Alpha 680 Android netbook spotted, still unavailable
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted Oct 2nd 2009 6:59PM
posted Oct 2nd 2009 6:59PM
While all the other kids on the block are letting themselves become duly distracted by Google Chrome OS, at least Skytone is still out there in the trenches, fighting to get its Android-powered Alpha 680 netbook to market. Initially it looked like this one would be making the scene sometime this summer, and although this has not come to pass, the OEM (Airis) is still strutting it in front of vendors and threatening us with an eventual release. According to Le Journal du Geek, who managed to get its hands on one and snap plenty of pics, the device is still "not really stable." (Take your time, guys...) Hit that read link for plenty of glamor shots of the this stark white, 7-inch resistive touchscreen wonder -- you'll be glad you did.
Android is a phone OS, I don't see why anyone would want it over say...win7.
Exactly.
Keep it on phones, this thing gets humiliated by Windows 7 in terms of capabilities, compatibility, and features.
I love you guys
Because when you get into "netbooks" that cost less than $200, you're pretty much stuck with ARM, which doesn't run Windows.
I know for a tablet type device people need some edge to hold on to, but why do manufactures keep making devices with the bevel having more more surface area than the screen.
why even include the bevel.... it's pointless for most folk. why not just a simple touchscreen netbook?
The bevel is necessary, you need somewhere to place the various chip and OS stickers.
The large area seems like a blessing to me. It means you can get a nice firm grip when holding it one handed.
@GadgetGeek
Because then your fingers would have to rest on the display. Besides the obvious obstruction and finger prints, that would seriously mess with the touch input.
Sorry, I meant your thumb(s) would have to rest on the display.
With the PS buttons on the edge of the screen, this has no excuse of not being able to emulate at least PS1.
Come on, put two and two together. It's runnng Android, so it probably has an ARM-based processor.
Yeah, it's totally the hot new thing to make a Linux distro.
Dammit thats a reply to PG.
With Chrome OS release just around the corner, I wonder why is everyone still trying to port Android to netbooks/smartbooks, which is not designed for them in the first place.
Just wait it out and put your best efforts in the Chrome OS, which is designed for those devices.
Even Chrome OS sounds horrible for netbooks. Unless it's a lot more powerful than they are letting on I don't see it having the adoption rate that some people are expecting
We hardly have any details about what's going to be in Chrome OS and you've already formed the opinion?
BTW, what you described is how Android started and it has a pretty good adoption rate right now.
Chrome is basically another flavor of Linux, only this time with the Google branding and touches.
That won't be enough to automatically make it more user-friendly, more compatible, more capable and robust in terms of app support and hardware support, and enough of an incentive for 90+ % of the populace who have used Windows for their entire lives to switch over to something new.
Chrome OS is another useless metoo product from google with a dumbed down user interface designed my someone in grade school. I don't want my computer to require a constant internet connection; or rely soley on Google's poor products. Google needs to stick with their search engine and stop wasting time trying to entrench itself into other aspects of computing with the eventual goals of spamming everyone to death with their dumb ads built in. Google may be releasing an ad-free OS for android/chrome right now but if they ever get any foothold - they will do just like they do with all their products - crap it up with their dumb ads. NO THANKS.
The OS has nothing I'm even slightly interested in - entirely webbased, with little developer support. Android has very little developer support behind it (I'm talking about big software houses, not dork script kiddies making apps), and an entire rip-off of the iphone OS.
ChromeOS will be another linux distro = fail, Google how about writing something yourself instead of buying someone elses products or stealing other peoples code?
Rank me down noobs, you know its all true.
PG,
Im as big a Windows fan as anyone, but come on, give Google some respect too, they do make some great apps:
Google Earth
Gmail
Google Voice
Google Search
Are all quality products that are better than what the competition offers, imho (even though Bing is looking better and better day by day).
However, when it comes to OS's and Office Productivity tools, Microsoft is the best in the business.
Im also not really a big fan of Chrome Browser (although it does have some nice features) as I prefer Opera, and of course Android does nothing for me -- used it, but didn't feel it had any redeeming qualities when compared to WinMo.
