Just days after going on sale in Europe for €399, the Wind-esque Akoya mini laptop has been acquired and unboxed for all to see. As it stands, we're still not certain if this thing will ever head to US soil, but judging by the remarkable similarities to a few other low-cost lappies, we reckon we'll survive if it decides to stay put. Head on to the read link for a look at the shots.

[Via SlashGear]

Here's a peculiar one. Medion's Akoya Mini -- you know, just one of the legions of low-cost laptops you've barely heard of -- is finally on sale after being showcased at Computex. But it's not the mere fact of being on sale that's intriguing; for whatever reason, Medion has decided to offer the unit up in Austria's Hofer, which is the foreign equivalent of America's Aldi. So you know, while you're browsing around picking up a few bits of produce and a 20-pack of Fun Dip, why not snag a 10-inch netbook for €399 ($628) to round things out?

[Thanks, hondosan]

The last time we saw this downsized Atom-based laptop, it was looking staid and proper in a press shot. Finally someone has gotten their hands on this thing, and we've got to say -- it looks pretty handsome (even if it is a rebadged, recolored MSI Wind, and a dead ringer for the Mini-Note). Specs seem unchanged, with a 10-inch 1024 x 800 display, 80GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, and a 1.3-megapixel webcam, and the price appears to be holding at €399 (or about $630) as well. Still no word on when or if this is going to hit the states, but we've got our fingers crossed.

Chances are, you didn't really need another option for a pink travel guide, but if that rosy nüvi just isn't as sparkly as it once was, Medion's lookin' out for you. The outfit has just released its GoPal E3215 Glamour Edition, which reportedly features a perfectly average 3.5-inch color touchscreen, 1.7-centimeter thick frame, speed camera database and maps of Western Europe. Of course, a pink GPS wouldn't be a pink GPS without a matching carry case, but all things considered, we still can't see spending £149.99 ($296) on a cute-but-ho hum piece such as this.

[Via TechGadgets, thanks Yossi]

The Eee-sparked trend towards smaller, cheaper laptops continues unabated -- which is good news if you like small, cheap things. The latest entry into the ultraportable market comes in the form of the Medion Akoya Mini, a handsome looking entry that clearly aims to compete with ASUS' wunderkind. The 10-inch laptop scores big points right out of the box due to its inclusion of Intel's infamous Atom CPU. The system will feature a traditional hard drive, with some form of Linux on-board, 1GB of RAM standard, two USB ports, a memory card slot, VGA out, and a 1.3 megapixel webcam. No word on if we'll see this in the States, but it's hitting Europe soon with a starting price of €399 (or about $638).

[Via le Journal du Geek; Thanks, Anh]

Microsoft's Windows Home Server is saying balls to its dicey launch year and rallying the troops for a holiday hardware blitz. Its original hardware launch partner HP's on-sale-again-off-sale-again MediaSmart Home Server is officially back and on sale (huzzah!), and multiple hardware partners are (re)announcing their own boxes.

Up to bat with new and "new" WHS hardware: Fujitsu-Siemens, Gateway, Iomega, LaCie, Leo Computers, LifeWare, Maxdata, Medion, and Tranquil. Sure, some have already announced, but those named today will either be introducing new WHS gear in short order, or at least intend to in the next quarter. Also getting official and on sale today: Velocity Micro's NetMagix (previously VMHS). Expect it with a Core 2 Duo, 1GB of RAM, eSATA, gigabit Ethernet, front / rear USB, and up to 4TB of storage (starting at $1000 for 1TB).

P.S. -We're sure Microsoft would like us to remind you of the burgeoning WHS software add-on scene, with the dozens of apps now written for the platform. That's all well and good, but we'll worry about getting that hardware first, then take a look at that software.

For those worried about crooks swiping their GPS while it's left alone in the vehicle, Medion is introducing a new navigator that becomes utterly useless if the owner's fingerprint isn't around to get things going. The GoPal P4425 is also equipped with the usual amenities found on a higher-end GPS including Bluetooth, RDS-TMC, voice activation, text-to-speech, and an FM transmitter. Additionally, you'll find a 4.3-inch widescreen display, a rechargeable Li-ion that's good for four to five hours before needing a boost, and full western Europe maps complete with "a preloaded safety camera database with major route speed limit warnings." Set to hit shelves in November, the GoPal P4425 carries a £299.99 ($604) pricetag, while the pared down GoPal E3410 that was simultaneously announced will run you £189.99 ($383).

[Via Stuff]

Looks like IFA had a bit of a Windows Home Server bonanza this year, with four models being demoed from the likes of HP, MaxData, Fujitsu-Siemens, and Medion. Fujitsu-Siemens were showing off their 1TB Scaleo Home Server 1900 and 500GB Scaleo 1500 at the launch event, which features 4 internal drive bays, 30db operation, and 256MB of on-board flash for support in case of a "critical error." MaxData was also ready to enter the WHS fray with its o.Center, an orange and white affair with four drive bays and an expected ship date of late October. Finally, there was HP and Medion with their respective offerings -- the MD 90110 for Medion, and the MediaSmart for HP -- on show and in the flesh. Not long to wait now, you home media hosting addict you.

