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LG intros 15.6-inch U560, helps stretch our definition of Ultrabook (video)
There have already been a few 15-inch Ultrabooks that have pushed the very limits of the thin-and-light category. Still, LG wants its turn at bending the rules. Its new U560 packs a 15.6-inch display and an optical drive that, together, contribute to the PC's 4.3-pound weight and 0.82-inch thickness -- really, it's a traditional laptop in a slimmer than usual package. Not that we'll complain too much when it involves an IPS-based LCD, a 1.8GHz Core i5, dedicated graphics (a support page suggests NVIDIA) and both a spinning hard disk as well as solid-state storage. The U560's launch is limited to South Korea so far, although we wouldn't be surprised to see Europe and other territories get their turn.
Pantech Sky IM-U560K is small, slick, and very pastel
Pantech's Sky IM-U560K is a small slider set to launch -- in four soft pastel hues -- on Korea's Sky in the near future. One of the IM-U560K shining features is handset control via gestures -- with a shake or twist of the phone, for example, you can scroll and slide through the interface without having to lay a single finger on its 2.6-inch touchscreen. Other notables include a DMB TV tuner, the usual MP3 player, 3 megapixel camera, photo and video modes, and a potentially useful Korean to English text-to-speech app (we can at least hope it trumps the translation Google coughed up for this Korean-to-English post). As a bonus, the IM-U560K's packaging is eco-friendly using soybean inks printed on 100% recycled paper -- replacing, we assume, whatever toxic substances were used in the past. No word on the exact when or price -- but these things always pop up shortly after the PR does -- so hang tight.
Hands-on with the Amtek U560 / Aigo UMPC
We got a chance to fondle the non-Menlow Amtek U560 / Aigo UMPC on the floor of this year's CES, and we've got the pictures to prove it. The XP-running portable had a solid build, though the mechanism for sliding the screen felt a bit janky, and the overall size is possibly more than you want, especially with all the Menlow hotness coming our way this year. Perhaps a gallery of photos might help? Yeah, we thought so.%Gallery-13479%
Engadget China meets Aigo's first UMPC: The Patriot
Engadget China has just gotten its hands on an old friend of ours, a UMPC based on Intel's McCaslin MID spec. Recently we've seen this same design on the Amtek U560, but this version bears the Aigo badge proudly. Of course, since this (the company's first foray into the UMPC market) is based on the 2007 archetype, the Patriot has some of those bulky, Hummer-esque design qualities that don't hold up to the newer, sleeker, and smaller Menlow-based models (which Intel is heading towards for 2008), but under that jumbo exterior there's an 800MHz, Vista-ready heart of gold. Honestly, we do question the choice of putting function buttons smack-dab in the center of QWERTY keyboard, but hey -- no one is perfect -- judge for yourself in Engadget China's hands on gallery.
Amtek shows off U560 UMPC at Computex
OEM manufacturer Amtek's rolled into Computex with a fresh new UMPC prototype, and it looks like it may have already signed up a partner in the US to offer it under their brand name. That bit of news comes from GottaBeMobile, which has also managed to scope out a few of the device's specs. As is par for the course these days, the device is based on Intel's McCaslin platform, and packs either an 800MHz A110 or 600MHz A100 processor, a 3600mAh 2-cell battery with an optional 4-cell extended battery, and an integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam, not to mention a full QWERTY keypad. Apparently, Amtek is set to put the device into mass production by the end of the year, although it looks like we'll have to wait a bit longer to hear anything on pricing or availability, as well as any word about that mystery US partner.
