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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 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"
The Viliv X2 AIO: the All in One PMP, really is
Yukyung is back with yet another iteration of their Viliv P2 PMP. The X2 AIO (All In One) replaces the flash storage of the plain-Jane, X2 with old school, spinnin' platters for up to 60GB in capacity. We're talking 4.3-inch, 16M color, 480 x 272 pixel touchscreen display, GPS, DMB television, electronic dictionary, and plenty of audio and video codec support all powered by a 600MHz Alchemy AU1250 processor. Priced at ???549,000 (about $584) for 30GB of storage or ???599,000 (about $637) for 60GB. %Gallery-6339%[Via AVING]
Yukyung intros Viliv X7 GPS / PMP unit
It's been less than a month since Korea's Yukyung took the wraps off its Viliv X2 PMP navigator, but it seems that the company has already decided to further expand the line, with it now introducing its Viliv X7 unit. As with the X2, this one's available with your choice of 4GB or 8GB of NAND flash memory, along with a 7-inch 800x480 display, a rear view camera, and an SD/SDHC slot for further expansion. As is par for the course, the device also comes packed with all the usual PMP features, as well as an integrated DMB TV tuner, TPEG support for traffic alerts and, yes, even karaoke. Look for it to set you back 549,000 won for 4GB model and 629,000 won for the 8GB (or roughly $595-$680).
Yukyung's Viliv X2 PMP navigator: the P2 all grown up
Yukyung's got a new Viliv PMP navigator set for launch in S.Korea: the X2. Looking every bit like the P2 found bouncing around the US, the X2 replaces its predecessor's hard disk with either 4GB or 8GB of solid state flash while introducing SiRFstar III navigation and SD/SDHC expansion. Of course, it also packs a DMB receiver for Korean mobile TV which they'll certainly trim if this thing ever comes Stateside.
Viliv N.70 GPS navigator and PMP
Just as Viliv starts spreading the PMP love to the US, they go and launch into the in-car navigation biz with their first GPS/PMP combo device for the Korean market -- the N.70. This WinCE 4.2 device features SiRF Star3 GPS navigation, an MP3, photo, and video player, wireless remote, built-in stereo speakers, CF/SD memory card slots, and even an T-DMB digital TV option. However, that big 7-inch display barely pumps 480 x 234 pixels meaning your flicks won't exactly look their best. Regardless, we have to question the merits of slapping a 7-inch media-playin' distraction on the dash with all those GPS-enabled drivers in the UK plummeting off cliffs and such.
Viliv announces new US-bound PMP, the P2
So apparently the viliv P1 personal media player is doing so well in the US, that the company has already announced plans to release their new model, the P2, Stateside as well. The P2 takes all the P1's multi-codec goodness (MPEG-1/2/4, H.264, DivX, WMV 7/8/9, XviD, MP3, WMA, OGG, AC-3, and WAV), subtracts the iPod resemblance, and adds a 60GB option as well as an optional GPS receiver. Powered by a 400MHz AMD processor, the P2 runs on Windows CE 5.0 and sports a large 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 widescreen LCD, and also can also act as a USB 2.0 host device. Expect to see these for sale sometime in the middle of August, although pricing has yet to be announced.
