AtomZ530
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AdvanceTC's 4.8-inch tabletphone runs Windows 7 on a 1.6GHz Atom CPU
It may not sound like the most practical combination, but we've got to hand it to AdvanceTC -- it's shoehorned telephony into a Windows 7 tablet, fulfilling our dark desire for a spiritual successor to the xpPhone. Yes, that's not Windows Phone 7 you're looking at above, but rather full desktop Windows running on a sizable quad-band GSM brick, whose insides hold a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 32GB SSD, a 4.8-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, a 1.3 megapixel webcam and a chunky 3200mAh battery to power the whole thing. Calls are handled via AdvanceTC's custom UI layer and there's some software trickery to keep that battery in check, as the device can automatically wake from sleep when it detects an incoming call or text message. We doubt we'd much enjoy navigating Windows 7 on a screen that small, but AdvanceTC also gives the Atrix a nod, claiming that the device can act like a full nettop PC when connected to an HDMI dock. We'll let you know if the company gives us a price, release date, or any indication that it will actually hit retail at all. %Gallery-117700%
Lineo's Warp 2 boots to Fedora on Atom in 4 seconds, MPC Data's SwiftBoot warms up embedded Linux in an instant
Alright, you caught us. We're suckers for speedy, unrealistically optimized boot times. The fine folks at Linux for Devices just highlighted two major players on the horizon: Lineo's Warp 2, which is about to launch; and MPC Data's SwiftBoot, which is now available. Both of them are less of a "boot" and more of a "wake from hibernation" sort of thing, but most of the issues are the same -- you still have to boot a kernel, whether or not you're gonna populate the system with a saved state when it's ready. Lineo is booting up Fedora Linux 12 on an Atom Z530 machine, and has just hit the 4.06 second mark -- compared to a 54.72 second "normal" boot time on the system. Meanwhile, MPC Data is going after much more of a niche, but doing it well: its SwiftBoot tech can get Linux up and running an actual application on an embedded device-ready Renesas SuperH SH7724 processor in under a second (0.982 seconds, to be precise). This one has to be seen to be believed, so check out the video after the break. Sure, it won't help you love your pokey PC or Mac any more (though Apple's doing its own work on this problem with its misnomered "instant on" feature on the MacBook Air, which wakes the computer from hibernation in a few seconds), but it's a nice glimpse of what's to come.
Panasonic Toughbook U1 gets new sunlight-viewable screen, still solid to its Atom core
Remember Panasonic's Toughbook CF-U1? Yeah, so it's been a while (2008, in fact) since it was unveiled and then reviewed, which is exactly why Panny thought the time had come to update the rugged UMPC. Its Toughbook U1 has the same magnesium alloy chassis -- we're told it's still the most rugged Toughbook of them all -- but has been updated with "enhanced sunlight viewability." It's no PixelQi display, but the TransflectivePlus screen can be cranked up to 6000 nits for checking e-mails and other pertinent information in the bright light of day. Internally, the U1 has acquired a newer 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor, 2GB of RAM, and a larger 64GB SSD with Windows 7. The optional two megapixel front-facing camera has also been tweaked with better auto-focus and white balance features. However, the updates aren't just hardware-based: screen icons have been enlarged, and there's a new virtual right click button and larger virtual keyboard with a zoom mode. Of course, military grade doesn't come cheap -- the street price has been set at whopping $2,799. That still makes it one of the most expensive Atom device out there, but then again can you really put a price on something that's Rammer-resistant? We didn't think so.
