Finally the very first prototype that Intel showed us is making its way in to mass production code named “earth”. All of you must have seen this device for sure. This is the very same prototype that Intel used to show the capabilities of the UMPC at its launch.
The device specification are not announced, you can expect this to be based on the Intel’s menlow platform. More pictures here
This time its the “Donley”, we’ve seen something very similar to this in the past . So the biggest question is “when is Intel moving to production?” We’ve seen many designs from Intel on the UMPC Portal and till date there has not been one that has moved on to production or has any confirmation of the launch date.
The concept has a 5″ display, seems to be running vista with all communications built in and an improved design for mobility.
Intel to introduce 5-inch portable concept PC ‘Donley’ [AVING]
The first generation of UMPCs were more like tablets with no keyboards, then came others with sliding and split QWERTY keyborads. Looks like the crowd feels the regular layout of the laptop in more usable than any other form, starting from Kohjinsha, then came the Fujitsu FMV-U8240, and now the Asus Eee PC! — weird name, but Asus says…
This is a new line of PCs that focuses on providing users with the most comprehensive Internet application based on three Es: Easy to learn, work, play; Excellent Internet experience and Excellent mobile computing experience, and hence the product name of Eee PC.
The most interesting part of the story is the price on the device. Remember those OLPC ($100 laptops) these devices boast a lot more features and better configuration for just the double the price. Now there is not any official announcement on the pricing and availability, but it’s hard to believe the price to be just $199. Johnny Shih, Chairman of Asustek, noted that it would cost only $199 [Inquirer]
The specifications of the device are
Asus Press Release [Via Gizmodo] | Teaser mini site [Asus]
It’s been a while since Via made any big announcements on their UMPC platform and CX-7 chipsets. Now comes the iDOT UMPC CE260 & CE261 in all its glory. Imagine paying just about $600 (all long dream for the UMPC market) for a full fledged UMPC that’s less that 2 lbs named the “Nanobook”
[The clock thing looks like the 80's though]
Here are the specs:
- Windows XP or Vista
- less than 850g (1.87 pounds)
- 1.2GHz VIA C7-M processor
- Up to 1GB of RAM
- 30GB hard drive
- 7-inch WVGA display
- 802.11g WiFi
- Bluetooth
- DVI-out and slots for GPS, VoIP, or WWAN module
- Up to five hours of battery life
The specs are decent and for $600 I think its a great deal. Packard Bell will also use the reference design for the EasyNote XS.
VIA intros NanoBook Ultra Mobile Device - $600 ultraportable laptop [engadget]
If you look the UMPC market, it has been Amtek what has been doing the OEM for many brands. They are showcasing the U560 UMPC at Computex, the second generation of UMPC (which surfaced as a concept at the IDC)
The design initially was incorporated by Sony UX series and followed by the Concept that we saw from Averatec AHI (which seems to be delayed for quite some time now). This features a slide-up screen with full QWERTY keyboard, with a 4.8″ Screen supporting 1024 X 600 native resolution. The device is powered by Intel A110/A100 600MHz/800MHz processor(s) and polymer battery for a good 3600mAh pack with 2 cells. It also packs a 1.3 MP camera.
New U560 UMPC from Amtek [GottaBeMobile] | More pictures at AVING.net
