Oh good, another marketing-speak change-up tossed our way from Intel. Apparently, the Centrino Atom naming convention is no more, leaving the in-house branded Menlow chipset used in MIDs and UMPCs essentially nameless. Atom, as you may recall, is the name of the Silverthorn and Diamondville-class CPUs. Got it? Of course you don't. No worries, that's why you've got us. You just focus on trying to understand the difference between MIDs and UMPCs and netbooks and ultra-portables and we'll take care of the rest.

Aigo's MID (more formally known as the MID P8860) just arrived in the anxious hands of UMPC Fever, and of course, it uploaded a number of photographs so we could all share in the joyous unboxing experience. Granted, you've already seen so many in the wild shots that you aren't apt to be surprised, but we're rather impressed with just how nicely everything was arranged inside of the subtle black box. We'd totally have to debadge it (is the Atom sticker really necessary... really?), but other than that it's not a half bad item to have residing in your rear pocket. More shots in the read link.

[Via Pocketables, thanks Jenn]

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]

You might remember that little BenQ MID prototype which was doing the rounds at IDF and CES. Well, it looks like the folks at HQ have decided to get all official with the newly-repainted gadget -- creatively dubbed the BenQ Mobile Internet Device -- during another three letter party, MWC. According to the press release, the unit boasts a 4.8-inch touchscreen, 0.3-megapixel webcam, and "high-speed mobile internet access." Interestingly, the company appears to be aiming for some fancy-shmancy gesture input, like sliding finger movements and the ability to shake the device to minimize windows -- a feature which should notably increase the numbers of these which get thrown across a room. BenQ still hasn't given any release date or expected price on the Menlow-based device, so don't start any breath-holding competitions just yet. There's one more press image after the break, if you haven't seen enough (and we suspect you haven't).

[Via jkkmobile]

Our eyes may still be slightly out of focus from the complete lack of sleep obtained while at CES, but the two Inventec UMPCs purportedly going by 7-A / 5-D sure look a heck of a lot different than the model we peeked in Vegas. As you can glean from the image above, the UMPC 7-A sports a nifty slider design that supposedly places the QWERTY keyboard at a "more natural angle" for the user. As for the so-called UMPC 5-D (shown after the jump), it ditches the aforementioned design and takes a more modular approach to satisfy those who just adore buying a new dock for every handheld they own. Regrettably, we've no hard details surrounding the specs of these two machines, but we doubt we'll have to twiddle our thumbs for too much longer before finding out.

[Via Pocketables]

We've seen it in pics, but now we get to hold it. The new Lenovo MID being shown off at the Intel booth at this year's CES can't help but remind us of one of our favorite old game systems... the Atari Lynx. Beyond that, it sports another Linux-based interface, with a decent looking UI put on top -- though we're pretty underwhelmed by the resistive touchscreen's response. We're not sure what they think we're going to do with that number pad on the side... unless this can be used as a phone, perhaps. Take a look at the pics and judge for yourself.

We got a chance to play with the new Aigo MID that sports the Intel Menlow chip, and here's a slew of shots for you to peep. A few items of note: first, the thing is totally trying to rip the iPhone's interface -- you can't really debate that, though sitting atop its janky Linux implementation, it feels pretty third rate. On the bright side, the little guy uses a new, touchscreen-MID-centric version of Mozilla called CoolFox, which is nice to see on a handheld. Check the gallery and see for yourself.

We got a chance to play with the bizarre Digifriends MID at the Intel booth, and it actually seems kind of cool. The basic concept with the Vista-running, Menlow-sporting, lime green device is that you can snap on all kinds of add-ons to it, like a gamepad, keyboard, stand, speakers, and a hard drive. The overall feel wasn't wildly different from the other MIDs we saw, but the possibilities of expanding it easily are enticing. Check the gallery for all the views.

That's right, kids. The crazy, long-iPhone prototype we saw demoed at IDF a few months back has made its way into our greedy hands. We've got to say, Intel should just bring this thing to market right now. While the UI wasn't up and running, just holding the thing, and checking out the demo shots of the interface was enough to give us big chills. It's thin, it's light, and we have to say, pretty darn fresh. If they keep up with this kind of work, we're fully prepared to be blown away in the future. Of note: the rep here claimed that the company now has even smaller and thinner versions of this thing in prototype -- though they don't seem to be at CES, and he kept reiterating that the prototype I was handling was slated for a 2009 release. Oh well, feast your eyes on the gallery.

We came, we saw... we handled. We finally got a chance to play with LG's newest entry into the growing line of forthcoming Intel MIDs, and we're pretty impressed. The device is small and light, has a really solid build, and definitely is going to give current players (N810, we're looking at you) a nasty run for the money. Check out the gallery below and bask in the newness of your next wallet-breaker.

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.

That's right kids, it's the new hotness. Get up close and personal with these thrilling videos featuring the Menlow-based MIDs in sweet, sweet action.

It looks like Lenovo isn't the only gang of techno-hooligans launching an MID this year at CES -- word on the street (and in official PR) is that BenQ's entry to the relatively new category will be making a showing before you know it. According to the company, the device -- which we're thinking is going to be the purple number we saw Intel demoing back at its Developer Forum in September -- will feature a 4.8-inch display, WiFi, 3.5G (such as HSUPA), and will be driven by (surprise!) Intel's Menlow platform. The device will apparently consume less power than a UMPC (as expected), and will carry a price tag that will likely bend closer to a smartphone than a laptop. Info is scarce right now, but we suspect all will be deliciously revealed this week -- stay logged in.