Soyea's MID Z5 features an Atom CPU, 3G, and a significant price tag

Sure, there are some of us who like to play around -- and a first-generation Android MID might be lots of fun to those folks -- but how about the peeps out there that need a portable Internet device with serious muscle? Soyea's Z5 features a 5-inch (800 x 480) resistive touchscreen, 1.2GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB RAM, WiFi, 3G (from China Telecom) and Bluetooth 2.0. A dual boot device, this bad boy eschews the cell phone OS du jour for both Windows XP and Linux -- and since you're liable to fall in love with this thing (and quickly max out the storage) the included microSD slot should take the sting out of the mere 8GB SSD. But that ain't all! It also rocks stereo speakers, a webcam, a VGA port, and mini USB. Of course, a device this serious has a serious price to match -- expect to pay 5,999 Chinese yuan (roughly $879) from Amazon China. Available in black and white, we have one more pic for you after the break.

[Alexandre Emond Posted Nov 2nd 2009 1:14PM]

I'm still looking for HTC HD2.

[Streetfights Posted Nov 2nd 2009 1:15PM]

Yeah, like I'm dropping $870 on something like this...

[Alexandre Emond Posted Nov 2nd 2009 1:18PM]

My 300$ Dell Mini with WIFI cell tethering is much better and cheaper.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 1:18PM]

battery life must be pretty poor...

[Titan Posted Nov 2nd 2009 1:21PM]

It looks but unfortunately the price tag and name dont really help much.

[Titan Posted Nov 2nd 2009 1:21PM]

It looks decent*

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 1:26PM]

Soyea, why would I drop $880 on this?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 6:52PM]

Naaaahh.. I prefer the Viliv units (S5 or X70).
They are already proven and offer similar specs (and some people have successfully installed Win 7 on them so...)

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 1:42PM]

We don't want any - go away!

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 1:44PM]

$880 will get you a kickass laptop PC or even an Macbook on a students discount for apple lovers.....this is a joke

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 2:01PM]

Some one please let the marketing guy know we stopped using Periwinkle gradient background back in the mid 90's

[Alexandre Emond Posted Nov 2nd 2009 2:33PM]

@Grammar Delinquent
LOL I'm currently having that kind of Vista background while I write this.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 2:12PM]

IE6, how classic.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 3:11PM]

we don't want any.. go away

[Jason Shaffer Posted Nov 2nd 2009 3:21PM]

I somehow do not see the value proposition in this.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 3:35PM]

Windows 7 Embedded (Windows Embedded 2011) could be installed on this device today (simply installed, not painfully flashed).

Windows 7 would bring this device...

DirectX 11
Multi-Touch support
IE 8
Good security
etc.

Wake up Engadget, Windows Embedded is the new Windows Mobile. Currently Embedded only runs on x86, but Intel is going to win the mobile CPU market, and you're fools to disagree. Furthermore, ARM and MIPs support could be added. VIA already has added support for Windows Embedded. See...

http://www.via.com.tw/en/resources/pressroom/pressrelease.jsp?press_release_no=4167

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 4:00PM]

Wake up Engadget? They didn't make this, they are just reporting on it.

Who are you working for?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 4:29PM]

@Oli D

Actually, I'm unemployed at the moment. I have been working in IT for 14 years, I've never worked for Microsoft.

After learning the Compact .NET Framework (.NET for Windows Mobile) and studying the Windows CE platform changes I came to the conclusion that Microsoft isn't trying to keep up with Windows Mobile.

Microsoft has always had lots of versions of Windows, most popularly...

1) Windows (for the desktop)
2) Windows NT
4) Windows Embedded
3) Windows CE (Embedded Compact Edition)

Microsoft has migrated 3 of those 4 products to the Windows NT 6.1 Kernel (the one Windows 7 uses). Windows Mobile is a custom build of Windows CE. You can either refuse to believe Microsoft isn't unifying the kernels (like Engadget's authors), or you can accept that they are.

Why hasn't CE been upgraded yet? Probably due to a lack of mobile processor (ARM, MIPs, OMAP, etc.) support. But read Microsoft's latest CE page and you'll learn the newest version of Windows CE will contain a "Unified" kernel and "will run Customized Win32 apps". Interesting, 6.0 R3 removes support for SH4 CPUs. Which would make sense if Microsoft was moving to a totally new kernel (the one Windows 7 uses).

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsembedded/en-us/products/windowsce/default.mspx

Now do you think I'm crazy?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 5:19PM]

Um, what's wrong with a Viliv S5? faster processor, much higher res screen (1024 x 600), and much larger HDD / SSD options, with 3G and GPS built in, all in a unit that is smaller and cheaper than this...not completely sure what market segment 'Soyea' is after here, the market segment that wants to buy a handheld pc that's twice the price of a netbook and not a Viliv S5?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 5:27PM]

Why do all of these type devices have IE6?