It seems that the idea of having a full PC and a cell phone, seen for the first time in the HTC Shift, it's coming back in new devices sush as the xpPhone and the VPC08 from ViewSonic.
Unlike the xpPhone the VPC08 is actually an ordinary feature phone with a 2-inch display stuck on top of an Atom Z500-powered 4.3-inch MID.
For more information, a video and some good pictures click here.
It seems that the MID concept finally is picking some steam because lately there are a bunch of new devices being released. This time we have two new MID coming from a company called Eston, the MID 05 and the N97 both using Android thou the first one could be loaded with Windows CE too.
The company has sliced off the hardware keyboard from their MID-02 and produced the touchscreen-only MID-05, a 5-inch handheld running either Android or Windows CE. If your fingers are too chubby for that, Eston also have the N97 MID, with a larger 7-inch touchscreen and integrated 3G.
We all like to see what's inside of our devices, lets face it. But here is the thing, dissamsabling them is easy, what's hard is putting them back to how they were before.
The above picture of the Benq S6 MID was shot by a young lady that loves to strip down her devices. And let me tell you, this picture is the most decent one. Check the rest here.
Yes, it’s a phone and it’s a MID using an Intel Atom processor.
The specs haven't changed since the last time, though some of the ports/interfaces may have. Here's a quick rundown:
- 800MHz Intel Atom Z500 processor
- 512MB DDR2 RAM (up to 1GB)
- 4GB SSD
- Midinux operating system
- 4.8" primary touchscreen (800 x 480), 2.4" secondary display (320 x 240)
- Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, 802.11b/g
- Webcam
- I/O: SIM card slot, microSD card slot, USB 2.0, miniUSB, headphone jack, microphone
Since Microsoft pushed the UMPC concept into the market we keep seeing new devices some really smaller some not but one thing is for sure, the market exist and it’s healthy.
Via Pocketeable: LonMID M100 MID phone gets official
The Smart Q7 is one of the best design I have seen in a MID. And today UMPC Portal has released a review of this device very detailed for those who are thinking to buy in the near future.
I had very well-managed expectations for this sub $200 tablet based on ARM architecture and a Linux operating system from a Chinese company and sold through what we thought was a very strange reseller in China. I’ve unboxed the device and I’m feeling quite pleased. Keep your own expectations in check though because this isn’t a UMPC. Think of it as an internet connected gadget, and you’re on the right track.
This mod is for really brave users that really do not care about warranties or anything like that.
..or upgrade with 3G modem but then you need to solder the pci-e connector, antenna cable and use Novatel EU850D with SIM holder.. cut the metal plates and take away the HDD and replace it with half mini zif SSD.
JKK Mobile has posted new pictures and the spec of a new MID with phone capabilities.
NFS-HLJ LonMID M100
4.8 inch 800 x 480 main screen
2.4 inch 320 x 240 secondary screen
800Mhz Intel Atom with 512MB RAM
4GB SSD
Wifi, bluetooth and WWAN ( CDMA1X )
qwerty + numeric keypad
1 × USB 2.0
1 × MiniUSB 2.0
Mic/headphone
MicroSD
Wbcam
153 x 91 x 27mm
MIDinux Linux
UMPCPortal has posted a few pictures of this new MID that will be using Ubuntu and an ARM processor.
At $180, the only real question for gadget fans is, what colour? I’d go for Lime Green just to be disruptive and clash with that brown leather sofa you find in every coffee shop these days.
The price tag of 180 dollars is really good and the design is not bad at all.
The SmartQ 7 is a interesting Linux MID. The design I have to say that it’s one of the best that I have seen lately.
The SmartQ 7 runs an unspecified Linux distro with specs that include WiFi, a USB-host mode, stereo speakers, and up to 2-days of music off a single charge to its 4500mAh Li-Poly battery. More importantly, there's a dedicated FN button along the top for instant fun.
I received a note today from the guys at Dynamism letting me know about the availability of the Viliv S5 for pre orders starting April 27th.
The SWD-M100 is, as far as I can remember, the first MID using Windows Mobile 6.1.
Now, there’s a MID (mobile internet device) that we could use to blog on the go. The Samsung SWD-M100D is a WiMax + WiFi device that has both a touch display and a sliding QWERTY keyboard. The most important feature (for live blogging) is the 3 Megapixel camera in the back, that should kick the battery of my Blackberry 8320 real hard.
