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Kohjinsha PA and PM series hands-on (video)
Dual-panel netbooks weren't the only takeaway from Kohjinsha's CEATEC booth, as the company also had on hand a pair of sleek MIDs. Both lightweight, Windows XP-powered touchscreen portables, the PA boasted a 4.8-inch swivel display with 1024 x 600 resolution, a 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 with 512MB RAM, a 32GB SSD , and a sleek industrial design. The PM is actually a bit old hat now, living a double life as the mbook M1. Still, both had very responsive screens and decent front-mount cameras, and although we still can't get the hang of the tiny keyboards, it's par for the course in the field of MIDs. Brief video hands-on after the break. %Gallery-74887%
Video: UMID shows off faster, cheaper, Windows 7-packing mbook M2
It seems like just yesterday we were finally welcoming the UMID mbook M1 into the world, kicking and screaming after a rather extended gestation. After all that it wasn't exactly well received thanks to a high price, a screen that didn't open far enough, and USB ports that sadly required dongles. UMID is now demoing the completely dongle-free M2, said to be ultimately available with your choice of either a 1.2 or 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor. Memory has been bumped up to 1GB to support Windows 7, the case has been tweaked, the hinge now opens further, and there's an optical "mouse" integrated into the bezel with a sensor on the right and two tiny mouse buttons on the left. A non-functional version is lovingly caressed after the break, while working models are said to ship before the year is up with prices starting at $499. Let's hope this one doesn't follow the same, circuitous path to retail that its predecessor did. [Via jkkmobile]
Kohjinsha rebrands mbook M1, calls it the PM series UMPC
Hey, remember that cute little mbook M1 that was all the rage earlier this year? Yeah, you're looking at it again, only this time it's sporting a cleaner look and a Kohjinsha badge. The rebranded UMPC gets powered by a 1.1GHz Atom N510 CPU and also features 512MB of RAM, a 16GB SSD, 4.8-inch LCD (1,024 x 600), 1.3 megapixel camera, USB 2.0, a microSDHC expansion slot, built-in WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and a headphone jack. It doesn't appear to tout any sort of inbuilt WWAN, though the included battery should last for right around seven hours before petering out. The only problem? That Texas-sized ¥59,800 ($647) price tag, which should do a commendable job of hindering widespread adoption. [Via Pocketables]
UMID mbook M1 now shipping worldwide for $659
And here you were expecting this day to never, ever come. At long last, e-tailer Justek has begun to ship UMID's dainty mbook M1 to customers all over the globe, with pricing set at $659.42 for the Linux model and $765.78 for the Windows XP model (along with an 8GB microSD card). By this point, you already know whether or not you can live without one, so now's your chance to pull the trigger before Monday rolls around with a weekend full of regrets.[Via Pocketables]Read - mbook M1 (Linux)Read - mbook M1 (Windows XP)
UMID mbook M1 spotted in black, keyboard and all
We've been seeing black models of UMID's mbook M1 since way back when -- albeit with a rather eye-burning, white keyboard -- though none of the non-white models have ever seemed to be available. Regardless, a black version, with a new, black keyboard has been spotted, and we have to say it's much-improved, looks-wise. This new version is probably that revised casing we'd heard was on the way after some build-quality issues were reported back in February. There is still no word, sadly, on if or when the M1 will ever head over to the States, but there is one more shot after the break to peek at.[Via Pocketables]
UMID M1D making its way to Korea any day now
No, we still have no details on any upcoming releases of UMID's M1, but it seems that a slightly stripped down version -- the M1D -- is about to appear in Korea. This Mbook boasts a 1.1GHz Atom CPU (the M1 has a 1.3GHz Atom), and lacks both the webcam and the DMB module. Other than that, we're looking at the same cute little guy we've come to know and love. The M1D is launching in Korea next week -- but still no word on if or when it'll ever make its way to the States or elsewhere, or its official price. There's one more shot after the break. [Via Pocketables]
UMID M1 unboxed ahead of Australian launch
Still no US release in sight, but UMID's M1 has now set the course for the land down under in the not-too-distant future. Pocketables has managed to get its hands on a non-HSDPA retail version to take it through the unboxing and review motions. The pictures are a good reminder at just how tiny this thing is, especially compared to the jacket pocket fave Vaio P. Unfortunately, it's also got a rather awkward set of adapters for USB and what appears to be headphones, as seen in the picture above. Australian retailer Justek's got the unit available for pre-order now, but you might want to glance at that $930 to $1426 price range before you impulsively hit the "pre-order now" button. Read - Unboxing Read - Product page
UMID M1 put through numerous paces on video
We know it's torture seeing all these UMID M1 videos with little to no hope of a US release, but just think -- it's the perfect excuse for you to use that dusty passport before it expires next year. The all-too-intriguing handheld, which is currently strutting its stuff in South Korea, has been heavily videoed by YouTube user loa2000kr. We're talking Warcraft / Quake III demos, 1080p movie playback tests and even a look at how it handles 2D side-scrollers. For a peek at the most excellent, jump on past the break; for the full monty, tap that read link.
UMID's mbook M1 gets sturdier shell, further away from reality
Man, talk about loving the drama. UMID's mbook M1 has sent us on a roller coaster of emotion, and clearly the ride is far from over. After hearing that the totally cute MID was actually nowhere near a US release and that early builds were having some nasty quality issues, Pocketables has come forward with some (mostly) positive news. For starters, the unit will be delayed until May in Australia and Hong Kong, but the reasoning is sound: there's an improved shell being implemented that will hopefully not crumble with use. Sadly, a US release date is still "unknown," and we're told that models sans HSDPA will be available prior to those with HSDPA. Check the read link for a few of the finer points, but don't even bother if you're not willing to pull the import trigger.
Hot vs. not: Viliv's S5 vs. UMID's Mbook M1
While neither has officially gone on sale yet here or abroad, two anticipated MIDs, the Viliv S5 and UMID M1, both went on pre-order last week in their home nation of Korea, and while the S5 sold out of its initial allotment of 1,000 units in just 8 hours, UMID still has unclaimed devices from its first batch of 500. This is at least in part due to some sketchy quality on the M1, with a finish on early machines that looks like a Tamiya kit haphazardly glued together by a four-year-old. The company is saying it will step up and replace all of the pre-ordered units with better ones once it gets its molds to line up, but having to trade in your new computer after a few weeks seems to partially defeat the purpose of getting one early in the first place. Of the two only the S5 is said to be officially coming to America at this point anyway, so hopefully that's the one that caught your fancy.
Forthcoming UMID M2 already dancing on M1's spotlight
In today's world, it's a pretty safe bet that revision two is already on the drawing board by the time revision one hits the market. That said, it's still somewhat embarrassing for UMID that we already have leaked proof that the M2 is on the way to replace the just-barely-official M1. Judging by a purported roadmap, the MID M2 will be smaller than 3-inches and will boast calling capabilities. Furthermore, it'll support HSPA, WiMAX and a slew of other wireless protocols (or at least some of 'em), but we wouldn't expect to see more of it until late 2009. Unless UMID wants to completely cannibalize sales of that M1, of course.
UMID M1 gets official, handled on video
We never in our wildest dreams imagined UMID would be the one to blur the line between netbooks and MIDs, but sure enough, it has. The all too elusive mbook (or M1, as it were) has reserved itself a spot on the web, and moreover, we've finally found ourselves a video of this fellow in action. We're still believing a 4.8-inch screen is just too small for the Atom inside to be fully appreciated, but maybe our goliath fingers and awful eyesight aren't indicative of the majority.[Via PMP Today]Read - Official websiteRead - Hands-on video
