Compaq AirLife 100 hands-on
By Sean Cooper 
posted February 17th 2010 5:28PM
posted February 17th 2010 5:28PM
We visited with HP to see what's changed since we saw the Compaq AirLife during CES -- aside from it now having a name -- in early January. We were told by HP that the device's plastic housing has been improved, received confirmation that it's indeed running a 1GHz Snapdragon, and will be sold exclusively through a deal with Telefonica. The AirLife's performance was impressive while scrolling through carousels of photos, and control of the resistive display was also snappy with no stuttering while scrolling -- that we noticed. If reaching across the keyboard to touch the screen isn't your thing, you also have the option of using the touchpad that is equipped with three Android buttons for home, menu, and back. Sadly though, as it isn't a Google certified device, it won't have access to the Android Market, but rather will reach into Telefonica's homegrown option: mstore. We guess as long as the store offerings are decent, and easy for consumers to access, the AirLife may well get some attention come launch time in Spring of this year. Pricing remains a mystery, but if it is able to compete with Lenovo Skylight at $499, less the carrier subsidy, it could be pretty attractive. Video tour and some pictures are just below the fold.
If you will..
@teapower
Say 'what-have-you' again... say 'what-have-you' one more goddamn time! I dare you, I double dare you muthafucka!!!
@Blackstar I do have to say that I am disappointed that they didn't make this device as a "convertible" laptop - in which you can twist the screen to make it into a psuedo-tablet. The Android OS is meant to be touch-based, so a tablet form would have been natural. (I do see that it has a touchscreen, but the keyboard is great to have, but can also get in the way if you don't need lots of text-based input) New: http://bit.ly/compaq-airlife-100-hp
I like the idea of a device like this, but if it's going to have a touchscreen, then it definitely should have a swiveling hinge that lets it be used as a tablet.
Also what's the deal with it not being "certified" for Android?
@Hazdaz i totally agree. with a touch screen you dont wanna be stuck in the laptop mode if you will. only thing i would change is that swivel hinge.
ive never even been a fan of netbooks, but i would purchase one as long as it was android powered.
@Hazdaz
I think that it should be more like the HTC Shift with the sliding screen rather than the swivel hinge. Less likely to break while using it IMO
@camroncake
I had to GIS what a HTC Shift looks like, and I gotta say that I LOVE that design. You are right, that is way better than a swiveling hinge. Either way though, it should convert to a tablet.
@Hazdaz
Exactly. I like the normal net-book form for keyboarding and using the mouse (kinda pointless) and a swivel screen for normal tablet/android device
Also, I heard that the M STORE will be on it from Telifonica (hope i spelled that right), is that a carrier like Verizon/Att? If it is will it have 3G internet? And he said text messages, please tell me this isn't a phone is it?
@Hazdaz oh i agree
I don't get why people still buy a "windows-ce device" (without windows-ce) where,under the same price, they can buy a real netbook, that's it office, flash 10 and real (but not so recent) 3d games
@magallanes can you put a netbook in a jeans pocket? i dont know why people like you, make comparisons like that
@magallanes
Using desktop software on a net book isn't the greatest experience. Text is too small (no resolution independence) and sometimes the device just isn't capable of performing well enough. ARM based systems usually beat the ATOM on battery life by a good clip. The vast majority of desktop apps don't work very well in a touch environment. I'm not sure this is a great solution on its own but there's definitely a number of reasons why someone would prefer a device focused more on what they actually want to do that takes less of a kitchen sink approach of current x86 net books.
@magallanes
The real problem I have with android netbooks is that they have horrible desktop software. Sure you have some office programs but what happens when I want to print something, or if I want to watch an avi film? Or Flash for that matter.
Until it improves in these areas, I'll hold off buying one.
What have you...
less capability than netbook, more expensive than netbook, good luck.
@htd Learn to read...
From the article: "Pricing remains a mystery"
How can you even say it's too expensive before seeing the price?
@htd Ironic, now that the price is noted as $499 without subsidy...
I don't care how much it costs, it's still going to be too expensive for toilet paper.