MID are not for everybody. At least are not for me. Internet for me is more than a place to relax, it’s a place to work and then I need tools and more tools. And MID is just that a Mobile Internet Device. Without any other more complex tools that all you need to relax in Internet. And apparently my friend JKK suffers from the same kind of “illness” I have, because he has installed Windows XP in a MID converting it into an UMPC.
In the above video we can see one of the closest thing I have seen to the original Origami Concept.
Internet is an addiction. How do I know that? Easy, if you are thinking about diving and browsing the web then you are an addicted. What? Do you think that that’s impossible? Check this pictures of a Toshiba’s MID Prototype posted at UMPC Buzz.
Now that Netbooks are the cooler thing around sellers are calling anything with a shape of a Netbook a Nebook. And this seems to be the case of the Alpha 400.
The Alpha 400 netbook provides multimedia entertainment, Broadband Internet Access and Work on the Go! The Alpha 400 features the reliable Linux Operating System, BroadMIPS XBurst 400 MHz 32-bit CPU, 128 MB RAM, 1 GB NAND Flash storage, a 10/100 MB Ethernet interface and 802.11b wireless access.
To me, this is just a MID. A Netbook uses a full Desktop Operating System and this is not the case. A MIPS processor has a completely different architecture. For those who are not familiar, a program compiled for a MIPS processor does not work in any x86 computer and the same in the other way around.
Wow! This title needs a translation! TG Sambo is a company that will sell next January a new MID called 'LLUON mobbit'.
Adopting a 4.8-inch display, the LLUON mobbit runs on Windows XP OS, Intel Atom Z520 processor and DDR2 1GB SDRAM. Other features included wireless LAN, Bluetooth connectivity, Active X support and Internet banking.
Price? Less than 500 dollars.
Via Aving USA
ClarionMIND is a new MID running Linux using an Intel Atom processor. You can read more about this device at Aving USA.
The ClarionMiND is expected to be available in North America in this November and in Europe market in January, 2009.
And I wonder, would you buy a MID now that the price of some netbooks is really low?
I really don't know how to called, MID? Handheld PC? Pocket PC? But for sure, UMPC is not.
4.3" TFT,ARM926EJ@266MHz CUP inside.5GB memory shared,Windows CE 5.0 system and WIFI. installed MSN,Skype,IE Web browsing,Word,Excel,PPT,PDF viewer,Flash,Nintendo games,etc
Chippy from UMPCPortal has found that the first Intel MID can be preordered already at Tegatech, Australia.
Interested in mobile Internet devices? You know, the ones aimed at the consumer with consumer features and consumer pricing? Then read on… Tegatech, a well-respected UMPC retailer in Australia has recently signed a deal with Gigabyte for the distribution of it’s UMPCs and MIDs in Australia and New Zealand and has sent out an email to it’s media contacts announcing that my favorite MID, the M528 is on their books. A quick look at their website reveals that, yes, the M528 is listed, still looking very desirable, with a nice 8GB flash drive, the 3MP auto-focus cam, an 800×480 touch screen, 11Wh battery, built-in GPS, 3G radio and an 800Mhz Intel Atom processor. With a pocketable size, a pocketable weight and that slide out keyboard it’s a dream device for many.
But here is the interesting thing, the price for this device is around 1280 dollars! Was not the Intel's MID concept talking about very cheap devices which only main task was Internet Connectivity? For that money you can buy a decent UMPC! A powerful laptop! 3 iPhones! And the other thing is that this price fiasco for some reason reminds me the 500 dollars price tag for UMPCs in the initial Microsoft/Intel marketing campaign. And I said Microsoft/Intel because during that marketing campaign Intel was part of it and a very active part of it and I wonder if the 500 dollars price tag really came from Intel and not from Microsoft.
This year is going to be the year of MID (Mobile Internet Devices). A good sign of that is this new MID released by Sharp in Japan.
Sharp launches its 3G mobile phone '922SH' in Japan market through SoftBank, which is expected to be available on 28th March.
Oh, wait a minute... I forgot my opinion... 
Well, I don't know but the antenna seems to me a little bit "retro"... Do not you think?
Steve and JKK keep informing the whole community from CeBit 2008. Here is their latest video, this time about the Gigabyte M528.