MSI's 10-inch WindPad 100 advances past prototype stage, gets pictured with a dock
The wait for a legitimate mass market Windows 7 tablet continues, but at least MSI is showing signs of progress. The WindPad 100, which we saw at Computex in prototype form, has now reached design maturity and the concordant gallery of pictures has been distributed to the world. There's no word of any spec changes, meaning we're still looking at a 1.66GHz Atom Z530 CPU, 32GB SSD, 2GB RAM, Wind Touch UI overlay, and HDMI plus 2x USB ports on the stat sheet. The 100 has been joined by a new dock in these latest images, which will throw in the typical expanded connectivity options. We can probably expect to see both reappearing at IFA in Berlin in about a month's time.%Gallery-99506%
Exclusive: LG UX10 tablet preview at Computex
Microsoft isn't kidding around about showing Apple it's serious in regard to competing in the tablet space, and while most of the devices surrounding its Computex booth were locked down tight, we were able to spend a few exclusive minutes with a brand new LG that showed some serious promise. Boasting a 10.1-inch LED capacity touchscreen, the UX10 was one of the most solid tablets we've had the opportunity to touch. The prototype on the floor was equipped with an Intel Atom Z530 processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, Windows 7 Home Premium, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing webcam, an SD card slot, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a 7200mAh battery and a micro-HDMI output. The entire front was smothered in glass, with an itty-bitty bezel and a striking pearlescent white paint job around back. Though, we couldn't help but notice the similarities in the logo when thinking of a certain Streak. Microsoft representatives couldn't comment on an estimated price, though they did affirm that the device will escape the prototype stage and ship to consumers at some point in the future. Hit up the gallery below for a closer look, and peek past the break if you're a fan of videos.%Gallery-94034%
MSI WindPad 100 is a 10-inch, Intel Atom-powered Windows 7 tablet
Oh, hello WindPad! MSI just took the wraps off its 10-inch, Windows 7 tablet during the company's Computex press conference. The tablet is powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Atom Z530 processor, 2GB of RAM, and packs a 32GB SSD that boots Windows 7 Home Premium, though MSI has created a Wind Touch UI layer. While they were showing early prototypes, it will have two USB ports, an HDMI and a webcam when all is finalized. According to an MSI product manager on hand, the WindPad 100 will hit the market later this year for around $499. We just caught a few minutes with the tablet so hit the break for some early impressions and a short hands-on clip. %Gallery-93937%
MSI X340 reborn as DIY carbon fiber tablet, watch it stream YouTube at 720p (video)
Tired of touchscreen tablets that lack speed, a usable UI, or support for a certain streaming video format that will go unnamed? As one of our favorite sayings goes, if you want it done right, do it yourself. One Engadget reader took that idea to heart in crafting the 13.4-inch carbon fiber contraption you see above, imbuing it with enough high-end netbook parts to run Windows 7 at a brisk pace and play 720p video on its large, resistive touchscreen. Starting with the guts of an MSI X320, adding an accelerometer and 40GB solid state drive and finally sandwiching a random Chinese digitizer on top, the whole 1.6GHz Atom Z530 machine cost him under $700 in parts. For that price, we're sure many of you would be happy to follow in his footsteps, but if not, by all means continue complaining to your tablet manufacturer of choice. We have another favorite saying: the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Video after the break; Q&A with the creator at our more coverage link.
Fujitsu LifeBook UH900 spotted in the wild, courtesy of shouting speech bubbles
There could only be two reasons for why we got a bit excited upon the discovery of this Asia Pacific-only, $1,415 Fujitsu UH900 in Hong Kong: one was the sugar rush from two custard tarts earlier in the day, and two was the speech bubble overload on this smartbook laptop thing. We quickly sobered up when we heard about the two-hour battery life -- more pessimistic than Fujitsu's own press release, which promises three hours in ECO mode. While there was no hands-on opportunity to try out the multitouch screen -- a self-proclaimed world's first on this form factor -- we weren't impressed by the overall glossiness and the dull side bezel, but kudos to the guy who managed to keep a straight face while revealing the petite battery life. %Gallery-80607%
Fujitsu LifeBook UH900 has multitouch, world-beating ambitions
What's in a name these days? If we didn't call this a UMPC or told you it can run Windows 7, it could just be a pretty huge clamshell smartphone. The freshly announced LifeBook UH900 sports a 5.6-inch "vivid glare screen," (we'll put that down to a bad translation), 3.5G wireless connectivity, and even goes so far as to lay claim to being the world's smallest multitouch-capable PC. Take that, VAIO P! Still, the 62GB SSD and WXGA display resolution obviously set it apart from the phone crowd, as will the Atom Z530 inside -- it might outperform your ARM CPU, but will also ensure you never leave the house without a charger (just 3-hours in eco mode). Fujitsu has yet to spill pricing details, but CNET informs us the non-UMTS version will be ready in January, with the more advanced hotness coming at a later date.
Video: Vstone's Robovie-PC robot gets Intel Atom inside, becomes world's most awesome computer
For a robo hobbyist, the process of developing a creation's custom programming can be a chore. Make a change on a computer, connect the bot, download the change, then set the little guy free and wait for him to fall over. When he does, tweak that custom programming, rinse, and repeat. The Robovie-PC from Vstone turns that on its head, with the robot itself becoming the computer. It has a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor, dual USB ports, a VGA connector, and even Wi-Fi. There's a 1.3 megapixel camera on its head, which shows a lot of potential in the remote control demonstration vid below. Since the robot is the computer, able to run Windows or Linux, advanced functionality should be much easier to achieve. We're envisioning a little security guard who uploads images directly to the internet, or who taunts cats and takes pictures of their reactions. Naturally, those taunts won't come cheap; the 15-inch tall bot will cost ¥399,999, or about $4,500. That's quite a premium when compared to the company's $540 Robovie-nano announced a few weeks ago, but we think you should go ahead and splurge. [Via Plastic Pals]