Still, Google is a great company, and to categorically dismiss them isn't fair.
@PG + WindowsFTW: Way to be morons. You have no clue what Google OS is about but making assumptions like you're some hot shot analyst in the industry. Please, continue using your beloved WindowsME and keep sucking on your momma's titties in the unfinished basement you live in.
Waffle Slayer....
Umm, that doesn't even dignify a genuine rebuttal.
Waffle,
You do realize that Chrome os IS a flavor of linux right? And it's not really exciting a lot of people because it's not delivering anything new.
Wow. I can't believe the extreme opinions about Chrome OS much before any meaningful details have emerged about it.
To all those "CHROME OS... FAIL!!!!" and "Just another Linux distro" comments up here, just keep in mind that the smart phone OS world also had many Linux distros before Android, viz. LinMo, OpenMoko and Maemo are the few I know about but there might be more. So, technically, Android too is just another mobile Linux distro.
Although, Google has a great track record of taking a half baked idea/product and perfecting it into something not only usable, but game changing as well (WindowsFTW listed them pretty well). They proved that with Android as well (and continue to do so), so saying that "Because every other Linux distro has not taken off in the personal computer world, Chrome OS will be no different", is equivalent to ignoring Google's history and downright informed.
Oh well, only time shall tell.
*downright UNinformed.
Damn, I wish engadget would let me edit my comments.
Im sorry but that keyboard looks HORRIBLE, seriously it looks like they took it off a 15 year old computer :(
Maddy, not everything Google touches turns into Gold and is accepted by the masses.
Chrome browser is used just about as ubiqituously as Opera throughout the world, and is a far cry from the likes of FF or IE in terms of marketshare, at around 2-3% depending on what report you read...although both Chrome and Opera imho are better than IE and FF, but that's for another debate.
Android hasn't caught on as fast as some would have expected either, with only ~ 1% marketshare in the smartphone sector, if even that.
Chrome OS is not being as widely distributed either, if Win7 and XP, despite their licensing fees still command a MUCH larger marketshare of scheduled netbook releases...Chrome hasn't even made a dent in the notebook/desktop sector either for that matter.
Likewise, no one is rushing to throw away their copies of MS Office for Google Docs
Nor is everyone ditching Windows Messenger, AIM, and the like to use Google Chat.
I appreciate and respect Google as much as the next guy, believe me, I cant thank them enough for Google Voice, Google Search, and Gmail, but everything they touch does not turn into gold -- just a higher percentage of it than most other companies.
Well considering they're trying to break into a market held by a monopoly that is very much loathe to give it up, I'm not suprised they're having a hard time.
This says nothing about how good (or bad) ChromeOS is or will be, but more about the rolling legacy and inertia that Windows has. More attempts to disrupt and diversify that are a good thing.
Chrome has about 3% market share, putting it just behind Safari.It should pass Safari soon, and be in third place behind Firefox and Internet Explorer. Android has about 3% global market share, about a third of of Windows Mobile (9%). That's not bad for something that's been around less than a year, and is available in th US only on it's smallest carrier (T-Mobile). It also has an equal web market share with Windows Mobile (both at 7%) even though Windows Mobile currently has a higher amount of users.
Sorry guys, I thought the Google phone was cool, and a lot of google apps are cool too. But this laptop didn't really raise any eyebrows for me. It looks like a plasticy device that is very old looking. I've read about Google OS, and I'm still open to it, but it's not really pushing anything.
Huh it seems I've landed on a world not of my own.
Greetings from the world of Joystiq!
2 things:
Holy shit what is that? itlooks awesome.
Second where is the bathroom?
Hey! I was at the "party" where they showed that one off--I recognize the cute mice on the side xD. The screen folds down over the keyboard but when you try to click the buttons, it bounces--doesn't attach securely. Really felt cheap and plasticky.
Android will fail on computers. Guaranteed. Stick to improving cells.
I wish I can get one of these.
Android will be great for small pcs, just needs a trash can on the desktop, and a file manager/network browser. Thats it