S7
Latest
Video: Viliv S7 hands on and VAIO P comparo
As promised, we've made a run over to check out Viliv's forthcoming S7 netbook tablet, bringing along the ever-popular VAIO P to see how the two stack up (as well as an Eee 1000H for good measure). As you can see, the S7 actually isn't that much larger than the Sony, maybe 30 percent thicker and a little bit wider, but also a bit shorter. The thing manages to find room for a track pad on top of the keyboard, but it's an awfully small one, so thank goodness for the (non-multi) touch screen. Also small is that keyboard, which is one of the most painful we've yet experienced on a netbook, featuring arrow and punctuation keys that even a pygmy would fat-finger. But, compromises must be made when making machines small, and small this one is. Viliv has written a custom skin that overlays the Windows XP install, demonstrated in a video below. It's reasonably pleasant to use (minimizing the need to rely on that tiny trackpad), but is also easy to exit if you're not feeling it. We already know the specs of this tiny convertible, so the only mysteries left are "when" followed immediately by "how much." The answers we received to those questions are unfortunately a bit vague: "before this summer" and a rather predictable "less than the VAIO P." We're guessing it'll be a lot less. Oh, and for those examining the gallery, don't worry about the rough edges you might spy: this is a pre-production S7, so things should be a good bit more polished when it hits retail.%Gallery-41617%
Viliv's S7 ultra-portable gets official specs, but not a release date
Viliv's S7 "productivity MID" got announced in August at the Intel Developer Forum, and, while we were impressed by the form factor and the promise, it's always hard to get too excited without a full spec sheet and an MSRP. Now at CES we're still in the dark about price (and availability), but are finally hearing just what's going on under the keyboard; Atom processors in 1.3GHz and 1.6GHz flavors, a 7-inch, 1024 x 600 screen, 1GB of RAM, and either 16GB worth of SSD or 60GB served up on platters. Wireless connectivity is handled over 802.11b/g, WiMAX, and HSDPA, and the device promises "blueray HD video playback" -- which we're taking to mean it can display 1080p footage without completely choking, but we're not sure just where that video would come from given the lack of optical drive. But, hey, look at that sexy picture! Rest assured we'll prop this up against a VAIO P as soon as we can get our hands on one. [Via UMPC Portal]
Viliv's Atom-powered S5 MID gets detailed and pictured
Viliv got us salivating when it introduced the S5 MID and S7 UMPC back at IDF, and now we've got a few tasty updates on both. Starting with the former, we've learned via an interview with parent company Yukyung that the S5 MID will come packing a 1.33GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 1.8-inch hard drive (1.3-inch when paired with a WiBro module in South Korea), a 4.8-inch 800 x 480 resolution touchscreen, integrated GPS / DMB and a primary battery good for up to six hours of use. The OS will be a home cooked system that's fairly attractive, though the outfit has made clear that WinXP versions will be available in the future. Speaking of the future, the currently unpriced S5 is expected to ship in South Korea this coming January or February, while the S7 is still on track for release sometime after that.[Via Slashgear]
Viliv debuts S5 MID, S7 UMPC
It's been quite a while since Viliv last popped up on our radar, but the company has just rolled into IDF with a pair of new devices to rectify that situation, including the S5 MID and S7 UMPC. From the looks of it, the S7 (pictured above) is the more interesting of the two, with it sporting a convertible form factor, the usual Atom processor, built-in GPS, and an integrated Wimax or HSDPA module. Pricing doesn't look to have been nailed down just yet, but the company is apparently looking to launch it in the first quarter of 2009. The S5 (after the break), on the other hand, looks to be a fairly run of the mill MID, although UMPC Portal says that a 3G option is "possible," and its promised video playback time of five to six hours is certainly respectable enough. No word on a price or release date for it either, but you can check out some more pics and videos of each device by digging into the links below.P.S. We should note that the S7 is still in the "final design stages." We hear that last "P" is always the toughest.Read - UMPC Portal, "Viliv S5 MID"Read - UMPC Portal, "Viliv S7 Atom-based UMPC"
Video: iriver's wee CES 2008 booth tour
Besides having one of, if not, the best product showings at CES 2008, iriver also had one of the most high-tech booths. Gone were the booth babes and ignorant product hacks -- replaced instead by virgin-white cases and interactive displays which allowed their products to speak for themselves. Fortunately, we also had the chance to confirm one of the most peculiar icon choices in CE history: the raised-dog icon on their S7... yes, he's really treating the booth like his own personal fire hydrant. See a video tour of the booth after the break.%Gallery-13462%
Video: iriver's 2007 CES lineup
Last year, iriver introduced the clix, known as the U10 elsewhere. Well, the second gen model looks like it's hit the gym and slimmed down to a much more attractive exterior. Yeah, we could go on for hours about the stylish clix 2, the W10, the S10 or any of their other products they're flaunting, but instead we've got a painstakingly crafted vid for y'all's to enjoy. Of course, you could always read up on these devices, but to see us see them in person, well, that's something special.[MP4] Download the video
IRiver's S7 previewed, long live the choat!
The iriver S7 is alive, and it's brown, and small... iPod shuffle small as you can see from that pic above. The display-less S7 measures in at 40 x 32 x 9.6-mm / 15-g compared to the shuffle's 41 x 27 x 10.5-mm / 15.5-g. However, unlike the shuffle's integrated clip, the S7 dangles from a lanyard in choice of five colors. What's more, the chicken-goat (choat... gicken?) and leg-raising-dog come standard issue on every player -- that's no skin, son. Yeah, c|net was surprised too. For whatever reason, the animals represent volume controls whereas the humans muster up the sense to fast forward or reverse your ASF, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, WMA audio. Don't worry, as we mentioned yesterday, there are plenty of skins you can apply to the faceplate. Oddly (as if it could get any stranger), c|net says there isn't a way to pause playback or preset FM radio stations. That's ok, their full report is coming so maybe they'll figure it out. Stay tuned as they say. More pics after the break. [Thanks, Misticriver Fanboy]
Pentax announces Optio S7
It's a Pentax, it's an Optio, it's got a 7 megapixel sensor, face recognition, DivX / MPEG-4 VGA video recording, optical image stabilization, a 2.5-inch display, 23MB memory, 3x optical zoom, SDHC support, and a name: the S7. Nothing we haven't all seen before; another day, another model. This one will happen to run you $300 (or less) come September.
