NVIDIA Tegra 2-powered Mobinnova Beam hands-on

Right on the heels of NVIDIA unleashing its Tegra 2 (T20) platform, Mobinnova is jumping into the picture with one of the first smartbooks powered by the new platform. The device may be small, and quite thin, but it has got a lot going on. First off, the design is nothing short of cool: the back of the rounded device actually snaps down to reveal its ports and to prop up the entire chassis. Under the lid it has a flush 8.9-inch display, but its smaller size causes the keyboard to be quite cramped. The touchpad has integrated mouse buttons, but we noticed that it was tough make selections by left clicking. You'll probably want to stick with double tapping on this one.

Under the hood the Mobinnova Beam is powered by Tegra 2, which is based on a 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 CPU and a GeForce GPU. It'll also have 256 MB of memory and pack 512MB of flash storage (though you can expand that with the SD card). The unit we saw was running Windows CE with a software interface developed by Mobinova, though the plan is to release an Android version. We still found it to be easy to navigate with all the applications centered on a carousel of sorts. As promised by NVIDIA, a 1080p video played on the 8.9-inch display and on a 42-inch 1080p Philips TV (take that Atom!) quite smoothly. In our brief hands-on the overall performance seemed snappier than the past Mobinovia with the first Tegra chip: Firefox opened in about 7 seconds and navigating to web pages was faster than we'd anticipated. We don't have any word on pricing, but Mobinova will only sell this bundled with AT&T connectivity. Hit the break for the full PR and some video.
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Mobinnova To Deliver World's First HD Internet Smartbook On AT&T's 3G Mobile Broadband Network
Mobinnova BeamTM

Pioneers New Category of Mobile Computing Devices Powered By NVIDIA® TegraTM; Delivers Hours Of HD Video, Audio, Intuitive UI Design, Rich Graphical Experience, Roxio CinemaNow
Entertainment and Adobe Flash 10.1

January 2009 CES, Las Vegas-Mobinnova announced today that the Mobinnova BeamTM, the world's first HD Internet smartbook offering beautiful, 3D graphics never available before on an ultra portable device, will connect to AT&T's 3G mobile broadband network. Previously codenamed élan, the Mobinnova BeamTM, is the first in a family of products powered by the Next Generation NVIDIA® TegraTM mobile web processor.

"Smartbook on Steroids"- At first glance, the Mobinnova Beam looks like a netbook. It's small, weighs just two pounds, has a keyboard, offers easy access to the Internet and slips easily into a purse, backpack or briefcase. But unlike a netbook, the muscular Mobinnova BeamTM offers stunning capabilities, including the ability to provide hours of full-page web browsing, social networking, HD videos, music and high-end games.

"We like to say the Mobinnova Beam is a 'smartbook on steroids'," says KC Kuo, CEO of Mobinnova. "The Mobinnova BeamTM meets our company's goal of providing next generation, 'cloud ready'
products that allow easy, enjoyable and instant access to content for hours, even days. We look forward to connecting this device to AT&T's mobile broadband service, the nation's fastest 3G network."

"The Mobinnova Beam is a sleek device that will deliver a unique mobile media access experience," said Glenn Lurie, President, Emerging Devices, Resale and Partnerships, AT&T Mobility. "We look forward to working with Mobinnova to deliver entertainment and social networking over AT&T's nationwide mobile broadband network."

A NEW ERA IN MOBILE COMPUTING: MOBINNOVA UNVEILS THE "Mobinnova BeamTM" WITH HOURS OF HD MULTIMEDIA AND INTERNET POWER "ON THE GO"

The Mobinnova Beam

Features Include:
- NVIDIA Tegra - mobile web processor, which includes the world's first dual-core ARM Cortex A9 CPU running up to 1GHz, that provides blazing performance, while maximizing power efficiency and battery life.
- Browse more websites, watch streaming HD movies, and check email faster than any mobile device ever before. Enjoy hours of 1080p HD video by connecting it to an HDTV or high quality video "on the go," along with crystal-clear audio playback.
- Roxio CinemaNowTM
- Entertainment Platform-Now you can seamlessly access premium entertainment from virtually anywhere. Instantly browse, purchase and enjoy a broad catalog of digital movies and TV shows while on the road.
- Adobe Flash 10.1 support gives a superior graphical experience and enhanced browsing compatibility. 3D Interface provides a simple, elegant and engaging way to intuitively access the world of entertainmen. With customizable home screen widgets and RSS feeds. Always On, Instant Start-up ensures that no time is wasted booting up. Customized social networking through Facebook**, Twitter**, YellowPages**, and RSS reader widgets, integrated into the 3D interactive home screen interface. Capable of supporting up to 64GB of removable memory, storing music, movies, pictures, games and more.
- Full-page web browsing and realistic 3D graphical performance for amazing gaming/ viewing experience on an 8.9 inch screen.
- Ultra-light, stylishly slender design at 1.84 lbs (836g), 9.1 inches (232mm) x 7.3 inches (186 mm) x .8 inches (20.5 mm).
- Wi-Fi capable and with a qualified AT&T Data Connect plan, you can access AT&T's 3G and Wi-Fi networks. Check your email, social networking accounts, and search the internet at home and on the go. Webcam and fast, high resolution photo rendering, upload and download.

The Mobinnova BeamTM
Hardware Specifications:
Processor Type: NVIDIA® Tegra 250
Display: 8.9" TFT 1024 x 600 non-touch
Memory: 512MB DDR2-667 system RAM, 512MB NAND OS storage
Storage: 8-64GB SSD with expandable SD memory up to 64GB (sold separately)

Communications:
Connections & Expansion:
UMTS 850/1900/2100 HSPA 7.2/5.1 Mb/s
GSM 850/900/1800/1900
GPRS EDGE Class 12
Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g
Bluetooth**: BT 2.1 EDR
Ethernet: 10/100Mbps (with expansion option)
USB (USB 2.0, Host) X2 3.5mm jacks X2 for microphone and line-out HDMI for digital video out Extension port for VGA and Ethernet adapter SD/SDHC (SD2.0) card slot SIM card slot