I like it, I'm fine with no market because I can download the .apk's from online
Out of curiosity, did you have any trouble with tapping the "menu" button to try and select things when navigating with the touchpad? I can't look at it without picturing myself doing that.
someone please tell me why it would cost $500? it has lesser of everything, and with a higher price?? the atom version costs like $300 now. makes for sense if this snapdragon is around $200
@dark star
It doesn't have a lesser of everything. You cant compare a Snapdragon processor to an Atom processor. One's for x86 OS's and the other is not. Some people even say you get better performance with a non x86 processor because it doesn't have a huge bulky OS to work with.
@dark star
And to the other question, They don't know the price for this device yet, plus this add's a resistive touchscreen which would increase the price.
@dark star: How is that price different from the iPad? It seems to provide much of what the iPad offers. Not saying it is a good price but there is no reason to price it any lower than the iPad.
...and what have you... and what have you...
Looks good, but no Google Android Market is going to suck (the carriers market probably isn't that great). And I agree with @Hazdaz this should totally be a tablet netbook. I could see myself using this for notetaking and "what have you"...
Why didn't they make this into a slate device with a capacitive touchscreen?
It looks like they used the same keyboard as the HP Mini 1000. Assuming so, cool -- it's the best Netbook keyboard I've used.
I wonder if I would be able to run this android version in VMware at least or What have you :D
Can I rip that screen off and use it as a tablet?...
...And what have you...
Why would you want a touchscreen?
@oldpass56
...to touch?
...and what have you...
@Mr Oos haha ya.. u know to touch the screen :P
@Mr Oos haha good job with that :D
I don't know if Android is the answer (It might be), but I think that given the right price, these smartbooks could be the next netbooks. I mean, with those ultra-low-power processors, netbooks could finally be as thin as a phone, and a lot lighter than they are today. Also, they would produce much less heat...
what have you?
I wouldn't get one until they got rid of that NO WARRANTY sticker :)
I also would prefer an android tablet that can double as a comic and greyscale e-reader... and rather than this am waiting for the notion ink Adam.
I hope the whole smartbook business gets more interesting than this. Convertible tablet, Ubuntu/Meego/Android for OSes (yes, all of them), and what have you... Not to mention a slightly lower price than $499.
I don't mind not having Windows on a netbook, if the Os is easy to use and people are aware that these are 'like large smartphones', not 'like small notebooks', I think that's the fundamental difference explained well for users who don't get computers.
What I'd also like to see is capacitive touch screens. If this is combined with the whole convertible thing and made as thin of even thinner than this (still rather nice) HP then we'll have an excellent iPad contender on our hands. The battery life is even better, surprisingly, and I rather like the idea of taking something with an ACTUAL KEYBOARD to school. If this device described here was out, I think I'd probably buy it in a heart beat!
BTW: Bad sales rep. Sounds bored, needs to work on his voice a LOT.
i really like the new engadget video intro
the speed and battery life are impressive--two of the main reasons why ppl praised the Chrome OS concept
Hmm, I really like this actually. The price seems a *bit* high (I'd rather just buy an N1 or something at that point), but it'll still sell well, IMO. I'm glad to see a company like HP really pushing Android into the mainstream hopefully.
The device really needs a swivel LCD for tablet style computing and what have you. As a matter of fact while they are swapping in a swivel head they should throw in a Pixel Qi screen
Touchscreen but no folding hinge
Trackpad with not one, not two, but three buttons
Keyboard...for the heck of it I suppose
Google's OS, but not "certified" for it
AirLife - arff, arff (just too original)
So many ways to fail, and it's only $500. Does anybody get fired when stuff like this happens? I hope so.
@Ed T
I'm not seeing the fail?
If it don't want the laptop, get some kind of tablet then
@Drybones5
Yeah, that is my plan. The tablet I want should be out in a couple of weeks +/-. Same price as this thing, but unlike the AirLife, it has a future.
@Ed T The price was never mentioned. Since HP's netbooks cost ~$300 for much more, this would have to be cheaper.
@Ed T
Three mouse buttons is a complaint? Is that one too many for you to handle?
Tegra 2 + Chrome OS. That is all.
@geegee
Why does a web browser OS need that?
@Drybones5 http://code.google.com/p/nativeclient/
That's why.