ClarionMind
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Clarion MiND MID handles infotainment duties in i MiEV electric car
We've no idea if this is Intel's unwanted future for the seemingly unwanted Mobile Internet Device, but only a few months after seeing Clarion's frequently discounted MiND popping up in Nissan's Cube, the very same MID has now found a seat within Mitsubishi's famously adorable i MiEV. Here at CEATEC, the Intel-branded whip was proudly shown with a MiND-based infotainment system, and while we can't promise that any of these zero-emission vehicles will ever hit dealerships with an Intel Inside sticker just beneath the VIN number, we can say that it wouldn't surprise us in the least. The MID seems to be a solid fit for a GPS / multimedia system within a cute, commuter-centric car such as this, and being that it's removable, the fun doesn't have to stop when the drive does. Has the MID finally found its calling, or is the search to be loved still on?%Gallery-74739%
Clarion's MiND finds a home in LA-area Nissan Cubes
With the whole "direct to consumer" approach failing epically, Clarion has evidently resorted to pushing remaining inventory of its largely unwanted MiND mobile internet device onto Nissan dealers in Los Angeles. In all fairness, we do suspect that these are moving more briskly than, say, Celio's REDFLY, but we can count the amount of MIDs we've seen in public on two or three hands. At any rate, Nissan has signed on to offer the multifaceted Atom-powered device as an optional accessory in its Cube, but at least initially, it'll only be made available at select dealers in the LA area. For those opting to outfit their new whip with one of these, Nissan will include a dedicated docking kit harmonized to the vehicle's instrument panel, and the user interface will also be tweaked for in-car usage. Look -- this is absolutely better than those lackluster, overpriced NAV units shoved into most dashboards, but at $799 plus installation, it's not like you're getting the steal of the century here.[Via Pocketables]
Clarion MiND price falls nearly 50 percent, makes beeline for cereal boxes
Hey, industry -- are you seeing this? People just aren't that into MIDs, sorry! Nary eight months after Clarion's Atom-powered MiND MID went on sale for the not-at-all-seductive price of $649.99, the evidently undesirable device has dropped to around $350. Right now on Amazon, the red and white units are priced at $342.83 and $360.87, respectively, while the black version is still holding its value just a wee bit better. Unfortunately, something tells us this thing is on the REDFLY plan, which should put it within a cheap plastic bag in your Frosted Flakes by the year's end.[Via Pocketables]
Atom-powered ClarionMiND MID hands-on at CeBIT
While we've seen the latest and greatest ClarionMiND reviewed since it got stuffed with Intel's Atom and optional WWAN, we've yet to actually catch one in person... until today, that is. Over at Clarion's spacious CeBIT booth, we took the liberty of snapping a few shots of this here MID. After toying with it for a few minutes, we were less than impressed by the finicky screen response, and the noticeable lag between application changes got annoying pretty quickly. Still, the main home screen looked mighty slick, so we suppose there's nothing horribly wrong that a minor firmware update can't fix. Anywho, dive on into the gallery below should you find yourself intrigued.%Gallery-46454%
ClarionMind MID / PND gets reviewed
Clarion's ClarionMiND MID / PND has been a long time coming but, with the first few non-3G-equipped units now out there in the wild, we're finally starting to get some reviews of the device, one of which comes from the folks at Mobile Tech Review. As you might expect, there's quite a bit of compromises to be found both as an MID and a GPS device, although it does seem to be considerably more well-suited to the latter task than the former. The biggest drawback on that front, it seems, is a weak built-in speaker that may not be powerful enough to overcome road noise. Things seem to be decidedly more lackluster when used as an MID, however, a situation that isn't helped by its underpowered 800MHz Z500 processor, its 850mAh battery, or its custom Linux distribution, which handles the basic internet-browsing tasks just fine but makes it difficult to install any third party apps. Hit up the link below for the complete rundown.
ClarionMiND MID on sale in the US for $649.99
Americans have been waiting with bated breath for months on end for Clarion's MiND mobile internet device to launch, and just as we were promised in September, said device is finally on sale in the month of November. Available in black, red or white hues, the MID boasts a 4.8-inch WVGA (800 x 480) touchscreen, preloaded maps of the entire US and Canada, built-in RealPlayer, Linux OS, an Intel Atom CPU, 512MB of RAM, a 4GB SSD, Firefox browser, Bluetooth 2.0 / WiFi, a microSD card slot, 2 USB ports and a battery good for around 1.5-hours of usage. Pop one under the tree for that someone special in your life for just $649.99. Or get them a full-fledged netbook for less, your call.[Via Pocketables]
ClarionMiND MID re-introduced with Atom, optional 3G
We haven't heard from Clarion since June, and as fate would have it, it was then when the company told us to expect a GPS-equipped MiND in the foreseeable future. Fast forward a few months, and here we have the formal (re)introduction of the ClarionMiND. Definitely dubbed a MID, this Atom-powered handheld is currently scheduled for release in US / Canada this November, while Europeans will have to wait until January 2009. Outside of the oh-so-fresh CPU, you'll find a 4.8-inch (800 x 480 resolution) display, 512MB of RAM, a 4GB SSD, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, a SiRFstarIII GPS module and a rechargeable Li-ion good for two hours (four hours with the optional extended cell). You'll also get a pair of USB 2.0 ports, a microSD card slot and optional real-time traffic support. The just described "standard" model will demand $649.99; the way-more-delicious Premium version doesn't yet have a price, but it should be out next Spring with integrated 3G.[Via Pocketables]
