Hasta La Gadget!

Bad, but entirely expected news on the MID front. You remember the Mobile Internet Device right? UMPCs by another name usually running Linux-variants in that middling ground between smartphones and netbooks that nobody seems capable of making an attractive use-case for beyond the living room sofa? According to DigiTimes, “several members” of Intel’s Mobile Internet Devices Innovation Alliance (MIDIA) have quit development of MID devices due to very weak shipments. Even the promise of Intel’s Moorestown platform has lured “only a limited number of vendors” to launch related products in 2010. Sources claim that vendors will instead refocus on other areas of possible growth. Imagine that.

Members abandoning Intel’s MID alliance? Hopefully. originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember the day when those 7-inch Origami UMPCs blundered onto the scene with weak Intel processors overpowered by Microsoft’s heavyweight OS? This ViewSonic N01 apparently isn’t one of them, though we couldn’t fault you for being deceived. Sure it’s running XP but it’s Intel’s 1.1GHz Atom Z510 doing the processing chores beneath a display approximating 6 to 7 inches. Ok, ok, it is a UMPC, regardless of its new MID christening proving once again that any distinction Intel tries to sell has been lost forever as vendors try to distance themselves from a tainted UMPC legacy. But we digress. The N01 MID (prototype, by the looks of it) finds itself stuffed with 1GB of memory, just 10GB of on-board storage, 3G data, and integrated TV tuner with fancy telescoping antenna. We can only assume that ViewSonic’s product diversification plans have it dumping the majority of its recently unveiled products into China and India because what they’ve show so far is not going to impress western tastes.

ViewSonic’s N01 MID caught wearing a nasty UMPC disguise originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Inbrics announces Android MID, promises ‘inspirational moments’ (video)

Inbrics announces Android MID, promises ‘inspirational moments’ (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumors of the mythical Apple tablet‘s release were just starting to coalesce around an early 2010 release, so naturally DigiTimes is now reporting that the much ballyhooed device won’t show up until the second half of next year. Apple is said to have given itself more time to swap out internals and install a 9.7-inch OLED display from LG, which meshes with earlier rumors about where the relationship between the two companies was heading. Sources expect the opening retail price to be around a hefty $2,000, but for the budget-conscious there will also be a 10.6-inch LCD version that will land somewhere between $800 and $1,000. Or so we’re told. Somewhat more concrete is the news that Conde Nast, publisher of Wired Magazine, has openly confirmed that it is developing a digital version of its tech magazine for consumption on the Apple tablet, with the rest of its content catalog to soon follow. Its own estimate of having the paid-for digitized magazines, which will include Vogue and GQ, ready for the middle of 2010 also jibes with the reported delays. Then again, Apple has refused to discuss the unannounced device with anyone, leaving Conde and Adobe developing the necessary software in the dark.

Apple tablet(s) in 2H 2010 with OLED screen and tailored content in tow? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s well established by now that the Kohjinsha PA series tablet is one peculiar creature. It has the internals and OS of a netbook, with a 1.33GHz Atom CPU and Windows XP Home, the 4.8-inch display of a portable MID, and the convertible capabilities of an internet tablet, while its price (around $770) seems to imply it performs all three roles with aplomb. The Pocketables crew have followed up their unboxing of the quirky little device with a full-on review, and their conclusion has been that sadly it’s more of a chump than a champ. Poor build quality and substandard input controls dragged this contender down, in spite of its swiveling screen and decent performance thanks to a 32GB SSD. Ultimately, it’s the price that dooms the PA series to ignominy, and it seems like only a miracle — or a timely RilakKuma rebadge — will make it commercially successful. Hit the read link for the full story.

Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops

Kohjinsha PA series reviewed, found lacking originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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