[Thanks, Terry W.]

Just as HP reportedly delayed its own Windows Home Server-based device, Medion's iteration is getting all fleshed out, so let's get right down to the dirt, shall we? Apparently, the MD 90110 will feature an AMD Sempron 64 or Intel P4 LGA 775, an AMD RS-690 / Intel 945GC chipset, be based on a MicroATX motherboard, and include 1GB of RAM, between 500GB and 2TB of RAID storage space, an eSATA port, gigabit Ethernet, and four USB 2.0 connectors. Additionally, users can look forward to "screwless internal hard drive bays," a recovery button, HDD status LEDs, and a variety of configurations to fit your needs (and budget). Per usual, there's no hard data available just yet in regard to pricing or release dates, but we'll keep you posted.

[Via WeGotServed]

In addition to touting Vista sales, Mr. Gates also provided an update on their Windows Home Server (WHS) platform during his WinHEC 2007 keynote. While he didn't offer any updates to the ambiguous "later this year" release date, he did mention that Gateway, LaCie and Medion will join HP to delivery their own hardware products based on WHS. Specifically, the DLNA-compliant Medion Home Server will offer up to 2TB of storage and should ship before the year is up. Oh, and in case you're responsible for the corporate IT budget and staff allocation, you'll be interested to know that Gates and co. are on track with Windows Server 2008 -- formerly known as Windows Server "Longhorn" -- release for the second half of 2007.

While most of the recent buzz surrounding Medion has focused on the firm's UMPC efforts, it's rolling out a pair of stylish navigation systems for a nice change of pace. The GoPal S2310 and X4510 (pictured after the jump) purportedly utilize NAVTEQ maps and come in a trio of flavors, including ME (Medium Edition), AE (Advanced Edition) and PE (Premium Edition). The smaller S2310 touts a 3.5-inch LCD, curvaceous design, shock-resistant casing, route tracking system, and an ability to export to Google Earth in order to scrutinize just how lost you ended up. The Windows CE-powered X4510 ups the ante with a four-inch screen, electronic compass, microSD slot, 324MHz Atlas II processor, 256MB of integrated RAM, handsfree Bluetooth capability, built-in RDS / TMC receiver in the Premium iteration, an MP3 player, and an image viewer to boot. No word just yet on release dates, but the S2310 should hit for right around €299 ($398), while the beefed up X4510 will likely demand €499 ($664).

The UMPC is a relative no-show here at CES compared to its viral, CeBIT 2006 origins. Still, we managed to track down and get up close and personal with devices like the Kohjinsha SA1F00A, Samsung PH-P9000, OQO Model 02, and Medion and even checked a preview of the new Origami Experience UI for Vista. HTC's UMPC, which may or not be the Athena, is absent but there's still hope for a formal announcement in March at the CTIA wireless show. In a surreal moment, we even witnessed a visibly shaken Intel exec demonstrating "Yahoo! Go for UMPC" to Yahoo's CFO while a VIA exec (Intel's biggest competition on this platform) quietly snaked through the crowd nearby. Only at CES, friends. We also managed to extract the UMPC v2 reference designs from the recessed bowels of Intel -- displayed almost as an afterthought, not a highlight. The verdict? Vista on these new UMPCs coupled with the new Origami Experience UI is a big step in the right direction. The "Yahoo UMPC" reference design we saw at Intel's IDF felt very solid in the hand, and features a well positioned thumbpad we found easy to use while holding the device two handed -- a design which might have a chance of success if picked up by an OEM. Intel also has a few new reference designs under glass: a chubby, slim-screened slider and another perched in a fat brown media dock with integrated DVD and AV outs. The Medion? Forget it, the keyboard is plain and simply, unusable and the device felt poorly engineered. Word is that Intel will have their new, ultra-low power mobile processor for these v2 UMPCs ready before the end of Q2. That, coupled with Vistagami might finally give the platform a fighting chance this summer. Check the gallery for plenty of UMPC action.

We've started seeing UMPCs crop up everywhere. At Via's booth at ShowStoppers, there were about seven different UMPCs, but the Medion caught our eye. We hear from some other folks it's got pretty good battery life for a UMPC, and you should be able to get it in your own hands for under ten benjamins. After we stopped by Intel's booth to give it a more thorough run through, the keyboard was frankly crap, so caveat emptor. Download it below, or watch the usual flash video above.

[MP4] Download the video

The last we saw or heard about a UMPC from Medion was way back in September when a grainy image of such a device was leaked at IFA. Turns out that the grainy image was real, as Bill Gates recently demonstrated a UMPC device from Medion at his CES keynote in order to tout a new version of Microsoft's Origami Experience user interface. In a move sure to please readers interested in the impressive specs list of the MD RIM 1000 -- 6.5-inch touchscreen, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, onboard GPS, DVB-T tuner and webcam -- Medion's first UMPC is to be made available on Jan 30, which happens to be the same date that Microsoft plans to release this other piece of software you may or may not have heard about.