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ASUS R50A UMPC reviewed -- same internals as the VAIO P, runs Vista poorly
ASUS's R50A UMPC has been sort of lost in the company's flood of Eee PCs, and maybe for good reason -- the crew at UMPC Portal just reviewed the $2,000 handheld and came away unimpressed. Although the software package overall was described as "atrocious" and the lack of a keyboard was annoying, the biggest problems were all essentially related to running Vista on the 1.33GHz Atom Z520 CPU with 1GB RAM -- you can delete bloatware and use a bigger stylus, but you can't fix "pretty bad" performance on the lowest possible graphics settings. Ruh roh: Sony's upcoming VAIO P supposedly has a similar 1.33GHz Intel chip in it and runs Vista. Here's hoping Sony's got something a little more impressive up its sleeve for us than what ASUS managed to put together here -- otherwise the full R50A review at the read link might be discouragingly prophetic.
Asus R50A finally arrives, jacks your wallet in the process
If you're looking to drop nearly $2,000 on a UMPC, well, first of all, you're nuts, but second of all, you're in luck, 'cause the Asus R50A is shipping at €1,475 ($1,878). They weren't kidding when they said it would be above $500, but for the price you'll be running Windows Vista on a handheld with a 1.33GHz Intel Atom processor, a gig of RAM, a 32GB SSD hard drive, a 5.6'' screen at 1024 x 600, three USB ports, a microSD slot, a wireless keyboard, and an external DVD reader / writer. Connectivity options include 802.11 b / g WiFi, Bluetooth, and 3G. These specs aren't all that different from what you'd find in a netbook (save for the SSD), except you're paying more than twice as much and you get to look like you're playing games on a GP2X while you're using it on the train. Maybe it's supposed to be a status symbol?[Via Pocketables]
ASUS R50A UMPC lands in FCC, is promptly torn apart
ASUS' R50A has been hanging around in "almost here" land for, like, ever. Over six months after we laid hands on it at CES, it seems the release is all but imminent as evidenced by its recent showing in the sprawling FCC database. Per usual, the agency did its best with that 1.3-megapixel point-and-shoot that it just can't secure funds to replace, and while we've certainly seen more invigorating dissections, this one isn't half bad considering the dearth of enthusiasm expressed by those doing the splaying. Wander on down to the read link for more dark, dingy shots of the internals.[Via jkkmobile]
Asus R50 UMPC release gets firm, like coagulating jello
We haven't heard much about ASUS' R50/R50a UMPC since its debut at CES in January. Oh sure, it was on display at CeBIT but only to be overshadowed (literally) by its imposing 7-inch, R70 bro. With Intel properly official with Atom, Asus now tells us to expect the 5.6-inch R50 to rollout before June in both Linux and Vista flavors with a price above $500. Really, Asus, "above" $500, so is that $501, $1,000 or $1,500? A little bit more specificity please when you announce the expected November availability of the next R50 with keyboard, ok?
Hands-on with the ASUS R50A
It's been a real MID / UMPC bonanza at CES this year, and we're not done quite yet. We got to handle the ASUS R50A at the company's small -- yet crowded -- booth, and we've brought back pictures for the gang. While the design is fairly solid on the device, the unit feels a bit slippery to the touch. The button / navigation placement works, though coming to grips with everything wasn't exactly a smooth transition. Once again, we're seeing that miniaturized Vista, and honestly, we're not totally convinced this is the platform of choice for these pixel-dense screens. Check out the gallery and see the little guy in action.%Gallery-13312%
ASUS' R50A UMPC goes legit
Asus just officially announced their R50A UMPC which we first spotted as the R3. You remember, the latest UMPC set to "redefine mobile." So... does it? You be the judge: 4.8-inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display; built-in GPS; webcam and microphone; 3G / 3.5G data; and built-in TV tuner. Even though Asus keeps touting "full notebook functionality" the device lacks one significant feature: a QWERTY keyboard. We're still waiting for a price and confirmed specs (like CPU) before making up our minds about this one.[via JKKmobile]
ASUS' R50A set to "redefine mobile"
All we have is this picture for now and the promise of more around CES in January, but that's Asus' R50A right there. It's listed as a UMPC and said to "redefine mobile" with full PC and GPS functionality. Funny, we thought that's what those gen one UMPCs were supposed to do 1.5 years ago. Anyway, this looks to be the R3 we've already peeped sporting a 4.8-inch display with abiggie1024 x 600 resolution.
