[Thanks, Elias]
Dell's Latitude XT up close -- a bit too close
[Thanks, Elias]
HTC's Shift with HSDPA and SnapVue gets a ship date
Gallery: HTC's Shift with HSDPA and SnapVue gets a ship date
ASUS' R2E UMPC beefs up the specs, adds HSDPA
[Via DailyTech]
Fujitsu's LifeBook T2010 tablet PC gets reviewed
Intel shows of MIDs / UMPCs aplenty at IDF
We already caught sight of one Mobile Internet Device that made its way to Intel's currently-happening Developer Forum, but it looks like that was just the tip of the MID iceberg, with at least five other devices also making an appearance in prototype forum. In addition to that BenQ unit, the prototypes include devices from Asus, Compal, Elektrobit, Inventec and Quanta, each of which are based on Intel's Menlow platform, and at least some of which are apparently on track for a release in the first half of 2008. Unfortunately, there's not much in the way of specs for any of them just yet, although we're sure we'll be hearing more about them soon enough. In related news, Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth was also on hand to demo a pre-alpha version of Ubuntu for MIDs, as was Adobe's Al Ramadan, who showed off the company's Adobe AIR application, which will supposedly "extend the reach of rich internet applications" and "bring compelling new experiences to the user."
[Via Phoronix, thanks Steve]
[Via Phoronix, thanks Steve]
BenQ's Mobile Internet Device peeked on video
It's been a tick since we've heard anything notable on the Mobile Internet Device front, but it looks like BenQ could have something on the horizon. Judging by a brief clip showing a consumer marketing manager from Intel's Ultra Mobility Group, BenQ has developed a Linux-based handheld MID that touts a vivid black / blue color scheme and a 4.8-inch touchscreen. Sadly, that's about all the details that could be shared in 27 oh-so-quick seconds, but click on through to check the video out for yourself.[Via jkOnTheRun]
Continue reading BenQ's Mobile Internet Device peeked on video
Fujitsu LifeBook U810 tablet reviewed
Fujitsu attracted a fair bit of attention back in August with its $1,000 U810 convertible tablet PC, and it's now out to prove its worth when it comes to reviews, one of the first of which looks to have come from the folks at Laptop Magazine. While it's apparently not without its faults, they found quite a bit to like about the device, saying "you can't beat the price for a unit with a usable built-in keyboard and tablet functionality." They also especially dug the tablet's sharp 5.6-inch screen, and it's long battery life, which wound up around 5 hours and 14 minutes in their tests. On the downside, they were less impressed with the performance from the 800MHz A110 processor (no surprise there), and by the lack of integrated mobile broadband, not to mention the somewhat lackluster keyboard and mouse. That apparently wasn't enough to keep it from getting a decent 3.5 out of 5 rating, however, with that $1,000 price tag working considerably in its favor.
Fujitsu's LifeBook U1010 unboxed Down Under
[Thanks, Derek]
Haier's crazy / crazy expensive laptop
HTC's Shift runs Vista (for 2 hours?) not Windows Mobile
HTC's Shift: runs Windows Mobile right, after all, it's an HTC device? Nope, Vista Business Edition. That Windows Mobile looking UI we've seen is HTC's "SnapVUE" shell, an advanced BIOS with support for some of the same applications you would see on a Windows Mobile device. So while you won't get voice capability or Windows Mobile Office, the Sideshow-like display will provide up to 53-hours of use with push email enabled (11 days, without). At least that's what Kaz911 is saying after getting their hands on the claimed, official HTC specs and interviewing Kevin Chen, General Manager HTC EMEA. If the spec list is to be believed, we're looking at an 800MHz Intel A110 Stealey-class CPU; 1GB memory; up to 60GB of disk; 7-inch, 800 x 480 touch-sensitive LCD for all the Aero and 3D flip action you can handle; 802.11b/g WiFi; Bluetooth 2.0; and of course a 400MHz Qualcomm MSM 7200 chipset with tri-band UMTS / HSDPA and quad-band GSM / GPRS / EDGE radios. The odd (and hopefully inaccurate) spec is the 2700mAh battery rated for "up to 2-hours" of that Vista wow. Sounds a bit fishy to us for a McCaslin-based UMPC which targets 4-5 hours of battery life. We'll see once these official specs are actually released by HTC.[Via jkOnTheRun]
Read -- HTC Shift "official" specifications
Read -- Kevin Chen interview
Kohjinsha SH-series UMPC bumped to Intel A110 processor
If you're a Kohjinsha fan (and trust us, UMPC pumpers love 'em) then you'll want to take note of this, their latest flagship mini. The new SH8-series eases the processor up a notch to an 800MHz Intel A110 while stiffening the disk to 120GB -- 32GB SSDs still available. Unfortunately, they've somehow managed to decrease battery life from 3.5- to 3.3-hours with the SSD, or 3.1-hours with an HDD -- a real no-no for ultraportables. You'll be looking at ¥238,000 (about $2,047) fully specced with a 1Seg TV tuner and Vista / MS Office pre-load when these hit Japan in September. Docked, white-on-black style after the break.
[Via Impress]
Continue reading Kohjinsha SH-series UMPC bumped to Intel A110 processor
Fujitsu's LOOX U50XN ultra-portable PC gets colored
Continue reading Fujitsu's LOOX U50XN ultra-portable PC gets colored
How to add an internal USB hub to a UMPC
[Via Hack-A-Day]
Samsung announces three new Q1 Ultra models
While they aren't updates on the order of the refresh to the original Q1, Samsung has apparently decided that it was time to give the Q1 Ultra a bit more company, with it today announcing not one, but three new models. On the low end of the lot, the Q1U-ELXP gets a 600MHz A100 Ultra Mobile processor and a 40GB hard drive with a list price of $999. Taking things up a notch, the $1149 Q1U-XP boasts a 800MHz A110 processor and an 80GB hard drive, while the $1649 Q1U-SSDXP unit packs the same processor and a speedier but pricier 32GB NAND flash drive. From the looks of it, all the other specs remain the same as the standard Q1 Ultra, with Windows XP Tablet Edition serving as the OS. From the sound of it, all three should be available from the all usual sources immediately.
[Via DigitalTechNews]
[Via DigitalTechNews]
Users complaining of bezel separation on Lenovo X60 / X61 tablets
Lenovo's X60 and subsequent X61 tablets were both pretty well received when they were first released, but it seems that quite a few users have since found themselves somewhat less satisfied with their purchase, with widespread reports of problems with the bezel cropping up virtually since day one. Apparently, the glue that holds the bezel to the screen has the unfortunate tendency to lose its stickiness, resulting in cracking and popping every time the screen is opened. While it doesn't seem that many users have had much luck with Lenovo's customer service, Lenovo's Tim Supples recently responded to comments on Lenovoblogs.com (scroll down on the link below) by saying that the company's "engineering teams are aware of the issue and are investigating." In the meantime, however, it seems that users are stuck with the unsightly flaw.
[Photo courtesy of Tablet PC Review Forums]
[Photo courtesy of Tablet PC Review Forums]
