Hasta La Gadget!

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]

Continue reading Video: UMID shows off faster, cheaper, Windows 7-packing mbook M2

Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops

Video: UMID shows off faster, cheaper, Windows 7-packing mbook M2 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 07:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel’s chief sales and marketing officer Sean Maloney wants you to know something you probably already figured out on your own. “Netbooks are predominantly… a second or third purchase from someone who’s already got a notebook,” he suggested today at the company’s Technology Fair event, further extrapolating with an anecdote of him watching people in China retail shops skipping the portables and going straight to more capable notebooks. “The first time you buy something, you want the real deal. It’s a human behavior thing… it’s [the same] all around the world.” It’s an admission of processing power and capability, but of course Intel still wants you interested in ultra-thin computers with more capability — and either way, the chip manufacturer gets a share of the profits, so it’s essentially a win-win.

Filed under: Laptops

Intel exec speaks the obvious: first-time buyers aren’t going for netbooks originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You know that new ultra-light, ultra-thin, and ultra-portable laptop from NEC you got an eyeful of way back in May? Of course you do. You’ve been obsessing, actually — and frankly, we’ve been worried about you. Still, we’d be remiss in our duties if we didn’t turn you on to this mini-review that Akihabara News scored of the VersaPro VS-7. And we must say, the kudos are flowing pretty freely over there: “freaking light,” (that’s right: freaking), “slim and robust.” The reviewer is simply “amazed” at the netbook’s performance. Even in full screen mode HD video plays “just fine,” and 720p DivX video playback is characterized as “flawless.” But that ain’t all — hit the read link for the full, unexpurgated tale. But not before peeping the video after the break.

Continue reading NEC VersaPro VS-7 netbook manhandled, makes one reviewer positively giddy

Filed under: Laptops

NEC VersaPro VS-7 netbook manhandled, makes one reviewer positively giddy originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So as it turns out, Intel isn’t just casually accepting of Google’s new OS initiative, it’s actually been privy to the project for some time now, according to a spokesperson for the chipmaker. The two have apparently also worked together (and are potentially still working together) on portions of Chrome OS, he says, which really makes it all the more curious that the company isn’t mentioned among Google’s first partners while Qualcomm, Freescale, and Texas Instruments are. Then again, said inclusion might make the Moblin team more than a little bit upset, and either way, let’s not forget that Atom chips will be sold regardless of which OS is on the system — it’s really kind of a win-win situation that we reckon the hardware division isn’t complaining about.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Software

No surprise: Intel has known about Chrome OS, worked with Google on ‘elements’ of project originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The wild and crazy guys over at Portable Monkey have just got their hands on one of Onkyo’s 10.1-inch Sotec C204 netbooks and were cool enough to share thoughts, impressions, and a madcap YouTube video with all of us. Priced at around ¥49,000 ($511), but seen going for less at various online tech purveyors, the gentleman’s first impression of this device was, in a word, “great.” Smaller and lighter than even the ASUS Eee PC S101, this bad boy seemed to perform as you’d expect an Atom N270-powered, 1GB, Windows XP Home machine should — even if it does generate more noise than a little guy like this oughta. Curiosity piqued? Make sure you peep the video (after the break) for this life-affirming hands-on event.

Continue reading Video: Onkyo Sotec C204 hands-on impressions

Video: Onkyo Sotec C204 hands-on impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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