Hivision's $149 Android-based netbook reminds us we're not really shopping for a netbook right now

We know, we know, it's only $149! What could possibly be stopping us from entering the marvelous world of Android-powered netbooking? Well, maybe it's the fact that it's been tried before, and just didn't make any sense. Maybe for someone who doesn't have $50 more to get a "real" netbook, or $150 more to get a "great" netbook, it could make sense to be subjected to a 7-inch screen, 500MHz ARM Cortex A9 processor in the name of "lightweight" web surfing, but we'd like to imagine we have a little more self esteem than that. Oh shoot, we just accidentally bought four. Check out the Charbax-infused hands-on after the break.

[Needsahaircut Posted Jan 12th 2010 8:28PM]

Eww..

[karmaghost Posted Jan 13th 2010 8:35AM]

@Needsahaircut | Ditto. 1997 called, they want their bezel back.

[chrise524 Posted Jan 12th 2010 8:33PM]

"What kind of linux? linux 2.6 kernel"
lol

[chrise524 Posted Jan 12th 2010 8:48PM]

@chrise524
Ok I watched the rest of it. It's just so funny watching that guy try to talk when he obviously has no idea what he is talking about.

[kpgalligan Posted Jan 12th 2010 8:39PM]

Here's where this makes sense. Rip off the crappy keyboard/touchpad, drop it to $99. Or make that tablety thing he shows later bigger.

I stopped watching when we got the explanation of volume pricing. Sorry if that guy is well liked in the community or whatever, but I couldn't watch anymore.

Android was designed as a phone OS, and I like it as such. The move to laptop sizes always seemed weird to me. It would probably be fine with just an update to how the navigation works, but it would help. Get on that.

[JeremyBenthem Posted Jan 12th 2010 8:39PM]

smartbook

[Slick Posted Jan 12th 2010 8:40PM]

"Fantastic, this is awesome!"

A little over zealous are we?

[Solisnakeye Posted Jan 12th 2010 8:43PM]

@Slick


I laughed hard when he was getting super excited. Must be his first CES.

[bhtooefr Posted Jan 12th 2010 8:45PM]

@Solisnakeye Nah, that's just Charbax. He's always that excitable in his videos.

[bhtooefr Posted Jan 12th 2010 8:44PM]

It's not Cortex-A9, it's ARM9. Huge difference.

Utter crap, but I guess they sell in China?

[taylorh Posted Jan 12th 2010 8:55PM]

@(Unverified) Yeah, I'd buy a Cortex A9 anything in a snap. Big difference

[JeremyBenthem Posted Jan 12th 2010 11:50PM]

@(Unverified)
don't be surprised, engadget also asked for Windows 7 on a different ARM smartbook

[mmafighter077 Posted Jan 12th 2010 8:54PM]

Is it just me or are smaller gadgets just an excuse to sell crappier hardware specs... 500mhz? HD2 and N1 have more than that. I dont want a phone thats faster than my computer.

[mmafighter077 Posted Jan 12th 2010 8:55PM]

@mmafighter077 let me rephrase that... I dont want a computer thats slower than my phone!

[Slick Posted Jan 12th 2010 8:56PM]

@mmafighter077

What you meant to say was "I don't want a computer slower than my phone"

[Slick Posted Jan 12th 2010 8:56PM]

@Slick

damn beat me to it

cue low rank

[OCEAN CLAK Posted Jan 12th 2010 9:02PM]

@mmafighter077

Maybe you should get a new computer faster than your phone!

[Karate Tortoise Posted Jan 12th 2010 11:05PM]

I dont a want a phone that is more computer than my fast

[MrSherlock Posted Jan 13th 2010 1:20PM]

I don't want a fast than my phone is that more a computer

[bowdown Posted Jan 29th 2010 3:39AM]

@MrSherlock i was seriously about to say that.

[Special Agent Steve Posted Jan 12th 2010 8:55PM]

Couldn't I just get a Nexus 1 with better specs and for 30$ more? It's be more portable and it would work. :D

[ferrell Posted Jan 12th 2010 8:57PM]

Reminds me of my old THnkpad 230CS

http://oniku.blog.ocn.ne.jp/photos/uncategorized/2008/05/06/img_0564.jpg

[jellotime91 Posted Jan 12th 2010 9:19PM]

Now how come this sells for $150 while the Nexus One costs $530?
Honestly, how can you justify that? The parts are not that much more expensive dudes.

[OCEAN CLAK Posted Jan 12th 2010 9:27PM]

@jellotime91

The parts in the nexus one are smaller which typically cost more

[stockjones Posted Jan 12th 2010 9:26PM]

Wow I'm expecting to transport to 1991. It looks like a dumb terminal.

[WhatHappened Posted Jan 12th 2010 9:44PM]

Screw this. Get a Pandora.

[MrSherlock Posted Jan 13th 2010 1:21PM]

@WhatHappened
If it is ever released.

[gonintendo Posted Jan 12th 2010 9:51PM]

Yay! This guy again! I love this guy!

[dominickcirillo Posted Jan 12th 2010 9:59PM]

They have the right idea, but this just isn't here yet.

@stockjones: It does look.act like a dumb terminal.

I think with more applications and utilities moving to the cloud, avergae home users aren't going to need a full PC anymore. They'll just want a simple machine that can get them to browse the internet. No dealing with bugs/updates/unfamiliar softwares.

[TareG Posted Jan 12th 2010 10:04PM]

Netbooks in 2010 shouldn't be allowed to get released with SO MUCH BEZEL.

As for Android, well, with a few more thousand apps and widgets, I think it "could" someday, become netbook-material. But right now, EWW.

[htd Posted Jan 12th 2010 10:08PM]

what a horrible indian salesman!

[ninetynine99 Posted Jan 12th 2010 10:47PM]

@fatslug
maybe he's talking about the woman, who didn't know squat...

what distro of linux is this?
2.6
.....

[Poita Posted Jan 13th 2010 3:19PM]

@fatslug his accent and mannerisms say French and her accent is Bejing.

[ZSX Posted Jan 14th 2010 10:52AM]

@htd Charbax is Danish, but speaks English, German and French (as well as Danish) hence his hybrid acccent.

[Plazmic Flame Posted Jan 12th 2010 10:46PM]

lmfao....who is this guy talking...omg, my eyes, I can't see, too much rofls

[johnkzin Posted Jan 13th 2010 3:48AM]

An Android netbook needs...

1) 10" screen (preferably a PixelQi display)
2) convertible tablet format
3) 2x the CPU (1GHz)
4) 1GB RAM
5) at LEAST 4GB storage, pref. 32GB built in (plus a full size SDHC card)


Sure, I'd pay more for it, but ... really ... it's not really compelling WITHOUT those things.

[jareth86 Posted Jan 13th 2010 4:55AM]

Is is too much to ask for a cheap attractive netbook?