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LonMID M100 is a giant smartphone or tiny netbook, you choose
Look, we're not going to try and convince you that you need carry yet another device to maintain your connected lifestyle. And at 6.2 x 3.5 x 1.1-inches, the LonMID M100 is too chunky to join your smartphone in the trouser pocket while being a bit too cramped compared to the netbook or laptop carried in your shoulder bag. Still, we can appreciate the effort required to pack this much technology into such a tiny QWERTY device. On the back of the main 4.8-inch (800 x 480) display, the dual-purpose M100 features a dedicated keypad, SIM, and 2.4-inch display for making jumbo-sized calls when the mood strikes. Otherwise, it'll help you consume, and lightly create content under the direction of a MIDinux OS riding an 800MHz Atom Z500 processor with Poulsbo chipset, 1GB of DDR2 memory, and 4GB SSD with microSD expansion. Bluetooth, USB, and 802.11b/g WiFi? Yup, it's in there. Fortunately, it's only a prototype so you can put off all the hard decision making until later.[Via Pocketables]
11.6-inch Acer Aspire One inches closer to our hearts, reality
It's very possible that we're just reading too far between the lines here, but a recent post over at macles* lines up awesomely with specifications gleaned from a recent Acer FCC filing. Basically, what we're probably looking at is a forthcoming Aspire One with an 11.6-inch panel (as opposed to the 10-inch versions available now), a 1,366 x 768 resolution and very strangely placed Ethernet and VGA ports. Furthermore, we're also told that this bugger will house an Atom Z530 CPU, Intel's SCH USW15S chipset (Poulsbo) and GMA500 integrated graphics. Oh, and there's also an extended battery option that should provide up to eight hours of life. Interested yet?
Has the Atom-powered WiBrain i1 UMPC fallen off the map?
Or more importantly, do you even care? One quick glance over at WiBrain's website will leave you searching to no avail for any traces of the i1, and while it's a shame we might not ever see this hardware package mass produced, we can't say we're terribly surprised. We mean, really, how many of your nerdy friends have saved up for one of these unwieldy UMPCs over, say, a netbook or the like? If the i1 really puffed its last breath at IFA, at least we can say we went to its farewell party. Ah well, onward and upward, right?[Via Slashgear]Update: The unit is still hanging around on WiBrain's German website, which possibly explains its IFA presence. Maybe it's being reserved for a Europe-only introduction? Thanks, xtron!
WiBrain to offer Atom / SSD / HSDPA-packin' I1 UMPC
Say what you will about the attractiveness (or lack thereof) of WiBrain's line of -- shall we say, unique -- UMPCs, but hardware wise, they're hard to bang on. The B1 just recently saw an update that added in a succulent SSD, and the all new I1 looks to share in that joyousness while also including two more tidbits we've been longing for. According to early reports, the I1 will feature a tweaked B1 design with a mildly updated casing, but the real fun is within; we're talking a 1.1GHz / 1.3GHz Intel Atom CPU, SSD options as roomy as 64GB, Windows XP or Linux running the show, 6-hours of battery life when browsing and a drool-worthy HSDPA module. Pricing has yet to be disclosed, but we are told to expect a worldwide launch (yes, including North America) in October. [Via Pocketables, thanks Jenn]
Hands-on with Intel's MID platform
Get your Silverthorn, red hot 45-nm dual-core "Silverthorn" processor and "Poulsbo" chipsets here. For some reason, we love to look at these future Menlow-based MID devices even though we've yet to find a home for the UMPC in our cold, jaded hearts. And that shiny bar above? Don't get your hopes up kiddo. It's that same slab of non-functional (but sexy) backlit plastic we've seen before and destined for delivery sometime in the next century.%Gallery-12837%
Intel's Ultra Mobile strategy gets official
We already knew of Intel's 2007 "McCaslin" ultra mobile platform strategy after peeping their pre-show slides: professional UMPCs paired with consumer-oriented, Linux-based MIDs. Still, it's always good to get the official word even if it means that Intel must travel all the way to their IDF in Beijing to make it so. As the strategy goes, before 2007 is up we'll see product from Aigo, Asus, Fujitsu, Haier, HTC, and Samsung all based on the Intel A100 and A110 processors -- essentially underclocked Pentium M cores operating at 3W and certainly besting the UMPC underpinnings we saw in 2006. In the first half of 2008 then, Intel tells us to expect their "Menlow" platform of ultra mobile devices. Pumping Intel's 45-nm dual-core "Silverthorn" processor and "Poulsbo" chipset for longer battery life in smaller handheld devices. But if you're chomping at the bit for Intel's vision of the ultra mobile future, well, you'll be waiting around until well after 2008, boy. Intel doesn't expect to break into magical sub-0.5W territory until the naughts are up. Until then, you'll have to deal with mysterious slabs like the new Fujitsu pictured above. Update: UMPC Portal just pointed out something very interesting: Intel says that HTC's Shift UMPC is based on their A100/A110 processors. However, the engineering sample we pawed was running a 1.2GHz VIA proc. Looks like Intel scored themselves a major coup over HTC's Taiwanese neighbors.[Via Impress]
