Elektrobit Moorestown MID reference design is more like it

We're kinda-sorta coming around on the MIDs now that we've gotten a chance to play with Moblin 2.0, but it'll take some great hardware to really convince us (or hell, anyone) -- like this promising first Moorestown reference design from Elektrobit. Yeah, it's not quite the amazing mockup device that Intel's been showing off for a couple years, but it's still pretty attractive, and it's actually pretty small at just a half-inch thick with a four-inch HD screen. You're also looking at HDMI out, either WiMAX or 3G mobile broadband, and voice capability. Sadly, none of this will ship until Intel delivers the Mooretown chips, so we won't be able to do anything except sniff vapor until 2010.

[Via Linux Devices]

[jack @ Jun 10th 2009 2:29AM]

it better have a smokin' browser

[TareX @ Jun 10th 2009 2:42AM]

Mighty fugly, by the way.

[G @ Jun 10th 2009 3:54AM]

4-inch HD screen?

hmm, where did i put my microscope?

[Gad Get @ Jun 10th 2009 8:01PM]

That must be a mistake.

[Fnuky @ Jun 10th 2009 4:16AM]

So.. the truth is out and an MID is... a pocket sized touch screen device that connects to your cellular network and wifi to make phone calls and use the Internet, running an Open OS that isn't desktop Windows.

Isn't that more commonly called a smartphone?

[mirmit @ Jun 10th 2009 6:13AM]

MID is about internet, not really phone calls

[Mike Sumi @ Jun 10th 2009 8:03AM]

This is what the Comcast MVNO device will look like when Clearwire completes construction of the WiMax network. Expect some refinements to hit precisely at iPhone in terms of screen size and other hardware features but this is ostensibly it.

[CJ @ Jun 10th 2009 6:17AM]

3.5" to 4" MID's should be used as cell phones, 5" and 7" ones should be the better more powerfull and better battery life MIDs

[mirmit @ Jun 10th 2009 6:20AM]

It should read Elektrobit, or EB in short.

[Atanas Boev @ Jun 10th 2009 8:46AM]

Yes. Nilay, the title of the post is wrong.

[Marko @ Jun 10th 2009 6:48AM]

Erm, it looks just like!!!! Come on, give us some creativity, I am sick and tired of devices with rounded edges and a silver ring around the screen!

[tikiwk @ Jun 10th 2009 7:40AM]

Completely agree Marko... I don't like the new Samsung i8000 or whatever, either, and I dislike the look of most Nokia's. That round edge design is just plain hideous. Fake chrome accents on a freakin phone just adds insult to injury.

Designers of the world, let go of the shiny losenge shape... move on to something more interesting.

In all fairness, the rounding allows the phone to slip into the pocket easier and get into your hand without scratching it, but I'll deal.

[Wwhat @ Jun 10th 2009 9:08AM]

So, are there monitors with a HDMI connector on the front yet, for easy accessibility for the plethora of devices with HDMI out?
Or do we have to wait for years for the manufacturers to wake up?

[Wwhat @ Jun 10th 2009 9:11AM]

Or some clever chinese company can make boxes with a connector and a HDMI cable to the back of the monitor to set on your desk/table in the style of USB hubs, but just pass-through.

.

[Coleman Foley @ Jun 10th 2009 5:14PM]

Ok, what's the point of having an intel chip if you're not going to run windows? since there is no windows app support anyway, these things should just use ARM chipsets

[MaxSMoke @ Jun 10th 2009 7:27PM]

Where's the XP? My applications and games don't run in Linux. :p