it's rugged against water, dust etc, and has GPS and long battery. This looks like it's for someone who is traveling, out in the woods, etc and who could make good use of this.