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Vodafone brings ARM and Ubuntu together for South African Webbook
If you don't know what Ubuntu is by now, we're not sure what tech blog you're reading -- 'cause it sure isn't this one. Ok, so finding a computer with the world's most popular Linux distro preloaded on it isn't exactly easy (there aren't any lurking in your local Best Buy, that's for sure). But, tracking down a machine running the Ocelot in South Africa will be getting a bit simpler. The country's Vodafone affiliate, Vodacom, launched the Webbook -- a 10-inch laptop running Ubuntu 11.10 on a Cortex A8-based Freescale i.MX51 processor (likely 800MHz). Inside is also 512MB of RAM and 4GB of flash storage, enough for basic browsing. The Webbook is available now, starting at R1,499 (about $190) for just the device, and climbing up to R1,899 (about $245) for the Webbook, modem and 100MB of monthly data for 12 months. There's also an on-contract option, which nets you the pile of hardware, plus 500MB of data for R189 a month and a two year commitment. Check out the pair of press releases after the break, as well as one more photo of the device
Litl Webbook plummets from $699 to $399, still can't catch an eye
It's tough out there playing second (or third... or tenth) fiddle. Just ask Fusion Garage. Similar to the path we saw Celio's REDFLY take, Litl's Webbook is slowly (but surely, we're afraid) creeping towards complete and utter irrelevance, boasting a design that's too niche to gain traction in the mainstream, a hardware lineup that's too last year and a price that's still far higher than some of the more reputable netbooks on the market today. After just six short months on the market, the company's easel-styled laptop has fallen from $699 to $399, but during that same window of time, Intel has launched all new Atoms, tablet PCs have begun their assimilation on Planet Earth and HP has purchased Palm. Yeah, that last tidbit has precisely zero pertinence to the discussion at hand, but we bet even the engineers at Litl would've laughed you out of town had you told 'em that would happen back in November of '09.
Litl Easel Webbook gets the extensive hands-on treatment (video)
Wait a minute -- you say you've been longing to get your hands on an overpriced netbook that you can use upside-down? Well, kids, the time is drawing nigh. Mere days after the Litl Easel Webbook went official we've become privy to a lengthy video of the bad boy in action. Indeed, things are as you expected: a 1.6GHz Atom-based machine running a proprietary web-optimized OS, this guy has been specially designed, in the words of the company's CEO, to do away with "the computery stuff." To that end, users will see no icons or folders in the desktop. Such tried-and-true stalwarts of computer interface design have been eschewed for "web cards." Indeed, you won't be able to overlap or resize windows at all, at all: unless you're in easel mode, in which case you scroll through cards one at a time with a wheel. But there's more! Users may "liberate the photo" in a manner not unlike a digiframe the fraction of the cost, thanks to the device's integration with several photo-sharing services (including Shutterfly and Flickr). Still curious? I bet you are. Hit up the video after the break and prepare to have all of your dreams fulfilled (well, maybe not).
Litl Easel Webbook now official, unbelievably overpriced
How much would you pay for a netbook? $200 on contract? Maybe as much as $599 for a so-called premium model? How about $699 -- a price that doesn't even include the $19 remote control? Well, what if we told you that the Litl Webbook, a 1.6GHz Atom-based machine running a proprietary web-optimized OS that pumps accelerated H.264 content at 720p over HDMI-out, has a unique hinge that allows it to bend backwards and stand upright like an easel? Sorry, no touchscreen... but that display is 12.1-inches and you get Flickr and Facebook content as well as custom "channels" like The Weather Channel displayed in a "fun" and "engaging" way. You can even scroll between content via that baby-blue scrollwheel on the hinge. Not enough? What about the 2GB of storage, 1GB of memory, 802.11b/g WiFi, headphone and USB 2.0 jacks? Still not sold? Us neither. %Gallery-77267%
